Glance. Strong Arm of The Law. neurosupport. Annual Review. New Room Hire Discount for Small Charities

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1 Glance neurosupport Supporting people with neurological conditions and their families October/November 2014 Strong Arm of The Law See Page 2 New Room Hire Discount for Small Charities We are pleased to announce that Neurosupport now offer a 40% discount on meeting room hire to any charity with an annual turnover of less than 1 million. One of Neurosupport s founding aims is to bring charities together to build strong joint working opportunities and to forge new partnerships. With this exciting development, we look forward to strengthening our position as Liverpool s central community hub for charities working in the field of Neurology and to the wider community. Please contact meetings@neurosupport.org.uk or call Chris on to find out more. Annual Review Neurosupport is holding its Annual Review on the 9th of October. Join us for an early evening meeting, with cheese and wine, to help us celebrate our work over the past year and to hear from some key speakers including Deborah Morris, Neurosupport s new Chair. The meeting is due to start at 6.30pm and will run to around 8pm. All of our friends and supporters are welcome.

2 From front page: STRONG ARM OF THE LAW After months of hard training, members of Slater & Gordon s Manchester & Liverpool offices tackled the Tough Mudder Challenge on 13th September to raise money for Neurosupport. A total of 49 men and women from Slater & Gordon signed up to the challenge, making theirs the largest corporate team to take on the gruelling 12 mile assault course. The team faced 26 obstacles, including electric shocks, fire jumping, 10 foot wall hopping, lake swimming, log carrying, island jumping, rope climbing, beam balancing, trench crawling, mud sliding and ice dunking challenges! Slater & Gordon understand that raising funds and awareness of Neurosupport is pivotal to enabling the charity to empower individuals and families to manage their conditions and realise their full potential. They work alongside Neurosupport and are committed to raising money to assist us to continue with the services we currently provide to individuals with any type of neurological condition. One of the 49 Tough Mudders, Hannah Nicholas, a paralegal within the Personal Injury team at the Liverpool Waterloo office said: I think the main challenge is the mental grit and belief in yourself and your team. I am an avid believer that if you have faith in your ability you can conquer anything. Every day people with neurological conditions wake up and it is an expectation for them and their families and carers to go about their day with the many challenges that they face, that for me is inspirational. Tough Mudder for many who participate is a physical and psychological challenge. As a team we will drive each other forward to help overcome the challenge. So, in support of people living with neurological conditions, 'Bring it on Mudders!!' If you would like to donate, please visit the Slater & Gordon Virgin Money Giving Page: Carol Hopwood, Head of Serious Injury Team at Slater and Gordon's Liverpool office said, Neurosupport provide a fantastic service to the people of Liverpool and beyond who are suffering from neurological conditions. We are very proud to be fundraising to help them to continue to deliver this critical service. Good luck to all those taking part. 2

3 Tracey's Volunteering Story Every single volunteer at Neurosupport plays a vital part in helping us to carry out the unique and valuable work we do and, to put it quite simply, the charity couldn t function without them. Here one of our volunteers, Tracey, tells us her story in her own words: My name is Tracey and I live in my own flat and I am supported by staff members from The Frances Taylor Foundation. It was a manager at Frances Taylor Foundation who told me that Neurosupport were looking for volunteers and this was in I applied to become a volunteer and I have worked here now for four years. Since I have worked here I have become more confident with travelling and with meeting new people and in doing different jobs here. I am a part of a team at Neurosupport and I am very happy because I like helping people and being useful and having a job to do. At Neurosupport I am Tracey and everyone treats me as a member of the team. I also go to events and celebrations to raise awareness of Neurosupport. I have received a Certificate of Achievement from Neurosupport and I have been told that I am inspirational and a fantastic role model for present and future volunteers. If Tracey s story has inspired you and you would like to find out more about volunteering at Neurosupport, please contact carolyn@neurosupport.org.uk or Tel: MND Study Days Smartbox Assistive Technology are focusing on technology for people with Motor Neurone Disease. Learn more at events in Oxford on 16th October and Liverpool, Aintree Racecourse on 23rd October, the Merseyside branch of MNDA will fund anyone living with MND on Merseyside who wishes to attend. Visit and for more details. 3

4 neurosupport RADIO MERSEYSIDE VISIT Exciting times for Neurosupport recently when CEO Nanette Mellor was invited onto the Billy Butler afternoon show to talk about the work the centre does, she was accompanied by our lovely friend Pauline Daniels who helped to arrange the airtime for us as she knows the folks at BBC Radio Merseyside really well after spending many years as one of their broadcasters. Nanette chatted about the day-to-day advice we give here, highlighting the emotional and welfare support we can offer as well as the specialist employment and legal services we can refer on to. Nanette and Pauline (a new and upcoming double act if ever there was one) also spoke about our forthcoming Ball on the 26th of September, which Pauline is compering for us and Pauline s talent as a comedian shone through as she and Billy exchanged jokes and tongue-in-cheek insults, leaving listeners and everybody back at Neurosupport in no doubt that anyone attending the Ball will be in for a treat! Having the opportunity to reach a bigger audience was a great boost for us and a big thank you goes out to Pauline Daniels and to Billy Butler for allowing us to spread the word about the amazing work we do here at Neurosupport. Brain Haemorrhage Support Group The Brain Haemorrhage Support Group's next meeting is their AGM and takes place at Neurosupport on 21st October 2014 at 7pm. If you have had a brain haemorrhage or support someone who has please feel free to attend this meeting. You do not need to be a member to attend. The specialist neurovascular nurse Cathy Stoneley will soon be coordinating a Road to Recovery course for patients who have recently had a haemorrhage. If you would like to attend this course please your details to bhsupport@live.co.uk or call BHSG also have a very successful Facebook group which provides support from other people who have survived a haemorrhage. Further information can also be found on the group's own website at 4

5 MAKING THE MOST OF OURSELVES In the second part of our article on brain plasticity, Gerard Collis explores brain training games. Play is fun with serious consequences You might have played a 'brain-training' game on your mobile phone. But when it comes to brain training, the NeuroRacer game is in a league of its own. Developed by American neuroscientists for brain research, this pioneering new therapy has been designed to help older people to sharpen their minds. "Most people associate medicine with drugs," explains Adam Gazzaley, one of the neurologists behind this new software, "but when it comes to brain health, drugs don't work very well." Unlike other video games, NeuroRacer was carefully constructed to help improve multi-tasking skills. The game involves racing a 'virtual' car around a twisty-turny course while paying strict attention to the roadsigns that keep popping up. A group of sixty-year-olds played the video for a total of twelve hours in the course of a month. This not only had a lasting effect on their multi-tasking skills, but improved their memory and concentration as well. Gazzaley's team is now working on a software therapy for ADHD. Dr Simon Ridley, Head of Research at the Alzheimer s Society, said about NeuroRacer: "The ability to improve cognitive health in old age could be crucial in the search for new treatments and prevention of dementia." Neuroscientists Michael Merzernich and Paula Tallal, with a team of language specialists and computer scientists, have created the language-training game Fast ForWord to overcome the language and learning effects of dyslexia on children. The game improves memory and concentration, as well as improving reading skills by teaching children to link sounds with letters, and understand words and grammar. Merzenich has even successfully used brain-training software therapy for the rehabilitation of a patient with traumatic brain injury, Ryan Reirmeyer, to recover 90% of his mental functioning. A message of hope Twenty years ago, says Merzernich, most neuroscientists saw the brain as a kind of computer, but "what we now appreciate is that the brain is continually revising itself throughout life." Although certain critical areas might not recover if damaged, he does conclude that the brain has a "remarkable capacity for change." Another expert sums things up this way: "We're lazy, we don't get out of our comfort zone, we stop learning new things." But we can still make the most of the 'plastic' properties of our brain, the way our brain changes as we learn - and to the neurologist this is "ultimately a message of hope for people." We'd love to hear what you think about this exciting area of research. Get in touch on Twitter or Facebook. For full article and references see 5

6 Glance Newsletter DO YOU NEED A ROOM FOR A MEETING OR CONFERENCE? Fibromates North West Fibromyalgia Support Group Fibromyalgia: A chronic condition of widespread pain, felt as aching or burning from head to toe and fatigue which worsens and changes location, becoming more severe in different parts of the body. The fatigue ranges from feeling tired, to the exhaustion of a flu-like illness. There is no cure; sufferers can only manage the pain. After being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia six years ago, Anne Pritchard set up Fibromates, a Fibromyalgia Support Group which meets once a month. Are you concerned about your corporate social responsibility? Then book one of the great value meeting rooms at Neurosupport! All income raised from our room hire goes directly to underpinning the vital work we do supporting people with neurological conditions. Neurosupport offers the best in up-to-date and accessible rooms for hire. We can accommodate groups of 2 to 100 people and are fully equipped with the latest in audio-visual & multi-media technology. Our building is centrally located with good transport links. We offer free on-site parking for Blue Badge holders and there are plenty of affordable pay & display parking places nearby. To find out more, contact Chris Wall, by meetings@neurosupport.org.uk or tel: The group supports each other by sharing information and have a guest speaker each month. They've had speakers about ME, relaxation/meditation, Neurosupport, WHISC, Mickel Therapy and Emotional Freedom Technique. New members are always welcome. Contact Anne on: Join the chat on Facebook: Don't miss new issues of Glance Get Neurosupport's latest newsletter delivered free, straight to your inbox, every two months. Sign up online today at: 6 Glancesponsored sponsoredby byslater Slater&&Gordon GordonLawyers Glance

7 Tea, Coffee & Company Would you like to meet new people? Our Tea, Coffee & Company mornings are a chance to meet other people with a neurological condition for company, information and support in an informal social setting. They are held on the first Monday of each month. Next dates are: 6th October and 3rd November Neurosupport on Twitter and Facebook Nearly 6,000 people now follow us on Twitter. Why not join in the conversation? You can also find us on Facebook: Like us to keep up-to-date with our latest news, events and information. Neurosupport Diary October 2014 Wednesday 1st Merseyside Spinal Injury Group 3-5pm Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Support Group 5-7pm Friday 3rd Parkinson's UK Support Group 2-4pm Monday 6th Tea, Coffee & Company meeting (open to all) 10.30am-12pm Alzheimer s Society Support Group 2-4pm Wednesday 8th Wednesday 15th Tuesday 21st Brain Haemorrhage Support Group, AGM 7pm Wednesday 22nd * Appointments only. Call Neurosupport on Glance sponsored by Slater & Gordon 7

8 Neurosupport Diary November 2014 Monday 3rd Tea, Coffee & Company meeting (open to all) 10.30am-12pm Alzheimer s Society Support Group 2-4pm Tuesday 4th Epilepsy drop-in offered by Mersey Region Epilepsy Association 2-4pm Wednesday 5th Merseyside Spinal Injury Group 3-5pm Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Support Group 5-7pm Friday 7th Parkinson's UK Support Group 2-4pm Wednesday 12th Wednesday 19th Monday 24th Brain Tumour Support Group 1-4pm Wednesday 26th * Appointments only. Call Neurosupport on The Diary may be subject to change. Please contact the Neurosupport Centre to confirm. About Neurosupport Neurosupport offers practical and emotional support to people with neurological conditions and to their families, friends and carers. We aim to: Raise awareness and understanding of neurological conditions Empower individuals and families to manage their conditions and realise their full potential Facilitate neurological charities to work together to optimise opportunities Be a self-sustaining organisation For more information contact the Centre or see our Website - neurosupport Norton Street, Liverpool L3 8LR Tel: Fax: info@neurosupport.org.uk Website: Charity No: Glance is available in large text, braille and audio tape on request Glance is available on the Neurosupport website: If you wish to be added to the Glance mailing list, please contact the Information Officer using the telephone number or above. Neurosupport does not necessarily share all of the views or opinions expressed in Glance. 8 Glance sponsored by Slater & Gordon