General Meeting

Thursday 20 February 2025 Breakfast Meeting Present • Andrew B, Andrew M, David K, Dave C, David M, Elaine, Fiona, Godfrey, Lesley, Maureen, Pat,Paul, Spyros Guest • Phil Lennard, Canterbury Forest of Blean, brought greeting from Paul Nolan. Speaker • Simon Pollard, CE Slow the mind Apologies • Gerry, Hilary, Ian, Jean, Kathy, Maggie, Marian, Nick, Sue, Trevor, Reggie, Pippa. Grace provided by Paul. Fundraising • Raffle prizes are needed for both the weekly raffle and the Quiz night on 12/04. Social • Final numbers for the bowling on 14/03, needed by today. Pat will book 2 lanes for a 17.30 arrival, to ensure time to complete games before hopefully heading to the Hampton Inn for a meal. • Pat also circulated a Bayliss Executive Coach travel brochure with holidays and day trips in that may be of interest to members. International • It is Shelterbox 25th anniversary this year and it is proposed we celebrate this with a fundraising beach party utilising Dave’s beach hut. There will be a cost per head which will be donated to Shelterbox. • Andrew B. has received an email from Emma Slade, Hearts of Bhutan, thanking the club for our recent donation. • Spyros informed the club of a variety of mobility and daily living aids that have been collected and were donated to PhysioNet. 1 Slow the Mind - Simon Pollard Simon gave a very interesting talk speaking from personal experience. He works with others to try and normalise the words mental health and suicide to enable open discussion in the same way the word cancer is now acceptable. Simon’s own metal health and alcohol issues were brought into focus with the birth of his grandchild. It made him realise being a functioning alcoholic with periods of memory loss was not where he wanted to be, he wanted to change and looked at developing coping strategies. Anxiety was discussed. It is a short step from anxiety to depression and to suicide. Research suggests all suicide is preventable. Suicide claims 6000 lives a year in the UK, many men under 40. Simon’s grandfather suffered PTSD after serving throughout the war and time as a prisoner of war, sadly no support was available and he tried to manage it with alcohol and anger, dying young having taken his own life. This was never mentioned in the family, Simon discovered this and feels he has inherited some of his grandfather’s trauma- which is now recognised as actually possible. Simon told us about walking the Penine Way last September, a basic pure and sensual experience, living in nature, camping out, it was amazing. People helped him along the way and generously donated to the charity. The charity is looking to buy a bus as a mobile, safe place that can travel to schools, towns, villages, etc. Any funding opportunities are welcome. Simon has 3 books he has written on the topic of mental health - a copy of each was bought for the club if anyone want peruse these. Raffle was won by Maureen - Prosecco. Master at Arms • Members were duly fined by Godfrey for a number of misdemeanours including parking outside the white lines, badges or a lack of, and rotating in Rotary! • Godfrey regaled story - van aerial disease - you had to be there � Final toast was given by Andrew B. Next meeting breakfast meeting 27/02 7.30 for 8am at the Plough