Sarah Lorrimar,

Sarah Lorrimar, Coordinator of Health Education and Peer Support, has written an article celebrating our carers. Sumit Sandhu, Coordinator of Camps, also tells us what an actionpacked year it has been. But there’s a problem, MSWA has respite homes at City Beach and Treendale in Bunbury this year that will cost a considerable amount of money to run and maintain. The Government contribution is minimal and now the NDIS is rolling out, their appetite is perhaps understandably diminished, so ask for some respite in your package. Elsewhere, you will find articles from our Counsellors, Occupational Therapists, and something new to consider, we have physiotherapists who will teach you boxing as part of your programme. There is nothing like a few well-placed jabs and an uppercut to make you feel good about yourself. Even Narelle, one of our regular contributors living in a nursing home, has written an article about her picking up a few pointers regarding the artful skill of throwing a few wellaimed punches. Our other regular contributors, Ros Harman and Dr Ong, add to the spice with their particular point of view. Dawn Burke tells us all about her volunteers and the immeasurable contribution each make to the success of the organisation. Then to finish off the year, every Outreach Group has become involved in writing articles for this festive summer edition. These contributions are tremendously important because both volunteering and ‘Outreach’ is a fundamental tradition reaching back to before the organisation was incorporated in 1973. Outreach was the cause of people coming together and volunteering their time at the first meeting and then reaching out to others, that caused them to form the Society. Christmas is such a lovely time to reminisce about these things. One way or another, each of us are volunteers, and on behalf of the Editorial Committee, we would like to thank all of you, our readers, for your support and the contributions you have made throughout the year. Have a happy, merry festive season, stay cool, and we will return in the Autumn of 2018. MEMBER SERVICES XMAS CLOSURES AND REDUCED COVER Some of our services are closed or reduced over the break whilst others, like Individual Options run as usual. Outreach Group and Respite closures and re-opening are as follows: Outreach Group Last Day for Member Attendance Re-open date East side (Beechboro) Outreach Monday 11 December 2017 Monday 15 January 2018 Bunbury Outreach Wednesday 13 December 2017 Wednesday 17 January 2018 Wilson Outreach Thursday 14 December 2017 Monday 15 January 2018 Rockingham, Albany and Northside Friday 15 December 2017 Friday 19 January 2018 Margaret Doody Respite House Friday 22 December 2017 Monday 15 January 2018 Treendale Gardens Respite Friday 15 December 2017 Monday 15 January 2018 Wilson Hydro Pool Tuesday 19 December 2017 Monday 15 January 2018 • Wilson Reception, 9365 4888, is unmanned from 2PM Friday, 22 December 2017 to Monday, 8 January 2018 • MS Nursing cover is reduced between Friday, 15 December 2017 to Friday, 12 January 2018. However if you would like to speak with an MS nurse please call 0458 362 188 excluding weekends and public holidays • On-call counselling services is available, please call 0458 999 422 excluding weekends and public holidays, staff return to work Tuesday, 2 January 2018 • Individual Options out of hours contact number is 0417 982 814 • Our Get-In-Touch@mswa.org.au email is monitored over the break • Beechboro Lodge is closed for renovations from December Friday, 15 December 2017 to Monday, 15 January 2018 The MSWA Member and Client Services Team wish you a safe and happy festive season and look forward to working with you again in 2018! Sue Shapland General Manager Member Services 4 | MSWA BULLETIN SUMMER 2017

FROM THE DESK OF THE CEO MARCUS STAFFORD Christmas is fast approaching, and what a year it’s been! We’ve enjoyed some great successes and our strong financial position has allowed our 700+ staff to achieve many things for our Members and Clients. As the NDIS experience is teaching us, organisations with scale and focus can do some really good work, and make a tremendously positive difference for people with disabilities. I am pleased to report, the Annual General Meeting provided a great opportunity to share a year of record-breaking milestones. Our single-minded focus on Member and Client services, development of our strategic footprint, and funding of research has proven sharp and ambitious. Board Director and Bulletin Editor, Dr Greg Brotherson, provides more detail later in this edition. Our footprint continues to grow in line with our strategic plan, and in Perth’s northern suburbs the Butler accommodation and services hub is about to begin construction. The MSWA services hub will provide a base for our nursing and allied health team to see people onsite, and to conduct home visits locally. Our rapid growth, paired with our ambition to be the convenient ‘one-stop shop’, has allowed us to source new premises in Mandurah and Bentley. Plans have been submitted to Council, so I am optimistic that future Bulletin articles will include them coming to fruition. We have also approved a new leased facility in Joondalup to support our growing need for services. MSWA is closer to building a high support accommodation facility in Shenton Park. Supported by an investment of million, this facility will be located at the Shenton Park Hospital site, and will offer high support accommodation with access to a private bedroom, lounge, kitchen and bathroom, and access to around the clock care. Within the context of our organisation, money isn’t the most important thing, but what we do with it is! Our continued success allows MSWA to provide a wide range of vital healthcare services and support. My thanks go to the entire team, whose tireless efforts allow us to fulfil our charter. Our Mega Home Lottery provides a solid base from which we can excel, but all other programs and activities perform a vital role. We recently had the honour of hosting Her Excellency the Honourable Kerry Sanderson AC, Governor of Western Australia at our Bunbury Community and Health Services Centre. I was very proud to show her around so she could fully appreciate the depth and breadth of our services, as well as meet some of our Members and Clients in this magnificent facility. As we turn the page on the calendar year, we should take a moment to enjoy the many noteworthy results that have been delivered. But only a moment! 2018 beckons and presents us with exciting opportunities to do more and more good things for people with MS and all other neurological conditions. I wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and a safe New Year! Do you want to receive the Bulletin online? Want monthly information updates? Register your email address today to start receiving our monthly Vitality e-newsletter and the Bulletin magazine online. Just email damien.hill@mswa.org.au or call 9365 4814 and let us know your current email address. MSWA BULLETIN SUMMER 2017 | 5