on... Canterbury CCSG Inc.
Canterbury CCSG was established by Mrs Joan Hawley in 1987 and has had a growing number of members since. At present we have approximately 150 members. We have a newly elected committee of 10 members, with 3 of these members joining us this year. Our newly elected President is Joan Walsh. After 12 years of dedicated service as President, Joan Hawley is now our Vice-President and Helen Keeley our Secretary/Treasurer.
We have 3-4 meetings per year with speakers coming to educate
and entertain us. At present we hold our meetings in the Beaven
Lecture Theatre, Christchurch School of Medicine, Christchurch
Hospital. We are currently looking for new premises for next
year because the parking facilities are inadequate (and costly!)
and have become a problem for people.
By the time you receive this newsletter we would have just had
a meeting on 12th October '99. Peg Riley is speaking to our group
on the subject of Sexuality and the Chronically Ill. Through
the Wegener's Granulomatosis & Related Diseases Support Group,
Jan Riley and Jan Edwards have received a grant by the Keith
Laugeson Charitable Trust to write a book on the subject. Peg
has been a hospital chaplain for 5 years; prominent in her experience
with many people have been questions and concern around sexuality
and changing self-identity. Jan has a background of many years
in Sexual Health and Relationship Education. In their writing
they want to draw on the experiences of people with a variety
of chronic illness. What makes booklets like this so worthwhile
is that it is based on stories by people like you and me.
At Canterbury CCSG our aim is to keep educating existing and new members and most importantly raising awareness in our community.
Our committee is hoping to set up in the new year smaller cell-groups. These groups of 6-8 members will be able to meet informally giving each other support. We are excited about this new dimension to our group.
To further our aim to raise awareness in the community we have contacted all Medical Centres in the Christchurch area forwarding pamphlets and making them aware of our support group. We have received very positive feedback from this and hope that this is only the beginning of an ongoing relationship with these Medical Centres.
Joan Hawley, our Vice-President has been asked to speak to secondary school students about Crohn's and Colitis as part of their Health Syllabus. This has come about from the parents of one Christchurch School wanting their children to have access to more information about Crohn's and Colitis. This is another way our group can bring awareness to our community.
To all our members around NZ, we send our best wishes.
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