NWR Connect Spring 2026

NWR connect ISSN 2978-395X

NWR Connect Reg charity no 295198

Quarterly Magazine for the National Women's Register adsadsadasQGQQood

SPRING 2026

Letter from the Trustees Our Chair, Deirdre McCarthy, takes us through NWR’s busy spring schedule

W ith a rainy start to the year, many of us have spent a

little more time indoors - but that doesn’t mean things have been quiet at NWR! Far from it. There’s been so much happening online and behind the scenes, and we hope you’ve enjoyed joining in.

Our new interactive quiz is a hit!

We’re thrilled to report that our brand‑new interactive quiz has launched brilliantly. It runs once a month on Wednesday evenings, with a second chance to join on Thursday afternoons - perfect for fitting a bit of fun around your week. Come along on your own or gather a group and test your knowledge. It’s lively, friendly, and a great way to meet members from all over the country.

Online activities to brighten those rainy days We have started the year focusing on promoting positivity through wellbeing and this season we’ve offered: Yoga - gentle stretching and calming movement Move for Life - perfect for keeping active whatever your level Meditation - a peaceful pause in a busy, soggy world Mindful Art - lose yourself in a hour of creativity.

These sessions are welcoming, relaxed, and ideal for lifting your mood. We look forward to bringing you more courses later in the year. Do let the team know if there’s something you would like to see.

Our online book group For book lovers, our online book group continues to be a lovely space for discussion, discovery, and the occasional friendly disagreement about characters! If you’d like extra book chat beyond your local group - or your own group isn’t currently running one - this is a perfect place to join.

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Letter from the Trustees (continued)

NWR NEWS

Online group meetings: stay connected from anywhere Are you an Independent Member or unable to get to your local meeting this month?

Don’t forget our online group meetings are always open to you. They’re a brilliant way to stay connected with fellow members, especially when life gets in the way of face‑to‑face meet‑ups.

National Conference updates Our National Conference Team have been hard at work behind the scenes, planning what promises to be a fantastic event. Ticket sales have just been launched, so read on for more information. If you’re on Facebook, you’ll already have spotted that members have been excitedly booking accommodation in anticipation! It’s shaping up to be a wonderful occasion.

Horsham Day Conference – sold out!

A huge congratulations to the organisers of the upcoming day conference in Horsham, which sold out within just days of tickets being released. What a fantastic response!

Looking forward to the NWR Walk We will be encouraging you to again take part in our annual event in May which coincides with National Walking Month. A great opportunity to connect with other local groups or to set yourself a challenge - maybe by walking part of the newly launched King Charles III Coastal Path?!

Celebrating Maureen Nicol Month In June, we will once again be celebrating the life and achievements of Maureen Nicol, our founding member. The idea she had back in 1960 in response to Betty Jerman’s Guardian newspaper article continues to resonate today and we are contacted daily by women who want to find friendship.

A heartfelt thank you to our volunteers Finally - and most importantly - a big, warm thank you to all our incredible volunteers across the country. From supporting brand‑new groups to helping established ones thrive, you are the heartbeat of NWR. We appreciate everything you do, and we simply couldn’t do it without you.

Deirdre Robert Lukeman @ Unsplash

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Kenton Group - NWR Walk 2025

NWR NEWS Congrats to NWR’s new managers Sam Bushell and Sharon Gibson are moving up in the world! e are absolutely delighted to announce the promotion of Sam Bushell and Sharon W Gibson from Membership Administrators to Membership Managers.

While the title is changing, the scale, responsibility and expertise required in their roles has long gone far beyond “administration”. These promotions formally recognise the demanding, highly skilled and vital work they do at the heart of NWR. Running a successful membership charity in today’s digital world is more complex than ever. Alongside fostering friendship and connection across our local groups and national online programme, we must manage sophisticated systems, digital communications, financial processes, governance requirements and member data securely and effectively.

The skills needed to do this well have evolved - and Sharon and Sam embody that evolution.

Sharon, who has been with NWR for over five years, leads on developing and supporting new groups and welcoming new members into the organisation. With our ambitious target of 20% membership growth by 2029, her work is central to our future, from guiding volunteers through the process of setting up new groups to managing our CRM, website and enquiry journeys.

Sam, who has dedicated 25 years to NWR, focuses on supporting and retaining our existing members. Her deep knowledge of the organisation underpins her oversight of member experience, subscription processes and complex financial systems. She plays a crucial role in ensuring our operations are robust, compliant and member-focused, helping members feel valued and well supported.

Together, their responsibilities span digital systems, finance, governance and stakeholder engagement - all essential to keeping NWR resilient, relevant and thriving.

Please join us in warmly congratulating Sharon and Sam on these well-deserved promotions and thanking them for their outstanding commitment to NWR.

Claire and the Trustees Robert Lukeman @ Unsplash

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EVENTS Why Norwich really cuts the mustard The historic East Anglian city is the destination for the next National Conference. Jan Tuffs of Bury St Edmunds group extols its virtues

warm welcome awaits those who come to the vibrant city of Norwich for this Ayear'sveryNational Conference. It's the first time NWR has held its National Conference in this glorious medieval city. With its theme of ‘Cutting The Mustard’, put Wednesday and Thursday 23/24 September in your diary now! Online booking is now open at https://nwr.org.uk/nwr-national-conference-2026-2/.

A National Conference on a weekday is another first for NWR, allowing members staying over for a few days to really explore and maybe have a coastal break. And another first for a National Conference: we're fortunate to have the sole use of Carrow Road football stadium, a great club and prestigious conference venue with free parking, and a chance to sample Delia's Catering!

With a Holiday Inn adjacent to the ground and a Premier Inn not far away, you're only a 10-minute walk from the railway station. From Carrow Road, it's only a short walk into the city centre, with regular buses departing from the railway station. Or stay at The Maids Head (15% discount for NWR) where the conference dinner will be held on the evening of Wednesday 23 September.

Norwich is small with a big heart - a city of stories and home to England's first UNESCO City of Literature - with two cathedrals, two theatres, many museums, and a castle constructed by William the Conqueror. Located within the University of East Anglia the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts is worth a visit.

Notable women with connections to the city who've definitely cut the mustard are Boudicca, Julian of Norwich, Elizabeth Fry, Edith Cavell, Delia Smith, Olivia Colman, and Myleene Klass.

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EVENTS Why Norwich really cuts the mustard (continued) Continuing with firsts: Norwich can boast the largest 6 day market in the UK which started in 1071 in sight of the castle.

It's home to Jarrolds, the UK's oldest department store - established in 1770 and still trading to this day.

It has the largest medieval City Hall in England, built in 1407.

In 1932, a new City Hall was constructed that has the longest balcony in England.

In 1713, the Bethel Hospital was the first built in England specifically for patients with psychiatric disorders.

In July 1959, Norwich became the first UK city to trial a six-character alphanumeric post code system to modernise mail sorting. National rollout was completed in 1974.

Our small planning group has been working hard to give you interesting and entertaining speakers with many active and creative workshops from yoga to poetry writing, dancing and musical theatre, handbell ringing to mustard tasting and much more. Sarah Sands, journalist and Radio 4 editor, will be opening the conference, and we close with a fiesty woman of history! A chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones as you enjoy the Conference and explore the enchanting city of Norwich.

Why not join the FB group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/nwrconference) to find out more about Norwich and start making plans?

J.B. Priestley said of the city, "What a grand higgledy-piggledy, sensible old place Norwich is!". Join us to cut the mustard on 23-24 September. See you there!

D id you know...?

Colman' s is a nat i ve Norw ich company, and its fam ously punchy mus tard has been c lear ing Br it ish sinuses since 1814. T he humble y e l low condiment is actual ly spicy because of chemistry - m us tard seeds are mild unt il mixed w ith liqu id, which re leases the nose-t ingling heat. T he colour isn’ t natural either - that fam ous br ight y e l low usual ly comes from added turmer ic.

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NWR LEARNS Storms, supercomputers and a dog called Bailey NWR Chair Deirdre McCarthy enjoyed the fabulous online talk by broadcaster and NWR patron, Clare Nasir

I was delighted to attend the online chat

by one of our Patrons, Clare Nasir broadcaster, meteorologist and all‑round weather enthusiast - and what an absolutely fascinating whirlwind it turned out to be. Clare arrived on our screens from her home in Wilmslow, cheerful, warm, and armed with enough storm stories to keep us on the edge of our seats.

A career blown in on the wind Clare’s love of weather didn’t just appear out of thin air - it’s been with her since childhood. After a degree in maths, a Master’s in oceanography, and postgraduate meteorology training, she joined the Met Office in 1995. Since then she’s forecast from countless studios, written on weather, trekked to the Yukon for BBC documentaries, spent 11 years on the GMTV sofa, and now presents for Channel 5 News while working directly with the Met Office.

Her home office is a full broadcast‑ready mini‑studio with professional lights, a green screen, and, of course, her dog Bailey, who occasionally steals the show.

From pencils to petaflops When Clare started forecasting in the mid‑90s, the world was very different. Back then the Met Office’s supercomputer ran at 60,000 flops and forecasters drew charts by hand on enormous sheets of paper. Today, it operates at 60 quadrillion operations a second - a million times more powerful. The supercomputer generates so much heat that the building doesn’t need traditional heating.

Storm Goretti: a modern weather bomb Clare shifted her talk to unpack Storm Goretti, which recently swept across Cornwall, South Wales, and the south coast, before hammering Normandy. This storm underwent explosive cyclogenesis - the dramatic pressure drop known as a 'weather bomb'. The French named it first due to expected impacts, but Clare explained how UK, Irish, and Dutch services collaborate on naming to improve public safety.

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NWR LEARNS Storms, supercomputers and a dog called Bailey (continued) The science of a sting jet Clare showed an extraordinary satellite image of the storm resembling a glowing helix evidence of a rare 'sting jet', a burst of very cold, dry air that accelerates wind speeds as it descends.

Climate change: what the data shows Clare addressed whether climate change is worsening storms. Current data shows wetter winters - six of the ten wettest since records began have occurred since 2000.

Rainfall is becoming more intense because warmer air holds more moisture. However, wind speeds haven’t shown a clear upward trend. Meanwhile, sunshine levels are up and frosts are down by about a quarter since the 1980s.

Weather, humanity, and Clare’s enduring enthusiasm Despite the enormous science behind modern forecasting, Clare’s love for weather - its drama, its beauty, and its role in keeping people safe - is what shines through. She closed with a smile: ‘I could talk for hours, but that was already a huge amount in 35 minutes!’

Clare then welcomed questions from us and hopefully will come back later in the year to talk about clouds.

If you’d like to watch this fascinating weather talk head over to our website, go to the Events page and listen to a recording of this talk.

Thanks to Clare for a great talk.

Image: Johannes Plenio @ Unsplash

Stormy skies - but is it climate change?

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To be a pilgrim

MEMBERS’ CORNER

Last September, Ann Stainton of Wokingham 1 group walked the Camino de Santiago - an impressive 100 km from Tui in Portugal to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain

W hat started as a simple thought turned into a shared goal. Two long-standing friends, not

done much together for a while, how about walking to explore the local area?

A chance chat with a chap in the office – “have you heard of St James’ Way, a 70-mile Camino route from Reading to Southampton?” – led to “how about joining our group to walk the final stage of the Camino Portugues from Tui to Santiago de Compostela?” Eek! The scallop shell was adopted as a symbol of pilgrimage; the ridges and grooves are the different routes, detours and hardships. To toast our determination, we celebrated with a meal of scallops and champagne, then tied scallop shells to our rucksacks to show we had a mission.

Puzzled by the symbol at Reading Abbey, which is dedicated to Mary and St John the Evangelist, we discovered that the abbey became aligned with St James when Matilda, daughter of the founder, Henry I, brought the hand of St James as a relic. Pilgrims visiting the relic wore headbands with a scallop shell at the front and there’s a figure on the Abbey Gateway. During the dissolution of the monasteries, the relic was first hidden in a wall then taken to Marlow church.

With ‘training’ in our heads, our three-mile routes became five and lengthened until we were comfortably walking 10 miles along the stages of St James’ Way where we were welcomed as pilgrims at the churches and collected stamps in our Camino passports.

As a further test, we managed two days consecutively of 15 miles each and while the legs were stiff the next day, we were thrilled at our achievement. Embarking on the ‘actual’ Camino took on new significance as we contemplated six days of walking some 12-16 miles each day in mixed weather conditions. The shopping list grew longer as we investigated the check-list of hints and tips and suggestions/advice from various friends; much debate about socks!

The day dawned when we met the group for the first time on the steps of Tui Cathedral; some of us knew just one person, some knew several, here we were a mixture of ages and levels of fitness and we smilingly eyed each other up – can they make it?

Can we make it?!

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To be a pilgrim (continued)

MEMBERS’ CORNER Six days later, we reached our destination, the aweinspiring cathedral at Santiago de Compostela.

The next day, we queued for the Pilgrim mass – a long queue snaking around the square, up the steps, zig-zag along the pathway and

almost an hour later, we were inside. Towards the end of the service, the drums and pipes of the Galician traditional carnival parade outside penetrated the cathedral wall. For a while, the noise of the non-secular met the sounds of the secular head-on in a cacophony, then overtaken inside by the swinging incense burner and the swirling music through the huge organ pipes.

It’s time for shopping, sightseeing, tapas and fine Spanish wine, chatting with new-found chums, reminiscing about the routes, swapping photos, so many happy shared memories.

Tomorrow, we go our separate ways.

We are now members of that very special club, the ‘We’ve Walked the Camino’ club and what an achievement to mark the year of our 75th birthdays. To add to that milestone, we have raised over £3,600 for our chosen charity, a feat neither of us could have managed on our own - just shows what teamwork can do!

There’s so much written about the Camino pilgrimage as a spiritual journey, but there’s a simpler approach which we found as we walked together. We were inspired by the sheer beauty of the country and took our time and the wayward detours to admire the crops, fruits and flowers, the interesting landmarks, churches or ancient ruins, that offered a glimpse into the history and culture of the region. We encountered challenging terrain, steep hills and rocky paths, often in wet conditions, which forced us to slow down and focus on our footing.

Each day, we were amazed the legs could cope; we became veritable “gazelles”!

We both have a natural inclination to form friendships and we enjoyed chatting with strangers we met on the trail, finding common ground which fostered a powerful sense of togetherness. It would have been the icing on the cake at the end if we’d bumped into the Irish siblings, the Portuguese mother and daughter, the group of students, the Aussie couple, Angelique or the girl who picked the grapes.

Walking the Camino is not for the faint-hearted. It requires a certain level of physical fitness as well as mental fortitude and a willingness to embrace discomfort and uncertainty.

With fellow travellers along the way, I think there’s also willingness to help and be helped; to offer support to other pilgrims - this might be a plaster for a blister or a friendly touch at a wobbly moment - which creates a strong sense of community and shared experience.

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To be a pilgrim (continued)

MEMBERS’ CORNER

It is said that a true Camino de Santiago pilgrim embodies qualities such as resilience to overcome physical and mental challenges, humility and empathy for others, and a spirit of community and solidarity with fellow travellers. We chose to do this together and mutually supported each other at our most emotionally-charged moments.

Faded tracks in long woods, Muddy intersections Scrambled, nothing clear Except a small pebble added to a pile of stones: There was a pilgrim here We had decided that we’d personally support a charity and mused several times along St James’ Way that perhaps we could turn our Camino into a fundraiser which friends and family might wish to support.

We both know several people who had breast cancer and favoured a cancer charity.

Recently, an NWR friend died as a result of secondaries, although her breast cancer had been undiagnosed.

Finally, if you have half a mind to take up the Camino challenge, absolutely do!

They made it!

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The start of something new

MEMBERS’ CORNER

Linda Draper from newly-formed Leighton Buzzard 2 explains how the idea for a new group turned into something real

A t the beginning of 2025 the Leighton Buzzard 2 group didn’t exist. However, as we’ve learnt over the last 12 months, when enthusiastic and like-minded women get together, they are inspired to venture into trying something new, and LB2, as we are known, was born!

Jan and Heather first mooted the idea of setting up a new group because they felt LB1 had reached its capacity for the type of activities they wanted to organise but were reluctant to turn anyone away.

The seeds were sown, and by January 2025 they had begun their promotion campaign in the local newspaper, and on local social media community groups. Initially, a couple of lively meet-ups were organised at a local coffee shop where we were all made to feel very welcome ... and left very excited! The first discussion was held on Thursday 23 January 2025 with 11 members attending, and in the space of a year the group has grown to a membership of 33.

When looking back at Heather and Jan’s article ‘Going for Growth’ in the Spring 2025 edition of Connect, they can rest assured that it was indeed a brilliant idea, and our members continue to thank them for creating the opportunity to make new friends, and experience new interests. I do believe the pace of growth had much to do with it being an entirely new group, so we were all new together!

On Friday 23rd January 18 members of the group celebrated our first anniversary with a meal at a local restaurant.

The group continues to grow in both numbers and in what we offer our members to promote friendship, self-education and confidence. We still hold our fortnightly discussions in the same venue where the very first one was held as the landlord and staff are always so accommodating – all for the price of a cuppa!

We already have 5 sub-group leaders running regular events. We have a Between the Covers book group, which itself is growing, a walking group, a canasta group, in which all bar one member has learnt to play since joining NWR, a modern board games group, a crafting group, and most recently we launched a theatre group as we are fortunate to have our own theatre in Leighton Buzzard.

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The start of something new (continued)

MEMBERS’ CORNER

If you are thinking of starting a new group, then I would strongly recommend giving it a go. Having Heather as a mentor has been invaluable and I can now safely say, contrary to what I felt when I first took over as Local Organiser, it has settled down, and most ‘firsts’ have been achieved successfully, and made less daunting with the help of ‘the team’, all taking on various roles.

We’re not resting though and continue to look for ways in which to make LB2 better still in the future, encouraged and inspired by all the ideas shared from other groups in the NWR newsletters, the NWR Connect bulletin and various NWR Facebook groups.

50 years of Sonning Common Sonning Common group hits a milestone in May with the celebration of their half-century!

A celebration of friendship “ From the first meeting I felt very supported and have developed lots of friendships,” says Sue, the current Local Organiser of Sonning Common NWR. Sue joined in 2001 when a friend recommended the group and a contact told her simply to “come along”. At her second meeting, she was helping to test recipes for a cookbook, which raised £2800 for West Berkshire MNDA. Continued overleaf

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50 years of Sonning Common (continued)

MEMBERS’ CORNER

Newest members Lyn joined our group in 2023 and has particularly enjoyed the stimulation our talks provide as well as our theatre and other cultural trips (and she sets a mean quiz!). Chris B’s first meeting (2018) coincided with a trip to Oxford’s Christchurch Cathedral, and she is one our IT wizards, hosting our Zoom meetings during Covid.

For Angela, who relocated from the Northwest of England in 2022, joining our group “was the beginning of a whole new dimension to my life. Everyone in the group has made me so welcome despite me being the newest ‘kid on the block’. I can hardly believe I have found such a great bunch of people to socialise with.

Hardly a week goes by when I am not finding something to look forward to with NWR.” And a huge welcome to Rosie, Hazel and Kate, who joined us in 2025.

Overseas links Kate P (member since 1989), originally from Australia and new to the area, got a contact number in the local library and found meeting in others’ houses a perfect way to get to know the area and the locals. Leslie (1999), a former L.O. who has now moved back to the USA, still comes to meetings when she returns to the UK to visit relatives. Christine (1993), a former member now living back in her native France, joined our Zoom Group throughout Covid and keeps in touch.

Tricia, who joined in 1998, met Jenny, a fellow Canadian in our group and, although moving away from the area, has stayed connected and still comes back for meetings. Jenny, now living on Vancouver Island, stays in touch and keeps up-to-date with our programme.

Early years The Sonning Common Group of the NHR (National Housewives’ Register) was formed by local resident Pam Gibbon in 1976 and the first recorded meeting with five others was held on 24th June, 1976. The topic for the evening was “Places we have Lived”.

At these early meetings, the proceedings started straight away with a guest speaker followed by tea and biscuits. The 1977/78 Membership List had 23 members. Over the year they played charades, held a firework party and a poetry evening and reviewed Ernest Hemingway’s ‘A Farewell to Arms’.

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50 years of Sonning Common (continued)

MEMBERS’ CORNER

Teresa (1989) and Chris (1990) remember some of our earlier programme events as “slightly more serious affairs, with individuals required to research and hold court for an hour on a particular topic – and there was no wine!”

Trish and Clare remember presenting on the History of the Sonning Common School and Peppard Primary School respectively; Chris talked about Laos (where she used to live) and Liz (our current Treasurer) gave two presentations on Fostering then Adoption. By our 10th anniversary in 1986, the group had 31 members including Barbara and Julie, who joined Trish, Clare and newcomers Fran, Joan and Annabel to form our longstanding Book Group.

A taste of our current activities Nowadays we tend to share research and everyone present contributes something to a ‘brief’ discussion of the programme topic. We adhere to the NWR ‘ethos’ – no fuss for the host and try to keep to the topic! It is interesting how the variety of flavoured and herbal teas in demand has definitely increased!

Every year, usually in July, we have a pub walk – circular country walks followed by a meal at a pub. At our annual AGM we also discuss the culture and sample the food of the NWR theme country, and our Burns’ Suppers and Christmas celebrations are two of the highlights of our culinary year.

In 2024, we had a memorable Christmas party by candlelight as the power near Moira’s house was down. We ate a lovely meal and joined in several quizzes all clustered around the table sharing the available light. Not even a power cut could stop us getting together!

L.O. Sue recalls how, during Covid, we met on a few occasions in local Millenium Field.

We brought our own chairs and wrapped up warm to discuss programmed topics in the open air. Another example of how much we all value our time together.

Our 2025 Autumn programme included a Gatsby inspired Flapper Evening (with costumes from Jenny H’s Henley Players’ wardrobe) and a Games Evening - and we always take part in the NWR TTT Quiz. Summer events included organised day trips to places of interest further afield including Jane Austen’s House, RHS Wisley and Savill Garden and the Light Trail at Waddesdon Manor.

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50 years of Sonning Common (continued)

MEMBERS’ CORNER

A legacy of overseas trips For 10 years, Sheila took on the task of organising trips abroad and many of these were recalled at a recent slide show prepared by Mary, our website editor (member since 2000).

We had a wonderful guessing game about the destination in the photo as well as the identity of a few (much younger looking) travellers. Overseas destinations included Cologne, Florence, Seville, Bologna, Venice and Lisbon and those trips still manage to spark many happy memories. Many would like the trips to continue but, as Sheila says, “We are all so busy these days – many of us are grandparents now – and it is harder to fit in travel together along with all our other commitments.”

Offshoots There have been a few offshoots from our group formed over the years. The Book Club has been going for over 35 years now and our Craft Group meets to sew, embroider, knit and natter! We often programme workshops for particular crafts and our recent introductions to Sashiko embroidery and Pottery were well attended.

Looking forward Over a very short period in 2022 to 2024 our group sadly lost six wonderful women to various illnesses. It was very hard to absorb losing these significant members, all of whom had played an important role in the group for many years. The emotional impact on our members was huge but we are so fortunate to still be attracting new members as we go forward into our 50th year in 2026 when we are holding a Celebration Event on 16 May. All old and new members of the Sonning Common NWR are welcome. Check out our website for more information: https://nwr.org.uk/network/groups/sonning-common/

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NWR THEME

The Ripple Effect in action Kilbarchan group member Fiona Catterson’s life changed forever when her husband was diagnosed with a degenerative brain disorder. Fellow group member Isobel Arnott explains why she exemplifies the Ripple Effect any of us in NWR are involved in looking after Mvulnerable relatives or in caring charitable work and are happy to “do our bit” for those less fortunate than ourselves. However, sometimes we are unaware of the potential opportunities we have to make a more significant impact with wider benefits for all - The Ripple Effect.

A member of Kilbarchan group, Fiona Catterson, the NWR Mary Stott Award winner in 2021, has hugely impressed us all with her dedication, tenacity and resourcefulness, not only in her devotion to supporting her husband but in taking on “the system” for the benefit of all those who find themselves caring for a relative or client who is unable to speak for themselves. We are all extremely proud of Fiona and her achievements and felt it would be beneficial to encourage her to tell her story in the hope that others in NWR may see opportunities where they could make a significant impact in their own situation.

Often the existing “systems” that are in place are out of date and too general to meet the specific needs of each individual. Relatives and volunteers can be best placed to question situations and decisions when seeing things first hand, always with the wellbeing of their relative or client at the heart of what they do.

Rather than bemoaning the shortcomings of the situation that you are dealing with, why not ask the “daft lassie” question and see what impact you can make? You may surprise yourself at what you can achieve!

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The Ripple Effect in action Fiona’s story

NWR THEME

I would like to share with members some examples of how The Ripple Effect can be caused by ordinary people doing ordinary things yet they can make huge changes for others.

My story starts about four years ago when my husband (who has a degenerative brain condition for which there is no treatment or cure) also developed dementia after contracting Covid. After being discharged from hospital he was in a care home for 15 months until they were no longer able to meet his needs due to his behaviours. After four months in a psychiatric assessment ward, he was transferred to an NHS specialist psychiatric hospital ward for people with dementia. He has been there now for two years.

After around seven months in hospital, he started to refuse the food saying it was “horrible” and “just not nice.”

Bear in mind that long term patients have the same twoweekly menu as acute patients so can rapidly get fed up eating the same foods. I wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care about my concerns re menu options and the equality and fairness of this for long term patients.

They replied to me and directed me to the Standards Document for all patients in NHS Scotland and suggested I raised a complaint with my local Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) who have the governance of the hospital. I read the document and formulated my complaint around the areas that the food provision was not meeting the standards set out in this document. The HSCP rejected all aspects of my complaint so I then took my complaint to the Ombudsman.

They said they had no jurisdiction over food provision and suggested I contacted my local MSP. I did this and they instantly forwarded my concerns to the Cabinet Secretary. So here I was back in the same place eight months later……with a husband who still wasn’t eating the food (I was leaving foods for him to ensure he had adequate nutrition). However, as part of the reply from my MSP I was offered the opportunity to meet with the “high heid yins” i.e. the facilities manager for the health board, the specialist catering dietician for the health board, and the on-site catering manager for the hospital.

Interestingly, as soon as my complaint reached the Cabinet Secretary again changes started to happen with the food provision. Now, remember that the HSCP had said there was nothing wrong with the service delivery so why did these changes start to happen????

Anyway, after my first meeting with this Group even more changes started to happen (especially after they did a site visit). They agreed with ALL my concerns and raised more of their own about what was happening behind the scenes!

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Fiona’s story (continued)

NWR THEME

Unfortunately, my husband’s swallow has deteriorated and he has moved through modified food levels and is now on pureed foods only. As he moved through each stage it highlighted more issues that I raised with the Group of high heid yins. Alterations were made to food provision to address my concerns.

At this same time, the Standards Document was being rewritten and new menus compiled to go with the document. The Specialist Catering Dietician has told me that everything I have raised has been stirred into the new document (I was given an advance copy of it to read and comment on) and has also been taken into consideration for the new menus with “menu fatigue” being highlighted and addressed. Some of the foods that I leave for my husband are now being provided for all patients who require that texture of diet.

This means that although I started off trying to get something for my husband, The Ripple Effect is that it is touching all patients within the health board, and, in particular, long-term patients who require similar texture modified foods as he does.

At the same time (and due to his behaviours) we needed to go to a Compulsory Treatment Order (CTO) Tribunal. This is a highly formal process and, as Welfare Power of Attorney for my husband, I assumed that I would automatically be able to attend. Nope!

CTOs come under the Mental Health Act and they do not take Welfare PoA into consideration so – at a time of high stress – I had the added stress of having to apply to be at the Tribunal and then also had to apply to be able to speak at it! A solicitor who met with my husband only once was appointed to speak for him…..

My issue and Ripple Effect here is that when you have a PoA drawn up nobody says to you, “by the way, if you need treatment under the Mental Health Act then you need to have a Named Person in place as well as your Welfare PoA.” I have written to my GP to name my Named Persons, should I ever require one.

Because of the battles I have had over the last four years I joined Alzheimer Scotland’s National Dementia Carers Action Network (NDCAN) to try to bring about positive changes to ensure that others have a smoother situation than I have had. Alzheimer Scotland have backed me on the issue of Named Persons and they have highlighted this need with their Dementia Champions and also with legal representatives on the many fora they sit on to ensure that this is much more widely known about as people with dementia could require treatment under the Mental Health Act: another Ripple Effect that I didn’t set out to make but will help others.

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Fiona’s story (continued)

NWR THEME

The next Ripple Effect comes about changing colloquial language used with challenging behaviour. I got worn down by coming onto the ward day after day to be told my husband (who would never even kill the spiders that he had been asked to remove from our daughter’s bedroom) had “assaulted” members of staff. I objected to this as “assault” is a criminal charge and has intent behind it.

When someone has an Adults with Incapacity document in place they are legally deemed as not being able to make decisions for or about themselves so how can they meaningfully “assault” someone??? They can’t!

Again, Alzheimer Scotland are taking this on to ensure changes are made to how the reporting of incidents take place to ensure accuracy and empathy. I also took this issue to my local MSP who is now Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing and he has also agreed that this is not legally “assault” and that the NHS and Social Care will change their terminology.

The Ripple Effect over my NWR Group (Kilbarchan) is that one member hosted a Coffee Morning to support Alzheimer Scotland in all they do. They also asked me what they could do to support me. I said that I had been doing a Bucket Collection at my local supermarket during Dementia Awareness Week for the last couple of years but I did not have the mental or physical capacity to do it last year. In stepped several friends (and their husbands) to do collections!

These are all examples of The Ripple Effect that will, I am sure, be going on all over the country at any given point of time yet are equally as important as larger, global effects as they impact directly on real people and their families.

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