SWEDAUK, for pro-recovery  help & support around anorexia & bulimia nervosa and compulsive (binge) eating in Somerset, England
Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorders Association
"Serving those affected by eating disorders"
Strode House, 10 Leigh Road, Street, Somerset, BA16 0HA, England, UK

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Christmas 2001 Issue


Christmas Issue 2001

Another year nearly over already? Sandra tells me it is so, even if I haven’t done all the things I was going to in 2001. So I feel as if I am already behind for 02 and have to run harder just to stay still....except of course I can choose to say ‘Well done, look at all that you have got through’ instead, forget the rest and start all over again. What else is a New Year for ?(apart from bagpipes and that seems questionable to me!).
SEDA has achieved a great deal this year so ‘Well done us’ - and I hope that in the months ahead you feel the benefit of developments.
Joint Working, new postholders, grant money for our own priority areas, new volunteers and a real will to move things forward should provide more choices and easier access to specialists one to one and group therapies, and increased helpline, drop-in and letter/email support. I hope some of you will come to the ‘Eating Disorder Week’ events and find out more. We’ll keep you posted via bulletins too. Let us know what you think. Thanks from me to all at SEDA, and from us all warmest wishes to you and thank you for your patient support over the past year.
Tricia

Tel: 01458 448600 for the helpline
Tel: 01458 448611 for admin calls only (10-3 weekdays)
SEDA, Strode House, 10 Leigh Road, Street, BA16 0HA


E-mails: seda@seda.ndo.co.uk or seda@ukonline.co.uk
Web site: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/seda/index.htm

Love is

     Love is friendship that has caught fire.
       It is quiet understanding, mutual
       confidence, sharing and forgiving.
  It is loyalty through good times and bad.
It settles for less than perfection and 
makes allowances for human weaknesses.

Love is content with the present; it hopes
for the future and it doesn't brood over the past.
It's the day-in-and-out chronicle of irritations, problems,
compromises, small disappointments, big victories and common goals.

If you have love in your life, it can make up
for a great many things you lack.
If you don't have it, no matter what else there is, it's not enough.

 

SEDA LIBRARY
We have taken the step of closing the library to borrowers
until further notice as we are re-organising the service.
We are putting a funding bid in for new resources for the
benefit of all.  Part of the reason for this re-organisation is the problems we've experienced in getting books returned.
In the future we expect some books will be for reference only and can be viewed at SEDA. These will be indicated.
Other books, such as self help manuals,
will be available for you to borrow.
We are currently doing an audit of existing books and
would appreciate any books still out on loan to be returned.
       Sarah.

The SEDA Telephone Helpline
over the Christmas period.

We will be closed on
December 25th, 26th,
and January 1st

OPEN usual time on
Friday 28th and Sunday 30th
Back to normal hours from
  Wednesday 2nd January.

  Helpline Times

 

Tuesday 4pm - 7pm

Wednesday 10am - 1pm

Friday 6pm - 9pm

Sunday 10am - 1pm


Trained listeners are there to take your call

An answer phone is available at all other times

01458 448600
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - 2000/01

This years AGM took place on 21st November 01 when the annual report and accounts were presented and accepted by the members. Trustees elections also took place, with Janet Millar being re-elected.Mark Robinson is no longer living in the area and so has stood down as he is unable to regularly contribute time. However he is keeping in contact and is happy to offer advice and any other help in the future.

We do have a new Trustee  - Peter Derbyshire. Peter first heard about us from Annie and has visited SEDA during recent weeks to find out more about our plans and how he might be useful. As well as a background in accountancy Peter has worked in local authority departments and brings a new set of skills to the board. Other Trustees continue in their terms of office - Annie Wynn-Jones, Sally Parsons, Jac Hele-Kergouzou, Diana Marshall and Paul Davis.

Special thanks to Sandra for producing the Annual Report, copies available on request.

The evening's speaker was Neil Dhruev, Locality Manager (Mendip) from the Somerset Partnership Trust. Neil has the responsibility for the new Eating Disorder Service becoming operational, and spoke about his hopes for the proposed joint working with SEDA. He sees this as a real opportunity to offer choice to clients and for us all to learn from and with each other as we create a unique service model.

We were fortunate to have a second speaker, as Ruth Taylor (EDA Self Help Co-ordinator) was able to come along en route to Exeter. Ruth updated us on the EDA's priorities and progress over recent months, with a London office now established and plans to develop services in Wales. The EDA has also been working on a new information pack for schools which will be launched as part of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week in February. It was a pleasure to have Ruth, even for a couple of hours, and we appreciated her breaking into a long journey so as to join us.

Tricia Roche (SEDA Manager)

CHANUKAH - Miracle of Light. The Jewish Festival of Chanukah, in December, remembers a military victory but above all celebrates what came next. The Greeks had defiled the Temple, and destroyed the stocks of consecrated oil. There was just a small jar of oil left - enough to keep the holy flame alight for one day. It takes eight days for the process of preparing the oil so the priests lit the flame to get the one day of holiness and began the task of getting fresh stocks ready for the following week.
The miracle is that the flame lasted for the eight days until the new oil was available to keep it alight. So every Chanukah a Menorah (special candelabra) is lit - one candle on day one, two one day two and so on until the last day of the festival when eight lights burn brightly from sunset until it is truly dark of night.
Given that the first day of the oil lasting was as it normally should and only seven of the days was miraculous why eight lights? My favourite answer to that question is that the first day's light was just as miraculous - it is to remind us that everyday ordinary events have within them the light and sanctity of the amazing, we just don't notice it because we are used to it. And the ordinary includes us - we each have the capacity to shine not just in the way we are expected to or believe ourselves capable of but more brightly and in unexpected ways.
Winter festivals need light to help us through the gloomy, short days and remind us that the sun returns, Spring comes again. Each light can also remind us that we can come through our own dark times and have new, fresh beginnings and growth. I hope that the year ahead is such a time for you, and for SEDA.


EATING DISORDERS AWARENESS WEEK
FEBRUARY 3rd - 9th 2002

We have permission to hold street collections in
Yeovil, Wells, Glastonbury, Street and Frome.
I am waiting to hear from Minehead, Taunton and Burnham.
This is a great opportunity to raise awareness
about SEDA throughout the County.
If you have any time that week and would be
willing to collect in the street for a while, please let me know,
as I have to confirm actual days and numbers of
collectors to the relevant councils.  Organising events for
the week needs energy, ideas & enthusiasm. 
If you would like to be involved please do let me know!

We are looking to do a big recruitment drive of volunteers during Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and I am in the process of speaking to colleges in the south west about the possibility of potential placements at SEDA for students with a variety of disciplines in the future.

SEDA Advice and Training Day
6th  February 2002

     
     
organiser - Heather Worth


Seda are putting on an advice and training day as part of the Eating Disorders Awareness week.
In the morning there is to be an advice shop
for Somerset Partnership Trust Staff,
and in the afternoon a training session
for Primary Health Care Staff.


EATING DISORDERS AWARENESS WEEK
FEBRUARY 3rd - 9th 2002

SEDA CONFERENCE DAY
7th  February 2002

     
     
organiser - Heather Worth         


For the first session of the day, we would like to present
'carers' from sufferer's perspectives. 
We are hoping for some volunteers to read out
poems, stories, thoughts on
'being cared for' - positive and negative experiences.
Therefore if you would like to contribute to this, do put your
thoughts in writing or e-mail to seda for my attention.
* These can be completely anonymous if you wish *
I am also looking for people to present the above on the day, taking it in turns to read out your thoughts, poems etc.
The session will be approx. 20-30 minutes long.
I look forward to hearing from anyone who would be
happy to be supported to do this.
Also, we plan to have a 'Graffiti Wall'
for everyone to write their words/thoughts on the day.

Anyone wishing to come to the Conference
will need to book a place so do let me know
as places will be limited


~ The Christmas Card List ~
There is a list of folks I know
all written in a book,
and every year at Christmas time
I go and take a look.
And that is when I realise
those names are all a part
not of the book they’re written in,
but deep inside my heart.

For each name stands for someone
who has touched my life sometime.
And in that meeting they’ve become
a special friend of mine.
I really feel that I’m composed
of each remembered name. And my life is so much better
than it was before they came.

Once you’ve known that “Someone”
all the years cannot erase
the memory of a pleasant word
or of a friendly face. So never think my Christmas cards
are just a mere routine
of names upon a list that
are forgotten in between.

For when I send a Christmas card
that is addressed to you,
it is because you’re on that list
of folks I’m indebted to
and whether I have known you
for many years or a few.
The greatest gift that God can give
is having friends like you!
MAY THE CHRISTMAS GIFTS OF PEACE,
JOY AND LOVE BE YOURS
 
Anon.

CHRISTMAS SUPPORT NEWS

Christmas is often a time for reflection as well as all the hustle and bustle of activity.  For us thinking back over the past year and all that we've been involved with in SEDA, there's been a lot of activity through our involvement in the development of the new eating disorder service.  We've also been working together to develop a creative arts therapy group for people with eating disorders, which we both feel very excited about, and we will let you know when it will begin. 
We have both continued to offer One-to-One sessions to sufferers and those involved in supporting sufferers.  What will stay with us  though is a sense of the courage of those we meet with, and a sense that each one of us is valuable and special.
Thinking of you all this Christmas,


with love from Anita and Dinah.

 

SEDA PENPAL SCHEME.

If you are interested in having a penpal through SEDA do write to me (Sandra Woodward) here at SEDA.
(Address on front page) We have had a very limmited response so far, So propose to start in the Spring Bulletin with your "adverts". You will need to send us your Name, Full Address and a Phone No. (We will keep these confidential). Give a name or nickname you want us to use and up to 30 words about yourself, and then we will give each person a box number at SEDA's address and publish your name and "Pen portrait" in the next Bulletin / website (you tell us which). People interested in replying to you write c/o your box number on a stamped envelope and we send it on to you. We will send you a guidence sheet for the scheme when you first register.
FUNDRAISING SUCCESS

Following the work we did with Brian Roberts-Wray (Fundraising Consultant) a number of grant applications were made during the Autumn.  Successes include a donation which has made the purchase of a new photocopier possible - this means that bulletins and all the new leaflets will be produced more easily and at a reduced cost.

We have also just had confirmed a grant of £7,000 which will enable us to get our plans for 'Supported Self-Help' into action. We will be training people to run groups and provide one to one support for those who want to work through a programme we are developing. The programme aims to help people to overcome their eating disorder behaviour, learn new ways of managing life and getting their life moving in new ways. This would give support in sessions and at home over an 18 month period. We hope to be running this by next Autumn and will give  more details in the next bulletin about the programme and how to register interest in getting onto it. We are also interested to hear from anyone who would like to train as a supporter. Contact me at SEDA to talk about this.

The SSH programme and updating/extending our range of leaflets were priorities on our development plan list and we have already done a lot of the background work (in hope) so having the funds to move things forward is exciting. It's also a well deserved reward for those who have put so much work into these ideas - thank you to 'The Bookworms' group, to Anita and to Lyn. Thanks to Brian too for his patience, advice and guidance as we learnt new skills in fundraising.  Peter Derbyshire, our new Trustee, is going to work with me on more applications - so watch this space! We hope to fund other groupwork and get counselling and complementary therapies programmes back on our list of options in the future.

We are grateful to the Trust who have made the donation. In both cases they have asked to remain anonymous.
Tricia
Sharing

I cannot be with you in your pain
and I know you cannot share
all of what you are suffering,
but I want you to know that I care.
And if by knowing some part of your journey is eased,
then take what I can offer you.
And if by sharing some part of your burden is lifted,
then let me take what you offer me.
And if by praying, some part of your pain finds peace,
then let us pray together.
And if fears and frustration, anxieties and despair
seem to linger too long to bear,
remember the fact of who you are -
and all that you are a part of -
and let your soul rejoice
in the truth of being
in your Father's love and care.

by Deni Newman


SEDA DROP-IN VENUES


1st Friday & 1st Sunday of the month in Street
held at SEDA, Strode House,
10 Leigh Road, Street
10.30am ~ 12.30


2nd Friday of the month
Taunton
opening in March.


3rd Friday of the month in Frome
held at Frome Library Meeting Room,
Justice Lane, Frome.
10.30am ~ 12.30


4th Wednesday of the month Yeovil
held at Marwick Centre,
Dampier Street, Yeovil.
7.30pm ~ 9pm

© 2004 ~ 2011 Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorders Association