I Never Thought of That!

The Holiday Inn saw another Family & Friends Group event take place on Friday February 26th. It was part of the Oxfordshire MND branch calendar of activities. The event was geared around the theme of gardening as suggested by a member of the local branch.

The main business of the afternoon was in two separate parts led by Susan and David Batt-Rawden and Susan Williams-Bradley.

David presented illustrations of a wide range of wonderful gardens to visit and shared with everyone the experiences of family outings and disabled facilities. The beautiful and varied venues were diverse and full of adventure. The research around accessibility at each place was inspirational.

Fun was a theme in Susan Williams-Bradley illustrated talk. Susan explained ideas how to make gardening possible for all. Susan talked about planning being pivotal to managing the garden and ensuring it continues to be a pleasure and fun, not a burden for anyone. Marvellous practical ideas were put across for gardening at different heights and with different plants. Susan offered her services to those who might welcome a little personal input.

About the Branch

The Oxfordshire Branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association is dedicated to providing help and support to people in the area affected by MND including their carers, families and friends.

Our aims are to raise funds and increase public awareness of the disease. We cannot achieve these aims without volunteers, and we need as many as possible, even for the smallest tasks. Please visit our Volunteers page to see how you could become involved.

We have a close relationship with Health and Social Care Professionals in our area such as Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Dieticians, Social Workers, Medical and Care Staff. Some of our volunteers attend the MND Care Centre at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Among the support services we provide is a team of trained Association Visitors who will visit families when requested. The Branch also holds regular Family and Friends meetings for people living with MND and their carers. These give people an opportunity to meet with others who are living with the disease, and to share experiences and ideas.

Fundraising and raising awareness about MND in the general public are also very important aspects of Branch activities. For meetings and events planned for the next few months please visit our Events page.

We are always investigating ways in which we can help. Our Support page provides information on a number of Support Services available nationally and in the Oxfordshire area. We have also collected together a number of items of interest on our Information page. This provides links to other websites, information about books and other materials that may be helpful, and some advice on things such as travel, technology, and mobility equipment.

For details on how to contact members of the Branch, a map of the area covered by the Branch, and links to adjoining branches, please visit our Contacts page.

The Branch is one of over eighty local groups that are affiliated with the National Motor Neurone Disease Association. For information about the work of the Association (founded in 1979) and up to date news about research into the disease and advances in care, please visit the website at www.mndassociation.org.