Brain Awareness Week members’ events 2010

Tees Valley, Durham and North Yorkshire Information Fair

In support of Brain Awareness Week, Tees Valley, Durham and North Yorkshire (TVDNY) Neurological Alliance hosted an Information Fair on 16 March 2010 in Bishop Auckland, Durham, designed to gauge interest in setting up a Peer Support Network.

There were 14 exhibitors, representatives of national ‘neuro’ charities, the Hospices, TVDNY and the North East Neurosciences Network with information leaflets sent from four more charities that could not have a presence on the day.

Also supported by a Movement Disorder Specialist Nurse and an MS Specialist Nurse, the day had a number of visitors with a range of neurological conditions and feedback from service-users and carers approved of the informality and friendliness. Discover the outcomes.

Outcomes

• A new-to-post Northern representative from Tourettes Action UK travelled from the Midlands to attend and was met by someone from Northumberland who had travelled to specifically meet with the representative.

• The Durham Commissioner and support officer attended and from meeting a person on the day, the commissioner has already taken steps to improve a ‘quality of life’ issue.

• The TVDNY Chairman, a Dystonia epidemiologist who has over 2,000 people in his epidemiology, met three new people with Dystonia.

• Twelve service-users and carers left contact details for further information.