letter from
the branch chairman
August 2007
Dear Branch Supporter,
I am writing to you to ask for your support to the North East
Hants Branch of the MND Association.
Firstly with sad news, for those who may not have heard, Chris
Parsons died suddenly on June 19th. Ted and I wrote
to Sandra Leary, Chris’ wife’s cousin, with a tribute outlining
the enormous contribution Chris made to the Branch. I have
attached a copy of this tribute to this bulletin. Sadly this
loss has left a huge hole in our committee. So we can keep the
Branch running in accordance with the Association’s constitution
we need your help. Peter Newbery has offered to be co-opted on
to the committee so we have sufficient people to remain viable
for the present.
As many of you will know, Chris carried out his fundraising and
secretarial roles activities for the Branch like a part time
job. This involved contacting potential sponsors, organising
publicity with local newspapers, circulating advertising
leaflets as well as co-ordinating ticket sales.
With now only a small committee, we have decided that we are
unable to run the Jazz Evening on November 3rd and
have cancelled this event. We did not feel able to sell enough
tickets to make the event profitable.
Our next event therefore will be our ‘Thank you Evening’ for
supporters and friends on November 28th at
Ravenscroft Community Centre Hook at 8.00pm.
This letter is asking for your support!
We
recognise that Chris’s efforts were often above and beyond the
call of duty, and that not everyone can offer similar levels of
energy, time and commitment. However, there are a variety of
smaller roles that would suit someone who is willing to give
just a couple of hours per month :- minutes secretary,
collecting, organizing fund raising and awareness events, making
tea or a cake for the day time meetings.
Please return the reply slip
if
you are able to help us.
Linda and Ruth are our Association Visitors. Training is given
by the Association and this vital to the local families that are
supported.
Perhaps I can ask you to return the
reply
slip (click to download a copy) as I am sure our supporters
have many talents we can put to use to keep the Branch afloat.
Yours sincerely
Coral Smith,
Branch Chairman
PS. Esther will be producing our next newsletter at the end of
September and it will be good to report that extra help is on
hand.
The next Daytime Get Together is on September 5th
in Chineham Basingstoke. for further information please contact
Linda Ingham on 01252 682749 or e-mail linda_ingham@hotmail.co.uk
tribute to chris parsons
We wanted to write a few words from the North East Hants Branch
of the Motor Neurone Disease Association as Chris put in so much
energy to work for the Branch. Chris joined us in 1996 when we
were under the chairmanship of Ted (Mr E Eves). The minute note
says
‘following contact from
Basingstoke Volunteer Bureau, the secretary is to contact Chris
Parsons reference volunteer activities in the group and a
meeting
was arranged for 15th April. Roger Sado to
investigate the possibility of Chris being local contact,
fundraising co-ordinator and committee member. (Post meeting
Chris has agreed to be local contact, fund raising co-ordinator
and committee member.)
So Chris joined us for his first committee meeting in May 1996.
As Ted was chairman at this time he adds his memories.
The Branch had been successfully launched in 1991 with a very
active and enthusiastic Committee, but we had come to a point
where changes were happening. Our first secretary had resigned
and we now had Roger Sado actively pursuing the secretary role,
our Fund Raiser who had initiated a number of events, Ray Cook,
had sadly died so Roger went to Volunteer Bureau to seek a Fund
Raiser. It was our good fortune that Chris Parsons had at that
this very moment registered an interest with Basingstoke
Volunteer Bureau to offer his services.
From the very outset it was clear that Chris would pursue with
vigour any event which the Committee felt may appeal to the
members and at the same time make money. Chris was quite clear
that his events were for generating income any social benefit
was welcome but not his primary aim. He always consulted
committee about the coming year’s programme in plenty of time to
be able to get arrangements and reservations made to ensure that
all would be well. His ability to seek out information on the
most unlikely proposals was remarkable.
During my time as Chairman I always felt reassured that Chris
would comply with whatever conditions the local authorities and
landlords of premises would require and that any financial
dealings would be scrupulously honest. His record keeping was
most impressive he kept close records of all of the events so
that year by year comparisons could be made so avoiding
repeating events which were not worthwhile. The number of
companies that Chris would contact for financial support and or
raffle prizes was staggering, he was never deterred by the
numerous refusals, we must mention Lyn’s piles of typing for
Chris at his point. It was a great pleasure to work with Chris
and the Branch greatly benefited both financially and socially
from work. His role as Association visitor was also very welcome
particularly by the men living with MND.
Chris had to take a break from helping us in 2004 while he
cared for Sheila and we all admired his willingness to return to
us full of enthusiasm, it was pleasing that his new venture, The
Old Tyme Music Hall in collaboration with the Foresters had been
so very successful, he achieved his private figure of over a
£1000 raised from a single event.
Just to show the energy that Chris had, he joined us for a
collection at Fleet Services in August 2005 that year and by
November 2005 we had co-opted him back as a committee member.
Since this time Chris has put in the same energy into Street
Collections, Jazz Concerts, and recently working with the Loddon
Vale Foresters to run a Old Tyme Musical Evening which was
enjoyed by all who attended. Even on the 23rd June we
were out in Basingstoke during awareness week collecting for the
Motor Neurone Disease Association on a collection organised by
Chris.
So as you can imagine we are all shocked by the sudden death of
Chris and it leaves a huge space in our current committee,. I
personally with our Branch Committee and members want to say
thank you for the tireless energy and organisation put in by
Chris and he will be sadly missed.
Coral Smith and Ted Eves
