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I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
St John Ambulance
and NHSBT Organ
Donor Ceremony
2
Musical Evening in
aid of the Eye
Hospital
2
County Honours and
Awards Committee
2
St John Eye Hospital
Visit
3
St John Fellowship 3
Looking back at
2016
4
Dates for your diary 4
Welcome to the Spring! After a very good 2016 I am very grateful to all Ambulance, County Priory Group and generous older friends for supporting events which have given us confidence to produce another newsletter. Kind fundraising contributions have enabled us to dedicate gifts to County Durham Units, St John Eye Hospital and the Order financially. I look forward to seeing everyone at one event or another this summer. Liz Srogi has dedicated many hours to this newsletter and is also compiling a full mailing list. If you would like to contribute a future article or photograph to the next newsletter in the autumn, please get in touch with her. Emailing is faster and cheaper and if you would prefer to receive news this way, we would be grateful if you could drop her a line (CPG committee e mail is on the last page). So: all the best for 2017. Dr Gillian Willmore—Chair, Durham County Priory Group
Burnopfield St John Ambulance Unit celebrated its 110th birthday by holding an Enrolment and Certificate presentation. The evening was well attended by Cadets, their families and St John guests. On the evening 15 Cadets where enrolled into the Organisation this was led by Sheila Thorpe, Unit Manger and assisted by Corporal Lucy Clayton. Dr Gillian Willmore of the Durham County Priory Group of St John presented over 100 certificates to Cadets. Special mention was made to the Competition team who were runners up in the District Competition and went on to represent the District at the Regional finals. Also to the winners of the Davies Plates which are awarded to Cadets in Co Durham who have shown most dedication and commitment to St John throughout the year. Both Plates were awarded to Burnopfield Cadets Arran Doogan and Maisie Rayne for their achievements during 2016. The evening finished with light
refreshments although the table
groaned under the weight of the
amount of food.
By Sheila Thorpe
S T J O H N A M B U L A N C E B U R N O P F I E L D C E L E B R AT E S 11 0 Y E A R S
Spring 2017
Durham CPG NEWS
On the evening of Thursday 17 November 2016 the now annual Durham Organ Donor Ceremony was held. On behalf of the Queen, Andrew Martell, Deputy Lieutenant and Member of the Order of St John, awarded the certificates and badges to members of the families of those who had given vital organs to benefit others. It was a moving and inspiring occasion when very brave children, parents and partners came forward with dignity to receive an award on behalf of their family member. There were trained NHSBT nurses and St John CPG members present to talk to the families over refreshments after the ceremony. Joanne Bell represented the uniformed St John Ambulance. We will not forget this celebration of courage in those who sought the support of their families to offer life to others when the hope of their own survival had gone. The Chancellor of the Order of St John, Paul Denby, initiated this ceremony in 2013. By Dr Gillian Willmore
As members of St John Ambulance we do not sing our praises enough and this has been noticed by National Headquarters so they want more nominations for membership to the Order of St John from Durham County.
Membership of the Order of St John is not about how long a person has been a member but is open for members with at least five years’ service who regularly go above and beyond what is required for their role. Of particular note is how the person positively promotes the image of St John Ambulance and impact of their commitment on the local community.
Full details are on Connect along with the nomination form and the members of the CHAC are also available to give support and help with completing the paperwork. The committee members are Julie Walton as Chair, Gillian Willmore who is the Chair of the County Priory Group, Joanne Bell, Andrew Pennell, Derek Lythe, Lynda Aunger and Grant Davies. Our next meetings will be on 4
th April and 12
th July and it would be great to have some nomina-
tions to complete and send to NHQ. By Julie Walton
S T J O H N A M B U L A N C E A N D N H S B T O R G A N D O N O R C E R E M O N Y, D U R H A M
C O U N T Y H O N O U R S A N D AWA R D S C O M M I T T E E ( C H A C )
Musical evening in aid of the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem
Venue – St Nicholas Church, Durham Market Place
Thursday, 11th May 2017 at 7pm,
Featuring the Durham County Youth Choir, the Durham Youth Training Choir
and Quintessential Voices.
Tickets: £10, concessions £8, children under 11 free.
Enjoy an included glass of wine during the interval.
Tickets are available from Ken Threlfall or you can pay on the door.
All are welcome, please support this event. By Ken Threlfall
Page 2
I had an interesting and challenging visit to the group in early January. Sadly morale is low due to some high level staff being made redundant and for the loss of £140,000 support from the Priory of England and the Islands, also a Trust after some 15 years has ceased funding to the School of Nursing to the tune of £60,000. As the only charitable provider of tertiary eye care in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem; 2016 saw the treatment of over 125,000 outpatients (including 42,000 children) regardless of race, religion or ability pay, including over 4800 major operations. Over the past 10 years the SJEHG has seen over 1 million patients across the region of 4.6 million Palestinians living in East Jerusalem , the West Bank and Gaza. The cost of our charitable work amounts to £8.3 Million annually. Apart from catching up with the work at the main base hospital, I visited Anabta in the north; Hebron which is now a fully functional clinic on one floor and outreach in Salfit near Nablus. It was good to the see the refurbishment of the Muristan in the Old City close to where we originally started - the memorial stone area has been upgraded into a peaceful garden with the Bronze Tree behind. Certainly Her Majesty Queen Victoria had great foresight when she agreed to the setting up of an eye hospital in the Holy Land to be administered by St John. By Colonel (Retd) Sheena Davies RRC, DStJ, DL
The County Priory Group is working to re-establish a branch of St. John Fellowship in County
Durham. The Fellowship was founded on St John’s day in 1983. In 1986 it was recognised as
a branch of ‘The Order’ and in 1999 national branches became responsible to the Priory of
their country; in our case ‘The Priory of England and the Islands’.
A revitalised county branch for Durham would provide a focal point and channel of
communication for the Order, The Priory and its foundations, to and from its members, and
promote the principles of The Order; ‘For the Faith, In the Service of Humanity’. Membership
of the Fellowship is open to all the members of The Order, serving and past members of St
John Ambulance, volunteers and employees and their families, friends and supporters aged
18 and above .
The working party plan to re-register a Durham County Branch within 6 months. Please look
out for further news. By John Gibson
S T J O H N E Y E H O S P I TA L G R O U P
S T. J O H N F E L L O W S H I P
Page 3
Curry Lunch, Shildon
Lynda Aunger at Sedgefield Market
Carol Service, Belmont
11 May - Musical Evening, St Nicholas Church, Durham at 7.00pm 10 June- Fundraising stall at Durham Regatta– ideas of what to sell and help before and at the event needed- if you can help please contact Gillian 10 Sept– Great North Run - To cheer on our runners at this event contact [email protected] 5 Nov 8.30—12.30 Fundraising stall at Sedgefield Farmers Market ideas of what to sell and help before and at the event needed- if you can help please contact Gillian 19 Nov (to be confirmed) Curry Lunch at Shildon
D AT E S F O R Y O U R D I A RY
L O O K I N G B A C K AT 2 0 1 6
The County Priory Group committee: Please contact us with ideas. Chair: Dr Gillian Willmore [email protected] Treasurer and Fundraising: Brian Hays [email protected] Hospitaller: Kenneth Threlfall [email protected] Medical issues: Professor Pali Hungin [email protected] Honours & Awards: Julie Walton [email protected] North District Manager proxy: Joanne Bell [email protected] Chaplain: Revd Professor Douglas Davies [email protected] Transitional Fellowship adviser: John Gibson [email protected] Secretary (acting) Liz Srogi [email protected]
Page 4
