North East Local Event - Durham

Hotel Indigo photo

The Durham local event was the first to be held since the pandemic and it felt good to be back.

We welcomed 10 beneficiaries and their guests to the stunning Hotel Indigo which retains its grandeur from its former life as the County Hall. Deborah Jack, Executive Director, gave an informative talk on changes and future plans at the Trust. Carolyn, representing the NAC, gave an interesting talk on the NAC and how it communicates with beneficiaries. Katy Sagoe, Health & Wellbeing Director, after starting us with a quiz on thalidomide and the geographical spread of beneficiaries, spoke about current and emerging health issues.

After a leisurely buffet lunch, Dr. Susan Brennan spoke on pain management and the things we can do to help relieve it.

After the talks and over coffee we looked at some of the aids available such as dressing hooks and the beneficiaries took away a range of factsheets.

We received some great feedback from the beneficiaries who attended:

“I felt like I really belonged somewhere and that was lovely”

"There have been previous occasions where he has felt a bit of an ‘outsider’ at Trust events, but I was made to feel so involved. "

“Thank you so much for organising and hosting the Regional Meeting at the Hotel Indigo in Durham. It was the first beneficiary in person event that I have attended since the pandemic and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was good to meet some different people who live with thalidomide damage. The presentations were all excellent and full of helpful information. It was good to be able to take away hard copies of the factsheets as I still prefer that to endless reading online."

"Thank you to all the Trust staff and the NAC. Since Covid I have struggled with anxiety/lots of personal issues. I have really valued all the advice and support from the Trust and my fellow beneficiaries."

 

Event Photos