MSWA Bulletin Magazine Autumn 17

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MSWA VOLUNTEERING NEWS DAWN BURKE, MSWA COORDINATOR OF VOLUNTEERS “Rain, Rain, go away, come again another day,” unless you are like me and love the rain and the cool weather. I have even worn my uggies on a few days with my tracky dacks. That is unheard of and utterly outrageous for this time of the year! How are you all? Welcome back to MSWA for another year. I trust you all survived the Christmas period and the back to school traffic, and have now settled into 2017. A quick recap on late last year. The International Volunteers Day went off without a hitch. It was sunny and breezy all at the same time. The afternoon was enjoyable with some lovely nibbles and drinks floating around, not literally, but as we know, with the mass of rain we received it could have been a possibility. The Members, volunteers and staff Christmas Party was a hoot! This was such an enjoyable event and I loved being in an environment which incorporated volunteers, Members and staff all in the one room. For those of you who didn’t go, you missed a fantastic day and you missed the star of the show, me, as I pranced around dancing and waving my ribbon with the odd bubble blowing in there. Thank you to all the staff who organised the day, it ran smoothly as always. A very special thanks to Donna Hill (MSWA staff), and the other staff on the planning committee, for all the behind the scenes organising. It is a huge job and as usual was done extremely well. An event such as this, as I always like to highlight, doesn’t happen with MSWA staff alone. QBE volunteered their staff once again this year and they truly make a huge difference to the event, especially with the setting up, packing up and raffle ticket selling. Thank you, QBE! Your volunteering efforts year after year at this event are truly appreciated. Another special mention goes to one of our own volunteers, Kevin Mosey. Kevin filled the boots again this year and happily jumped into the role of Santa. Thank you Kevin, I imagine it would have been very hot in your little red number. During the Christmas Party in Perth and in Bunbury was the perfect moment for two of our longest serving volunteers, Sister Marie Moriarty and Marie Harris, to receive their Local Government 25 years Volunteering service awards. These awards were presented by Marcus, and even though they knew I was nominating them (and that’s all they knew) they were pleasantly surprised on the day. Well done and thank you both! 25 years is an awesome achievement. Marcus presenting Sister Marie with her award. We are so blessed here at MSWA to have the volunteers that we do. Apart from the occasional position that needs filling, we have many dedicated and long standing volunteers that come along week in and week out and many have been doing so for years. It’s a sign of a great organisation when some of your volunteers have been here as long as the furniture and longer than some staff! So thank you for your dedication. That doesn’t mean to say we don’t appreciate our new or short term volunteers, because we do. The diversity of people volunteering for MSWA makes the organisation what it is today. It doesn’t matter if you have been here a long time, a short time, or are just starting your sentence (just kidding!). You are all truly appreciated and we are proud to have you share our journey, no matter the distance travelled. 22 | MSWA BULLETIN AUTUMN 2017
MSWA Annual Member Christmas Party. I was very fortunate to travel to Bunbury and check out the new MSWA Community and Health Services Centre. It is a beautiful centre and extremely roomy for all our Members. The staff are also loving the space and amenities after a long time being in cramped and unsuitable accommodation. As always, it was lovely to catch up with some of the Bunbury volunteers. While there, Member Brett Johns, also a long-term volunteer, was entertaining the group with his ukulele. The ambience was enjoyed by all as we joined in with a sing-along. Treendale Gardens was also a stop-off point on my way home. I really love dropping in there as I often know some of the Members who are enjoying their stay at respite. It’s lovely to have a bit of a chit chat. Treendale has a couple of volunteers assisting around the centre. I didn’t get a chance to catch up with them, but I know you are out there and your time is truly appreciated. The beginning of a new year is a busy time for people wanting to volunteer. Some people retire, some have made new year’s resolutions to give back to the community and some have a bit of free time to give. Whatever the reason, we here at MSWA are always looking for volunteers, and we try to accommodate people, where possible, and find a suitable position. If our Members Services Departments cannot assist, our Events team are always looking for volunteers for various activities throughout the year. Any time given to MSWA is always highly valued; no matter how much and for how long. We understand this is the nature of volunteering and we also understand that you have other commitments. Volunteering is a fantastic opportunity for everyone at all levels to gain new skills, develop friendships and to assist others less fortunate than themselves. Well that’s all I have for now. I cannot thank our volunteers enough, I welcome you all back and I wish to extend this welcome to any new volunteers who jump on board along the way. May you all keep well and stay safe and let’s see what the year brings. Take care and speak soon. QBE volunteers at the MSWA Christmas party. MSWA BULLETIN AUTUMN 2017 | 23
Page 1 and 2: BULLETIN THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF M
Page 3 and 4: Letter from the Editor DR GREG BROT
Page 5 and 6: A message from the General Manager
Page 7 and 8: From MS Research Australia (MSWA co
Page 9 and 10: MSWA ENROLS ITS 200TH NDIS CLIENT!
Page 11 and 12: PEER SUPPORT GROUPS HAVE RETURNED F
Page 13 and 14: If this all sounds too familiar and
Page 15 and 16: My life has been a series of life c
Page 17 and 18: High-quality studies on diet and MS
Page 19 and 20: WEIRD SISTERS ROS HARMAN “Weird s
Page 21: THE FINE ART OF A WONDERFUL RELATIO
Page 25 and 26: The meeting area is huge! It will s
Page 27 and 28: BUSSELTON OUTREACH NEWS BUSSELTON O

MSWA Bulletin Magazine Autumn 17

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