MINUTES OF THE EIGHTEENTH MEETING OF THE

DERBYSHIRE CHRONIC PAIN SUPPORT GROUP COMMITTEE

 The Eighteenth meeting of the Derbyshire Chronic Pain Support Group Committee was held on 16 September 2003, at the Guinness Trust Community Room, Sidney Street, Derby.

 Attendees:  

Mark Charity (Chairperson), Margaret Whitehurst, (Membership Secretary), Ray Whitehurst, (Treasurer), Janet Owen (Secretary) Sandra Cuningham, Naomi Memmory, Rae Ford, Pauline Povey, Paul Hearne, Eileen Hogg

1.     Apologies:     None

        Mark Charity (Chairperson) opened the meeting by welcoming,  introducing and  thanking everyone who attended.

2.     Minutes from the last meeting held on 4 August 2003 were approved and signed as a true record.

3.           Statement of Funding and Finances

Ray stated that the bank balance at end of August was £712.81,   Neighbourhood grant finishes end of September, awaiting telephone bill which needs to be paid our of this grant.   Propose to use money left over from the grant to pay for rent of room and any out of pocket expenses.

4.     Six Week Review of Group

The consensus at this meeting was that we stay as a group at this moment in time and review again in February 2004.

The suggestions made at the meeting to help the group progress were as follows –

We need to do more advertising in local press/hospitals – pain clinic, Doctors surgeries, chemists, and with other groups.

A committee member suggested that we have meetings in the evening not just in the daytime and get speakers to come along. 

The committee felt that we needed to get advice/help from established groups such as Disability Direct and Derby CVS.

To do more social events in the group such as trips, bingo, raffles to make the membership meetings more attractive to encourage new members to come along to the group.

A vote was taken by the Committee on these suggestions for them to be implemented.

8.     Date of Next Meeting

It was agreed that the next meeting be held on Tuesday 28 October 2003, 10.30 a.m. at the Guinness Trust Community Room, Sidney Street, Derby.

ADDENDUM

At the coffee morning on 14 October, a membership meeting was held to inform the members of the progress of the group.   Committee members informed them that for the time being we are remaining as a group.   The decision was taken that we need to do more advertising of the group and it was decided to allocate £100.00 for this to enable us to get out into the public eye.