BrainIAC Activities – April & May 2009

Petition Update

The Public Petitions Committee (PPC) met again on Tuesday 19^th May 2009 (postponed from 31^st March) in Parliament to consider responses expected from two organisations invited to submit comments. In the event the Committee only took a few minutes to note that no comments had been received; so the Committee agreed to again write to the Scottish Government and the Association of Directors of Social Work seeking responses to specific points. Both these bodies have been asked to respond by 21^st August – so clearly the next PPC meeting will not be until September or October 2009 – painfully slow progress!

In the meantime BrainIAC had already responded to the Scottish Government’s previous letter:

(PE1179/H Scottish Government letter of 5 February 2009 (364KB pdf))

in our letter (PE1179/I: Petitioner letter of 14 M

arch 2009 (25KB pdf) )

Link to index of all Comments & Letters submitted: – (http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/petitions/petitionsubmissions/sub-08/08-subIndexForPE1179.htm)

WATCH THIS SPACE for date of the next PPC Meeting .

Other events -

Forth Rail Bridge Abseil No.2

On 19^th April HelenM , this time accompanied by Ross and Michael (both staff in the Griffin Bar, corner of Bath and Elmbank Streets, Glasgow – opposite the King’s Theatre), completed another sponsored abseil 165ft down from the Forth Rail Bridge onto the shore at South Queensferry to support BrainIAC’s and Momentum’s funds – mind you, after last year’s abseil Helen said she "would NEVER EVER DO anything like that again" !

So well done Michael, Ross & Helen (again).

Sponsorship monies for the event are still coming in.

Brain Injury Awareness Week

11 –17^th May 2009

(Evening Times Story during Action for Brain Injury Week)

A Glasgow mum spent a whole week dressed in pyjamas and a crash helmet. Campaigner Helen Moran performed the stunt to raise cash and awareness of brain injury. Helen was the victim of a brain injury herself when she sleep-walked out of her bedroom window and fell 30ft.

Helen said: "People come up to you and say 'you're in pyjamas, what's going on?' I tell them it's for brain injury awareness week. You do get some funny looks, but I don't care.”

Helen added: "You can, at the moment, legally get on a bike without wearing a crash helmet. I don't agree with that. So many brain injuries are caused in bicycle accidents. There should be a change in the law to make it illegal."

MSP Paul Martin, who is a member of the committee, told the Evening Times: "Helen has done an excellent job raising awareness of her organisation. It's extremely important that we recognise the real challenges that people who suffer brain injuries face."

By Ewan Fergus, Evening Times (ewan.fergus@eveningtimes.co.uk)

All the week our Helen wore the helmet and pyjamas

to raise funds for

BrainIAC,

Headway Glasgow,

& Child Brain Injury Trust (CBIT)

Yet again we say:

" Well done Helen ! "

Again, monies for Helen’s dressing-up activities are still coming in.

And, . . . . . . . in connection with child cycle safety,

Headway UK have launched a petition on the subject of cycle helmets –

asking the UK Government to introduce

compulsory cycle helmets for under-16s.

In the last 3 years, Department of Transport fi

gures say that the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on UK roads has increased by 11%.

Children make up a disproportionate number of the victims.

If you want to find out more and sign up, then go to:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/helmets-cycling

Exhibition Stall at Scottish Parliament

19 – 21^st May 2009

BrainIAC had the opportunity to operate a stall exhibiting a variety of information about our organisation and more generally about Acquired Brain Injury and its Awareness within the Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood. Positioned up on the same level as the debating chamber, we had quite some number of ‘passing traffic’ (especially MSPs on the final day) who were interested enough to stop and enquire about us and the general subject.

We had a variety of helpers on a day-to-day basis, who included Neill_S, LorraineK (see inset image above), MarkZ, AlanA, and, of course, the ubiquitous HelenM.

After dismantling the stall, MarkZ about to ‘take off’ through the Edinburgh streets with (or was it without?) HelenM’s ‘Pink-a-Dink’ suitcase containing all our pin-up exhibits.

Overall, this event was well worth doing,
and allowed us to make some useful contacts.

Next BrainIAC Meeting:

Thurs 25th June 2009 12noon – 2pm

at Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland Hub (LTCAS) 349 Bath Street, G24AA
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As we have recently joined the Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland (LTCAS) , we are having our 2nd meeting in their Hub at the Venlaw Building, 349 Bath Street, G24AA , Tel 404 0231, (beside the KING’S THEATRE)

Please come along and hear what’s been going on. HOPE YOU CAN MAKE IT.

Details of LTCAS Offices are given below and on the attached map:
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The LTCAS Hub is situated on the lower ground floor of the Venlaw Building, 349 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4AA.

As shown on the attached map, The Hub is close to Headway Glasgow, but if you are coming by train to Charing Cross, then when you come out from the station onto Bath Street then turn the other direction (LEFT) and the Venlaw Building is immediately on your LEFT.

The following bus routes stop very close to the Venlaw Building on Bath Street:

23, 42, 42A, 44, 44A, 47, 57, 59, and the 62 and 11 travel along St Vincent Street and West George Street (depending on one way system) - take the same bus(es) as you would for Headway in the Renfield St Stephens Centre
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