Members attending the 2007 AGM weekend received a very warm and enthusiastic welcome from members of our Staffordshire Area Group at the Holiday Inn, Newcastle under Lyme.
   The help and support given by the hotel staff added to the ease and comfort of the whole weekend.

   Having arrived and settled in on Friday afternoon delegates from the Area Groups held a co-ordinators meeting. This was well attended with thirteen groups being represented.

   Questions from Area Groups ranged around further ways of raising awareness amongst both patients and the public of the support proved by the Association. Discussion also highlighted the need for raising the profile and views of the Association in and through the media.

   Friday evening enabled old friendships to be renewed and new ones to be formed as small groups gathered together to chat.

   A range of activities were arranged for Saturday morning with visits being arranged to Trentham Gardens, The Italian Gardens, Monkey sanctuary, and also to the Wedgewood Visitors Centre.

   Prior to the AGM of the Association on Saturday afternoon George Hughes, a Stafford member told us the hospital visiting scheme operated by the group. This was told to us in a light hearted way but well illustrated the valuable support patients area able to give to others.

   Our President Sir Terence English in his address spoke of the need for patient groups and their ability to influence the provision of health care. Also of the need for such groups to come together with a common voice.

   In his Chairman’s Report Keith Jackson, as this was the Silver Jubilee year looked back to the beginning of the Association and the vision of our founded, Fred Roach MBE. A vision of providing a caring support to patients and their families which remains the centre tenet still today. He reviewed changes which have taken place in broadening the base of our work and then took a look into the future. What are the challenges facing the Association today?

   These hinge around providing a wider range of services to both Association members and others, growing the Association and speaking out as the leading independent support of cardiac patients.

   At the well attended Silver Jubilee Dinner we were able to welcome, along with their partners, Lord Mayor Councillor Jean Barker, who in her civic welcome spoke of how well the BCPA Stafford Group are known and received in the area and provided encouragement to expand our activity. Deputy Mayor of Newcastle under Lyme David Clarke welcomed us into the area and spoke of the many attractions to be seen, some of which had been taken in during the morning. Our President Sir Terence English KBE took as his theme “In the Beginning” and reviewed the developments in surgery and cardiac care over the past 25 years.

   Our final speaker Mrs Lynne Holt, now the transplant co-ordinator in Newcastle upon Tyne told us of the formation and development of the Association during her years working alongside Sir Terence and Fred Roach as a sister at Papworth hospital. All that remained was for our Chairman Keith to give a vote of thanks to our guests and to the Safford Group for all their hard work in making the weekend possible.

   Following the Dinner people gathered in the Disco and hotel lounges to enjoy the remainder of the evening.

   The Pictorial Record of the weekend serves as a welcome reminder to those present.

   To others an encouragement to attend a future BCPA AGM Weekend.