fundraising news - British Polio Fellowship

The official magazine of The British Polio Fellowship September/October 2012 

Established since 1939, the British Polio Fellowship supports people living with polio and 

Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) 

Tribute to campaigner 

Lord Morris. P30 

Paralympic Games – a triumph of 

spirit over adversity. P6 

Market forces raise 

funds. P27 

Celebrate 

– for two 

good 

reasons! 

P13 

British Polio Month 

lights the way. P10 

All aboard 

for a fun 

day out. 

P26

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Message from the 

Chief Executive 

By Ted Hill 

Inspiring a generation – or more 

As The Bulletin goes to press, the Paralympic 

Games are drawing to a close, and what a 

triumph they have been! Without doubt, 

the Paralympics have raised awareness of 

disability, promoted equality, and demonstrated 

the enormous depths of resilience and 

determination many disabled people are called 

upon to show, not just in élite sport but in their 

daily lives. 

I do think both the Olympic and Paralympic 

Games have lived up to the slogan, Inspire 

a Generation, and maybe they will inspire 

several generations, not just the youngest! Our 

congratulations to James Crisp on his silver 

medal, and to all our members who took part in 

the Games – Aidan Linton-Smith as a volunteer 

or ‘Gamesmaker’, Pat Parker as a power lifting 

referee, and Maurice Collett and Betty Brown 

as torchbearers. You can read about Betty’s 

experience on page 7. 

Wheelchair racer, Paralympic Ambassador and 

Fellowship member Anne Strike helped raise 

awareness of polio and Post Polio Syndrome 

(PPS), even being interviewed on the ITV News. 

Anne also answered questions in a live web chat 

on the BBC World Live site for schools, and one 

of our youngest members, 14-year-old Hamish 

Thompson, also took part. She narrowly missed 

selection for Team GB, but very generously lent 

her racing wheelchair to a young athlete from 

the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dedeline 

Mibamba Kimbata, who was competing in the 

Paralympics on a wild card. That’s what I call the 

Olympic spirit! 

Winter warmth appeal 

Anne Strike is also showing her support for 

The Fellowship by spearheading our Winter 

Warmth campaign. Each year, we try to raise 

funds specifically to make grants to those of our 

The British Polio Fellowship 

+ 

Contents 

News from Central Office 3-5 

Paralympics 6-7 

Fundraising news 8-17, 19 

Our charity partners 18-20 

Your letters 21-25 

Branch & regional news 26-29 

Tribute to Lord Alf Morris 30-31 

Holiday programme 32 

Support Services 33-37, 40 

History corner 38-39 

Advertising 40-42 

Contacts 43 

My way 44 

news from central office 

3

4news from central office 

4 

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members who find it difficult to meet the higher 

heating costs of winter, yet because they had 

polio and now may be experiencing the effects 

of Post Polio Syndrome (PPS), need to make 

sure they stay extra warm. Enclosed with this 

issue you will find a letter from Anne explaining 

more about the scheme, together with two 

forms – a Direct Debit to enable you to make a 

regular donation, and a One-off form to make 

a single donation. Please consider supporting 

this appeal if you are able – it will be much 

appreciated by those members who will be able 

to stay cosy and warm this winter as a result of 

your generosity. 

Members who think they might be eligible to 

apply for a grant – those who do not receive the 

Government’s Winter Fuel Allowance – should 

watch out for the application form to be printed 

in the next issue of The Bulletin. 

Lord Morris of Manchester 

Members will have been saddened by the death 

of our Patron, the disability campaigner Lord 

Morris of Manchester. He had a long history of 

fighting for the rights of disabled people, as you 

will see from the tribute by his biographer Derek 

Kinrade on page 30, and History Corner on page 

38. Derek’s book is also reviewed on page 37. 


Once again British Polio Month took place in 

July, with so many of our members organising 

events and coming together to raise funds 

for our vital work. We feature just some of the 

innovative ways of raising money thought up 

by our valiant supporters on pages 8 to 10. A 

sincere thank you to each and every one of you. 

AGM 

The AGM will be held on 22 September at the 

Peterborough Premier Inn. It will be followed 

by a Question Time session allowing members 

to raise issues concerning The Fellowship with 

the Trustee Board and senior management. A 

summary of the meeting will be published in 

the November/December issue of The Bulletin. 

Support Services 

This issue we major on benefit claims and the 

importance of getting the right advice at the 

outset of an application – whether from The 

Fellowship, Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), DIAL 

or another local advocacy agency – to prevent 

problems with the claim later. See page 33. 

GP survey 

Research conducted by The Fellowship to 

coincide with British Polio Month showed that 

69% of GPs rate their level of knowledge of PPS 

as low (ranking it as three out of 10 or below). 

A staggering 76% of GPs are turning to the 

internet for diagnostic information and can be 

only a little more clued up than their patients 

on surprisingly common conditions. We were 

able to secure considerable media coverage by 

publishing the results of the survey. For more 

detail see our website www.britishpolio.org.uk 

Postcard from the EPU 

As you will be aware, as well as meeting 

Fellowship members from across the country 

in the last six months, I am also seeking to raise 

our profile further afield and I recently returned 

from the European Polio Union (EPU) meeting at 

Janske Lanze in the Czech Republic. 

The EPU is composed of member organisations 

like ours supporting and advocating for the 

rights and issues affecting people with polio and 

Post Polio Syndrome (PPS). 

I have always believed in co-operation and 

partnership working, learning from each other, 

and so it was very beneficial to spend a couple 

of days with EPU colleagues working on joint 

initiatives and ideas. 

There are already a number of irons in the fire, 

including strategies around accessing money 

from the European Union to support PPS, and 

work is in hand to have a parliamentary debate 

at Strasbourg on PPS in mid-2013. Both of these 

initiatives will raise the profile of our work and 

concerns with politicians, the medical profession 

and the wider public alike. Watch this space. n 

The British Polio Fellowship

Introducing 

My name is 

Natricia Duncan 

and I joined The 

Fellowship as Support 

Officer on 11 June 2012. 

It is a great place to work 

and everyone has been 

really supportive. 

In addition to my job 

at The Fellowship, I am 

completing my Masters 

in Journalism at Brunel 

University, and catering to the whims and 

fancies of my two wonderful children. Then on 

Sundays I put on my radio hat and present on 

91.8 Hayes FM. I am also a shameless chocoholic. 

My main function as Support Officer is to 

revive the Orthotics and Expert Panels, which 

were dormant due to staffing changes at The 

Fellowship. I am very pleased to say we are now 

well on our way to being 

fully functioning again. 

In the past, the Panels 

have been instrumental 

in steering the 

organisation forward 

and can take credit 

for some of its major 

accomplishments such as 

the NHS Map of Medicine 

Pathway. 

With health and benefit 

reforms in the wind, 

there is an urgent need 

for them to resume their 

good work – increasing 

awareness of polio and 

Post Polio Syndrome 

Natricia 

With health and benefit 

reforms in the wind, 

there is an urgent need 

for the Orthotics and 

Expert Panels to resume 

their good work – increasing 

awareness of polio and 

Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) 

and raising the 

profile of 

The Fellowship. 

(PPS) and raising the profile of The 

Fellowship. 

The Panels are comprised of leading 

experts and specialists, well established 

professionals and Fellowship members 

– an extraordinary group of volunteers, 

who are exceptionally busy but commit 

their time, energy and expertise to The 


Despite the period of dormancy, 

everyone involved is rearing and ready 

to go again. Wayne Henderson will 

continue to chair the Orthotics Panel and we 

recently welcomed Robin Luff to be Chair of the 

Expert Panel. 

Both Wayne and Robin are aware of the 

challenges facing The Fellowship and our 

members. I know they are very dedicated and 

I am confident they will do a fantastic job of 

guiding and managing the Panels. 

The Orthotics Panel will 

meet on 10 September 

and the Expert Panel on 

12 November. These 

first meetings will be 

very much about 

finding our feet again 

and I am very excited 

about where this journey 

will take us. 

Finally, I wanted to let 

you know that you the 

members are at the heart 

of every decision we 

make, so please free to 

get in touch at natricia@ 

britishpolio.org.uk n 

news from central office 


5

paralympics 

6 

Paralympic Games 

Congratulations 

to all the 

terrific athletes 

who took part in the 

Paralympic Games, 

including James 

Crisp, who has polio. 

He competed for 

Team GB in five 

races at the Aquatics 

Centre, clinching 

silver in the 100m 

backstroke S9. 

champion disability 

The Fellowship was 

well represented at the Paralympics, with member 

Anne Strike being an Ambassador for the Games, 

while other members taking part included Aidan 

Linton-Smith being a volunteer, Pat Parker a 

power-lifting referee, and Maurice Collett and 

Betty Brown carrying the Olympic torch in the 

relay prior to the London 2012 Games. 

The Fellowship also got some good publicity 

before the opening of the Paralympics, with 

BBC World Class running a live chat on the 

Olympic and Paralympic value of courage. The 

page featured a video of a young man in Africa 

with polio. BBC World Class helps UK schools to 

twin with schools around the globe as part of 

its educational legacy for the 2012 Olympics. 

Anne Strike was answering questions, while one 

of our youngest members, Hamish Thompson, 

answered the question: “Does having polio affect 

you much emotionally? If so, how do you keep 

mentally strong?” 

He replied: “I’m not going to lie, I have really bad 

days sometimes. It normally is the realisation that 

I can’t do things all my friends do, such as football, 

rock climbing, or even diving. But I believe friends 

and family are the most important things anyone 

can have, these are the 

people that will support 

me, no matter what.” 

James Crisp shared his 

views on courage too: 

“For me courage is never 

giving in to the fear 

of failure. To confront 

whatever faces you, no 

matter how impossible it 

may seem. 

“To live your own life 

the way you want to by 

following your own dreams with determination 

and confidence whilst not allowing other people’s 

thoughts and opinions to have a negative 

influence. 

“To face whatever the future holds with fearlessness. 

Courage has got me where I am today.” n 

Top: the Paralympic flame burning brightly. 

Middle: James Crisp. Bottom: wheelchair racing. 


Betty Brown 

torchbearer 

Member Betty Brown received the 

honour of becoming a torchbearer as 

part of the relay bringing the Olympic 

Flame around the country to the London 

2012 Olympic Games. She writes: 

What can I say? It was a wonderful day, 

tiring but a once in a lifetime experience. 

My day started on 5 July at 4am. I had to 

board the Olympic Shuttle bus at 5am and we were 

then transported to our various drop-off points. 

I started the Filby Torch relay at 8.25. We then 

travelled along the route on a different bus, picking 

up the runners who had completed their section. 

The crowds turned out in force and cheered the 

buses and runners. All the runners had an escort 

and mine pushed me in my wheelchair. 

Five hours later we were back at our pick up point 

at the Town Hall in Great Yarmouth, and were 

given our torch if we had bought it. I then went 

to Filby School sports day where all the children 

had their photographs taken with the torch. After 

the sports we had a two-hour rest and then back 

out to a reception at All Saints Hall, Scratby where 

there were more photographs 

taken. One was with a baby 

whose mum said, “I will show it 

to him when he grows up and 

say you were part of history”. 

I must admit by 9 o clock my 

smile was a bit fixed, I now 

know how the Queen feels. I 

had another evening reception 

and then a break before I 

started going into schools to 

talk to the children. 

It was a great two weeks just 

leading up to the great day. 

I was at the raising of the 


Olympic flag with the Mayor of Great Yarmouth 

and had a brilliant day at The Royal Norfolk 

Show where there was a 

celebration of the Olympics. 

300 people were involved 

including torchbearers, 90 

children carrying the flags of all 

the nations taking part in the 

Olympics, past Olympians and 

up-and-coming athletes. 

I told one little girl that there 

were 8,000 holes on the torch 

representing every torchbearer 

who had taken part in the relay. 

Her reply was: “Which hole are 

you?” My reply: “Well, the very 

top one, of course.” n 

7paralympics

fundraising news 

Great response for 

British 

Polio 

Month 

July 2012 

Jazz in the Spa 


By Marianne Gkikas 

In Memory of Shaun Hocking 

Nicholas Bragg and other club members of the 

Whitehaven Amateur Football Club wanted to 

support British Polio Month in memory of their 

club Chairman Shaun Hocking. Central Office 

member Shaun, a former teacher at Jericho 

School and Headteacher at Lowca Primary 

School, Whitehaven, sadly passed away last 

year, aged 61. A Football tournament and 

Gentleman’s Evening was held on 30 June and 

raised £370. Shaun was a legend and inspired 

all of those around him and is greatly missed 

by all who knew him. 

Many thanks to everyone involved in 

supporting this event. And, as if that weren’t 

enough, we have also received a further 

£553 from Laura Hocking in Shaun’s memory, 

bringing the total raised to £923. 

Once again, member Tim Mallinson came up 

trumps with his very successful Jazz in the Spa 

evening on 7 July, raising an amazing £600. 

The music of The Chicago Teddybears Society 

Jazz Band provided the entertainment for the 

evening. Thanks to all those who organised 

the evening and to everyone who supported it 

and helped make it such a success. 

Lunch is served 

Pam Bush supported British Polio Month this 

year by providing lunch for 37 residents in 

the lounge of Meadow Court where she lives. 

A wonderful time was had by everyone who 

attended. The event raised the grand sum of 

£206 – well done Pam, and thanks to everyone 

who participated. 

Coffee Morning 

Eileen Skilton (wife of member Derek) once 

again supported British Polio Month by 

holding a Coffee Morning, raising a superb 

£250. Many thanks to Eileen and to everyone 

who attended. 

Cream Tea 

King’s Lynn 

and District 

Polio Group 

raised £210 

in support of 

British Polio 

Month by holding a Cream Tea afternoon. 

Special thanks to Joella who met the cost of 

the cream tea and to everyone who donated 

handmade items and raffle prizes in support of 

the event. Well done! 

8 


School’s out ...raising money 

Before they went off on their holiday break, 

Old Dalby C of E Primary School donated £94 

for British Polio Month. This is a tremendous 

contribution from our young people, and 

helps make sure polio is not forgotten. Many 

thanks to everyone at the school. 

Steam Rally – rain stopped play 

What a great shame, that after a year of 

planning, organising and hard work, the 

Redbourn Steam Rally had to be cancelled due 

to the horrendous weather. Rally Chairman 

Doug Williamson, hoped right up until the 

last minute that the sun would shine and dry 

up the water-logged fields, but sadly, it was 

not to be. This is the first time I have known it 

to be cancelled in the 15 years I have been at 

The Fellowship. Mind you, on the Rally’s Pearl 

Anniversary (30 years) I can remember my 

car having to be towed out of the mud by a 

tractor!!! Hopefully, next year will make up for 

the disappointment of this year. 

There was huge disappointment as previous 

rallies have been so successful. 

London 10K – running the route of 

the Olympians 

Steven Chipchase 

Part of the route for the 2012 London 10K 

was the same as that used by those running 

the marathon during the Olympics two 

weeks later – although I have to say, I don’t 

think any of our runners made it in Olympic 

record-breaking times! 

Many thanks to all our runners: Malcolm 

Murray; Chris and Linda Penn; Stuart and Iain 

Webb; Steven and Mark Chipchase and Belinda 

Kalirai who have collectively, so far, raised 

nearly £1,500. 


Garden Tea Party 

Linda McGoldrick held a Garden Tea Party 

and would like to thank her sister Maureen 

for hosting it at her home. Thanks also from 

Linda and The Fellowship to all who made 

cakes, contributed raffle and tombola prizes, 

and to everyone who attended and gave so 

generously. Your hard work and generosity 

raised a whopping £250. Well done! 


Iain and Stuart Webb 

+ 

9


+ 

Inspiring shoppers 

Ever the entrepreneur, David Abrahams 

was very resourceful in deciding what he 

would do to support British Polio Month 

this year. Last year he enlisted young 

people to help collect at the Watford 

Harlequin Centre. This year he came up 

with the brainwave of offering people the 

opportunity to have their photo taken 

with the Olympic torch and torch bearer 

Holly Worthington. 

Enlisting the help of his son Joel, 

volunteer Tanya Cooper whose father 

had polio, they cajoled and enthused the 

general public and shoppers young and 

old to have their photo taken with Holly 

Above, from left: David Abrahams, Tanya Cooper, Holly 

and the torch while making a donation. 

Worthington and Joel Abrahams. Below: Tanya and Holly. 

They also sold items knitted by Tanya. 

Between them they managed to raise a 

massive £400. Our sincere thanks to them all. 

Holly was chosen to be a torch bearer because 

of her charity work. She cycled from John 

O`Groats to Land’s End to raise £2,300 for 

charity, and supports people with learning 

difficulties every week. She also volunteers with 

disabled adults and is training to do another 

sponsored cycle for charity. She says: “Since I 

started volunteering I realised how rewarding 

it is to help people and am going to become 

more and more involved with volunteer work 

and making a difference.“ 

Christmas cards reminder 

It isn’t so far away now! In your July Bulletin you will have received a Christmas Card Order Form, 

but don’t worry if you have mislaid it as it’s not too late for you to still order from our varied 

selection of cards. Many of you will have already sent in your order for Christmas cards and will 

be receiving them this month. 

Please complete your order form and send it with your payment to Central Office. However, if you 

would like to pay by debit/credit card, or have mislaid your Order Form and would like another 

one, please call 0800 0180586. Alternatively, you can order online at www.britishpolio.org.uk 

Thank you to everyone who has made a purchase from our range of Christmas cards – not only 

are you helping us to raise funds but you are also helping us to raise our profile. 

10 




11


12 

Celebrate with 

The Fellowship 

The Fellowship’s Celebrate scheme enables members, their families and friends 

to support The Fellowship and our work by donating money in lieu of gifts. 

Once you register to join the scheme, we can send you donation cards and prepaid 

envelopes to send out, maybe with your party invitations. When anyone 

donates in lieu of a gift, we send them a thank you card. You get a list of all 

donors, as well as a certificate showing the total amount raised. Donations can 

also be made online. 

Joe Fisher will probably be a familiar name 

to many of our members as he has always 

played a big part in Fellowship matters, 

having been a Trustee for many years and 

now a Patron. 

Joe hit his 90th year in June (although you 

would never guess it) and instead of presents at 

his party he asked his friends and family to make 

a donation to The Fellowship, thereby raising the 

absolutely fantastic sum of £1,595. Many thanks 

for your generosity, Joe, and may we wish you 

good health and happiness in the years to come. 

Joe writes: 

What do you give a man on his 90th 

birthday? 

As my 90th birthday approached I pondered 

how best to celebrate what is quite a milestone 

in my life. Perhaps a cruise? I even consulted the 

list of 50 things you should do before you die. 

See the Taj Mahal? Sunset over the Pyramids? 

Each time I came back to the same conclusion. 

What I really wanted was to be with my dear 

family and close friends, especially those who 

have meant so much to me over many years, 

so I decided to throw a party. Then suddenly a 

thought struck me! OMG! No-one comes to a 

party empty-handed and I would end up with 

umpteen bottles of aftershave (more than I could 

ever use), designer socks (I have drawer full from 

previous birthdays, mostly unworn), whiskey (I 

rarely touch it), books (I was given a Kindle for my 

89th) and enough wine to drown in! 

Joe and his wife Christine. 

I also thought with horror of the waste of money 

when there are thousands of people with polio, 

many living lonely lives, some having lost their 

nearest and dearest, some experiencing Post 

Polio Syndrome (PPS) who now, more than ever, 

need the services and help of The British Polio 

Fellowship of which I am a Patron. I contacted 

Marianne at Central Office and told her that I 

would state on my invitation: 

STRICTLY NO PRESENTS but if you would make a 

donation to The British Polio Fellowship I would be 

thrilled. 

She produced a flyer, which I included with each 

invitation, plus an envelope addressed to The 


Fellowship and the result ... wait for it ... £1,555! 

Most of this has been Gift-Aided, which means 

that The Fellowship will benefit by a further 

£300 or so. 

Back to the party! I hired a lovely venue in 

Newcastle and 72 guests arrived to be greeted 

by a barman serving Bellinis, Pimms and Sex 

on the Beach. His instructions were to ask the 

ladies “Would Madam care for Sex on the Beach 

this evening?” Take my word for it as a seasoned 

party-giver – get everyone in a good mood with 

a smile and a drink they will enjoy, listen as they 

speak quietly on arrival and wait a short while 

whilst the drink takes effect and they relax, and 

hear the noise and laughter increase. 

Incidentally, the party was just a dress rehearsal 

for 2022 – my 100th! 

Birthday 

lunch 

Julia Willet celebrated her 

53rd birthday by going out to 

lunch with her family, or so she 

thought. When she arrived at 

the restaurant a surprise was 

in store for her as other family 

members and friends had 

gathered to wish her well. Julia 

asked for donations in lieu of 

gifts to go to The Fellowship 

as her mother (member Iris 

Dudley) has always been such 

an inspiration to her. Iris caught 

polio in 1950 when she was 

expecting her second child and 

Julia came along nine years 

later. Julia raised £130 - many, 

many thanks. 

Inexpensive and easy to make cocktails 

BELLINIS: Half fill a champagne-flute glass with 

peach juice (get it at Lidl) and as guests arrive, 

top up with Prosecco – always serve chilled and 

with a straw. Works out at less than 80p a glass. 

PIMMS: Take a suitable-sized water jug, empty 

a 70cl bottle of Pimms into it, followed by a 

2 ltr bottle of lemonade, add ice, slices of orange, 

slices of cucumber and mint. Serve in a tumbler 

with a straw. Quick and cheap to make – 3 ltrs for 

about £14. Can be made before guests arrive so 

less hassle. 

SEX ON THE BEACH: Recipes vary but I opted 

to fill most of a tumbler with equal parts orange 

juice and cranberry juice to which was added a 

shot of vodka, and ice. If you wish to ‘splash out’ 

add a shot of peach schnapps! Enjoy! n 

50 golden years 

Member Rod 

Blackbourne and 

his wife Christine 

celebrated their 50th 

wedding anniversary 

by entertaining 40 

friends and family to 

lunch at Dunston Hall, 

Norwich. 

Instead of gifts, £350 

was donated to The 

Fellowship. What a 

lovely photo – so 

young, you must 

have been teenage 

sweethearts!! Many 

thanks Rod and 

Christine and may we 

wish you many more 

happy years together. 


Have you got a birthday or anniversary coming up? Why not ask your friends 

and family to make a donation to us rather than buying you a gift? Contact 

Linda on 0208 836 3689 or email: Linda@britishpolio.org.uk for more details. 


13


© Monkey Business Images | Dreamstime.com 

Anne Strike’s 

Winter Warmth Appeal 

Once again this year we need funds for 

our Winter Appeal. All money donated to 

this fund will be used to keep Fellowship 

members warm this winter. This will be achieved by 

providing practical support and advice on keeping 

utility bills down, cold intolerance factsheets and 

heating grants for qualifying members. 

We are delighted that Anne Strike, a Harlowbased 

British wheelchair racer and Paralympic 

Ambassador, has agreed to launch our Winter 

Warmth Appeal this month. 

Anne contracted polio at the age of two and 

a half whilst living in Kenya. After arriving in 

the UK in April 2000, Anne was introduced to 

wheelchair racing and in 2002 and 2004 she 

became the first Kenyan wheelchair racer to 

represent her country, competing in the T53 

400m finals in the Paralympics in Athens. 

Following a successful application 

for British citizenship in 2006, 

Anne became a member of Team 

GB and now competes in the 

T54 racing category as a British 

athlete. 

In your Bulletin this month you 

will find an Anne Strike Winter 

Warmth Appeal letter, a One-Off 

Donation form / Direct Debit form 

and a pre-paid envelope. 

If you would like to make a 

donation to the Anne Strike 

Winter Warmth Appeal 2012, 

please fill in the One-Off 

Donation form and send it 

together with your cheque to 

Central Office, using the pre-paid 

envelope provided. Alternatively, 

you could make a regular 

donation by setting up a Direct 

Debit – complete the form and 

send it to Central Office and we 

will do the rest. You can also make 

a donation by credit/debit card 

by calling 0800 018 0586, or via 

our website www.britishpolio. 

org.uk. 

Thank you. 

14 


$ 

Fundraising Materials 

Request Form 

Name 

Telephone number 

Address 


Membership status (circle) Branch/ Group/Central Office 

Fundraising materials 

Collecting tins (please specify quantity) 

Car stickers (max 10) 

Quantities 

Recipe books (please specify quantity – max 10) 

Polio trolley keyrings (max 25) 

Polio flashing badges (max 30) 

British Polio badge (max 30) 

Polio glitter badges (max 30) 

Please either telephone 020 8836 3679 or send completed form or donation to: 

Marianne Gkikas, The British Polio Fellowship, The Runway, South Ruislip, 

MIDDLESEX HA4 6SE. 


15


Prize draw 

approaches 

The Grand Summer Raffle prize draw 

is being held on 26 September at 

Central Office, so you still have time 

to return your ticket stubs. We have 

some brilliant prizes to be won and 

you may even win the break to Irton 

House Farm, which was won by 

member Helen Cole last year, who 

had an absolutely wonderful time. 

Helen writes: 

My holiday to Irton House Farm was 

everything it claimed to be in the 

brochure … and more !! The accommodation 

was disabled-friendly without being obtrusive 

and very clean and comfortable. The selfcatering 

kitchen facilities were excellent. Irton 

House is a working farm consisting of mostly 

sheep and there was full access to sheep 

and lambs in adjacent meadows. The view 

of the countryside is unobstructed, the farm 

being on high ground, with a distant view of 

Bassenthwaite Lake. The Lake District is nearby, 

but, for a respite holiday, there is no need to 

leave the farm. 

Member Heather Jones draws last year’s lucky winners. 

The farm owners, Joan and Reg Almond, were 

very friendly, kind, helpful and understanding 

people and my husband and I very much 

appreciated their hospitality. We will certainly be 

returning again next year as paying guests … 

God willing!! 

Many thanks to Irton House Farm for donating 

a prize again this year and, indeed, to everyone 

else who have so generously donated prizes 

towards our Grand Summer Raffle. 

Good luck everyone, but remember .. … you 

have to be in it to win it !! 

Thank you 

Thank you to all the trustees of the following 

foundations and trusts who have kindly 

donated funds towards the work of The British 

Polio Fellowship over the last few months. 

Sykes Trust 

John and Mildred Law Fund 

Macdonald-Buchanan Charitable Settlement 

Chandris Foundation 

Kass Charitable Trust 

Anson Charitable Trust 

H R Pratt Boorman Family Foundation 

Miss A B Pollen Trust 

Fredmill Trust 

Helianthus Charitable Trust 

Christopher Laing Foundation 

Huggard Charitable Trust 

Traynor Foundation 

16 


Calling all dance lovers 

Not long now until the 

magnificent International 

Dance Championships on 9, 

10 and 11 October. We still 

need some volunteers, so 

if you could possibly help 

with any of the following, we 

would really appreciate it. 

Brentwood 

Could you help sell 

programmes at Brentwood 

Leisure Centre for the 

following times: 

Tuesday, 9 October. Early 

morning – 7.30 am and from 

11.00 am onwards 

Wednesday, 10 October. Early 

morning – 7.30 am 

135x180mm_HalfPage_SDMotionAd_AW.pdf 1 30/03/2012 15:29 


C 

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17

our charity partners 

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These pages are dedicated to the commercial companies who pay The British Polio Fellowship a 

handsome commission if you buy their products and services. This is a tremendous way for you to 

donate to The Fellowship simply by selecting products you would be buying anyway. 

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If you would like a recycling bag please 

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18 


In memory 

We would like to offer our sincere condolences 

to the families and friends of the following 

people: 

Mr A Muller, Isle of Man (member) 

Mrs Elizabeth (Betty) Gadsby, Oxfordshire 

(member) 

Mr P H Slater, Cumbria (non-member) 

Mr Ronald Wilson, Dorset (member) 

Mrs Kathlyn R Heald, Wirral (member) 

Mrs Pamela Reid, Croydon (member) 

Mrs Helen Fordyce, Dunloon (member) 

Miss Minnie Shafto, Newcastle-on-Tyne 

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Miss Gladys M Evans, Hungerford (member) 

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Mr Brian Cassell, Eastbourne (member) 

Mrs Irene M Limburn, Dorset (member) 

Ms Tilly Dodd, Spain (non-member) 

Mr Peter M Tims, Norwich (member) 

Mrs Marion Downes, Barry (member) 

Mrs Phyllis Murphy, Unknown (non-member) 

Mr John W Alcott, Essex (non-member) 

Mrs Margaret Pearson, Bexhill-on-Sea (member) 

Thank you to everyone who has made a 

contribution in their memory. 

If you would like to make a donation in 

memory of someone, please contact Linda 

on 0208 836 3689 or email: 

Linda@britishpolio.org.uk 

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Every issue we have a bunch of carnations courtesy of 

Le Tourneurs to send to the writer of one letter, so send in 

your letters now! This issue the very resourceful Wesley 

Caswell tells of how he made his own crutches. 

Please note that as The Bulletin is made available on the 

internet, your letters may be read by a wider audience. If you 

would prefer for your name to be withheld, please let us know when you write. 

your letters 

I really do 

‘do it myself’! 

I got polio way back in 

1956 and when I started 

walking again with 

crutches and callipers, I 

used the old, long, up-tothe-armpit 

wooden 

crutches. 

It must have been about 

the 1970s when I went 

to get a new pair, and 

was told they didn’t do 

that style any more. They 

showed me something 

‘new’ that I immediately 

disliked. I said ‘no thanks’ 

and took the old pair 

home. 

I thought it couldn’t be 

too difficult to make some 

myself, so off I went to 

Woolworths and bought four broom handles. 

These I joined securely at the bottom with 

long screws, and the ‘handles’ came from a 

cycle shop with wood through the centre and 

firmly fixed at the correct height. The tops 

were made from a piece of oak I had, and were 

covered with vinyl, which can be obtained at 

many markets etc. 

I then stained the finished crutches a ‘nice’ 

colour, and put about four coats of yatch 

varnish on top. Hey presto, 

I had a brand new pair of 

crutches, which took about a 

week to make. 

All my crutches are at least 

25 years old, as I strip and 

revarnish every few years. 

I have three pairs – one 

‘best’ for weddings/funerals/ 

holidays, an everyday pair, and one for 

gardening/painting etc. 

I often get comments when I am out from 

people saying they haven’t seen that type of 

crutch before. Only last week while visiting 

someone in hospital, a nurse said “I haven’t 

seen crutches like those for a long time”, and 

when told I made them myself, she was 

rather surprised! 

Wesley Caswell 


21

your letters 

22 

Mixed experiences of 

In response to the article 

written in the last Bulletin 

regarding cruises, I would 

agree with your writer’s 

comments on cruises for 

disabled people. 

I went on a cruise to the 

Norwegian Falls in June with 

P & O Cruises – the ship was 

the Oreana. The access to the 

boat was quite a frightening 

experience. It was such a 

very steep slope to get on to 

the ship and consequently 

a frightening drop on the 

other side. Two men put ropes 

around my electric wheelchair 

and pulled it up the slope, then once I reached 

the top, one man had to hold me in from the 

back around my armpits otherwise I would have 

slipped off. It was quite a terrifying experience 

as far as I was concerned, although the men 

involved did say “we often have to do this to get 

disabled people on board” (what about health 

and safety?)! 

Once on board, the cabins were very spacious 

and accessible, with a reasonably-sized shower 

room/toilet, although it would not have been 

possible for a carer to have helped me, as I have 

to go into the shower room in my chair – 

I cannot walk at all. 

All areas of the ship were completely accessible 

but the downside was the shore excursions – there 

was only one specialist tour that I could go on 

with a small bus with a ramp up the back to take 

chairs. This was supposed to be a five-hour trip. 

Six people went, three in chairs with their carers/ 

partners. We quickly went around the local area, 

which was not very interesting, and then joined a 

queue for one hour for a trip in a little train, which 

cruise facilities 

With its incredible number of bridges and steps, Venice is particularly 

difficult for disabled people to get around. 

took us up to the top of a mountain where the 

views were superb. Once on the train, it only took 

five minutes to reach the top of the mountain 

where we all hoped to stay for at least 1½ hours. 

However, no sooner had we reached the top and 

had a cup of coffee and got our cameras out 

than the tour guide appeared to take us back 

on to the train. We actually spent 25 minutes on 

the mountain top. His excuse was that traffic was 

heavy and we would have to leave to get back to 

the boat. We then went briefly around the area 

for another half an hour and then back to the 

boat. Our trip started at 10.30am and we were 

back on the boat at 2.30pm. A very expensive 

trip, which cost us £90 each, so £180 for myself 

and carer. 

Although cruising is a great experience as it 

is not possible for those in wheelchairs to see 

the country they go to see, I feel that I would 

not want to repeat this. I will try other forms of 

holidays where there is a specialised bus to take 

me out to see places every day and not just one 

short trip on a 10-day cruise. 

Ann Gillanders 


I have been on quite a few cruises and have 

had good experiences with Royal Caribbean 

International (RCI). In 2006 I went with my 

niece to Alaska on Rhapsody of the Seas, which 

was ideal for – as they put it – physically 

challenged people. There were great excursion 

arrangements, with much thought given, 

even to toilets. We then did a Mediterranean 

cruise on Splendour of the Seas. Again, we had 

a well adapted state room and, at that stage 

(two callipers and two sticks, plus a folding 

wheelchair), I only needed to take a raised toilet 

seat and my wheelchair. 

Since then we have been on a Baltic cruise 

with a different cruise line, which was not so 

successful equipment-wise, but we went to 

some wonderful places, including the fantastic 

Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. 

Due to my much reduced mobility more 

recently, we wondered if another cruise was 

possible. But with lots of delving I found a fairly 

local taxi firm with a small minibus who would 

take me in my power chair, my niece in a seat, 

my self-propelling shower chair, my folding 

chair (for outings), my special riser frame and my 

raised toilet seat, all to and from Southampton. 

My alternative was to rent the equipment to 

be delivered to the ship. I found out about this 

by becoming a member of Tourism for All. I 

received a free copy of Easy Access Britain and a 

number of information guides, including one on 

renting equipment. We booked to go to the Med 

again, this time on Independence of the Seas. 

Through RCI’s own arrangements I was able to 

book a high/low bed to be there on the ship. All 

the facilities were good, but I found I needed the 

bedside table to be higher to help me transfer to 

and from the shower chair and bed. I asked, and 

a higher table was put in, with a solid base to 

prevent tipping. I was very pleased all-round. 

Edith Lundy 

Touched by royalty – 

almost! 

I was very interested in the article Memories 

of the Coronation – sadly I don’t have any! We 

didn’t have a TV - neither did the neighbours. 

But I did see the Queen when she toured the 

area where I lived near West Kensington station 

in early 1953. 

We had lived there only a short time when I 

contracted polio in July 1952. I returned home 

from hospital in December, with a four-monthold 

baby. I was stuck in my armchair all day as I 

couldn’t walk without two people to help me. 

The Queen was due to arrive along the 

North End Road – just around the corner. My 

neighbour, who was really friendly and used 

to come to make cups of tea for me and pass 

the baby to me at feeding time, decided she 

would take me in my wheelchair to see her. She 

and her son helped me to the stairs. I sat on my 

bottom and bumped down to the ground floor 

where my wheelchair was kept. They managed 

to get me in it, then the neighbour collected 

the baby from her cot and I held her on my lap. 

The crowds lined the road so it was impossible 

to push the chair along the pavement. 

However, to my embarrassment my neighbour 

called out: “Make way for a poor bl••••ing cripple”, 

and everyone let us through. 

Of course, I still couldn’t see over the heads of 

the people lining the pavement. A coalman 

with a horse and cart was waiting to deliver 

coal to a house along the route. He and another 

man lifted me, wheelchair and baby, onto the 

back of the cart where I sat among the sacks 

of coal. When the Queen came along I had a 

better view of her than most people, and I like 

to think she gave me a special wave as she 

went past. 

Daphne Hickey 

your letters 


23

your letters 

Ask for a bone density test 

If you fall and fracture a bone, ask to have a bone 

density assessment. Well, try, but don’t hold your 

breath! When I broke my big toe in my ‘bad’ foot, 

the senior consultant stood with his back to me, 

held up the x-ray, and said: “You’ve crushed your 

foot. You need to come in and have a plate put in 

i t ”.I replied that no, I didn’t. Only then did he 

look at me and, seeing my deformed foot, merely 

said: “ O h”. 

Four months later (I’ll skip over the juvenile 

radiologist trying to snap my ankle, ignoring 

my insistence that it contained a pin), the same 

consultant, preoccupied with traffic around a 

table, was supervising the clockwise movement 

of patients. As I tediously waited, a young Danish 

doctor, staring in disbelief at the circus, asked 

if he could attend me. He commented: “It’s 

beginning to knit but with severe osteoporosis.” 

This was the first I knew of it. When the plate 

was held up, even I could see the delicate, lacy 

pattern that was my left foot. The consultant 

hadn’t bothered to notify me nor the GP. 

When a fracture x-ray reveals a lack of bone density, 

the patient is supposed to be referred to the 

osteoporosis clinic. There was no follow-up at all. 

The integrity of the pin is certainly suspect, and 

I don’t even know whether the severe loss of 

bone density is limited to my foot. I’ve had no 

scan. As one nurse said: “There’s no point. It isn’t as 

if you are going to start walking everywhere, is it?” 

I can only assume this is another example of 

people with polio being filed at the back of the 

shelf. A relative with arthritis is called for a scan 

every two to three years, even though there has 

been no evidence of osteoporosis to date. 

Carol Claydon 

24 

Pat Wyper 

Sunderland and District Branch 

President Pat Wyper passed 

away in June, aged 81. The local 

press wrote about Pat’s many 

achievements. 

Pat was very prominent in helping 

to develop the Sunderland Branch 

in 1954 when she was only 23. 

Pat developed polio at the age of 18 months 

and wanted to help other young people from 

the epidemics of the 30s, 40s and 50s. Over the 

years she has supported young people from 

early school into teenage years, leaving school 

and working. She believed we could achieve 

great things and encouraged young members 

to overcome their disabilities. 

One of her earliest battles was to take children 

with polio swimming. Pool managers thought 

the virus would spread and refused entry. Pat 

won the battle. 

The local paper quoted Nigel 

Lee, who benefitted from Pat’s 

support. “She helped give me a 

much wider outlook on life. For all 

we were disabled, the people in our 

group were actually a cross-section 

of society and for the most part we 

just wanted to enjoy life.” 

Pat was a special lady who had a big heart 

with love and compassion for others. She 

had endless willpower and determination 

to succeed, not only in her own life but to 

ensure others succeeded and overcame their 

disabilities. She selflessly worked hard for other 

people with polio and was ‘Mother’ to many 

over the years. 

Pat attended meetings and came to branch 

support sessions every month until this year. 

She will never be forgotten. 

Shirley Williams 


Pat Little – 

and a word of warning 

My wife died in November 2011 at the age of 

75. I would like to give an account of her life and 

end with a word of warning to all people with 

polio who reach the golden years. 

Pat contracted polio in 1946 at the age of nine; 

it affected her walking and her stamina for the 

rest of her life. 

She had a career as a teacher and home tutor 

and was a mother of three. She was never very 

steady and had occasional falls. 

At the ages of 65 and 70 she had really heavy 

falls, in both cases breaking her neck but in 

different places. Brilliant surgery followed and 

resulted in marginal losses in mobility – she 

could still walk but not far. 

We were aware of Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) 

when we were both in our seventies. Pat was 

getting weaker, with even less stamina and 

occasional breathlessness. In 2011 she started 

getting intermittent unpleasant pressure 

sensations, which began in her lower abdomen 

then moved upwards to her upper chest. Pat 

was given medication to deal with digestive 

problems. Her condition did not improve. One 

night she did not have the strength to get off 

the toilet. Medical help was called and she was 

taken to hospital without delay. Routinely, she 

was given an ECG. This showed she had a very 

high pulse rate and low blood pressure. She 

was taken to the Coronary Care Unit where 

she was treated. She was still uncomfortable. 

I left her there but within an hour the hospital 

was phoning for me to return immediately. Pat 

had died and the Unit staff had been unable to 

resuscitate her. 

The post mortem showed that she had died 

from Coronary Arterial Atheroma. This had 

not been diagnosed. Five years earlier when 

preparing for the second neck operation, 

the anaesthetist had commented that Pat’s 

heart was good. She had her blood pressure 

monitored regularly for years, and had followed 

a strict low fat, high fibre diet for over 25 years 

for my sake. The symptoms she might have had 

from the heart condition were masked by the 

original damage caused by polio, PPS and the 

damage to the nerves caused by the two neck 

breaks and the resulting surgery. 

This should be taken as a warning to people 

with polio that as years go by and strength and 

stamina begin to ebb away, there can be other 

factors at work contributing to the deterioration. 

Pat never had the typical symptoms of angina. 

Heart conditions are not always picked up by 

the stethoscope or even by a non-stress ECG. 

What was attributed to PPS and the nerve 

damage she had sustained over the previous 

10 years turned out to be caused by something 

even more serious and it proved to be fatal. 

Gordon Little 

your letters 

We want to hear from you! 

Write to us at Bulletin letters, The British Polio 

Fellowship, Eagle Office Centre, 

The Runway, South Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 6SE. 


25

anch & regional news 

Queen’s 

Diamond Jubilee 

On Saturday 

6 June, 30 

members and 

friends of the 

North West 

Kent Branch 

celebrated 

the Queen’s 

Diamond Jubilee at their monthly social. The 

room had been decorated before the members 

arrived, who came with contributions to a lovely 

buffet. Everyone had been asked to wear red, 

white and blue. 

Before tea, there was plenty of laughter as several 

games were played. By then, everyone was ready 

to enjoy the delicious food. This was followed by 

our President, George Penny, who proposed a 

toast to the Queen. 

He, and the Branch Chairman, Marion Webb, then 

cut the cake. 

Diary dates 

Annual Indoor Games 2013 

22 – 24 March , Marriott Hotel, Leicester 

See November/December Bulletin for more 

details. 

Berkshire Branch 

16 September – Regional lunch 

13 October – Tea and entertainment 

8 December – Christmas Lunch and 

entertainment at the Calcot 

North West Kent Region 

23 September – Regional Dinner, Chichester 

Wakefield and District Branch 

4 October – Tombola 

1 November – Halloween Party 

6 December Christmas Party 

Yorkshire Regional Programme 2012 

18 Nov – Jubilee Festival, Ossett War 

Memorial Hall. For further details contact 

Jan Taylor on 07732 194200. 

Nottingham Crusader boat trip 

When: 25 May 2012 

Where: Colwick Park Marina 

What time: 2pm – 5pm 

Objective: To take members out 

on a trip and to socialise 

The trip can be summed up in 

one word – AWESOME!! 

The weather was right; the 

boat was fantastic. We couldn’t 

have chosen a better day 

weather-wise. The crew were great. The 

facilities included an accessible toilet, a 

kitchen equipped with hot water, kettle and 

microwave. Tea and coffee were provided. We 

took with us some cakes and biscuits, which 

everyone enjoyed. We had a collection for the 

St John Ambulance who run the boat and we 

collected £45. 

Barbara Worrall, Chair 

26 


Aberdeen Branch raises 

£1,300 at ‘Feein’ Market’ 

The Aberdeen Branch this year decided 

to take a stall at a local event ‘the 

Feein’ Market’ that is held every year in 

Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire. This year it 

fell on the same weekend as the Queen’s 

Jubilee so all stallholders were asked to 

decorate their stalls with red, white and 

blue. It did gives us a little more extra work 

but it was worth it in the end. 

We decided to hold a Grand Draw and 

with the help of companies in Aberdeen 

who donated cheques or prizes, we had 

a television as first prize. Other prizes 

including a night’s B&B in a hotel, dinner for 

two, wine, a voucher for hairstyling and many 

more. We did extremely well and raised £1,300. 

The original Feein’ Market was a “Hiring Fair” 

for the local farm labourers. In the 18th and 

19th centuries every May and November the 

local farm workers would gather in the Market 

Square to agree terms for the coming six to 12 

months. The contract was sealed with a “fee”, and 

with this the employee often celebrated at the 

pleasures of the Market itself. 

The Modern Feein’ Market was brought to life 

again in 1973 and is held on the first Saturday 

in June. Traditionally, all stallholders and 

participants dress in Edwardian or Victorian 

dress. The festivities include traditional and 

modern entertainment, food and drinks stalls, as 

well as market stalls. 

Jenny Jones, Chair 

Are you interested in Branches/Groups? 

We are currently updating information about branch meetings throughout the UK, which we hope 

to publish in next month’s Bulletin. 

In the interim, if you want information about branch venues and times, along with contact details, 

please don’t hesitate to send an email to us or call. We will give you the details of groups in your 

local area. 

Do also let us and your branch/group secretary know of any change in your contact details – 

address, telephone number and email address. With rising postage costs, it can save a lot of money 

to contact you by email. Contact Sarah Mchugh on 0800 0180 586 or info@britishpolio.org.uk 

branch & regional news 


27

anch & regional news 

28 

Fun events for the 

Worthing & Sussex Branch 

The Branch has had a 

busy summer with a 

Barbecue, a Treasure 

Hunt and a Get- 

Together. 

Our 45th barbecue fell 

on a lovely day in July. 

There were about 72 

hungry tummies to fill 

this year so the cooks 

got cooking and the helpers got serving, and all 

were very satisfied indeed. To top it all the weather 

was almost perfect. 

We had a few fundraising stalls in the garden, 

raising £269, so it was also a profitable day as well. 

Many thanks to all those involved. 

On 19 August we held a Treasure Hunt around 

the old historic fishing village of Shoreham by 

Sea. Barbara had spent many hours on Google 

Earth working on the clues for the treasure hunt 

The Anniversary Lunch and AGM combined 

‘meeting’ was a good start to another happy 

and successful year for our Group. 

The highlight was a fundraising effort that 

caused much organising and nail-biting. One 

of our members is a well known drummer 

who has been associated with the Merseybeat 

sound ever since it began. Five bands came to 

give us a 60s night to remember! The proceeds 

were shared with the British Heart Foundation. 

As we had also made some collections at 

supermarkets during the summer we were 

able to send £700 to Central Office – and keep 

a little for ourselves. 

that took us from the 

community centre 

through the church 

grounds along East 

Street up the A259 a 

short way and back 

again. It took most of 

us an hour and a half 

or so and we really 

enjoyed the challenge. 

As it happens, another 

treasure hunt was organised by a different group 

that day, and we bumped into fellow treasure 

hunters all afternoon. 

At our Get-Together on 1 September, the 

Timespan team was invited along to give us a 

talk all about the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and 

came with all the memorabilia that involved. 

They were greeted by a packed hall of enthusiastic 

polio members and friends who were entertained 

and enlightened by the Timespan team. 

Cheshire, Wirral and North 

Wales Group 

Time at meetings not dedicated to discussions 

on tickets, posters, raffle, local radio etc was 

also filled with interest. We had talks on reiki 

and acupuncture, the history and work of Lions 

International, Vasovagal syncope (a nervous 

condition), diving and the bends, and the 

life of our Group President, Sir Bert Massie. 

We also had an outing to Gordale Garden 

Centre where we had a seasonal talk and 

advice session and tea. 

Several new members have recently joined us. 

We hope they will be happy in our Group – if 

they can stand the pace! 

Janet Dines, Secretary 


South London Group 

We are a small, friendly group, meeting four or 

five times a year. Our next meeting will be on 

Sunday, 30 September 2012 from 2-4pm in the 

Muriel Powell Seminar Room, 3rd floor in the 

Atkinson Morley Wing of St George’s Hospital, 

Blackshaw Road, Tooting, London, SW17. 

One of our members, Gwen Nurse, will be 

making a presentation about her work 

as an anthropologist in Africa and Papua 

New Guinea. This is a continuation of our 

programme called ‘Taking Turns’, where 

members give a little talk about something 

that interests them that they think other 

members might enjoy hearing about. Other 

members who have contributed previously are: 

Lunch marks 

special birthday 

Branch member Elizabeth 

Gregg enjoyed her 70th 

birthday cake at the Swansea 

Branch’s June monthly lunch 

at Wetherspoons, Morriston, 

Swansea. 

Eric Davies 

Support The British 

Polio Fellowship 

Ilana Richardson who talked about her work as 

an as artist, specialising in Mediterranean water 

colours; Susan Wynn who talked about her 

work as a piano teacher with visually impaired 

and multi-disabled visually impaired students; 

Aidan Linton-Smith who talked about his work 

as a Probation Officer; and David Richardson 

who talked about his life and work in the 

airline business. We have found this series 

most interesting and it is a good way to get 

to know each other better. We welcome new 

members – please phone Sandy if you have 

any questions – 020 8785 9647. 

Sandy Walline 

South London Group Leader 

Heating Grant 

application forms 

Heating Grant application forms will be 

despatched in the November Bulletin. 

Closing date for completed Heating Grant 

applications is Monday, 3 December 2012. 

Musical 

extravaganza 

Blackpool and Fylde Branch held a charity 

concert featuring Lancashire folk group, 

the Houghton Weavers, who are the Branch 

patrons. The concert raised £750 on the night 

and we all enjoyed a great evening of music. 

Muriel Bradshaw 

branch & regional news 

We want to hear your news. Please tell us what events you have 

organised, or trips you have been on. 

Copy dates for The Bulletin are: 

Nov/Dec issue – 15 Oct; Jan/Feb issue – 15 Dec 

Please note The Bulletin is published in the second week of the month. 

Send your reports to the address on page 43. 


29

tribute 

30 

Lord Morris of Manchester 

Champion of the rights of disabled people and Patron of The Fellowship, Lord 

Morris of Manchester, died in August, aged 84. Here his biographer Derek 

Kinrade pays tribute to a great man. 

Members will have 

been saddened 

to hear of the 

death of Lord Morris of 

Manchester, a Fellowship 

Patron and constant 

supporter. 

To understand the origins 

of his political life it is 

necessary to go back to 

November 1935, when his 

father died. The First World 

War left George Henry 

Morris blind in one eye, 

with a shattered leg, and 

lungs lacerated by mustard gas. He had become 

unemployable in 1930, when Alf was only two 

years old, and for the next five years the family 

subsisted on his meagre war pension and a 

small input from one of the older children who 

was in employment. It was not nearly enough 

and Alf never forgot the day when his mother, 

faced with eviction by their private landlord 

from a slum in Ancoats, and crying inconsolably, 

said “there’s no future for us now”. 

Jessie Morris faced life in a workhouse, and 

young Alf was told he would have to be 

put into a home. It was not an uncommon 

plight in families like his, where disability was 

synonymous with poverty. For the most part 

disabled people were second-class citizens who 

might be ‘put away’ or hidden at home. To make 

matters even worse, the cause of George’s death 

was ascribed to heart failure and deemed not 

war-related, so Alf’s mother was refused even a 

ten shillings-a-week war widow’s pension. 

Of course, the tide turned. The family were 

rehoused thanks to the intervention of Canon 

Shimwell from Jessie’s local church, and after 

three years Jessie got 

her pension through the 

endeavours of her local MP, 

Harry Thorneycroft. Alf did 

exemplarily well at school 

and in 1953, after study at 

Ruskin and St Catherine’s 

Colleges in Oxford, gained 

an MA degree, and went 

on to become Labour 

& Co-operative MP for 

Wythenshawe in 1964. 

Five years later, fate 

intervened again when 

Alf came first in the 

annual ballot for Private Member’s Bills, giving 

him the right to parliamentary time for a bill 

of his choosing. Remembering his roots, he 

determined on a bill to vouchsafe social equality 

and improve living standards for disabled 

people, an undertaking that broke entirely new 

ground and was not welcomed either by the 

Treasury , or Richard Crossman, then Secretary of 

State for Social Services. 

Alf did not expect his bill to reach the Statute 

Book, regarding it rather as a marker that 

legislation was urgently needed. But the time 

was right. Drafting proved complex from the 

outset and became more so as the bill went 

through the long parliamentary process, but 

it remarkably survived to receive the Royal 

Assent on 29 May 1970, when it was saved 

by Harold Wilson’s decision, even at the cost 

of measures of his own ministers, to provide 

parliamentary time for it to become law before 

the General Election in June of that year. It finally 

had 29 sections and amended 39 other Acts of 

Parliament, as well as legislating in areas where 

previously there was no legislation of any kind. 


Alf’s strategy was to begin with a mandatory duty 

on local authorities to inform themselves of the 

number of disabled people needing assistance, 

and then to provide them with information about 

relevant services, both from local authorities 

and departments of state. The bill provided as of 

right new and wide-ranging practical assistance 

in the home and help in the fields of education, 

employment, housing, outdoor mobility and 

personal social services. It set out statutory 

requirements for ensuring access to public 

and social buildings, the world’s first special 

educational provision for deafblind, autistic and 

dyslexic children, and provisions relating to war 

pensions, extending the right of appeal. 

The Act touched on practically every aspect of 

the lives of disabled people and the services 

they needed to achieve their full potential. It 

had a commitment to transforming not only 

the quality of life but also the status of disabled 

people in British society, proclaiming that they 

had as much right as everyone else to take 

part in all the activities of life, and challenging 

public and private authorities to meet their 

needs. Dr Duncan Guthrie, who had helped Alf 

with the administration involved in drafting his 

bill, greeted it as the Magna Carta of disabled 

people worldwide. 

Major members of the Commonwealth – Australia, 

New Zealand, Canada and South Africa – who had 

promptly rallied to Britain’s cause in war, were 

now equally zealous in replicating this seminal 

legislation, quickly followed in 1972 by the US and 

ultimately by countries all over the world. 

Alf’s legislation, which has since been extended 

by its inclusion in two international charters, 

has been of undoubted historic and global 

significance. It first began to take effect in 1972 

and since then has assisted millions of disabled 

people. In March 2011, the Act was celebrated at 

Westminster Abbey by a Thanksgiving Service, the 

only parliamentary legislation to be accorded such 

an honour since the Abolition of Slavery Act 1833. 

Alf went on to become the world’s first 

Minister for Disabled People from 1974-79, and 

promoted a raft of new measures to improve 

the lives of people with disabilities, physical 

and sensory alike, not least by spearheading 

the introduction of the Mobility Allowance and 

then helping to facilitate the provision of fourwheeled 

vehicles through the economicallyviable 

Motability Scheme. He also set in 

motion the thrust for disability rights, which 

eventually came to fruition through the 

Disability Discrimination Act 1995. He achieved 

this against a background of severe economic 

difficulties. His priority as a minister was to 

improve the lot of disabled people rather than 

save money. 

His determination to champion the rights 

of disabled people, both in this country and 

throughout the world, persisted through his 

33 years as an MP, and continued following 

his elevation to the House of Lords in 1997. In 

particular, from 1989 he pursued an unremitting 

struggle to win compensation for people with 

haemophilia infected – often fatally – following 

treatment with contaminated NHS blood 

products. And in his longest campaign, he 

espoused the cause of troops involved in the 

1991 Gulf War who, fit and well when they were 

deployed, subsequently developed a range of 

medically unexplained illnesses. 

Alf enjoyed particularly close ties with Australia 

and New Zealand and, among other awards, 

held both the Order of Australia (AO) and the 

Queen’s Service Order of New Zealand (QSO). He 

also held numerous honorary appointments in 

disability charities. 

As a politician Alf manifested the precious 

quality of integrity. To quote from my biography: 

“His gentle kindness is legendary. Yet when faced, 

as he often has been, with policies that negate 

social justice, the determination of his opposition 

has been extraordinary, even fiercely combative, 

in keeping always with an immutable political 

philosophy. He is famous for his extraordinary 

persistence.” 

I will continue to remember him fondly as a 

champion of those needing help. n 


31 

tribute

holiday programme 

The Ron Scudamore 

Holiday Programme 

aims to provide 

information and 

financial assistance 

to enable people with 

polio and Post Polio 

Syndrome (PPS) to 

enjoy accessible and 

affordable holidays. 

Rosalind Evans, 


Co-ordinator 

Email: rosalindevans@ 

britishpolio.org.uk 

Tel: 020 8836 3686 

Grant applications 

Here is the timetable for submitting holiday grant 

applications. The Panel normally meets in the middle of 

the relevant month. To request an application form, please 

contact Rosalind Evans on 020 8836 3686 or email: 

rosalindevans@britishpolio.org.uk. Please remember to send 

in your application well in advance of when you want to go on 

holiday. Your travel date should be at least six weeks after the 

relevant Grant Review Panel. Grant pledges are not made or paid 

retrospectively. So, if you plan to go on holiday in January 2013, 

your application should reach us before 31 October in time to be 

considered at the November Panel meeting. 

Applications received 

Review Panel meets 

Between 1 Sept and 31 October November 2012 

Between 1 Nov and 31 December January 2013 

Between 1 Jan and 28 February 2013 March 2013 

If you are thinking about arranging a Branch holiday and would like 

financial assistance, contact Rosalind for application forms. We are 

keen to offer support to Branches and Groups as well as individual 

applicants. The same timetable applies for Branch applications. 

Burnham Bungalow 

2012 

The table below shows the weekly rates for our 

holiday bungalow in Burnham-on-Sea for 2012. 

All bookings commence on a Saturday. 

A deposit of £100 will be required at the time of 

booking to secure the bungalow for you. 

If you would like to make a booking please call 

or email Rosalind Evans on 0208 836 3686 or 

email rosalindevans@britishpolio.org.uk. 

Rates 2012 

7 July to 28 September £550 

29 Sept to 2 November £435 

3 November to 14 December £310 

15 December to 29 December £410 

The booking line is open daily from between 

10.30am to 2.30pm every day except Tuesdays. 

32 


Carol 

Laura 

Denise 

The Support Services 

team provides 

information, advice 

and support to people 

living with polio and 

Post Polio Syndrome 

(PPS), co-ordinates the 

welfare grants schemes 

for members and 

supports the welfare 

volunteer network. 

Benefit claims 

– the importance of getting 

advice 

Due to the current number of appeals and tribunals, most 

benefits advice agencies are extremely busy at this time, 

including the Fellowship’s Benefits Advisor. This makes it 

particularly important for anyone needing benefits advice to act 

as soon as they are aware of a problem (or thinking of making 

a new claim) in order to allow time to get an appointment that 

will be within deadlines set by the Department for Work and 

Pensions (DWP). Good advice at the outset of an application – 

whether from The Fellowship, Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), DIAL 

or another local advocacy agency – is very important and can 

prevent problems with the claim later. 

Another common problem causing applicants to get turned 

down, or awarded a lower rate of benefit than is appropriate 

for their circumstances, is not informing their GP (or any other 

medical professionals they name on the form) that they are 

applying and explaining to them the problems they may be 

experiencing with mobility or day-to-day personal care. This is 

especially important if they rarely see their doctor or have a new 

one, where the doctor may assume that their patient does not 

have these difficulties. This lack of information can result in a 

sparse and unsupportive report to the DWP, just confirming their 

patient’s diagnosed conditions but with no detail about how they 

affect the person. These reports can carry a great deal of weight, 

so speaking to the doctor when applying can have a big effect 

+ 

support services 

Contact us on: 

0800 018 0586 

FREEPHONE 

Email: infobenefits@ 

britishpolio.org.uk 


© Dmitry Skutin | Dreamstime.com 

33


+ 

on the outcome of an application. Therefore, 

it is vitally important to get as much support 

as possible from your medical/occupational 

therapy team. 

To sum up: 

1. Inform your GP and other medical 

professionals as soon as you apply in order 

for them to supply a detailed report of your 

condition and how it affects your daily life. 

2. Contact the British Polio Fellowship Benefits 

Advisor, CAB, DIAL or any other local agency as 

soon as you decide to make a claim, as you may 

have to wait for an appointment. 

BPF: Disability Benefits Advisor – phone Support 

Services (0800 018 0586) to book an appointment. 

CAB: visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk or look 

in the Yellow Pages to find your local branch. 

DIAL: Visit www.scope.org.uk/services/localgroups/dial-uk 

or call Scope Response on 

01302 310123. 

3. Start preparing, on spare paper, the answers 

to the questions they have asked about your 

disability and how you cope on your worst days. 

Be honest about what you cannot, or struggle 

to do, remembering to mention fatigue, rest 

stops during an activity, and pain. Do not 

put a brave face on it or gloss over your 

difficulties. 

Only fill in the form when you, and any 

advisers/helpers/carers you may have, are 

completely happy with your answers. 

Blue Badge consultation 

The Department for Transport has launched 

a consultation on possible changes to the 

process for accessing eligibility for Blue Badges 

as a consequence of next year’s introduction of 

the Personal Independence Payment (PIP). 

With approximately one-third of all badges 

currently issued to people who receive the 

higher rate of the mobility component of 

Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which will 

be replaced by PIP for working age adults from 

April 2013, the consultation sets out three main 

options for reform: 

• 

Option 

1 – no legislative link between 

eligibility for a Blue Badge and eligibility 

for PIP; 

• 

Option 

2 – establishing a legislative link 

between Blue Badge eligibility and the 

enhanced mobility component of PIP; or 

• 

Option 

3 – establishing a legislative link 

between Blue Badge eligibility and those 

who score eight points or more within the 

“Moving Around” activity within PIP. 

The Government says that it prefers Option 3, 

as this would mean that eligibility for a Blue 

Badge would be most similar to the current 

scheme and the potential impacts of the 

option are “minimal”. 

The deadline for responding to the 

consultation is Tuesday 2 October 2012. 

To access the consultation, which includes 

information on how to respond, visit: www.dft. 

gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-30 

The document is also available in large print. 

Live in Wales? 

The Welsh Government has launched a 

separate consultation on this issue. The 

deadline for responding to this consultation 

(Welsh residents only) is 30 October 2012. 

To access the consultation, visit: http:// 

wales.gov.uk/consultations/transport/ 

bbadgecriteria/?lang=en 

A reminder 

Make sure you allow plenty of time for your 

Blue Badge renewal to be processed! It can 

take six to eight weeks in some instances. 

(Sources: Rightsnet/Department for Transport/ 

Welsh Government) 

34 


Strategic 

clinical 

network for 

neurology 

announced 

The NHS Commissioning Board 

has confirmed that it will be 

establishing a Strategic Clinical 

Network (SCN) for neurological 

conditions, under which 

dementia and mental health 

will also sit. The SCN is one of 

only four SCNs announced, 

with the other three allocated 

to cancer, maternity and 

children’s services and 

cardiovascular disease. 

This will ensure that there 

will be NHS-funded and 

administered networks 

across England dedicated 

to enhancing services for all 

people with neurological 

conditions. 

(Source: Neurological Alliance) 

Doing Sport 

Differently 

Have your say on the 

Independent Living Fund 

On 12 July 2012, Maria Miller MP, then Minister 

for Disabled People, announced a public 

consultation on the future of the Independent 

Living Fund (ILF). 

The ILF provides financial support to 20,000 

disabled people in the UK who have high 

support and complex needs. 

The Government is inviting views from ILF 

users, their carers, families, local authorities and 

other interested parties. The proposal is to close 

Doing Sport Differently - A guide to exercise and 

fitness for people living with disability or health 

conditions 

Doing Sport Differently is a comprehensive guide to accessing 

sports and leisure opportunities in your area. It is written by and 

for people with lived experience of disability or health conditions, 

to inspire involvement in sport and fitness and improve access to 

grassroots sport. 

After the fantastic London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games 

we saw this summer, the guide aims to inspire people with 

disabilities to get active, by demonstrating how to overcome 

barriers to participation and get involved with sports locally. 

Doing Sport Differently shows the varying ways in which 

individuals with a disability can engage in sport, be it playing, 

coaching or watching. 

Doing Sport Differently is part of the Doing Life Differently series 

produced by Disability Rights UK. There are also guides on 

careers, work, IT, transport and money. Each book provides a 

practical toolkit, packed with advice from people with a disability, 

and including real-world examples. 

Download your free copy from: www.radar.org.uk/publications/ 

doing-sport-differently or visit www.disabilityrightysuk.org 

or call 020 7250 3222. (Source: Disability Rights UK) 

the ILF in 2015 and meet the care and support 

needs of users in a single care and support 

system, administered by local authorities. 

The consultation may be accessed at: www. 

dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2012/future-ofilf.shtml 

The ILF consultation is open until 10 October 

2012. Easy Read and Welsh versions are 

available. 

(Source: Department for Work and Pensions) 



35


Information available from 

Support Services 

In addition to the information and support we provide over the phone, the Support Services 

team also produces a wide range of information leaflets and factsheets that can be sent to you on 

request. If you would like to receive any of these, please tick the appropriate box(es) below. 

All leaflets are free except Post Polio Syndrome: A practical guide. 

PPS 

o Post Polio Syndrome: A practical guide (£5.00 + £2.50 P&P) 

o Post Polio Syndrome: An introduction 

o Pacing for Activity & Exercise 

o List of Healthcare Professionals 

o Going Into Hospital 

o Cold Intolerance 

o Complementary Therapies 

o Medication 

o Palliative Care 

o Dental Care & Anaesthesia 

o BPF Support Services 

o Healthy eating – a guide for people with polio and Post Polio Syndrome 

Orthotics 

o List of Orthotics Manufacturers 

o Callipers and Insoles through the NHS 

o Problems with Footwear and Orthoses? 

o Orthotic Services 

o Orthopaedic Footwear through the NHS 

o Orthotics and Surgical Footwear thro’ the Private Sector 

Benefits 

o Disabled Facilities Grants Guide 

o Disability Living Allowance – Guide to filling in the form 

o Attendance Allowance – Guide to filling in the form 

Useful Organisations Contact List 

o Welfare Rights, Benefits & Legal 

o Polio & Post Polio Syndrome Organisations 

o Employment, Leisure & Interests 

o Life, Home & Care 

o Community Care Grants Guide 

o Other Advice & Information 

o Other Health Matters 

o Transport, Mobility & Equipment 

o Grants & Funders 

o Other (Please state and we will try to find!) ………………………………..…..…………………… 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

NAME………………………………………………………………………………….…………………. 

ADDRESS………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

……………………………………………………………………………………..………………….…. . 

………………………………………. POSTCODE ………………………………...…………………… 

TELEPHONE………………………………………………….AGE ……………………………………… 

36 

Please send this form to Support Services, British Polio Fellowship, Eagle Office Centre, The 

Runway, South Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 6SE 

Phone: 0800 0180 586 Email: infobenefits@britishpolio.org.uk 


$

A true campaigner 

Alf Morris – People’s 

Parliamentarian by 

Derek Kinrade 

National Information 

Forum, London, 2007 

ISBN: 978-0-9557515- 

0-9 

Available from the 

National Information 

Forum (020 7708 5943; 

www.nif.org.uk) 

Derek Kinrade’s 

biography of the 

late Lord Morris of 

Manchester, campaigner 

and social reformer, is 

the story of a remarkable 

life, and in the words 

of Alf Morris himself, a 

fortunate one. 

In his parliamentary 

career of over 40 years, Alf Morris was widely 

regarded as the champion of disabled people. 

He devoted his life to changing the social 

and economic balance in favour of those 

disadvantaged within British society, usually 

against, as the author states, “stiff ministerial 

opposition”. Much of this biography centres 

on Morris’ long campaign to secure rights for 

disabled people, but there are also chapters 

devoted to the fight to achieve justice for 

Thalidomide-damaged children, the victims of 

use by the NHS of contaminated blood products, 

and for severely disabled veterans and those 

affected by medically unexplained illnesses as a 

result of fighting in the 1991 Gulf War. 

Born in 1928, Alfred Morris grew up in the slums 

of Ancoats, Manchester, an area blighted by 

poverty, where most of the adults were out of 

work, victims of the General Strike of 1926. After 

fighting in the Great War, his now unemployable 


father George, with his 

gas-damaged lungs, 

“shattered” leg and 

blindness in one eye, 

made the young Alf 

“acutely conscious of 

the disastrous effects 

that physical disability 

can bring upon a family, 

an awareness that 

was to prove one of 

the mainsprings of his 

political life”. 

Orphaned at seven 

years old, Alf left school 

at 14 and from that 

age began attending 

Labour Party meetings, 

although he was not 

able to join until he 

was 16. His political 

career began when 

he was elected Chairman of his constituency’s 

divisional youth section, and the book traces 

his climb thereafter, via army service, marriage 

and fatherhood, Oxford and winning the Labour 

seat for Wythenshawe in 1964, after nine years 

of dogged persistence, eventually reaching the 

House of Lords. The Wilson, Thatcher and other 

Governments provide a detailed backdrop to 

the story, with numerous appearances from 

other lauded political figures of the period. 

This book was written after the author 

conducted weekly tape-recorded interviews 

with Alf Morris between 2003 and 2006 and 

supplemented these with written records and 

the recollections of Alf’s contemporaries. It is 

not only an affectionate tribute to “one of the 

foremost reformers of our age”, but a fascinating 

slice of social and political history from the latter 

half of the 20th Century. n 

Laura Skorupa 


37

history corner 

A good friend to 

The Fellowship 

As you will have 

read elsewhere 

in this edition 

of The Bulletin, Lord 

Morris of Manchester 

died a short while 

ago. Alf Morris, as 

he was before he 

was knighted, was a 

lifetime campaigner for 

disabled people and 

a good friend of The 


When in 1969, Alf 

Morris, Member 

of Parliament for 

Wythenshawe, came 

first in a ballot to be able to present a new piece 

of legislation to Parliament, he had, at the time, 

no idea what to propose. However, Alf Morris 

had a good deal of experience of the situation 

of disabled people as his father had been 

wounded during the First World War and lived 

with considerable disability until he died in 1935 

when Alf was only seven years old. 

As Alf grew up he saw the difficulties that 

faced disabled people and tried to take action. 

He understood the struggle and appreciated 

the work that was being done by voluntary 

organisations on behalf of disabled people. 

Alf was in contact with a number of leaders of 

disability organisations, not least Donald Powell, 

Secretary of The British Polio Fellowship in the 

mid-1960s. When the opportunity unexpectedly 

came to create some new legislation, he turned 

to people like Donald Powell, Duncan Guthrie 

(formerly Director of the Fellowship’s Polio 

Research Campaign), James Loring of the (then) 

Spastics Society, and others for them to affirm 

his thoughts on the priorities for new laws. 

Disability was not seen, at that time, to be 

important by politicians; disabled people were 

very often a form of ‘underclass’ who had no 

united public voice or power – they didn’t 

matter. 

Everyone mattered to someone like Alf Morris 

and he knew that disabled people deserved a 

better deal in life. In the mid-1960s no-one even 

knew how many disabled people there were in 

Britain. Often, disabled people were not seen in 

public as access was so very poor, especially for 

those who used wheelchairs, and Alf Morris saw 

the provision of good accessibility to buildings 

as being vital to bringing disabled people 

closer in to mainstream society. In 1972 he 

wrote: “I knew that opening doors to the disabled 

was of fundamental importance to improving 

their social status”. 

The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 

became law in 1970 and did much to change 

the situation of disabled people in Britain. 

The new Act was not a cure-all – there were 

still great variations in provision across the 

country. For instance, the City of Birmingham 

38 


provided housebound disabled 

people with whistles to call 

for help in an emergency, 

whereas Manchester provided 

telephones – a much more 

sensible solution, as a 

telephone has far greater social 

benefit for housebound people 

than a whistle. In London the 

Borough of Hackney with its 

many challenges had, by 1972, 

provided 130 telephones, 

while the affluent Borough 

of Richmond had provided 

just one! 

The social changes that Alf Morris saw in his 

new legislation reflected much of what The 

Fellowship had been doing since its very 

beginnings – bringing disabled people into 

mainstream society, campaigning for access, 

mobility, incomes, jobs. Alf Morris had seen 

the effects of disability on his parents and had 

grown up in a disabled family; he wanted to 

change that situation for the many disabled 

people in Britain. He recognised that his Act 

built on the work of voluntary organisations 

such as The Fellowship and that it, just as did the 

Fellowship’s founders, sought to challenge the 

‘serene satisfaction’ by which disabled people 

were oppressed by an able-bodied society. 

When he spoke in Parliament to introduce the 

Second Reading of his Bill, Alf Morris called for 

a society in which there is genuine respect for 

disabled people and “where understanding is 

Top: Lord Morris and Lord Weatherill at the launch 

of Something to lean on, January 1999. Above: 

With Dame Vera Lynn at the same event. 

unostentatious and sincere; where, if years cannot 

be added to the lives of the very sick, then life can 

be added to their years….. and where no-one has 

cause to feel ill-at-ease because of their disability”. 

Fine words from a fine man. n 

history corner 

Barry North writes: 

It was a great privilege to meet Lord Morris at the launch, in the House of Lords, of my history of 

The Fellowship Something to lean on. In conversation he spoke to me of the value that he had 

placed on the Fellowship’s work over the years. The pictures above are from the book launch 

event on 27 January 1999. 

Did you meet Alf Morris? Have you any stories of his life or the way in which his Act has 

changed your life? Do share these by contacting Barry North, the Fellowship’s Archivist at 

2, Windlesham Road, Brighton, BN1 3AG, telephone 01273 269274, email: inbox@calshot-mail. 

co.uk. All memorabilia, photographs, etc, that you send will, of course be returned to you. 


39

classified advertising / support services 

Apparent U-turn 

by coalition 

on Dilnot 

The Commission on Funding of Care and 

Support, an independent body chaired by the 

economist Andrew Dilnot, presented its findings 

to the Government in July 2011. This was 

reported in the September 2011 Bulletin. 

Among the key proposals recommended by 

the Commission was a £35,000 cap on an 

individual’s lifetime contribution to adult social 

care costs, so that where an individual’s costs 

exceed £35,000, all further care costs would be 

paid by the state. 

Ministers including the then Health Secretary 

Andrew Lansley had indicated that this proposal 

would be dismissed because of the £2 billion 

cost to the Treasury. 

The plans have now been revived and the 

Government is planning to implement the 

Dilnot proposals. They will be announced in the 

autumn as part of a relaunch of the coalition 

and will be included in a care and support bill. 

Guides on 

disability hate 

crime 

Disability Rights UK in association with the 

Office for Disability Issues has published three 

Let’s stop disability hate crime guides. 

A guide for disabled people defines disability hate 

crime, explains how to report it and provide 

evidence, and outlines what happens if the 

offender is prosecuted. 

A guide for setting up third party reporting centres 

provides an overview of the law to assist disabled 

people’s organisations to set up reporting sites, 

plus information about partnership working, 

standards and good practice. 

A guide for non-disabled people focuses on 

the Police and Crown Prosecution Services 

definition of hate crime, to provide an 

understanding of how the law works. 

All three guides are free to download at www. 

disabilityrightsuk.org A guide for disabled 

people and A guide for setting up third party 

reporting centres are also available as Easy Read 

versions. (Source: Disability Rights UK) 

Classified advertising 

40 

The Classified Advertising 

section applies to items 

for sale or wanted. 

Classified ads can be 

placed for a maximum of 

two issues. This service is 

free to members. Nonmembers 

£5.00 for the 

first 20 words then £0.20p 

per word. Maximum 

number of words 50. 

Deadline for Nov/Dec 

issue is 10 October 2012. 

Send to: Shirley Russell, 

Eagle Office Centre, The 

Runway, South Ruislip 

Middx. HA4 6SE. Tel: 01953 

451620. Publication of 

classified ads does not 

imply that The British 

Polio Fellowship endorses 

any goods or services. 

FOR SALE 

Motor Home – Ducato 2.8 Lifestyle. 

£23.000. Fully equipped microwave/ 

pots & pans etc. Swivel/lift passenger 

seat (cost to install £2.500). First reg 

27.09.2006. Mileage 16.500. Please 

contact John on 07507 533655. 

‘Heavenly Feet Footwear,’ Style 

Bamboo. Colour White/Navy. Right size 

40, Left size 3. Very light and comfortable. 

Good sole, Velcro fastening. £30 if 

collected from Bath. Otherwise postage 

added. Contact 01225 851006 if interested. 

ONE pair of sheepskin slippers 

with fur collar, colour Vole, (L) size 5 

(R) size 3. Beautiful and warm, cost 

£42.50 will accept £25.00 including 

p&p. Can be seen on website www. 

amblesidesheepskins.co.uk. style 

ECL959. Tel: 015395 67107. 

TGA Eclipse Boot Scooter c/w with 

battery charger and cover for outside 

storage. Hardly used and in new order. 

Easy to dismantle for storing in car boot. 

Any reasonable offer considered. Please 

ring 0161 799 1382. 

scooter - blue 4-wheeled solid tyres. 

4 years old, serviced yearly. Price £300 

or nearest offer. Contact 01274 590181 

after 3pm. 

INVACARE ACTION 3 WHEEL CHAIR – 

Fully fitted Alber power control driving 

20inch wheels, fitted to the central hubs. 

In brand new condition (less than 100 

miles) Cost £4.406. Offers accepted at 

about £2.250 Lancaster area. Contact 

01524 67581 or pchunt@talktalk.net 

WANTED 

Mangar Booster seat. Contact 01472 

693378. Please ring mornings or after 18.00. 


Are you an 

orthotist? If 

so, you could 

be advertising 

here. Contact 

Shirley 

on 01953 

451620 for 

details. 

advertising – orthotics providers 

LACERTA REHABILITATION LTD CLINICAL/ ORTHOTIC SERVICE 

Lacerta Rehabilitation is based at the University of Salford. We have state of the art 

clinical, assessment and manufacturing facilities. Both our clinical and technical staff 

are very experienced in all areas of orthotics and specialist footwear. 

We hold regular 

multi-disciplinary 

team clinics and 

have many years’ 

experience of polio 

and Post Polio 

Syndrome orthotic 

problems. 

Fitting of Intelligent Knee 

Brace 

We specialise in spinal 

and lower limb bracing, 

together with specialist 

footwear. We offer: 

•Full orthotic/footwear 

Assessment in Gait 

Laboratory 

assessment 

•Report service 

•Manufacture/fitting of orthotic equipment 

Specialist in lower limb bracing including: 

•Intelligent free knee bracing 

•Lightweight carbon fibre bracing 

•Bespoke design bracing 

Fabrication of Leg Brace 

For more information/appointments please contact: 

Mike Gilligan (Senior Orthotist/Manager) 

Tel: 07771 696 804. Email mggilligan@hotmail.com 


41

holiday advertisements 

Your ad could be here, reaching 

over 9,000 members, their 

families and friends. Contact 

Shirley on 01953 451620 or email: 

shirley@britishpolio.org.uk 

TURKEY, sleepy seaside village of Akbuk, outside 

seaside resort of Altinkum, 50 mins drive from Bodrum 

airport. Two two-bed apartments adjoined by balcony 

door. (Owner is a Fellowship member and permanent 

wheelchair user). Peaceful and relaxing. One apartment is 

adjusted for wheelchair use with ramped access and the 

other has five steps to access. Both are level throughout. 

Will let together or separately. Both apartments have 

two bed settees, so maximum occupancy is six per 

apartment. 2 swimming pools and 2 children’s paddling 

pools. Airport transfers arranged. Bookings from £100 per 

week. Tel: 07946 510900, 01422 206106 or email: mail@ 

malcolmkielty.co.uk for photos, dvd and full details. 

WHEELCHAIR BREAKS IN THE LAKES, near Keswick. 

Purpose-built self-catering accommodation for two with 

additional family accommodation available. Wheelover 

shower, central heating, farm location with superb views. 

Open all year. For colour brochure ring 017687 76380 or 

visit our website: www.disabled-holiday.net 

Enjoy Jersey with 

carefree 

holidays for 

disabled 

people and their 

carers at Maison 

des Landes Hotel 

Maison des Landes is a hotel catering exclusively for disabled guests and 

their families or carers in accommodation which has been specially 

designed to meet their needs. Set in glorious unspoiled countryside 

overlooking a major international heritage area 

Heated indoor pool with ramps and hoists 

En-suite facilities including walk-in showers 

Extensive gardens with magnificent views 

Licensed lounge 

Pétanque (a version of bowls ideal for players in wheelchairs!) 

Daily Island tours in specially adapted minibuses 

The hotel is open from the beginning of April to the end of October 

RATES per person per day include full board accommodation, daily 

excursions and transfers to harbour and airport and return. 

NOW WITH A SELF CATERING OPTION. ASK FOR DETAILS 

CONTACT US NOW FOR A BROCHURE 

St Ouen, Jersey JE3 2AA 

Tel: 01534 481683 Fax 01534 485327 

Email: contact@maisondeslandes.co.uk 

Website: www.maisondeslandes.co.uk 

Cornwall - Nr Truro 

Two specially converted detached barns on 

a small family farm. Sleep 4 to 6 

people. Both fully wheelchair 

accessible. A wide range of mobility aids 

are available including electric beds, hoists 

and rise/ recline chairs. All bedrooms have 

ensuite wheel-in wetrooms or bathrooms. 

Care available locally. 

For further details call 01726 883240 or 

visit www.treworgansfarm.co.uk 

42 


THE BRITISH POLIO FELLOWSHIP 

The British Polio Fellowship, Eagle Office Centre, 

The Runway, South Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 6SE. 

Freephone 0800 018 0586 supplied by MCI Worldcom 

Fax: 020 8842 0555 

Email: info@britishpolio.org.uk 

Website: www.britishpolio.org.uk 

National Officers 

Chairman: Pam Jones 

Vice Chairman: Linda Evers 

Treasurer: Aidan Linton-Smith 

Patrons 

Lionel Blair 

Dr Moira Anderson OBE 

Michael Cassidy CBE Joan Collins OBE 

Sir Bobby Charlton CBE Bryan Forbes CBE 

Joe Fisher 

Miss Hannah Gordon 

Gordon Lumb 

Sir Patrick Moore CBE 

Dr Geoffrey Spencer OBE 

Publisher: The British Polio Fellowship 

Editor: Laura McCaffrey, c/o Central Office 

Design and production: Laura McCaffrey 

Writer: Nicola Hill 

Printing and distribution: Russell Press 

The British Polio Fellowship is a registered charity 

in England and Wales (1108335) and in Scotland 

(SC038863). A company limited by guarantee and 

registered in England and Wales 

No 5294321. 

The Fellowship reserves the right to edit articles and 

letters submitted. The views expressed in The Bulletin are 

not necessarily those of The Fellowship. Publication of an 

advertisement does not imply that approval has been 

given to goods and services. 

An invitation to join us. It costs just £25 to 

become a life member of The Fellowship. As 

a member you receive The Bulletin every two 

months and can join your local Branch or 

Group. If you would like to know more about 

us before making up your mind please 

contact Central Office (details above). 

The Bulletin is the bi-monthly magazine of The British Polio Fellowship, distributed 

free to members (circ. 9,000). Cost for non-members is £2.50 (annual subscription 

£15.00). Please send cheque/postal orders to Central Office at above address. 

Articles, letters, news items, photographs are welcome and will be published at the 

discretion of the editor. The publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability 

for errors or omissions. Any transparencies, prints or artwork will be accepted at 

owners risk. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reported in 

any form without written permission of the copyright holder and publisher. The 

Bulletin is printed on Magnomatt paper which meets and surpasses environmental 

standards and is recyclable. Only pulp with a low environmental impact is used 

and all integrated pulp is TCF (Totally Chlorine Free). Market pulp is either ECF 

(Elementary Chlorine Free) or TCF. 


Contacts 

Chief Executive 

Ted Hill 

0208 836 3671 

tedhill@britishpolio.org.uk 

Reception 

Sarah Mchugh 

0800 018 0586 

sarahmchugh@britishpolio.org.uk 

Director of Operations & Services 

Heike Kluever-Littlewood 

0208 836 3682 

heike@britishpolio.org.uk 

Office Administrator 

Sarah Mchugh 

0208 836 3683 

sarahmchugh@britishpolio.org.uk 

Support Officer (Panels) 

Natricia Duncan 

0208 842 1898 

natricia@britishpolio.org.uk 

Support Services Team 

0800 018 0586 

infobenefits@britishpolio.org.uk 

Disability Benefits, Information & Advice 

Membership: Enquiries, Joining 

Branch & General Administration 


Grants & Information 

Rosalind Evans 

0208 836 3686 

rosalindevans@britishpolio.org.uk 

Website/The Bulletin 

Glenys Balchin 

0208 836 3684 

glenysbalchin@britishpolio.org.uk 

Advertising 

Shirley Russell 

01953 451620 

shirley@britishpolio.org.uk 

Fundraising 

Legacies, In Memoriam and Events 

Marianne Gkikas 

0208 836 3679 

marianneg@britishpolio.org.uk 

Trusts 

Diane Ware 

0208 836 3678 

diane@britishpolio.org.uk 

Administration, 200 Club, Donations and Merchandise 

Linda Davis (Fundraising Administrator) 

0208 836 3689 

linda@britishpolio.org.uk 

Finance 

Dawn Grafetsberger 

0208 836 3675 

dawn@britishpolio.org.uk 

Online Forum 

Members & Guests 

www.britishpolio.org.uk 

contact details 

43

my way 

Ninety years of living with 

polio 

This is the page for readers to share their life stories or memories. If you would like to 

tell your story, please send details (around 400 words by email if possible) and a good 

quality photo to the Editor, Laura McCaffrey, at the address on page 43. This issue, 

Queenie Dell talks about her amazing life, much of which was spent in Africa. 

44 

Iwas born in 1918, just after the war. There was 

an epidemic of Infantile Paralysis and that is 

when I caught it. At the time the death rate 

was 70%. Luckily, it didn’t touch my brain but it 

did cause some paralysis. I can’t stand up easily 

or walk across a room. 

In those days, you didn’t go to a doctor unless 

you were dying as you couldn’t afford it. My 

grandmother was a herbalist. She gave me some 

hot milk and honey and scraped something else 

into it. My temperature was 88 and the doctor 

said I wouldn’t get through the night. I woke 

up the next day with my temperature back to 

normal. Apparently, my grandmother had given 

me something that they give to race horses the 

night before a race to calm them down. 

I was lucky as I was treated by King George V’s 

personal surgeon, Mr Gillespie. My GP was at 

university in Edinburgh with Mr Gillespie. 

At one time my leg was normal up to the knee 

but it was not growing properly below the 

knee. However, the treatment was terrible. They 

stretched it and put new bones in. I had two big 

operations at the ages of eight and 11. After the 

operations, I was given massages, which was the 

best thing I could have had. It was very scary 

being in hospital as a child. 

I was in callipers for the first part of my life. I lost 

a lot of schooling but educated myself with the 

Encyclopedia Britannica. They put me in a low 

class to start with but I ended up in a higher 

class than my age. My mother was well educated 

and she made sure I could read and write. 

I qualified as a shorthand typist and bookkeeper 

and got married at the age of 21. When 

my husband came back from the war on a 

hospital ship, the government doctors gave him 

two years to live. We decided to move to Africa 

and he lived to the age of 81 with only half of his 

heart working. 

Before I went to Africa, I went to see Mr Gillespie 

who explained everything that had happened 

to me. I worked in the office of a medical factory 

and read the Lancet and British Medical Journal. 

We went to Zimbabwe – then known as 

Southern Rhodesia. It was heaven on earth. 

I worked for the Royal Rhodesian Airforce 

and a big insurance company. I couldn’t walk 

properly, but thought we needed to bring in 

some money. From time to time, my husband 

would go down with a fever. I had three boys, 

one born in England and two in Rhodesia. My 

eldest son was such a great help to me. From 

the age of 11, he would pick up his brothers, 

bathe the baby and feed them if I was late home 

from work. All three of them have made good 

hands-on husbands. 

I remember when the Queen Mother came to 

Durban. A friend of mine was appointed to be 

her escort. The King was very sick when he came 

to Rhodesia and he passed away soon after. 

We lived all over Africa. At one time, we were 

300 miles from the nearest hospital so you had 

to learn more than first aid. It taught me that 

there are always ways round things. In 2004, 

I came back to England. One son stayed in 

Africa but one had gone to Canada and 

another to England. I got osteo-arthritis and 

can’t use my hands. I now use a wheelchair 

and a four-wheel walker. n

fundraising news - British Polio Fellowship

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