The Plymouth Laryngectomy Club (PLC)

A Charitable Support Group for Plymouth Cancer Laryngectomees

The Voice of PLC

December 2010
Address: c/o The Mustard Tree Support Centre, Derriford Hospital, Derriford, PLYMOUTH, PL6 8DH, Devon
Mobile: 07745819828 (text only) Email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk Website: http://plymouthlc.webs.com

FOREWORD BY THE CHAIR

Written by Edward (Ted) BURNETT
M EMBERS. The Club is open to anyone who has
undergone a Laryngectomy and their partners. All
known Laryngectomees in the wider-Plymouth area have
been contacted and invited to join our merry band. There
is an application form on our website. Alternatively,
Dear Friends & Supporters, please contact Geoff whose details are at the top of this
newsletter.
Welcome to the December 2010 edition of our
Newsletter!

I should just like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a

N EWSLETTER. Geoff is the Editor of this Newsletter
and his contact details are shown at the top of this
page. Geoff will be relying on you all to provide him with
Happy , Healthy New Year! articles, reports and newsworthy items to make this
Newsletter interesting. So... do please start sending him
Yours sincerely, your contributions! Contributions can be submitted at any
time and we intend to publish each Newsletter as soon as
Ted & Liz possible after each monthly meeting.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Written by Geoffrey (Geoff) N. READ

C ALENDAR OF EVENTS. A copy of the Club’s Calendar of

Events for the next 12 months or so is available on our
website and Geoff (our Secretary) intends to give a brief
forecast in each edition of our newsletter.

F INANCE. All the necessary figures are available for scrutiny

by Club Members who are at liberty to contact the
Treasurer at any time should they have a query.

GREETINGS!
F RIENDS. Friends are guests who are not necessarily
Laryngectomees but who support the Club and its aims in
some way. Friends are every bit Club Members except that
Compiled by Geoffrey (Geoff) N. READ

they have no right to vote at our meetings.

H APPY BIRTHDAY to the following Club Members:

M EETINGS. Club Members meet on the first Monday of

each calendar month, usually at 11 a.m. The venue will
usually alternate between the Mustard Tree at Derriford
th
th
Tuesday, 4 January:
Monday, 17 January:
Dave EDWARDS
Liz BURNETT
st
Hospital one month, and an outside location the next. Please Thursday, 31 January: Graeme OGSTON
keep watching this newsletter and our website for current
details. Best wishes to each of you on your Special Day!

The Plymouth Laryngectomy Club (PLC) is an Affiliated Member of: The National Association of Laryngectomy Clubs (NALC)
In Association with Macmillan Cancer Support
Registered Charity Number: 273635

A Member of The Plymouth Third Sector Consortium (PTSC)

Patrons & Medical Advisors : Mr. W.M. BRIDGER, FRCS - Consultant ENT Surgeon,
Mr. Tass MALIK, BSc FRCS (Gen), FRCS (ORL H&N) - Consultant Otolaryngologist, Head & Neck / Thyroid Surgeon, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.
 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR THE TREASURER’S REPORT
Compiled by Geoffrey (Geoff) N. READ Written by Geoffrey N. READ

From:
To:
Sent:
Colin Salter (Speak Easy Club Cornwall)
Geoffrey READ <saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk>
Sat, 16 October, 2010 18:02:58
M ONTHLY REPORT. At the
November 2010 Meeting, Jean
reported that the Club’s accounts were
Subject: Re: THE PLYMOUTH LARYNGECTOMY CLUB NEWSLETTER: currently in credit and that our only
OCTOBER 2010 known expenditure was the Annual
Membership fee of £40 due to NALC in
Congratulations on No 1 Issue!
March 2011. We almost have enough
Colin. to cover that!

J INGLE BELLS. The politically-correct version!

T REASURER. Jean has now retired
from the post of Secretary and a
new Secretary will need to be elected at
Dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh,
Over fields we go – laughing all the way. the January 2011 Meeting.

A Risk Assessment must be submitted before an open sleigh is

considered safe for members THE SECRETARY’S REPORT
of the public to ride. Written by Geoffrey (Geoff) N. READ
The Risk Assessment should
also consider whether the use
on only one horse in
appropriate – particularly if
L IAISON WITH OTHER CLUBS. It was suggested at the
November 2010 Meeting that Geoff should send an
invitation to the SpeakEasy Club and to the South Devon
passengers are of larger Laryngectomee Club to invite them to one of our future
proportions. gatherings. Geoff sent letters of invitation, together with
Permission from landowners th
an outline programme for 2011 on Friday, 10 December
must be gained before 2010.
entering any ‘Open Fields’.
To avoid offending those not participating in the venture, it
is required that only ‘moderate’ laughter is used and not at
a noise level likely to be of nuisance to others.
M EMBERS & FRIENDS. Our current Membership
Status is shown in the table below.

POSTAL EMAIL TOTAL

Confirmed Members: 5 10 15
OUR DECEMBER 2010 MEETING Confirmed Friends: 5 10 15
TOTALS: 10 20 30
Written by Geoffrey (Geoff) N. READ

At a recent PLC Meeting, Julia, our Speech & Language

O UR December 2010 Meeting took place at the China
House in Plymouth on Monday, 6th December 2010
and was also our Annual Christmas Dinner. Photographs
Therapist said she would try to contact those
Laryngectomees in the Plymouth Postcode area that had
were taken so it is hoped to include one or two in our not taken up our invitation to become a Member. It’s
future editions. hoped that Julia’s efforts might increase our membership.

Attendance. Seven of our Members attended and,

although Sue S. didn’t stay to dine, she did pop in to wish S PEAKEASY CLUB CORNWALL. Geoff received a copy of
the SpeakEasy Club’s Newsletter on Friday, 26
th

November 2010 and relayed it on to all those on-line. Club

everyone a Merry Christmas! How very kind of her! We
received apologies from a further five Members. Members not on line should contact Geoff for a copy.

Raffle. No money was raised on the raffle at our December

2010 Meeting as the Members present decided the Raffle
should be free for Christmas! Geoff organised the Raffle
and Ted & Liz won the top prize of a Basket of Fresh Fruit.
Those two will be organising the January 2011 Raffle.

Committee Meeting. Ted announced that the Committee

would have a meeting in January 2011 at a date, time and
place yet to be announced.

Contact The Voice of PLC Newsletter Editor Geoff Read at 0774581928 (text only)
or email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk, or go to PLC website at http://plymouthlc.webs.com 2
 FORECAST OF EVENTS NEWS & GOSSIP
Written by Geoffrey N. READ Written by Geoffrey N. read

J ANUARY 2011

rd
Monday, 3 : New Year’s Holiday.
THIS IS A BANK HOLIDAY so this meeting has been rescheduled
th
to the second Monday of the month: Monday, 10 January
2011.
This is also the last day for giving names to the Secretary for
the Jack Rabbit Meal following the Club Meeting on Monday,
th
10 January 2011.
th
Monday, 10 : Club Meeting at the Mustard Tree followed by
Lunch at the Jack Rabbit.
Including a Talk & PowerPoint Presentation by Mrs. Christine
REID of Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support (assisted by Mr.
Geoffrey N. READ).
Names of those wishing to attend should be submitted to the
rd
Secretary by not later than Monday, 3 January 2011.
th
Monday, 24 : Geoff will send out an Agenda for the February
2011 Meeting. If you haven’t received a copy before the
February Meeting date then do please get in touch with him!
st
Monday, 31 : Last day for giving names to Geoff for the meal
th
at the Hyde Park Hotel and the BBC Tour on Monday, 7
February 2011.
‘D ISGUST' OVER CLOSURE OF COFFEE SHOP AT
DERRIFORD. This article was published in The Herald
th
on Saturday, 13 , November 2010:
A COFFEE shop in Derriford Hospital run by charity volunteers is
closing to make way for a new pharmacy.
The outpatients department cafe is the last one run by WRVS at
the hospital after three others were taken over by a private firm
earlier this year.
The national charity ran four tea bars in Derriford for a number
of years.
While a volunteer described the proposed closure as "disgusting" and
charity representatives said it is "disappointing", hospital bosses said they
aim to find a new location for the WRVS on site.
Lesley DARKE, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust Deputy Chief Operating
Officer, said the proposed pharmacy would make collecting prescriptions
easier for patients and staff.
She said: "As the main users will be outpatients, it is necessary for the
pharmacy to have external access and be located at the heart of the
Outpatient Department. Regretfully the most appropriate and only
suitable space is that currently occupied by the WRVS Coffee Shop."
She said the hospital has been in discussion with the WRVS for some time
on alternative arrangements to retain the charity's presence and
volunteers on the site.
Ms. DARKE said: "We recognise both the importance of the WRVS and the
excellent work and dedication their volunteers give to the Trust and our
patients.
"We wish to take this opportunity to once again reiterate our continuing
commitment to working in partnership with WRVS and to formally thank
all those volunteers who have dedicated so much time and effort into the
cafe over the years."
An anonymous WRVS volunteer at the Outpatients Cafe, said: "We’re
disgusted, absolutely horrified, really upset.

F EBRUARY 2011

th
"People used to leave the outpatients department after receiving bad
news. They used to sit down and have a chat. The volunteers here are
really, really friendly.
Monday, 7 : Lunch at the Hyde Park Hotel followed by a "We do also raise money for the hospital."
Tour of the BBC South West Studios, Plymouth. Stephen HARGREAVES, South
West WRVS Head of Service, said
the charity is disappointed to
Ms. Janet HOPKINSON at BBC South West will be hosting a confirm the closure of the cafe.
maximum of 15 of our Club Members taking one of their He continued: "However, we’re
Tours* between 1 and 2 p.m. looking forward to continuing to
work with Plymouth Hospitals
We need to arrive at the Studios by not later than 12.45 p.m.
NHS Trust, and we’re in the
Geoff has yet to book the Hyde Park Hotel. process of discussing what
It will be on a first-come first-served basis so please submit happens next with the
your names to Geoff for the Lunch and the Tour by not later volunteers working at the
st hospital, and identifying other
than Monday, 31 January 2011!
volunteering opportunities in the
Geoff is to submit a list of the names of those attending to local area."
st
Janet by not later than Monday, 31 January 2011. He also thanked volunteers for
providing a "highly valuable
Note: BBC Tours are timed to take place around our lunchtime news service for those who used it".
bulletin. WRVS is a national charity which
From their Conference Room you'll be able to watch the live headlines and offers a range of services to help and support older people.
promotions into the 1 p.m. news and then the bulletin, taking in the Its other three cafes at Derriford were taken over by contractor Serco
rehearsals too. following a hospital review requested the WRVS carry out upgrades.
Following the programme we take a walk through the newsroom to the TV Financial restrictions resulted in the charity being unable to fund such
production gallery and studio, returning via the radio studios. refurbishments, leaving it no choice but to vacate 3 of the 4 tea bars.
The hospital is looking to identify a new area within the outpatients for a

M ARCH 2011.
th
Monday, 7 : Club Meeting at the Mustard Tree followed
cafe and has not determined how it would be managed.
More about the WRVS: http://www.wrvs.org.uk/

by a meal at the Jack Rabbit.

Including a Talk by Ms. Denise MARTIN, the Macmillan
Benefits Advisor at the Mustard Tree.

Contact The Voice of PLC Newsletter Editor Geoff Read at 0774581928 (text only)
or email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk, or go to PLC website at http://plymouthlc.webs.com 3
H EALTH CARE IN THE CITY. The Plymouth Third Sector
Consortium, of which our Club is a member, held a
rd
meeting on Tuesday, 23 November with Paul O'SULLIVAN and
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Written by Geoffrey N. READ
Sharon PALSER from the Primary Care Trust regarding changes
to Health Services in the City. PTSC Members who attended also Our grateful thanks to The Devonport Regeneration
had the opportunity to give feedback and ask questions. PTSC Community (DRC) Partnership for their assistance in
will be holding a meeting in the New year to further explore reproducing copies of this Newsletter.
future options and discuss the consultation on the soon to be
published public Health White Paper.
For those who were unable to attend, Geoff sent a copy of the
th
presentation to everyone by email on Tuesday, 30 November
2010. Those not on email should contact Geoff directly should
they require a copy.

S TOMA CARE. I’ve been advised that for medical reasons,

not all Laryngectomees receive the same style of care. It
might therefore be misleading to continue with this three-part
article. Only medical articles recommended by Julie or
Maggie will be included in our Newsletter in future.

Merry Christmas
and a
Happy , Healthy New Year!

from

The Plymouth Laryngectomy Club (PLC)

Contact The Voice of PLC Newsletter Editor Geoff Read at 0774581928 (text only)
or email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk, or go to PLC website at http://plymouthlc.webs.com 4