In Sight 2021
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Fin it ital In Sight 2021 Friends of Bristol Eye Hospital improve care and treatment for patients by helping to pay for medical equipment, patient comforts and staff resources that would not otherwise be provided. A MESSAGE FROM DINAH HARRISON Chairman of Friends of Bristol Eye Hospital Since March 2020, when anti-pandemic measures became law, it has not been possible for the Friends to visit the Page 3: Fund-raising hospital for trustees’ meetings or any other purpose, including taking photographs for publicity - hence the long delay in producing this edition of In Sight. Page 4: Events Despite the difficulties of the last fourteen months, we have been able to give strong support to the hospital during this time of crisis. Please see the list of grants on pages 5-7. It is our privilege to be the channel for the deep appreciation which many patients show, not only for the skilled treatment they receive but also for the kindness and care with which it is given. As one grateful patient says: “There is not one person in that hospital that is not kind and pleasant to deal with – not one from top to bottom!” Pandemic conditions have led to a drop in income but we remain in a good position to support the hospital and its staff whenever they call on us. Page 5: Grants In April 2021, the total value of grants given since our foundation in 1977 passed the £1½m mark. Thanks to all whose generous support – via legacies, donations, fund-raising and voluntary service – has made this possible. I thank all our dedicated trustees, particularly Heather Walker for over 41 years’ devoted service and Richard Markham, our retiring Chairman, for his inspirational leadership. We have a new logo and a bright new website which includes the facility to join the Friends and/or donate online. If you’d like to support us, please find details of how on the back Page 8: Grateful Patients page, on our website and on leaflets in the hospital - or just contact us! In Sight Issue 39/2021 Registered Charity No. 274349 Page 12: How to Help Us ALL CHANGE AT THE TOP! …we have a new Chairman and Secretary Consultant Richard Markham retired from the office of Chairman at the end of the Friends’ 2020 AGM. We are very grateful to Richard for being our Chairman for nearly five years and for the leadership and invaluable guidance he has given his fellow trustees during that time. Fortunately, we shall still be able to call on his expertise and experience as he has agreed JANET to continue as a trustee. COAKHAM Dinah Harrison, who has served as our Secretary for We are sad to report the death, an amazing 43 years, was elected Chairman. She was on 16 March 2020, of Janet the first trustee elected secretary, taking over from the Coakham. Janet served as a hospital manager who acted as secretary for the first six trustee of the Friends from September 1988 for 15 years, months of the Friends’ existence. of which 12½ as Vice-Chairman, Wendy Beatty, who has been a trustee for three years, until she retired in January 2004. was elected as the new Secretary. She was pleased to be able to do something for the hospital We welcome Kevin Abbey who became a trustee in staff and patients as she was so November 2019. (Kevin has been our Publicity Officer grateful for the laser treatment which saved her vision. since 2018.) Janet had a quiet, unassuming manner and natural charm. She was an utterly reliable practical help, especially when it came to organizing fund-raising FRIENDS AGM HELD ONLINE social events. She was kind, As a result of Coronavirus, our 2020 Annual General Meeting had fun to be with and an elegant to be held online. The minutes of the meeting on 24 November and reassuring presence on all 2020 have been sent to all members. occasions. Friends’ Chairman Richard Markham said, “She is Our 2021 AGM will be held on Tuesday 20 July at 6pm. This will be and will be sadly missed by a very held in the hospital if permitted also with online access, or solely great number of people in Bristol”. online if we are not allowed into the hospital. HAVE YOU SEEN OUR NEW WEBSITE? Our new website and logo, both designed by professional web developer Russ Willey, were launched in August 2020. The website has a bright new look with easy navigation and is mobile friendly. It allows supporters to join us and donate online. We’ve received many admiring comments including from hospital staff. Please have a look. www.fbeh.org Page 2 Issue 39/2021 ASHCOMBE PARK BOWLING CLUB The Ashcombe Park Bowling Club in Weston-super-Mare chose Friends of Bristol Eye Hospital as their Charity of the Year for 2019. Their captain, Martin Paterson. said “As captain, I have the choice of which charity my club supports throughout the year. As many of our members, including myself, are currently undergoing or have received treatment at Bristol Eye Hospital I wanted to show our gratitude for all the treatment we have received. “After talking with Professor Club members raised £1,411 and presented the funds to our then Sparrow, it was an automatic Secretary Dinah Harrison at the end of the season. Thank you, Martin choice for us to support Friends and all club members, very much! of Bristol Eye Hospital.” MOORWOOD ART SHOW RAISES £1,000 Moorwood Art, a contemporary fine art gallery in an ancient bluebell wood in Bruton, Somerset, kindly made us their charity of the year for their Annual Art Show. The show, where the work of 45 artists is shown within a relaxed home environment and in the surrounding gardens and woodland, ran for two weeks in March 2019 and raised £1,000, which Camilla presented to Friends’ Treasurer, Simon St Leger-Harris. Organiser Camilla Drinkall said she had chosen the Friends because of the excellent care and treatment given by Bristol Eye Hospital to her husband Philip who had suffered from very bad short sight and as a result had two lens implants. SPONSORED SWIM BY PATIENT’S TWO YOUNG SONS RAISES £400 - as a thank you for their father’s successful eye operation Following his two operations for a detached retina, Daniel Kerr wrote to express his thanks to surgeons Pathma Ramasamy and Mohammed Majid, together with all the other staff involved. To say thank you for their father’s successful operation, Daniel’s two sons, William and Rhodri, aged 10 and 6, undertook a sponsored swim to raise money for the Friends. Sponsored by family members and friends, the boys’ successful swim raised £400. Friends Treasurer Simon congratulated William and Rhodri for their kind efforts and assured them that the money they raised will be put to great use to help others within the hospital. Daniel added “I am so proud of William and Rhodri for caring so much about saying thank you”. Issue 39/2021 Page 3 FUND-RAISING EVENTS TRAVELS & TRIBULATIONS OF A ZOOLOGIST A fascinating talk by Mark Carwardine raises £1,500 At Ashton Court Mansion on 26 September 2019 to show his appreciation. Over 100 supporters Mark Carwardine, wildlife photographer and thoroughly enjoyed the talk and had the chance to environmentalist, gave a fascinating presentation meet Mark, ask questions and buy copies of his new “Travels and Tribulations of a Zoologist”, illustrated handbook Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. by spectacular photographs, to help raise funds for Friends’ Chairman Richard Markham thanked Mark the Friends. for generously giving his time and expertise to Mark had been treated by the Eye Hospital’s entertain us and raise £1,500. emergency department and gave his talk for free A ‘NIGHT AT THE RACES’ RAISES £2,100 A fun horse-racing event held at Churchill Memorial Hall on 17 May 2019 The event was organised mainly by Heather Walker Solicitors, Rachel’s and Michael’s Antiques, Saints & Wendy Beatty, and Wendy’s husband Nik, a terrific Old Boys Football Club, David & Christine master of ceremonies. Froude, Richard Markham and Matthew & Alice Owen who sponsored the eight races. Thank you also to Clifton’s The Kitchen Man who sponsored the event and to About Face Gift Shop, We thank all those who came on the night and Cedar Wealth Management Ltd, Ince Metcalfes supported us so generously. No further social or fundraising events currently planned Unfortunately, as a result of the Covid-19 situation, there are currently no scheduled events. As soon as further events are arranged, we will put the details on the website and on our social media pages. We will also send invitations to all supporters who have requested such details. ARTS GROUP MAKES VISORS & MASKS FOR STAFF Thank you to Jo Symmons and her friends who made 3,000 protective face visors and masks, free of charge to distribute to care homes, charities, hospices and hospitals in and around Bristol, including Bristol Eye Hospital. Helen Gilroy, Bristol Eye Hospital’s Deputy Performance and Operations Manager, said they had really helped at what was such a difficult time. Page 4 Issue 39/2021 SIGHT-SAVING HELP FOR PREMATURE BABIES Forus Neo portable retinal camera for paediatric ophthalmologists Friends of Bristol Eye Hospital gives a close-up view of the have reliable images upon which and Above & Beyond joined blood vessels at the back of to base a diagnosis which may be forces to provide a Forus Neo a baby’s eyes. given as evidence in court.