For the benefit of every member of the FHLTA it has been decided to post the minutes of committee meetings.  If there is anything you would like discussed or you are interested in becoming a member of the committee, please  contact Secretary - Judith Burgess.

We hope you find this service useful and would appreciate your feedback. 

 Minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 9^th June 2008
 at Tyne Youth & Community Centre,
 Chirnside House, Mariners Lane, Tynemouth  NE30 4AT

Present:  Barrie Braidford (Chair), Judith Burgess, Jim Carlin, Janet Long, Graham Marsh, Joan Whitney and Adrian Woodcock

Apologies:  there were no apologies received. 

Minutes of the previous meeting:  

a)       Joan pointed out that the conservatory was not financed by a FHLTA member as quoted in the previous minutes but by a brother of one of the members and the community of Middlesbrough and was then donated to the hospital.

b)       Following this amendment Graham Marsh proposed that these minutes be accepted as a true and correct record.  Adrian Woodcock seconded this motion. 

Matters arising 

a)      The saga of the chairs is still ongoing.  Barrie told the meeting that the chairs for the FHLTA flats, Cheviot Court, have been ordered but the chairs for the other flats will have to be sorted out at a later date.

b)      Barrie informed the committee that he has been told that a water machine will not be allowed.

c)       Graham informed the committee that he has put the information about the HC5 form required to claim back travel expenses plus parking fees, on the website.

d)       Adrian informed the committee that entries for the London Marathon 2009 are closed.  The 2010 London Marathon is being run by Virgin and costs £250 per person.  Due to this it was agreed that we should not buy any places for this. 

Games 

a)       To date there are 20 competitors and 11 supporters attending the European Heart & Lung Transplant Games in Vichy France.

b)       To date there are 27 competitors and 10 supporters attending the British Transplant Games in Sheffield.

c)        Graham suggested that the agenda should have an item for the Children’s team each month.  Judith agreed to do this. 

Newsletter 

a)     Judith brought to the attention of the committee that the sponsors of our newsletter, ‘ Ethicon UK’ is now part of ‘Edwards Lifesciences’ and because of this they are looking at all the projects that they support. 

b)     Clare Gregor has written to Judith asking her to write with information of the kind of support we are seeking and at what cost. 

c)       Judith told the committee that Clare Gregor had volunteered the information that it costs Ethicon UK £860 to produce each edition of the newsletter.

d)     It was agreed that Judith write asking for further funding and suggests that we produce one edition per year rather than two with 8 pages instead of the current 4.

e)     It was suggested that we get quotes from other printers in case our request gets turned down.  Judith, Graham and Barrie agreed to do this.

f)        It was agreed that the AGM invitations go out with the newsletter in September. 

Correspondence 

a)    Judith told the committee that she had received a letter from ‘Live Life Give Life’, introducing them and asking to work with the Association.

b)     It was agreed that Judith should reply saying we are willing to liaise with their organisation.

c)     Joan told the committee that she had received a letter from Carol Olley along with a cheque for £500 as a donation from the Northern Transplant Ball.

d)    Joan went on to say that they had raised £3700+ and donations of £500 had been given to Heart Research and FHLTA with the remainder going to Transplant Active which is the junior section of the TSUK. 

Any other business 

a)     Brian voiced his concerns over the problems in the waiting area of Clinic.  He pointed out that there is not enough room and nowhere to get refreshments.

b)     It was agreed that Judith should write on our behalf, voicing our concerns. 

c)      Judith to contact Mary (Sister) or look on website for the relevant contact.

d)      Brian asked if there could be anything done about getting free prescriptions for Transplant patients.  Judith pointed out that she had already written to Patricia Hewitt (Health Secretary) about this and was told the matter was under review.

e)     Janet went on to point out that only those with a deficiency of a natural occurring body substance is exempt from prescription charges.

f)        Janet asked if she could sell our pin badges to raise money for the FHLTA.  It was agreed to give Janet some of the ones we have and to order more.

g)     It was suggested that we put pin badges in clinic for members to take. 

Date of next meeting:  Monday, 21^st July 2008 at 12.00 (noon) 

FHLTA/JB/09.06.08

 Minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 28^th April 2008
 at Tyne Youth & Community Centre, Chirnside House, Mariners Lane, Tynemouth NE30 4AT

Present:  Barrie Braidford (Chair), Judith Burgess, David Hunt, Graham Marsh, Joan Whitney and Adrian Woodcock.

Also in attendance:  Janet Long (Children’s team representative)

Apologies were received from:  Jim Carlin & Brian Wood.

Minutes of the previous meeting:  Barrie Braidford proposed that these minutes be accepted as a true and correct record.  Adrian Woodcock seconded this motion.

Matters arising

a)     Barrie told the meeting that the purchasing of the chairs for the flats is still pending. 

b)     The new pin badges are now ready for distribution and it was agreed that they should be distributed with the next edition of the newsletter.  Graham handed a badge to all in the meeting.

c)      Judith has written to Derek Riley expressing the best wishes of the committee.  Derek has replied, thanking us for our thoughts and he hopes to be back to full fitness soon.

d)     The Eric James Memorial Fund has now been transferred into the 90 day account.

e)     The AGM has been provisionally booked for 9^th December at ‘Lindisfarne Social Club’.  Barrie suggested that we put a map on the back of the invitations but as Judith pointed out that the invitations are only the size of a postcard, it may be better to put the postcode on so that members can get directions via the internet or their satellite navigation systems.

Parking

a)      Barrie and Brian have met again with Paul Brewis and their feelings are that we are not getting anywhere with our arguments regarding the parking situation.  It  was agreed that we have done all we can do.

b)      Judith brought to the attention of the committee an email received from one of our members, Nick Brown and his wife Jenny.  They told her that those claiming benefit can get a HC5 form, available from the hospital, and with this form can claim their parking fees along with any travel expenses occurred.  A receipt from the parking machine will be required for this.

c)       It was agreed that Judith includes this information in the newsletter and Graham put it on the website. 

Games

a)          To date there are 20 competitors and 11 supporters attending the European Heart & Lung Transplant Games in Vichy, France.

b)          Due to the recent economic climate a further £10 will have to be charged for each person attending these Games.

c)           It was agreed that this should be paid by the individual and not the FHLTA and everyone invoiced accordingly.

d)          To date there are 28 competitors and 9 supporters attending the British Transplant Games in Sheffield.

e)          Fifteen room have been booked at The Novotel and 5 people will be staying on campus.

f)             It is important that all forms for these Games are sent back not later than 10th May 2000.

Newsletter

a)     Judith explained that she had not included the article about the Children’s Sports Team fundraising, sent to her by Irene Hadlington, as she felt that it would be wrong to promote fundraising by another group within our publication.

b)     Janet Long, the Children’s Team representative went on to explain why they have separate fundraising.

c)      This is due to the fact that the seek funding from bodies that do not give to other charities and some are only interested in work with children.

d)     It was agreed that they should continue to do this but should keep us informed of any funding they receive and any work they are doing.

e)     It was also agreed that there should be a Children’s representative on the committee and that they should receive minutes and agenda for all future meetings.

Any other business

a)       Graham brought to the attention of the meeting that the conservatory is now blocked off and members have asked where they can get refreshments.

b)       Joan went on to say that she believed that the conservatory was financed by a FHLTA member.

c)        Barrie agreed to make enquiries about this and also about getting a water machine for the use of patients.

d)       Judith has received an email from Brian Wood, who has sent his apologies for the meeting, with the following questions:

·       Who owns the flats?

·       If they are owned by the committee is there a lease on them?

·       If the committee does not have a lease do they have a tenancy agreement?

e)       Joan went on to say that although we should have been informed of the closure of the flats the reason for this was fire regulations and alternative accommodation has been provided at no charge, although some have no lifts.

f)          Joan asked if we should apply for places for next year’s London Marathon? 

g)       Adrian agreed to find out the cost.

Date of next meeting:  Monday, 9^th June 2008 at 12.00 (noon)
Tyne Youth & Community Centre, Tynemouth. NE30 4AT

FHLTA/JB/28.04.06 

Minutes of the meeting held on Monday 4^th February 2008
 Tyne Youth & Community Centre, Chirnside House, Mariners Lane, Tynemouth NE30 4AT 
 

Present:  Barrie Braidford (Chair), Judith Burgess, Graham Marsh, Joan Whitney, Brian Wood and Adrian Woodcock. 

Apologies:  no apologies were received. 

The meeting began by welcoming Brian Wood to the committee. 

Minutes of the previous meeting:  Joan Whitney proposed that these minutes be accepted as a true and correct record.  Barrie Braidford seconded this motion. 

Matters arising: 

1. It was agreed that the FHLTA should purchase a gift for Tony Armstrong as a thank you for all the time and energy he has given to the association.  Barrie agreed to look into this.

2. The BIPAP (lung) machine has now been paid for at a cost of 8,000.  Judith has been in contact with Dr Kevin Brennan and he is to write an article for the next newsletter.

 Parking: 

1. It was agreed that another meeting should be arranged with Paul Brewis which Barrie and Graham will attend on our behalf.

2. It was suggested that we ask for 20 free spaces but if this is not possible agree that the FHLTA pay an annual fee for these. 

3. It was agreed that Paul Brewis should set a price for us to discuss.

4. The policing of these bays should be discussed at a later date.

5. Judith agreed to write to Tessa Gibson for help with this matter.

 Accounts: 

1. It was agreed that Joan looks for an accountant to audit our annual accounts.

2. It was agreed that the money in the Eric James fund should be transferred into our 30 day account.

 Future Annual General Meetings: 

1. As Barrie was unable to book next year’s AGM at our usual venue it was agreed that we look for a new one.

2. Barrie agreed to look into this.

3. It was suggested that we alter the date of the AGM due to the accounts having to be audited.  This to be discussed at the next meeting.

4. It was agreed that the instead of having Prayers at future AGM’s we have an opening thank you.  Barrie agreed to work on this.

5. Judith asked if she could change the format of the AGM agenda.  All were in agreement with this.

Games: 

European Heart & Lung Transplant Games:  

1. These are to be held in Vichy, France in June 2008 and to date we have 19 competitors and 13 supporters.

2. Graham suggested a subsidy of up to £200 for flights and £100 for accommodation was agreed for each competitor.  Joan queried that £200 was not enough of a subsidy for flights.  Judith proposed that it stay at £200 and Barrie seconded this

3. It was agreed that the association should meet the cost of the coach fare from Lyon if the cost of the flight is less than the subsidy.

 Racquets tournament:

1. This is to be held in April and it was agreed that the association meets the usual costs of travel, gala dinner and entry fee for this event.

Golf tournaments:

1. The first of these is the Golden Glove on 25^th April in Mussleburgh followed by the Five Nations on 30^th & 31^st May.

2. It was agreed that the association would meet the usual travel, gala dinner and entry fee costs for both of these tournaments

Transplant Cricket Tour:

1. Following the UK tour which will be held in Bath there will be a tour to Australia.

2. As Graham is a member of the GB Cricket team it was agreed to pay his flight to Australia.

3. Judith is also going to Australia to compete in the Australian Transplant Games but told the committee that she does not want her flight paid as this is not a sanctioned TSUK event and will be only competing as a guest.

British Transplant Games:

1. These are to be held in Sheffield 7^th – 11^th August 2008.  As there is no set price for this it was agreed to set a subsidy for this at a later date.

2. Graham brought to the attention of the committee that the TSUK are looking into CRB checks for all people working with children.  Graham went on to suggest that the FHLTA should get their own CRB checks done for anyone working with children belonging to the association.  All were in agreement with this.

3. Brian suggested that we also look into getting public liability insurance.  Barrie agreed to follow this up.

 Any other business: 

1. Barrie circulated catalogues for the committee to look at and choose chairs for the flats.  Item C510 was chosen from the Teal catalogue.

2. It was suggested that we would not be able to put chairs in Rosemount as these flats do not belong to the FHLTA.

Date of next meeting:  Monday, 17^th March 2008 at Tyne Youth & Community Centre, Chirnside House, Mariners Lane, Tynemouth.  NE30 4AT.  12.00 (noon) 

FHLTA/JB/04.02.08  

Minutes of the meeting held on 12^th November 2007
 Tyne Youth & Community Centre
 Chirnside House, Mariners Lane, Tynemouth  NE30 4AT.

Present:  Barrie Braidford (Chair), Tony Armstrong, Judith Burgess, Graham Marsh, Joan Whitney and Adrian Woodcock. 

Apologies: no apologies were received. 

Minutes of the previous meeting:  Graham Marsh proposed that these minutes be accepted as a true and correct record.  Joan Whitney seconded this motion. 

Matters Arising 

a)         There has been no further correspondence from Paul Brewis about Parking at Freeman Hospital and Barrie agreed to follow this up.

b)          The Digibox  has now been fitted and is working. 

Financing projects 

a)     Following the request for help in financing the fitting of a chair lift to one of our member’s home to  enable him/her to be discharged from hospital, it was suggested that we should discuss financing of future projects as this may set a precedent.

b)     After some discussion, Graham suggested that we look at things on a case by case basis.  Judith seconded this motion. 

Annual General Meeting 

a)    The date for the Annual General Meeting is Tuesday, 11^th December 2007 at 10.30.

b)    Tony has told the catering department to cater for 70 people and has asked for a suitable diet for heart/lung transplant patients.

c)     It was agreed that we should purchase 1 box each of white wine, red wine, lager and beer.  Barrie agreed to purchase these on our behalf.

d)     It was agreed that we would buy a tin of chocolates for Wards 27a, 27,X-Ray, ECG, Medical Physics, Children’s Clinic, Transplant Co-ordinators and  the Porters office.  Adrian agreed to purchase these on our behalf. 

e)     We have agreed to buy tea and coffee throughout the year for the staff in clinic.  This is instead of the usual tin of chocolates at Christmas. 

Any other business 

a)    John Dawson has raised £8,000 for the FHLTA and his wife has written to Joan asking if some of the money can be used to buy equipment for the flats.  She suggested purchasing a comfy chair and irons for each room in each flat, particularly Rose Court.

b)     It was agreed that comfy chairs would be a good idea but irons are out of the question as we have bought them in the past and they have all been stolen.

c)     It was agreed that we would purchase a chair for each room in Cheviot Court but as Rose Court does not belong to the FHLTA we would have to make enquiries.

d)    Barrie agreed to get some information and catalogues for us to proceed with the purchase of the chairs.

e)    Peter Wragg has raised £3,000 for the association and has written to Joan requesting that we purchase a laptop for 27a with internet access.

f)       There was some confusion as to whether he meant this laptop to be used for the staff or the patients.

g)    If it was for the staff then there would be no problem but if it was for patient use then this is not viable as the only access to the internet would be through the NHS server.

h)     Tony Armstrong told the committee that due to ill health he would not be seeking re-election at the forthcoming AGM and wished to resign with immediate effect.

i)       Judith thanked Tony, on behalf of the committee,  for all his hard work, knowledge and leadership he had given to the association over the past number of years.  He will be missed.

j)       As Tony is standing down it was agreed that Joan should take over the invoicing for rents which are to be done on a six monthly basis.

k)      Barrie asked Judith to include Rents on the AGM agenda. 

Date of next meeting: no date was set, this is to be agreed at the AGM 

FHLTA/JB

Minutes of the meeting held on
 Monday, 17th September 2007 at Tyne Youth & Community Centre,
Chirnside House, Mariners Lane, Tynemouth NE30 4AT. 

Apologies were received from Judith Burgess, the secretary.

Present:    Barrie Braidford,  Joan Whitney, Graham Marsh, Adrian Woodcock, Tony Armstrong and David Hunt.

Amendments to the previous meeting's minutes were that the cost of the 'Just Giving' scheme was £17.62 per month not £15.00 as recorded also Dr Parry's new computer was £680.03.

Matters arising from the previous minutes, Graham was unhappy with the article that Tony had in the last newsletter, that indicated that our outlay towards various Games was invariably greater than the income from competitors via their sponsorship etc,.

Graham was at pains to point out that much of the money raised by people by a variety of means, ie, coffee mornings, sponsored walks, golf competitions etc,  was not always put down as towards the Games, and he felt certain that if all of this income was linked directly to the account for sports income it would exceed the outlay. He said he was in no way criticising Tony, who based his information on the income and outlay figures in the accounts but felt a better way of accounting should be sought to avoid this anomaly in the future.

Tony Queried the Gift Aid Scheme and it was explained to him.
 

Parking:

Barrie reported that he and Judith had had a positive meeting with Mr Paul Brewis, Estates Manager, regarding the car parking situation and costs to transplant patients.

On being asked, he assured us that he was indeed in a position to make changes but pointed out that all of his suggestions had to be authorised by the Board, and although he could not promise anything immediately, he certainly took on board what we were telling him.  He said he would have to go away and think long and hard about the situation, and would report back to us after his meeting with the board later in September.   

He did however tell us that the number of disabled bays in the main car park were being increased by 25 and when the new Cancer / Kidney Facility opens next year at the rear of the main building, the spaces allocated to dialysis patients would be moved to the rear, so freeing up some spaces at the entrance.    He said he would also consider the possibility of allocating some spaces in the Cardio car park as it is adjacent to the cardio block.

The MRI scanner has been removed from outside the cardio block entrance, and he would try to get the remaining portacabin removed from the same area where it is also blocking disabled bays.   Judith explained how she had had to pay  £1.10 to pop in to pick up the keys for the flats.    Barrie asked if we could not have a free period of 10 / 15 minutes for this sort of thing.  

Mr Brewis was very interested in the functioning of the Freeman Heart & Lung Transplant Association and asked to have a copy of our news letter in future. I have put him on the list.    He agreed to consider all of these points and although he could not promise anything, Judith and I left the meeting feeling positive about it.

Games:

The Freeman had the largest contingent at the recent Edinburgh Games, ie, 30 Competitors and 24 Supporters, they won 9 Gold, 14 Silver, and 13 Bronze medals.

It was pointed out that although we had funded 14 children for these games, there were not 14 children taking part and it was agreed that the chairman would communicate with Carol Davidson (who organised the children), and ask for a refund.

Graham proposed that in future all competitors should pay up front for their registration fees and Gala dinner as a form of deposit and commitment to attend.     They would be compensated by that amount being deducted from their accommodation costs and final invoice.    This was seconded By Barrie, and carried unanimously.

There is to be a TSUK satellite volleyball tournament in November and will be staged in Bristol.

There is to be a Racquet's Tournament held on the 5^th of April 2008 in Berkshire.

The European Heart & Lung Transplant Games are to be held in Vichy France, 21st - 25^th June 2008 and not July as per previous minutes

The British Transplant Games are to be held in Sheffield, 7^th - 10th August 2008.

The GB Transplant Cricket team is off to Australia in October to defend the David Hookes Trophy.

In the recent World Transplant Games in Thailand Kaylee Davidson won 3 medals and Graham 2 medals.

Graham reported that at the AGM of TSUK, the chairman of that organisation, Christine Evans, apologised for the events leading up to the Gateshead badminton tournament which was organised without the involvement of the Freeman team or FHLTA, saying that it should have been a team event and not organised by an individual.  Graham also mentioned that the TSUK website is advertising a Northern Transplant Ball on their website at £50 a ticket to celebrate Kaylee's 21st birthday.

Digibox:

It was suggested By Judith via email, as she could not attend the meeting.  
                   
That we should purchase a Digibox for the television in the flats, as all TV was to go digital in the future. This was agreed and Barrie volunteered to buy a Digibox, have it checked by medical electronics or engineering, and get it installed in the flats.

Lord Mayor's parade, London:

Joan had received a letter from “Hearts In Mind” Asking us to send three transplant patients to London (At a cost of £100 each), to partake in the Lord Mayor's parade in November to publicise the need for organ donation, apparently they are inviting transplant recipients from all over the UK.   The committee discussed this at length, but thought the cost of entering plus travel and accommodation costs made it not worth while, so we declined the offer.

Annual General Meeting:.

Is to be held in the usual venue in the education block on Tuesday 11^th December. Thanks to Tony's intervention, as Barrie was told that the room was already booked by others when he tried to book it after our last AGM in December 2007.

Date of next meeting:     29^th of October 2007 at 12 noon:  
Chirnside House, Tynemouth NE30 4AT.

Minutes of the meeting held on
 Monday, 18^th June 2007 at Tyne Youth & Community Centre,
Chirnside House, Mariners Lane, Tynemouth NE30 4AT.

Present:  Barrie Braidford (Chair), Judith Burgess, David Hunt Graham Marsh, Joan Whitney and Adrian Woodcock.

Apologies were received from:  Tony Armstrong and Jim Carlin.

Minutes of the previous meeting:  Barrie Braidford proposed these as a true and correct record and Adrian Woodcock seconded this motion.

Matters arising

a)         Graham apologised that he had not yet done anything about the pin badges due to Games work taking up his time.

b)         Judith told the committee that she had received a formal letter of resignation from Stuart Kaye which she went on to read to all present.

Games

a)      Graham told the committee that the number of competitors competing in the British Transplant Games is now down to 30.  This is due to Michael Blyszcko, Judith Burgess, Martin Hutchinson and Graeme McClure having to withdraw on medical grounds.

b)      Graham went on to say that Tony’s article in the last newsletter was misleading as the Games don’t cost the association a great amount of money as a lot of the cost is re-imbursed via sponsorship.

c)       The 2008 European Heart and Lung Transplant Games are to be held in Vichy, France from 21^st to 26^th July 2008.

Just Giving

a)     Judith informed the committee that she has registered the association with ‘Justgiving’ as a way of raising money.  This will cost the association £15 per month which will be paid by direct debit.

b)     The benefits of this are that anyone can gain sponsorship for events and have it paid to our association and we are able to claim Gift Aid from any money raised.

c)      Judith suggested that Joan, as Treasurer and she, as the main contact, is the signatories on all the relevant documents.  All were in agreement with this.  The papers were duly signed. 

Parking

a)     Mary (Sister in clinic) has spoken to Judith regarding sending out a memo to all members regarding the parking situation.  Judith agreed to follow this up and speak to Mary.

b)     It was agreed that Judith should write again to Len Fenwick about the parking situation and ask what can be done for our members, pointing out that dialysis patients have their own bays and ask if the same could be done for our members as it is becoming extremely expensive to attend clinic.

c)      Barrie asked Judith to point out that the disabled bays outside the Cardio dept are taken up with Porto cabins making difficulties for those who have difficulty walking. 

Any other business

 a)     Joan brought to the attention of the committee that we have just purchased a new computer for Dr Gareth Parry at a cost of approx £700.

Date of next meeting:  Monday, 17^th September 2007 at 12.00 (noon) at Tyne Youth & Community Centre, Chirnside House, Mariners Lane, Tynemouth.  NE30 4AT

 FHLTA/JB/18.6.07 

Minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 16^th April 2007
 at Tyne Youth & Community Centre,
 Chirnside House, Mariners Lane, Tynemouth, NE30 4AT.

Present:   Barrie Braidford (Chair), Tony Armstrong, Judith Burgess,
Jim Carlin, David Hunt, Graham Marsh, Joan Whitney and Adrian Woodcock.

Apologies were received from: Stuart Kaye

Minutes of the previous meeting:

a)        It was pointed out that the amendment was still not correct and that it should read “All competitors will be offered a subsidy of £10 per person per night in addition to registration fees, Gala Dinner and travel costs”.

b)        Following this amendment Joan Whitney proposed that these minutes be accepted as a true and correct record.  Tony Armstrong seconded this motion.

Matters arising

 a)     The new rule books are now waiting to be distributed with the latest edition of our newsletter to all our members.

b)     Judith asked Barrie to let her know if the newsletters do not arrive within the next few days so that she can follow this up.

c)      The car stickers have been printed but unfortunately with the wrong web address on.  As it was our mistake the printer has quoted £300 for them to be printed again with the web address amended.  It was agreed that we should go ahead with this.

d)     Graham told the committee that he has yet to follow up the idea of pin badges.

e)     Judith told the committee that she had written to both Stuart Kaye and Derek Riley regarding committee meetings.  Stuart has replied saying that he will have to stand down due to work commitments and will send a formal letter of resignation.  There has been no reply from Derek Riley.

f)        Judith has not received a reply to her letters re Parking charges and Prescription charges.  Barrie asked Judith to write to Len Fenwick again asking for an answer and also to ask why the MRI scanner is parked across the disabled bays at the entrance to the Cardiothoracic Department. 

Games

a)         Graham informed the meeting that there are 31 competitors and 17 supporters attending the British Transplant Games in Edinburgh. 

b)         He went on to say that he is still waiting for the majority of registration forms to be returned to him before he can go ahead and order kit for the newcomers.

c)          It was agreed that Judith should write to Christine Evans, TSUK Chair outlining the amount that we had agreed to pay to Lynne Holt towards her costs for Bangkok 2007 and the reasons behind this.

d)         Joan went on to tell the committee that she had received correspondence from David Donkin asking for expenses to cover the cost of the Gala Dinner and registration fee for 4 members of the FHLTA taking part in the forthcoming badminton tournament.  Joan has forwarded a cheque made payable to “Transplant Badminton Tournament – Gateshead”.

e)         Graham suggested that Joan should not have sent a cheque payable to this account but should have told David Donkin that any of our members taking part in this tournament should have claimed their expenses from Joan, the FHLTA treasurer in the usual manner.

Newsletter

a)      Judith asked the committee if they had any ideas as to how to make the newsletter more informative for our members as she felt that in its present state there is too much about sport etc and not enough information for our members.

b)       Judith went on to suggest that we should be using the newsletter as a tool to inform our members how we spend our money. Another suggestion was to have a profile of members of the medical staff and went on to suggest that Mary (Sister) should be the first one to be approached.  All were in agreement with this.

c)       Graham went on to suggest that we should have an article entitled “How your money is spent” and suggested that Joan sends this information to Judith bi-annually. 

Accounts/Invoices

a)     Judith suggested that as Tony has said he may resign from the committee after Christmas that he should hand over the job of invoicing for rents to someone else.

b)     Tony said he may stay on the committee but even if he doesn’t he is still willing to continue with this job.

c)      Judith suggested that Tony should hand over the ‘Eric James memorial fund’ to the Treasurer, Joan Whitney but Tony suggested that it should be handed over to Barrie Braidford, our Chairman.  All were in agreement with this.

d)     It was asked if there is any way some of this fund could be spent and Tony agreed to speak to Gareth and John Dark, giving them the relevant forms to see if any of their medical staff require any financial assistance for further education.

Any other business

a)     Jim Carlin has been invited to the AGM of the Northern Ireland Transplant Association and was given the date 13^th June 2007 and booked his flight to attend on that date and it had been agreed in the previous meeting that the cost of this would be met by the FHLTA.  However, when the official invitation arrived the date is 20^th June 2007.  As his flight is non re-fundable it was agreed to write off the cost of this as the flight will not be wasted as Jim intends to travel to Ireland on that date but will be unable to attend the AGM.

b)     Barrie has had to purchase Toner for his printer and due to problem with his computer has bought a ‘USB pen’ to load important FHLTA information on as a back up.  It was agreed that the association would meet the cost of these.

c)      It was agreed to give Barrie a float of £500 to be used for postage costs when sending out the newsletters.  This will be topped up after every large posting.

d)     Judith informed the committee that she is travelling to Brussels on 25^th May as the representative of the British Heart & Lung Transplant Association (BHLTA) at the General Assembly of the European Heart & Lung Federation.  All her costs are to be met by the BHLTA.

e)     It was suggested that Joan write to Carol Davidson again regarding the logo on the ‘Children’s Sports Team’ headed paper as our logo is still not on the paper.  It was suggested that Joan also ask Carol for an acknowledgement for the £4,500 which was sent to her on behalf of the children.

Date of next meeting:  Monday, 18^th June 2007 at Tyne Youth & Community Centre, Chirnside House, Mariners Lane, Tynemouth.  NE30 4AT. 

FHLTA/JB/16.4.07 

Minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 5^th March 2007
at Tyne Youth & Community Centre, Chirnside House,
Mariners Lane, Tynemouth NE30 4AT.

 Present:  Barrie Braidford (Elected Chairman), Tony Armstrong (Retiring Chairman), Judith Burgess, Jim Carlin, David Hunt, Graham Marsh, Joan Whitney and Adrian Woodcock.

 Apologies:  there were no apologies received.

 Minutes of the previous meeting:

a)      Graham pointed out that under the section of British Games (item b) this should read: “It was agreed to offer each competitor a subsidy of up to £75 per night plus travel costs”

b)      Following that amendment Tony Armstrong proposed that these minutes be accepted as a true and correct record.  Joan Whitney seconded this motion.

 Matters arising

a)      The new rule books have now been printed and are ready for distribution with the next edition of the newsletter.

b)      Judith has been given a quote of £596 + VAT for 1000 car stickers and brought along a proof for all to see.  All were in agreement that she should tell the printer to proceed.

c)       Tony informed the committee that parking charges at the hospital are now £1.10 per hour and disabled stickers are only usable in disabled bays.  It was agreed that Judith should write a follow up letter to Len Fenwick, Chief Executive with our concerns.

d)      The date of the next AGM is Tuesday, 11^th December 2007.

 Appointment of new Chairman

a)        Graham proposed that Barrie Braidford should be elected as the new Chairman and Judith seconded this motion.  All were in favour and Barrie was duly elected.

b)        As Barrie was the previously the Vice Chairman, Graham proposed that Adrian be appointed as Vice Chairman.  Joan seconded this motion.  All were in agreement and Adrian was duly elected.

 Committee members

a)         It was agreed that Judith should write to Stuart Kaye and Derek Riley to ask if they are able to continue as committee as they have not been able to attend meetings for some time due to work commitments.

b)         If these members are now unable to continue as committee members it was agreed that Judith should advertise for new committee members in the newsletter.

World Games funding

a)      Following correspondence from Christine Evans, Chairman of Transplant Sports United Kingdom (TSUK) which gave more information it was agreed that we should offer Lynne Holt £100 towards her costs.

b)      It was felt that this was a fair amount given that no other hospital/transplant association had been approached for funding and out of approximately 100 competitors there were originally 7 selected from the Freeman Sports Team and the figure was on a pro rata basis.

 British Games

a)      Graham informed the committee that to date there will be 29 competitors and 16 supporters from the Freeman Team attending the British Transplant Games to be held in Edinburgh, 26^th to 29^th July 2007.

b)      All accommodation for this event has now been booked.

c)       Barrie has received correspondence from Carol Davidson on behalf of the Children’s Sports Team asking for £3,500 to cover the cost of 14 children and their carer attending the British Transplant Games and £1,000 to cover the costs of 10 children attending the Children’s Hall Sports to be held in Sheffield later this year.

d)      All were in agreement with funding both these events.

 Any other business

a)     Graham has received correspondence via the website asking if transplant patients are exempt from prescription charges.  Judith explained that only people with diabetes, epilepsy or thyroid problems are exempt on medical grounds.

b)     It was suggested that we write to the Minister of Health to ask them to consider including transplant patients.  Judith agreed to do this.

c)      Judith suggested that we have a guest book on our website.  All were in agreement with this.

d)     Judith expressed concern that only Graham is able to update the website and thought that a second person should also be able to do this.  Judith went on to volunteer to do this but asked if she could purchase the appropriate software.  All were in agreement with this.

e)     Joan asked if anything further had been done regarding the purchasing of pins to commemorate transplant milestones i.e. 5 years, 10 years etc.  Graham volunteered to look into this.

f)        Jim has been invited to the Northern Ireland Transplant Association AGM as our representative and asked the committee for the cost of his flight.  All were in agreement with this. 

Date of next meeting: Monday, 16^th April 2007 at Tyne Youth & Community Centre, Chirnside House, Mariners Lane, Tynemouth.  NE30 4AT

FHLTA/JB/05.03.07 

Minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 17^th January 2007
 at Tyne Youth & Community Centre, Chirnside House,
Mariners Lane, Tynemouth NE30 4AT.

Present:  Tony Armstrong (Chair), Barrie Braidford, Judith Burgess, Jim Carlin, David Hunt, Graham Marsh and Joan Whitney.

Apologies were received from: Stuart Kaye and Adrian Woodcock.

The meeting began by welcoming David Hunt to the committee and introducing him to all the other committee members present.

Minutes of the previous meeting: Graham Marsh proposed that these minutes are accepted as a true and correct record.  Jim Carlin seconded this motion.

World Games Funding:

a)     It was suggested that we decide how much funding we are to give to the athletes attending the World Games. All were in agreement with this.

b)     It was agreed that we should pay for the flight for each athlete attending the World Games.  It was also agreed that if any one of these competitors were struggling to raise the money to attend these Games then the FHLTA would meet the costs.

c)      Should anyone raise any sponsorship for these Games that in turn should come back to the FHLTA.

d)     The committee have received an email from Lynne Holt asking for £2,000 to cover her costs of attending the World Transplant Games. 

e)     At the request of other committee members, Judith contacted Lynne to ask if she had applied to any other hospital/transplant association for funding.  Lynne replied to this telling us that she had not.

f)        By a majority vote it was agreed that the FHLTA should not give any funding to Lynne because the UK team is made up of competitors from other hospitals throughout the country and to expect the FHLTA to fund the costs incurred with the role as Team Manager is disproportionate. 

 British Games: 

a)          Graham told the committee, the British Transplant Games are to be held in Edinburgh later this year and accommodation is more expensive than other years and asked if the FHLTA would offer a subsidy of £10 per person per night along with the usual cost of the gala dinner and registration fee.

b)          It was agreed to offer each competitor a subsidy of up to £75 plus travel costs.

 Stationery: 

a)     Tony has done some enquiries re printing of new rule book and has been quoted £256 for 1000 books.  It was agreed to go ahead with this.

b)     It was suggested that the Organ Donor Register logo and telephone number was included on the back page of the rulebook.  Judith agreed to email this to the company who will be printing them

c)      Judith apologised that she had not done any follow up work on car stickers and promised to attend to it.

 Parking: 

a)       At the AGM in December, it was brought to the attention of the committee some members are finding the parking charges, at the hospital, expensive.  This is due to some being part of low-income families and having to make regular visits to clinic with long waiting times.

b)       Judith informed the committee that she had been given the name of the contact to write to at the hospital on this matter by one of our members, Mr Alf Brown, who was in attendance at the AGM. 

c)       It was agreed that Judith should write to the PCPI Office, Community Advisory Panel at Freeman Hospital to see if they could help us with this matter.

 Any other business: 

Date of next meeting: 

Monday, 5^th March 2007 at Tyne Youth & Community Centre, Chirnside House, Mariners Lane, Tynemouth.  NE30 4AT

 FHLTA/JB/17.1.07 

Minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 20^th November 2006
 at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle.

 Present: Tony Armstrong (Chair), Barrie Braidford, Judith Burgess, Graham Marsh and Adrian Woodcock.

 Apologies were received from Jim Carlin, Stuart Kaye, David Lyth, Derek Riley and Joan Whitney.

 Minutes of the previous meeting:  Tony Armstrong proposed that these minutes are accepted as a true and correct record.  Graham Marsh seconded this motion.

 Matters arising:  There were no matters arising from the previous minutes.

 Badminton Tournament 2007 – the final chapter.

 a)       Following the meeting of the badminton players on 11^th October 2006, David   Donkin emailed Judith Burgess saying that he has chosen to go alone.

b)       Judith replied to this and circulated her reply to all committee members.

c)        Since this Gerry Jardine has contacted Judith expressing his concern over the situation and felt that we should be supporting David in this venture and asked that his letter to be read at the AGM, as he is unable to attend.

d)       Judith suggested that he had not fully understood the situation.

e)       Graham went on to suggest that some of our members did not fully understand the situation and David Donkin should not have ‘hijacked’ a TSUK annual event to raise funds for the FHLTA.  Judith supported him with this statement and went on to say that if David Donkin wanted to raise funds for the FHLTA he should have done so by organising a totally separate event i.e. a sponsored event or coffee morning etc.

f)          Barrie suggested that the ‘Badminton Tournament 2007’ should be added to the AGM agenda.

g)       Graham went on to point out that Games is on the agenda and he would be willing to bring it up within this item.  All were in agreement with this.

 Annual General Meeting

 a)     As Tony is to be on holiday, Barrie is to chair the AGM.

b)     The catering has now been organised and 70 people are being catered for with the usual menu.  Soft drink will also be provided.

c)      Barrie is to purchase a box each of red and white wine and one case each of beer and lager.

d)     It was suggested that the 21^st Anniversary should also be added to the agenda under AOB, all were in agreement with this.

e)     As the incorrect minutes have been printed, Judith agreed to send the proper minutes to Graham who in turn will get them printed and bring them to the meeting.

 Celebrity Calling

 a)       Graham told all in the meeting that Virgin Radio had run a competition asking the general public to contact a celebrity, asking them if they would be willing to be interviewed on radio. 

b)       There were 153 celebrities involved and the general public had to vote for a winner.  The nominee would win £10,000 and their celebrity won £10,000 for their chosen charity.

c)       Graham contacted the Rt Hon Tony Blair MP who in turn contacted the radio station leaving a message saying that he was more than willing to be involved. Graham stated that if he won he would take out £3000 towards the cost of the World Games etc and the remaining money would be split between the Freeman Heart and Lung Association and Tyne Youth and Community Centre.

d)       Mr Blair was more than happy to be involved and he and Graham won the competition.  In turn, Mr Blair gave his £10,000 to Graham for his chosen charities.  This mean the FHLTA will gain £8,500 because of this venture.

e)       Since this Graham has been to the Prime Minister’s home for tea.

 Stationery

 a)     Tony will sort out the printing of new rulebooks on his return from holiday.

b)     Judith told the meeting that there are quite a few firms on the Internet who print car stickers.

c)      It was suggested that we include our web address on the new stickers.  All were in agreement with this.

d)     It was agreed that we have 1000 stickers printed and Judith agreed to make some further enquiries.

 Any other business

 a)     Barrie told the committee of a suggestion he had been given whilst in clinic – the suggestion that we use our bank interest to provide a holiday to the value of £250 twice yearly to transplant patients using their transplant number as a means of drawing out the lucky winner.  Although this was thought to be a good idea it was suggested it may be frowned upon by the Charity Commission

b)     Judith suggested that the next newsletter should be delayed until March due to the delay with the latest issue.

c)      Graham suggested that we award pin badges to celebrate landmark transplant birthdays, i.e. 10 years, 15 year, 20 years.

d)     Judith suggested sticking with the original FHLTA pin badges with a number put into the heart.

 Date of next meeting: 17^th January 2007 at 12.00 (noon) at the Tyne Youth and Community Centre. (Post Code: NE30 4AT)

 FHLTA/JB/20.11.06 

Minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 11^th October 2006
 at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle.

Present: Tony Armstrong (Chair), Judith Burgess, Jim Carlin, Graham Marsh, Joan Whitney and Adrian Woodcock.

Apologies were received from: Stuart Kaye

The meeting began by welcoming Adrian Woodcock as a member of the committee.

Any other business: