Coventry and District Osteoporosis Support Group

Dear Supporter,

As the days are lengthening and warming up, we hope this finds you benefiting from the first signs of spring.

Our first meeting at the church hall of St John the Baptist Church in Spon Street in the City Centre was very well attended and we were heartened to see a lot of new faces. There is a serving hatch from the kitchen straight into the hall, so refreshments are easily accessed the whole time. If you are coming for the first time, be sure to walk around the church building to the left as you face it and use the hall’s entrance from the garden.

Just to remind you, the church hall is extremely well served by many local buses, including Park and Ride North and South, but please note that there is absolutely no free parking. Disability badge holders can use Hill Street next door for free; other car owners will be best served in the Precinct Car Park where the charge is £1.80 for 2 hours. There is ample room for dropping people off outside the church in a little-used taxi rank.

Dawn Swann, the Community Nutritionist who came in November, left us with some mouthwatering recipes and much food for thought. There was particular emphasis on a balanced diet, because calcium alone will not be accessible to bones unless nutrients from other foods allow absorption. The most recent NOS leaflets on nutrition for bone health reflect this change in emphasis.

As mentioned before, the city’s provision of EXTEND classes is still disappointingly low, but Coventry Sports Centre is plugging the gaps with Easy Does It sessions on Mondays at noon, over 60s Prime Time Fitness classes from 10.30 to 11.30 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and Aqua Fit sessions as well as ballroom dancing. For a one-off £10 joining fee, you can get a Swinging 60s card which allows reduced fees on most activities.

Walkathon TeamWe intend to incorporate our Big Bone Walk day into the Coventry Walkathon 2009 which is a major city event, now in its 14th year, sponsored by the Coventry Telegraph and Coventry Council in association with the organisers, Coventry Leofric Lions. The date is Sunday, 10th May, the venue War Memorial Park. Booking in is from 9.30 am and the walk is officially from 11 am until 3.15 pm. You can do as many/few circuits of 1.75 miles as you like. We as a group are paying the booking fee of £3 per person for the first 10 people to register through us. Give your name to Lynne and she will provide a sponsorship form.

Lynne recently introduced the theme of healthy bones to most of the primary school science coordinators in the city through a couple of training sessions at Elm Bank Teachers’ Centre. Quite a few invitations to primary schools have resulted with enthusiastic responses all round.

Nuneaton DXA Scanner & June BarbyIn January our sharp-eyed treasurer, June Barby, happened to notice through the Coventry Telegraph that George Eliot Hospital’s Orthopaedic Department were organising an information evening which included the official unveiling of their new DXA scanner. After contacting the hospital June managed to involve the NOS and our regional manager, Caroline Johnson, and consequently introduced the national society and us as a support group to at least 150 participants, including consultants and other medical staff and the Master Masons who funded the scanner. One other very positive outcome of this event will be the organising of support sessions for people who are newly diagnosed with osteoporosis.

More locally, we as a group have started to arrange a Study Day for Health Professionals to be held next April, 2010. We all know from personal experience how limited the awareness of osteoporosis and its implications is among GPs, for example, so we hope to raise awareness significantly through this event.

Here is a reminder of our forthcoming public meetings (starting at 2 pm and ending at 3.30):

• On 9th April we’re listening to Pilates instructor Peta Davies who has had much experience helping people with osteoporosis by tailoring this useful exercise regime to their needs.

• Our June meeting, on the 11th, will be led by Suki Johal, an Occupational Therapist, who will talk about how rehabilitation is organised for someone recovering from a fall.

• On 24th September Glen Till, who manages the Mobility Superstore, will bring along samples of his myriad mobility aids, including a scooter, and encourage us to try them out.

• We know that acupuncture can effectively relieve pain, so we are delighted that acupuncturist Natalie Saunders will speak to us on 12th November.

Hoping to see / meet you at one or another of these events, best wishes from

Lynne Adams (024 7667 6683)

Email: lynneadams2000@yahoo.co.uk