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MSWA Bulletin Magazine Winter 18

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BEECHBORO OUTREACH NEWS

BEECHBORO OUTREACH NEWS GISELLE MARTIN, MSWA RESOURCE COORDINATOR CENTRAL REGIONAL OUTREACH NEWS SARAH LORRIMAR, MSWA COORDINATOR OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND PEER SUPPORT Beechboro Outreach have started the Winter season with a more holistic approach to enhancing our wellbeing. We have been covering many areas of wellness from the inside out. Nourishing our minds and bodies, we enjoyed a sound therapy session run by one of MSWA’s beloved counsellors, Cherry Chapman. The group was invited to share the space and experience the harmonic sounds of Tibetan bowls and rain drums as Cherry guided us through a relaxation meditation. To ward off those winter germs, Beechboro groups have enjoyed a vitamin boosting day with our very own pop up juice bar! An assortment of fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables were on display and Members could pick and choose their desired combos from the four categories; Immunity, Energise, Anti-Oxidants and Digestion, while they watched as fresh juice was created before their very eyes! Members were lucky enough to have Glenn Huxtable, a Drum Circle facilitator, visit us and lead the group in a fun Health Rhythms class. Health Rhythms is a fun program that promotes a supportive comradeship and encourages personal expression while facilitating a non-strenuous workout. Seated in a friendly circle, each Member was assigned a drum or percussion instrument, and boy, were there some eager faces! After an hour of drumming, chatting and laughing, we finished the session feeling uplifted, relaxed and ready for lunch. SOUTHSIDE OUTREACH NEWS ANGIE AND JOHN WALLACE, MSWA MEMBERS Royal High Tea – Weekend of Royal Wedding The milder, cooler weather is welcomed by all of us with MS. We are certainly feeling more motivated to keep moving! Physiotherapist Kirsten, seems to enjoy leading a small group of us through our aerobic half-hour of stretches and mild weight exercises, while the rest of the Members nearby are chatting, laughing, playing games or exercising in the physio room. All the while we are distracted by the wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen. Yes, it is organised chaos and we love it! Member Ron is enjoying another cruise around Indonesia. He is happy to offer tips and tricks for travelling on the high seas. We welcome back Trish after her absence and look forward to seeing Barry and Jan in our midst very soon. To keep those winter inches from creeping on, Members have participated in a fun new group exercise program, following instructions from a DVD of ‘Chair Dancing’, featuring fun tracks like ‘The Hand Jive’, ‘Motown’ and ‘Disco Fever’. After the renovations we have settled back in and now begun work on our outdoor raised garden beds. We are about to invest time, love and green thumbs into growing organic herbs and veggies. We are aiming to not only make our fabulous cook Brenda happy, but also make our tummies happy. We are all hoping to come out of the other side of winter feeling better than ever! Our kitchen crew have outdone themselves recently, with a special Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding lunch for Mothers’ Day and a memorable Royal High Tea to celebrate the ‘Big Royal Wedding.’ Rosemary and Sherrill produce these meals on Tuesdays and Fridays. Thanks so much ladies. Northam Support Group As we do every three months, myself and counsellor Cherry Chapman drive up to the Bridgeley Community Centre for the Northam Support Group. Having established the group less than a year ago, it was great to see our regulars, just under 10, in attendance. After catching up on what the group members have been up to since the last meeting, discussion started on new research, news stories and questions to be passed on to various allied health teams back in Perth. The group discussed MRIs and how each person uniquely manages the often-uncomfortable experience. Amongst a lot of laughter and chatter, we enjoyed a small morning tea break followed by a conversation about the soon to be built Northam swimming pool and its accessibility. The group supported each other in providing tips and suggestions on exercise, keeping warm and the NDIS experience. SOUTH WEST REGIONAL NEWS ROUNDUP NICOLA RYAN, MSWA SENIOR OUTREACH COORDINATOR My road trip to Busselton On Tuesday, 1 May I set off early from home to visit the Busselton Outreach group. Last time I visited was in March while I was on leave, so I rode my bike from the local caravan park. This time the road trip took somewhat longer but I enjoyed some ‘me time’ on the open roads! Coffee of course was required in Bunbury as I passed through, and this was purchased from my favourite stop-over, Bunbury Fresh Market Place. You can’t miss it being just before the by-pass road. Well worth a stop especially if you have time to wander as there are amazing taste tests around every corner. On this occasion it was only coffee and flowers that I purchased. The friendly Busselton faces I looked forward to seeing were there greeting me on my arrival. Although a small group, the original Members have been attending now for nearly 18 months, so a close bond has formed amongst the group. On this occasion they were also waiting to greet the CEO Marcus Stafford as he was presenting his CEO update, as he does every three months. To close the session, a handout on support networks was passed around which aimed to get Members thinking about who to seek support from for different purposes in their community. As they parted, several shared their thoughts about the group: “It’s great to be able to come here and not need to say anything – everyone just gets it.” “It’s been really great to support each other and get to know each other better – now we know where to go for support and who to contact when we need help.” “It’s really worthwhile – thank you.” As we made our way back to Perth, Cherry and I reflected on the group and how lovely it has been for us to see connections and friendships develop and grow. We look forward to the next meeting in a few months’ time. Morning tea was under way as Marcus arrived and the chatter became quite electric in the room over the delicious wraps and cheese platter that the Coordinator Sheryl had arranged. It was wonderful to see a few more Members arrive just in time to hear Marcus speak and thanks to Clare (Physio Assistant from Busselton) the room was set up perfectly and the presentation went off without a hitch. Sadly, at the end of the day we bid farewell to Sheryl Helgeland who has been Coordinating the Busselton Outreach group since it started in February 2017. I presented her with the beautiful bunch of flowers I purchased earlier; as a thank you for her wonderful efforts with this group. We all wished her well for her new exciting role she has at our Bunbury Hub. Exciting times are ahead for the Busselton Outreach group with their own premises being sought after as we speak. The group will be a part of the premises that the Busselton MSWA Office will be moving to. If you are reading this and you live in the surrounding areas and would like more information about the group I can be contacted by email Nicola.ryan@mswa.org.au 32 | MSWA BULLETIN WINTER 2018 MSWA BULLETIN WINTER 2018 | 33

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