The Grampian Support Group recently donated £5,050 to APF for research, which was raised from the groups own fundraising activities and gifts given to the group after a few members sadly passed away this year. The support group has gone from strength to strength since forming in 2013, with members not only supporting each other but the wider community.
Bruce Deans has remained Treasurer since his wife Audrey passed away a few years ago and Lorraine Strachan (Secretary), who has IPF, started volunteering to help get the group going again post Covid. Bruce and Lorraine have been instrumental to the support group's success, with close support from Alison Stewart (Scotland Support Coordinator) and Catherine Bamlett (ILD Nurse). Lorraine and Bruce share the groups inspiring story:
In 2013, Catherine Bamlett and Dr Owen Dempsey were keen to set up the Grampian Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group, bringing together a few IPF patients to provide information and much needed support. The group got back underway post Covid in 2022 and now has 48 people on the distribution list. The support group meets every other month for two hours and we always invite friends, partners and spouses to join us - with sandwiches, tea and biscuits on tap!
We discuss information sent by APF, making sure everyone is aware of the support available, including carers support and recent communications. Members can raise questions, share problems they are facing - often there is just a chat and friendships are made. We also organise guest speakers such as Dr Dempsey, Catherine and Oxygen Team Specialists. On the alternate months the group doesn't meet, members will often catch up over a coffee, lunch and Christmas dinner.
"This year 20 members went to the theatre to see an 'Officer and a Gentleman', this came about by a couple of the members highlighting they were embarrassed to attend the theatre with their oxygen packs. Solution - we all went to the theatre as a group, provided support and everyone had a great time."
Our support group is supported by the C Clinic of the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Dr Dempsey is a huge supporter of the group, who issues leaflets we made up for new patients so they are aware of the support group. To help others, our group provides fans to the C Clinic and they are distributed to those who will benefit from them. We donate 150/200 fans per year and we also donated two Bluetooth Oxymeters to the Oxygen Physiotherapists, which are financed by the groups own funds. We recently sourced Medical Alert Cards and key fobs that our members find helpful, which can be carried around alerting others about their medical conditions.
For Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month this September, we placed posters in the C Clinic, GP Surgeries, Libraries, Health Hubs, Coffee Shops to help raise awareness and earlier this year our support group member, Allan Bell, organised a Whisky Fundraiser to help raise vital funds for research. The fundraiser was a huge success, raising £2,550 and Whisky 1901 also donated a very expensive bottle of whisky to be auctioned by APF.
Unfortunately the reality is we lose members, our friends, and this is often where our donations come from that helps keep the support group running. In the last year we have received considerable donations from family members and we recently received a donation from Stacie Horne, who kindly raised £1,200 in memory of her Auntie, Alex Horne. As a group, we decided to gift these donations and other group funds to APF for research.
We would like to say a big thank you to the Grampian Support Group for their very generous donation and for the incredible work they do for the pulmonary fibrosis community. If you would like to join the Grampian Support Group or a group local to you, please visit our Support Group page for further details.
If you would like to help us create a better future for everyone affected by the disease, there are lots of ways you can get involved.