WestWorld Issue 14 May 2011 - Hassra

Issue 14May 2011T h e o f f i c i a l n e w s l e t t e r o f t h e H A S S R AW e s t M i d l a n d s R e g i o n• Jean Crouch underthe spotlight• Regionalbadminton• BOM visits Acornsin support ofCommunity 10,000• Business Sponsorof the Year SheilaLatchford• 2010 NationalAward winners• Easter activitiesEditors welcome note...Welcome to WestWorld,It gives me great pleasure to begin byannouncing that HASSRA West Midlandswon 5 awards at the 2010 National AGM inYork earlier this month. Congratulations toindividual winners Sheila Latchford whowon the Best Business Sponsor Award, toLeighton Jukes who won NationalVolunteer of the Year, to Tariq Ali who wascrowned National Best Achievement inSport and to Ann Leppard who won a MeritAward for her services to HASSRA.. Thequartet are all thoroughly deserved winnersand I’m sure you will all join me in sayingcongratulations and very well done to youall. HASSRA West Midlands also camerunner up in the Best Regional AssociationAward receiving a Highly Commended.Thank you for your continued support andcontributions to HASSRA.From celebrations to a tinge of sadness,this month we say farewell to RegionalChair Graham Rigby, Graham hasaccepted the release scheme and opted forearly retirement. Graham has been aHASSRA member ever since he joined theDepartment back in August 1969, he tookon the role of Regional Chair almost 3years ago and has supported HASSRAthrough many challenges and changes inrecent times. As a valued member of theJobcentre Plus senior management teamGraham has been fully supportive ofHASSRA and always had time to promotethe benefits to his managers and fellowcolleagues. Graham will be dearly missedby all associated with HASSRA and onbehalf of everyone in the region we wishhim a very healthy, happy and muchdeserved retirement. Graham has alreadyshown his commitment to HASSRA byconfirming he will retain his fullmembership once he leaves. In theinterim, whilst we await the appointment ofa new Regional Chair, Graham andRegional President John Hammond haveasked that I take on the role.I would also like to inform you that witheffect from 1 st January 2012 HASSRAmembership subscriptions will increase to£1.80 per calendar month, representing a30pence increase per month. This is thefirst time in 4 years that membershipsubscriptions have increased. Despite theincrease, the monthly subscription is valuefor money considering the great number ofbenefits available and savings on offer.Enjoy reading issue 14 and thanks toeveryone f or t heircontinued support.Best wishesGareth NiblettMarches District get their dabbers out for charityBingo raises a tidy sum for StarlightJobcentre Plus staff from the former Marches District of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire said farewell to theDistrict in style by raising a total of £845.00 for the Starlight Children’s Foundation.The fundraising activities were coordinated by Mandy Painter in memory of her son Joshua. The money was raised in the mainby holding a Marches District Bingo game, along with a cake sale by staff at Shrewsbury Jobcentre and a charity haircut byGordon Chrzan. The money will be donated to the Starlight Children’s Foundation to help grant wishes of a lifetime toterminally and seriously ill children.Mandy Painter said:I would like to thank all staff for their support in raising this wonderful amount for Starlight in memory of my son Joshua. I amextremely grateful. I would also like to thank Carole Holder, Mandy Mitchell and Gordon Chrzan for their invaluable help inorganising the fundraising.”

ISSUE 14PAGE 3Enjoying retirement: HASSRA puts retiredmember Jean Crouch under the spotlight!For many, retirement can’tcome soon enough; thechance to relax after manyyears at work, to put your feetup and enjoy doing all thethings you’ve long desired. Butfor one retired former civilservant, retirement is all aboutsupporting HASSRA asWestW orld meets JeanCrouch. Jean has been anactive member of HASSRAWest Midlands for a number ofyears despite retiring from theDepartment back in the year2000.Jean joined the Civil Service in1957, working in the PostOffice until 1965 when she leftto have her first daughter. In1976 Jean was offered a 6month casual job in the DHSSRegional Office, CumberlandH o u s e , B r o a d S t r e e t ,Birmingham, she then appliedfor reinstatement and wasposted to Cannock NIO whichwas where she first becameinvolved in HASSRA. Jeanliked the aims and objectives ofHASSRA and soon joined thesmall committee. Despite onlybeing a small committee Jeanwas actively involved inorganising several trips; theannual Christmas dinner anddance, raffles, etc. The sportsday at Aldersley Stadium inWolverhampton was always abig event in the HASSRAcalendar. Jean said: “I wasquite fit then and took part inthe netball and ladies football.That was at a time when askeleton staff would run theoffice so that the majority ofstaff could have the afternoonoff to attend the event – thosewere the days!”Jean has been a HASSRAcommittee member, Secretary,Treasurer and is now Chair atCannock. Having been anactive member of HASSRA theCannock club recognisedJean’s enthusiasm, dedicationand commitment to the cause.When Jean retired in 2000 thecommittee asked her to remainas Chair and she wasdelighted to accept. Jean helpsout at all events held, sheorganises most of the officeraffles because they are sotime consuming and staff don’talways have the time to spare.Jean occasionally calls into theLichfield office which is linkedto the Cannock HASSRA club;she includes the Lichfieldmembers in as many HASSRAevents as possible.In 2000 Jean joined theHASSRA West MidlandsR e g i o n a l B o a r d o fManagement, her reason forjoining because as a retiredmember she would always beavailable to help when needed.Jean has been an activemember of the board ofmanagement, often attendingFive Ways House to assist theregional team by sending outmagazines, new memberw e l c o m e p a c k s a n dpromotional items. Jean hasalso assisted at the two It’s aKnockout family fun days,recruited new HASSRAmembers at the launch of theLive Well Work Well eventsand is a member of the regionalawards sub-committee.In March 2010, Jean receivedthe Merit Award for her servicesto HASSRA through the yearsJean said:“It has always been a challengethat I’ve enjoyed. Now thechallenge is greater, but I stillfeel passionate about HASSRAand making people feel goodand happy. Apart from localoffice activities HASSRA offersfulfilling opportunities in sport,arts, drama, various hobbies,trips abroad and many more at avery low cost. These are hardtimes and morale can be verylow but it is still possible tocreate a good feeling - just araffle will lift the mood and raiselots of money for charity. I havemade so many friends and hadsome wonderful times throughHASSRA. The finest moment ofmy HASSRA career was winningthe Merit Award; words cannotexplain how wonderful it was tohave this recognition.”Retired HASSRAmember and MeritAward winner JeanCrouch still passionateabout HASSRA duringretirement.

ISSUE 14PAGE 4Regional Badminton CompetitionAston University in Birmingham was the location forthe HASSRA West Midlands Regional Badmintontournament on Thursday 7th April.Armed with rackets and shuttlecocks, a total of 15HASSRA members took part; 10 men and 5 women.This years event attracted a number of newparticipants, some of which looked useful with aracket and could prove to be dangerous in thefuture.Imran Bashir, Jerome Carty, Pardip Purewal andDeana Willis will be competing for the WestMidlands at the CSSC Games in Loughborough inSeptember 2011.The results of the tournament are listed below.Special thanks to Mark Finn for organising thesuccessful event.Competition Winner Runner UpMen’s Singles Imran Bashir Jerome CartyLadies Singles Deana Willis Pardip PurewalMen’s Doubles Mark Finn & Jerome Carty Imran Bashir & Fazle KinkhwableLadies Doubles Sarah Allen & Pardip Purewal Deanna Willis & Juliette BenjaminMixed Doubles Juliette Benjamin & Jerome Carty Pardip Purewal & Fazle Kinkhwable

ISSUE 14 PAGE 5BOM visits AcornsBoard of Management spend a day volunteeringin support of Community 10,000Lynda Gadsden reviews theday volunteering:As part of the Community10,000 project members of theHASSRA Regional Board ofManagement recently spent aday at Acorns Children’sHospice in Worcester. Thehospice, like many charitiesrely heavily on volunteers tohelp out and keep their runningcosts down. Not knowing whatwas in store we arrived ready,willing and able. The hospicecloses for one week each yearfor a deep clean. During thisweek everywhere is stripped,scrubbed, cleaned, paintedand put back together.Off went Leighton to cut thelawn (slight understatement asthe grounds are huge),Graham, Tim and I were giventhe task of cleaning the blackpaving, that’s not hard I hearyou say but there are yardsand yards and yards of it! Icleaned the inside of the minibus that is used to take thechildren out on day trips, Iassume from the state of thebus the last trip included somekind of mud wrestling. Theafternoon task was to clean theoutside toys so that now theweather is improving those thatare able could spend somequality time outside having funin the sun.the day gave us a short historyof the hospice. The land wasdonated by a local coupleunder agreement that it wasonly to be used by a children’scharity, it costs £7,500 per dayto keep the hospice open andthis has to be raised by themany dedicated supportersthat the hospice has. Many ofthe mundane tasks areperformed by a team ofvolunteers on a regular basis,they are however desperate forgardeners so if you live in theWorcester area and are able tocommit even a few hours permonth they would love to hearfrom you.You may think that this is adepressing place to go to, itisn’t. There is an air of calmaround the site and whilst theydo have sad times, every effortis made to provide a caringand safe environment for thechildren and their families. Yes,they have life threateningillnesses but here issomewhere they can spendquality time.Did I enjoy it, yes I did. Would Ido it again? Yes I would, go ongive it a go and volunteer everybit helps.Ready for a spring clean: HASSRA Board ofManagement members (from L-R): Lynda Gadsden,Tim Smith, Leighton Jukes and Graham Rigby.HASSRA’s Lynda Gadsden fromDudley CSAC tidies up outside.You cannot help but beinspired by the people thatwork at this establishment, themajority of them giving up theirown time to help such aworthwhile cause. There was alady painting a huge mural of atree with cartoon characters,people cleaning toys,gardening, hoovering andpainting walls. Whether youhave a talent or not there arethings that you can do.Katrina Barnes the VolunteersManager and our hostess forOn his knees: RegionalChair Graham Rigbyprepares for the weeding.HASSRA West Midlands Acting Regional Business PartnerTim Smith prepares to trim the bushes at Acorns Children'sHospice in Worcester.

ISSUE 14 PAGE 6PURE GYM, Five Ways, opened its door in January and the great news isthat as a member of HASSRA you don’t have to pay the £25.00 joining fee!What’s even better is that the fee is just £16.99 per month!It’s simple to join Pure Gym—simply visit www.puregym.com to take advantage of the nojoining fee offer. Type in the unique HASSRA code PGB05 when asked during the joiningprocess.Pure Gym is the biggest gym in Birmingham City, with over 220 pieces of equipment on twofloors and our fantastic range of classes are included in the monthly fee.We look forward to seeing you very soon.Win one of 4 ipads with HASSRAHASSRA have four 16GB Apple Ipads to give away in ourfabulous new competition. Each Ipad comes with its ownprotective case.To enter simply answer the following question and sendyour answer, name, daytime phone number, HASSRAmembership card number and staff/payroll or pensionnumber by email to CSD HASSRA Headlines (DWPInternal) or Hassra.headlines@dwp.gsi.gov.uk (external).Question:What fruit is associated with the Ipad?Entries must be received by midnight on Friday 1st July2011. The winners will be the first four correct entriesdrawn at random after the closing date.

ISSUE 14PAGE 7Leading from the topBirmingham Five Ways Sheila Latchford - BusinessSponsor of the YearFive Ways House is a multioccupancy building with DWP stafffrom PDCS, Jobcentre Plus andLocal Pensions with Midlands DBCbeing the main occupier withresponsibility for 697 staff,Kensington House is also includedin the club’s area of responsibilityfor HASSRA membership.The HASSRA Business Sponsor isSheila Latchford; Sheila has beenat Five Ways House since 1986undertaking various roles, she hasbeen club sponsor since herpromotion to SEO in 2001, apartfrom a break when on detachedduty in Wembley DBC. Sheila isthe perfect sponsor as she is anatural leader, she works hard,she expects her staff to do so tooand she even plays hard, proofbeing her recent accolade ofvisiting all 757 Wetherspoonestablishments in 851 days(alcohol free) getting her a mentionin the Wetherspoon News. Sheilais an ideal role model when itcomes to HASSRA activities.Sheila always puts the needs ofthe business first, especially in thecurrent climate but she alsorecognises the need for a work/lifebalance and the importance ofHASSRA and the part it plays inkeeping up the morale of the staff.Sheila encourages participation inlocal and National events at alllevels, she is very supportive of thelocal Five Ways club and eventsthroughout the office.The HASSRA Five Ways Sportsand Social club has always beenwell supported and has had manyachievements over the years; fromwinning the Endeavour Trophy toVolunteer of the Year as well asraising large amounts of money forcharity, but in 2010 Sheila wantedHASSRA Five Ways House to bebigger and better than normal.Giving her full support, Sheilaensured the unit manager JaneWhitaker was on board with Janegiving her full backing.Sheila promoted HASSRA bysetting time aside in theManagement Team meetings.Sheila appointed an HEO to begiven time out to enlighten newentrants of HASSRA during theirinduction and the other membersof the management team couldsee the commitment being given toHASSRA as a local organisation.Managers were encouraged tolook at Special Leave requestsreasonably using HR Policy as aguide, this was encouraging giventhe current climate and theannouncements that wereexpected and then received lateron in the year. Staff were happythat they could take part in bothRegional and National Eventsknowing that their requests forSpecial Leave would be carefullyconsidered without always havingto use their own leave.Sheila is very supportive of localactivities and HASSRA committeemembers are given facility timewhen required to enable them todo recruitment drives, monthlycommittee meetings, charitableevents, helping out with ideas foractivities or events - all staff areencouraged to participate. In 2010over £5,000 was raised for anumber of charities includingMacmillan, Sports Relief, Childrenin Need and the Pakistan FloodDisaster. Support was also givento HASSRA West Midlands in theirquest to raise money for theircharities.Sheila always finds time to helporganise or participate in theevents herself and as an exampledespite a Five Ways House “nofootball shirt” dress policy shepersuaded the office managerJane Whitaker to lift this for oneday and encourage staff toparticipate in the HASSRA WestMidlands event, both Sheila andJane wore their own football shirtsto work in aid of charity!!Sheila sanctioned events such asBring and Buy sales, Samosadays, Strawberries and Creamsales during Wimbledon fortnight, and a WorldCup sweepstake. Sheila has helped inorganising provision of a breakout area with apool table, table tennis table and Wii, allfunded by HASSRA Five Ways, she is alwayswilling to promote and take part in theseevents herself. Sheila recognises the benefitsthat HASSRA can have on the workforce andthat an active HASSRA committee canimprove the atmosphere in the office and theproductivity of the staff within.Ian Duggins, Chair of Five Ways HouseSports and Social Club said:“Thanks to Sheila HASSRA Five Ways Househas been able to develop and maintain anexcellent presence within Five Ways,membership amongst the staff within thebuilding has increased throughout the year.Events have been run on a regular basis,large amounts of money have been raised forcharity and updates about HASSRA and thelocal events are available as and when via theMidlands Inside Centre or committeemembers who are from all parts of the buildingand have responsibilities for their own setstaff.There have been many pressures within thebusiness unit throughout the past year;LEAN, the Organisational Review and ChangeProgramme have all impacted on carrying outthe day to day business, but Sheila has madeherself available on all occasions to theHASSRA committee if advice or support hasbeen required, she is an asset to have at thislevel.”Leading from the top: Business Sponsorof the Year Sheila Latchford

ISSUE 14PAGE 8HASSRA shows support forthe Midlands Air AmbulanceIt is not widely known that the Midlands AirAmbulance Charity is funded solely by the publicand local businessesMidlands Air Ambulance Charity operates and fundsthree Air Ambulances serving the Midlands and Welshborder region. Flying its first mercy mission in 1991,the organisation is the longest established andbusiest Air Ambulance operators in the UK.Our three aircrafts carry a crew of three, all of whichare funded solely by the Charity. Our helicopters alsocarry full life-support medical equipment.It is generally accepted that the first hour after anaccident is a crucial time for any patient – this isoften referred to as The Golden Hour.If a patient reaches hospital during those first 60minutes the chances of survival are greatly increased.That’s why the rapid response of an Air Ambulance isso vital in an emergency situation.The maximum flying time to the nearest hospital fromanywhere in the region is less than 15 minutes.Midlands Air Ambulance has now flown more than30,000 missions. The Charity has an unrivalledreputation as a ‘life saver’ and is the only provider ofthe three air ambulance helicopters serving thecommunities of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire,Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands andWorcestershire – making it the largest in the UK.We receive no government money or National Lotteryfunding. The generosity of the public helps to raisethe £5.6 million required each year to ensure ourthree helicopters remain operational and help savelives across the region.We need your help!Can you volunteer some time?Can you hold a fundraising event for us?If you can, please contact Stef Langford-Brown,Fundraising Manager, on 07736 946060 or by email:s.langfordbrown@midlandsairambulance.com

ISSUE 14 PAGE 9Easter CornerAn Easter breakfast fit for aKing!HASSRA members at Birmingham Ravenhurst Benefit Centre gotready for Easter and also the Royal wedding by holding an Eastercelebration breakfast fit for a King and Queen! In keeping with atraditional British Royal wedding theme, staff dressed down in thered, white and blue colours of the union jack, breakfast was suppliedcourtesy of the sports and social club. Thanks to the generosity ofstaff the office raised £93.20 from the dress down day and a further£129.00 in the Easter raffle, making a grand total of £222.20. Therewas also an Easter colouring competition for staff children. Eachentry received a Cadbury's crème egg, with the winners of each agecategory receiving a Thornton's Easter egg.HASSRA members andstaff at Shrewsbury JCPheld an Easter raffle andraised £58.00 for HopeHouse. Hope HouseChildren’s Hospicesprovide care andsupport to life limitedchildren, young peopleand their familiesEggs galore in DudleyStaff at Dudley CMEC recently had aquiz for Easter. With free entry to allHASSRA members the quiz had a topprize of £100, second prize of £50 andthird prize of £25. Every member whoentered received a large Easter egg fortheir efforts. Top prize was won by LynnBott who pipped her husband Mac intosecond place by one point. Third placewas split by another married pairhusband and wife Sue and Ian Bowater.This has become a yearly event andwhilst it is nice to get one of the monetaryprizes everyone was thrilled to have theirchocolate gift.Heartland Hospital grateful to WashwoodHeath JCPHASSRA members and staff at Washwood Heath Jobcentre Plus officebrought a smile to the faces of children's at Heartlands Hospital inBirmingham over Easter as they donated Easter eggs to the Children's Ward.Staff dug deep to donate the eggs to keep spirits high amongst the poorlychildren.Graham Rigby, HASSRA West Midlands Regional Chair said:“I would like to personally thank the staff at Washwood Heath Jobcentre Plusoffice for their generous donations and for putting others before themselves.At a time when Jobcentre Plus is changing so rapidly, to still be able to findthe time to coordinate such an activity is of true credit to everyone whodonated. We have some incredibly dedicated HASSRA members across theWest Midlands and this is yet another example of everyone pulling together tosupport those less fortunate than themselves.”Did you know?• HASSRA membership stood at 70,064 members at theend of 2010. An increase of over 7,000 members since2008.• The national lottery paid out over £680,000 in prizemoney during 2010.• HASSRA members saved on average 33% on entry tothe cinema and 36% on entry to theme parks during2010.

ISSUE 14PAGE 102010 National Award winnersWest Midlands steals the show in York!HASSRA delegates gathered at The RoyalYork Hotel in York, North Yorkshire in Mayfor the 2010 National HASSRAConference and Awards Dinner asHASSRA celebrated the associationsachievements during the past 12 months.The highlight of the event was the eveningawards dinner when HASSRA honouredthe achievements of regions, local clubsand individuals throughout 2010. It was aspecial night for the West Midlands as wescooped 5 awards during the evening. Theregion came runner up in the best regionalassociation category, narrowly piped to thetitle by Scotland. This is a wonderfulachievement and a real testament to thehard work of all volunteers during the pastyear.John Hammond, HASSRA West MidlandsRegional President said:“I would like to pass on my congratulationsto all the award recipients. I was delightedto see how well West Midlands colleagueshad faired in the awards. This is a greatachievement and well deservedrecognition for our winners, well done toall.”Team HASSRA: Receiving the Highly Commended Award for Best RegionalAssociation from Robert Devereux, HASSRA President are (from L-R): Tariq Ali,Chris Czora, Leighton Jukes, Gareth Niblett (Regional Chair), Ann Leppard andTim Smith (Regional Business Partner)Tariq AliWinner of the Terry Green Trophy for Sports Person of the Year:Tariq does so much in cricket and has achieved so much in2010. Tariq is player manager of the regional indoor cricketteam and supports his local club. He is an outstandingindoor cricketer and has been selected to representEngland. Tariq is captain of the Wolverhampton CricketTeam and in addition he spends time coaching children toplay cricket in the evenings and also at a local school.Furthermore he is involved in coaching children in deprivedand underprivileged areas. The awards panel acknowledgesthat Tariq has excelled at cricket; giving much to HASSRAand giving much to children in the community.Tariq Ali receives the Terry Green Trophyfrom HASSRA President and PermanentSecretary for DWP Robert Devereux.

ISSUE 14 PAGE 112010 National Award winners continued...Leighton JukesWinner of the Rachel Lomax Trophy for Volunteer of the Year:Leighton is a member of the Regional BOM and isinvolved in Regional finance, strategy, policy planningand implementation of the HASSRA programme.Leighton helps several local clubs and also prepared theRegional Annual Report and presentation programmesfor the AGM. He is involved in promoting regional eventswith marketing material and has responsibility for theregional website. In addition Leighton is event managerfor the 3 most popular regional events. In addition to allhe does in the Region, Leighton has helped otherregions and is responsible for the National Ten-PinBowling competition. Without doubt he gives a massiveamount of quality input to HASSRA on many fronts. Theawards panel consider Leighton to be a very worthywinner of this award.Leighton Jukes receives the Rachel LomaxTrophy from Robert Devereux, HASSRAPresident.Sheila LatchfordWinner of the Lesley Strathie Award for Best Business Sponsor:The awards panel were looking for someone who makes asignificant contribution to advancing HASSRA and whosupports staff and members in enabling them to achieveHASSRA’s goals. They considered that Sheila Latchford issuch a Manager. Sheila sets a good example to her staff andrecognises the importance of HASSRA in helping to keep upmorale through providing social activities. She gives theHASSRA Club her full support and encourages othermanagers to do the same. HASSRA features on herManagement Team agenda and she ensures new entrantsare aware of HASSRA. In addition Sheila has helpedorganise HASSRA events and participates in some. Sheilarecognises and supports the benefits that HASSRA can havefor the workforce and that it can improve the officeatmosphere and the productivity of staff.Sheila Latchford receives the LesleyStrathie Award from Robert Devereux,Permanent Secretary for DWP.

ISSUE 14 PAGE 122010 National Award winners continued...Ann LeppardWinner of the Merit Award for outstanding service to HASSRAAnn Leppard has been a member of the HASSRA NationalBoard of Management for a number of years. During this timeAnn’s wealth of knowledge and experience has supportedHASSRA through many significant changes.Ann has also been a Board of Management member for theWest Midlands region but stood down earlier this year. Inaddition Ann held the title of Vice Chair, she supported theregion as the association modernised and was a willingvolunteer, organising and supporting various events the regionheld.Despite now standing down from both the regional and nationalBoards of Management, Ann has agreed to continue supportingHASSRA and will assist with finance and support the volunteersprogramme.Ann Leppard receiving the Merit Award from Dave White,HASSRA National Chair and Head of the FraudInvestigation Service.The national award winners were as follows:Award Winner RegionSir Clifford Jarrett TrophyScotlandScotland(Best Region)Sir Phillip Rogers TrophyIsle of WightSouth East(Best Large Club)Sir Michael Partridge TrophyGreat Yarmouth East of England(Best Small Club)Terry Green TrophyTariq AliWest Midlands(Cricket)Sir Leigh Lewis TrophyDella Benjamin East Midlands(Best Contribution to HASSRA)Bentliff Trophy(Best Communication)‘Wednesday Weekly’Stockton BDCNorth EastRachel Lomas Trophy(Volunteer of the Year)Lesley Strathie Trophy(Best Business Sponsor)Leighton JukesSheila Latchford(Midlands DBC)West MidlandsWest Midlands

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ISSUE 14PAGE 14Walking the MoonwalkHASSRA members Liz Payne andJulia Brickett took to the streets ofLondon on Saturday 14th May toparticipate in the 26.2milemarathon known as Moonwalk inaid of Breast Cancer.Liz and Julia began their fitnesstraining in January, starting off bywalking 3 miles and graduallybuilding up the distance to 20miles at the start of May.To support their fundraising theyarranged a variety of charityevents in the build up. In April, thepair organised a Moonwalk Partyin Whittington; friends andcolleagues paid £10 per ticket for anight of entertainment whichincluded music by tribute band‘Baby Love’, magician DamonConlan, the girls in their themedwalking gear “a walk on the wildside” along with food and booze!.Liz said:“The atmosphere amongst the15,000 participants was electric.We were cheered on by firefighters from Chelsea station whocame out to support us as wepassed and buses, taxi’s and cars allbeeped their horns to show theirsupport. We finished the walk 9 hoursafter setting off, we were all aching andvery tired but it was worth it. Thanks toeveryone who supported us over thelast few months.”HASSRA wishes Graham a happy and healthyearly retirementHASSRA West Midlands bids farewell to Regional Chair Graham Rigby next month as Graham leaves theDepartment to take early retirement.Graham took over as Regional Chair from Martin O’Brien almost 3 years ago. Since leading HASSRAGraham has been an active member of the Regional Board of Management and has guided the regionthrough several staffing changes and the restructuring of the association. Graham has encouragedmembers of his Senior Management Team and staff to support HASSRA activities throughout his time asChair. His biggest memory will undoubtedly be being pelted with wet sponges in the stocks at last years It’sa Knockout!On behalf of everyone associated with HASSRA we thank Graham for his commitment and dedication andwish him a very happy and healthy retirement.Gareth Niblett, Jobcentre Manager at Shrewsbury Jobcentre Plus Office and Vice Chair of HASSRA will now take over as ActingRegional Chair for HASSRA West Midlands.Competition WinnerCongratulations to HASSRA member Sandra Steventon from DudleyCSAC who was selected at random as the winner of the Marchcompetition. Sandra receives a £50 Marks & Spencer voucher.The answer to the question: “Name HASSRA West Midlands two mostrecent Regional Presidents?” was Margaret Tovey and John Hammond.Thanks to all who entered the competition, it received the most entriessince WestWorld was re-introduced.

ISSUE 14PAGE 15National 5-a-sidefootball tournamentWhilst many in Luton were busy preparing for the BlueSquare Premier play off final against AFC Wimbledon,East of England HASSRA staff in Luton were busyhosting the national 5-a-side football tournamentduring May as all HASSRA regions gathered at thePlayfootball venue to compete in both the men’s andwomen’s tournament.HASSRA West Midlands were drawn in group 2 of themen’s tournament and went on to win the group,winning 3 of their 4 matches and drawing 1 to finish on10 points, 2 points ahead of second placed North East.During the 4 games, the West Midlands teammanaged to score 16 goals as their free flowing,attacking football was a joy to watch.In the quarter finals it was a local derby as HASSRAWest Midlands was drawn against East Midlands.Unfortunately the team couldn’t replicate the form thatsaw them finish top of the group and they went on toloose 6-0.Plyd W D L GF GA GD PtsWest Midlands 4 3 1 0 16 9 7 10North East 4 2 2 0 12 9 3 8East of England 4 2 1 1 18 10 8 7Scotland 4 1 0 3 8 13 -5 3South West 4 0 0 4 4 17 -13 0The East Midlands went on to play Wales in the semifinal and lost 2-1. In the other semi final Yorkshire lostto the North East 5-3 making it a North East versusWales final. The Welsh showed plenty of passion anddominated the final winning 4-1 to be crowned nationalchampions.In the women’s 5-a-side tournament Yorkshire finishedtop of the qualifying group with 16 points and wentonto to beat the North West 5-2 in the final.Special thanks to Phil Olley, East of England RegionalBusiness Partner and to his team for hosting andorganising the event.Table toppers: The HASSRA West Midlands 5-a-side football team.Club rebates - information for club treasurersIn July 2011 local HASSRA clubs will receive their next monetary rebate. The amount of rebatechanges this year and clubs will receive 12 months worth of money in one lump sum. The rebate willconsist of 3 months in arrears and 9 months in advance. All local clubs are urged to manage thismoney effectively over the next 12 months. Special consideration should be given to a club calendarof activities for the year ahead with a budget allocated for each individual event held.With changes to the HASSRA national structures all future rebates will be paid oncea year in July.

ISSUE 14 PAGE 16The official newsletter of the HASSRA WestMidlands RegionHASSRA West MidlandsRoom G23Birmingham DBCFive Ways HouseIslington RowBirmingham, B15 1SL.Phone: 0121 626 3031 / 3076Fax: 0121 626 3736E-mail: HASSRA.westmidlands@dwp.gsi.gov.ukLatest regional lottery winnersThe latest lottery winners from across the region are:March:£500: Paula Rickus (Birmingham Five Ways DBC)April:www.hassra.org.uk£2,500: Gaynor Harper (Birmingham Ravenhurst)WestWorld is produced by LyndaGadsden & Gareth Niblett of the HASSRAWest Midlands Communications Team.£2,500: Laura Winter (Dudley CSAC)£1,000: David Barton (Dudley CSAC)HASSRA W.M.”Get active with HASSRA”HASSRA smash fundraising targetAs part of its 75th anniversarycelebrations, HASSRA set a target to raise£75,000 for charity during 2010 – but itsmembers raised five times as much.Staff took part in a huge range of activities,from cake sales and sky diving, to midnightwalks and calendar photo shoots - and raiseda whopping £250,000.Whiskey Animal Sanctuary.HASSRA provides opportunities for staff inthe Departments of Health, Work andPensions, the Food Standards Agency andtheir executive agencies, including those whohave retired, to take part in a vast array ofsporting, recreational and cultural activities.Dave White, the HASSRA NationalChairperson, said:“This is a truly remarkable effort which says alot about our members and the Departmentsand Agencies in which they work. Everyonewho played a part should be very proud ofwhat they achieved.”A vast number of charities across the UK havebenefited from members’ hard work. Theseinclude Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Genesfor Jeans, Help for Heroes, Sport Relief,Acorns Children Hospice, Chloe Cotton Trust,Chris Salmon Foundation and the Lord