Jul-Sep 2019

PLACES AVAILABLEMoveMe - physio-led exercise classes

Our latest Newsletter (July 2019)

Our latest NEWSLETTER

It's been a long while since our previous Newsletter appeared in January. We're sorry about the delay, but we think it's been worth the wait. The Newsletter is now available in a web edition specially designed to be easy to read on-screen and we hope you'll like it! If you prefer the two-column booklet layout, you'll find a link where you can download it to your computer.

Oxford Walk for Parkinson’s 2019

Our biggest fundraiser of the year, the Oxford Walk for Parkinson’s, took place on Sunday 22^nd September, with about 170 walkers taking part. Proceeds from the Walk are earmarked to support Dr Laura Parkinnen’s research at Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre. Full details of the event are at this link on the Parkinson’s UK website.

Researcher's public engagement is honoured

We’re delighted to learn that Dr Julien Carponcy has received the Director’s Award for Public Engagement at the MRC Brain Networks Dynamics Unit here in Oxford. Julien received the award for his work in setting up the In Control By Design project - a fascinating inter-disciplinary activity involving researchers, people with Parkinson’s, Pitt Rivers museum staff, and artists. Several Branch members are involved and have already attended the first two project workshops. You can learn more about the award on the MRC BNDU website at this link.

Picnic at Blenheim Palace, 11^th July 2019

Once again we enjoyed a picnic together in the wonderful setting of Blenheim Palace’s Pleasure Gardens. It’s an ideal location with easy level access, convenient facilities, and shade under handsome trees. We are very grateful to the Palace for generously offering us free admission and for providing very helpful staff who moved tables and chairs to suit our needs.

QUEEN'S AWARD FOR SWINDON BRANCH

We are thrilled that our good friends in Swindon Branch have been granted the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. The award was formally presented to Dave Logan and his team by Sarah Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, on 17^th July.

You can read more about the background to this prestigious award in an article in the Swindon Advertiser at this link.

Apr-Jun 2019

STAY SAFE!How to avoid falls

World Parkinson's DayOur April Photo Festival

£4000 raised!Glitzy 20s Fundraising Ball!

WARNING!Warning over unproven treatments

NEW EDITIONWelcome and Programme Leaflet

We have updated our pocket-sized welcome and programme leaflet covering a full year from April 2019 to March 2020. Printed copies are available at Branch meetings or from any committee member, and you can read it online here.

Recordings of Branch Meetings

An increasing number of the talks at our Branch meetings are now available online as recordings or screencasts. You can find more here on our archive pages.

Jan-Mar 2019

With BBC documentaryGDNF clinical trial results

Stay healthy this winter!

Pub Quiz in Headington

David Salisbury is holding a series of Pub Quizzes where Parkinson's-related questions replace some of the other questions. Players will have to "cheat" to answer the PD questions. Asking the players to research the answers is an effective way of increasing their awareness of PD. The awareness level is reinforced by a short speech/Q&A.
The first of this year's quizzes took place at the Butcher's Arms in Headington on 24th February.

Let them eat cake!

Please don't write in to tell us that Marie Antoinette never said that. We know.

At our January Branch meeting we had not one but TWO fabulous cakes to celebrate the Branch's twentieth birthday. Many thanks to Pen Keyte for the chocolate cake and Rachel Hawes for the lemon and white chocolate. You can find the chocolate cake recipe here on the BBC Good Food website.

Welcome Leaflet available

The Winter 2018-2019 edition of our handy pocket-size welcome leaflet is now available, with details of the current committee, our programme for the next few months, and useful contact information. Paper copies are available from any Committee member, or you can see the leaflet online using this link.

Oct-Dec 2018

NEWParkinson's at Public Health Film Festival

Our Branch honoured at carers conference

Jo's Farmoor walk raises over £250!

Recently Jo de Goris, a member of our Branch, completed a sponsored walk around Farmoor Reservoir and raised £251.50 for our funds. Well done Jo, a great achievement and a fantastic example of what someone can do despite Parkinson's symptoms!

Parkinson's UK AGM and Members' Day

On 20th October a small group from our Branch attended the charity's Annual General Meeting in Birmingham. This year the event was greatly expanded into a valuable and thought-provoking Members' Day. You can read a report of our visit on our News page.

All successfully completed! Sponsor our supporters in their challenges

Many of our members, friends and supporters took on amazing challenges in 2018 to raise funds for Parkinson's charities. They're all on our 2018 sponsorships page.

Jul-Sep 2018

New issuesNewsletter and Welcome Leaflet

NOW DUE200 Club SUBSCRIPTIONS

Poetry and music

Our member Jenyth Worsley took part in a reading of poetry with music. The collection for our branch raised £150 and Peter, one of the musicians, spoke movingly about his father's Parkinson's.

Over £17,000 raised! Oxford Walk 2018

Despite a very damp start, everyone was in good spirits for the 2018 Oxford Walk on Sunday September 23^rd. As always the route around our lovely city was well signposted, and comprehensively marshalled by Branch and other volunteers. We had over 200 walkers this year, a record number. Later the sun came out to make a fitting end to a great day.
As always, Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre (OPDC) provided a big team of walkers and helpers. We were also very happy to welcome Beccy Oliver and others from the Bracknell branch.
Parkinson's UK has a gallery of pictures of the event here.

Parkinsons.Me community garden opening

On 15^th September our good friends at Parkinsons.Me formally opened their Community Garden in West Lockinge. The garden was looking wonderful and will provide a delightful haven for relaxation and therapeutic pottering for Parkies and anyone else. Our warmest congratulations to Ewan Stutt and his fantastic team for their heroic efforts in bringing this project to life.

Hotdogs and Puddings at Horton-cum-Studley

Richard and Rachel Hawes hosted a truly fabulous lunchtime event for about 100 people in their beautiful garden. Look at the incredible array of puds! The weather was almost too hot, the setting wonderful, the company delightful and the food brilliant. Many thanks to Richard, Rachel and their team for staging this superb gathering and for coping seamlessly with the failed water supply in the village!

Apr-Jun 2018

Another successful Cream Tea event

Our ever-popular Cream Tea was held in Longworth this year. It was a great social event with about 60 people attending, and raised over £470 through donations, raffle and plant sale. Our warmest thanks to Paul and Ros for their generous hospitality.

Jan-Mar 2018

Media coverage and special events

A group for working age people with Parkinson's

All our Christmas 2017 cracker jokes

Parkinson's centre-stage at London conference

Our Chair, Sally Bromley, was honoured to present a talk on Learning from Lived Experience as part of a conference on implementing the new NICE quality standard for Parkinson's. The event was promoted by Healthcare Conferences UK, and took place on Friday 16th March 2018 in London. Full details of Sally's talk are available on our site at this link.

IMPORTANT CORRECTION to Branch Welcome Leaflet

Unfortunately an error crept into our Winter 2017‑8 Branch Welcome Leaflet. The phone number for our Local Adviser, Delia Wells, was incorrectly printed in two places. The correct number is 0344 225 3679.
An up-to-date version of the leaflet is always available at this link.

Oct-Dec 2017

Winter 2017 Newsletter now available!

Conference videos now available

Layla Moran MP visits our exercise and voice classes

Parkinson's advocacy at 10 Downing Street

The funny side of Parkinson's in the news

Parkinson's UK at Microsoft Charity Hackathon

At the beginning of December, Jonathan Bromley represented Oxford Branch when a team from Parkinson's UK spent two busy days at the UK headquarters of software giant Microsoft. This 4-minute video explains all!

The Hamiltons complete their journey

On September 1^st at around 3.30pm, Nigel and Debbie Hamilton rode into Durham Cathedral's precincts, completing their 350-mile northward cycle marathon. Our huge congratulations to them both. Full details on their blog.

Promising research results

On our research information page we have the latest news of an exciting new drug trial, with links to many resources where you can learn more.

Photo gallery

Take a look at our photo albums (on Flickr) where we're building a collection of photos of Branch activity. If you have photos you would like to share, or ideas for what we should include, please let us know at admin@oxfordparkinsons.org.uk or speak to any Committee member.