Dogs from rescue centre are ideal to ‘buddy’ with service veterans

In writing about Eagle Radio’s Local Hero award to Roy Sellstrom BEM, I mentioned that I’m an occasional visitor to the charity he founded – Surrey Heath Veterans & Families – Listening Project.

The presentation at the September monthly meeting of the project was from Service Dogs UK. Two veterans suffering with PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder], related how training and building an emotional bond with a dog helps them overcome the effects of PTSD.

Presentations, such as these, are revelatory. What was surprising is that dogs selected to ‘buddy’ with PTSD sufferers are themselves likely to have suffered. Here’s the mission of Service Dogs UK:

Service Dogs UK trains and provides assistance dogs to support members of the Armed Forces and Emergency Services who have PTSD. We use dogs from rescue centres to achieve unique partnerships that will greatly enhance the lives of both.

Camberley’s Macmillan Cancer Support Committee at the cutting edge of donation technology

Irene Bothomley, the irrepressible chair of the Camberley Fundraising Committee of Macmillan Cancer Support,  bagged the key spot, by the door, in the exhibitors area at the Surrey Heath Business Breakfast last Friday.

Not only that, but she also proudly displayed her iZettle portable card payment device. Reckoning that the Camberley Fundraising Committee were among the first, if not the actual first, to use such a device to accept charity donations by card payment.

Eagle Radio’s Local Hero award to Roy Sellstrom BEM

It was Roy Sellstrom’s idea to create a support group for ex-forces veterans suffering with PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder] that should also included their family members. From small beginnings, the Surrey Heath Veterans & Families – Listening Project  serves a wider area than Surrey Heath, extending to Rushmoor Borough and beyond.

Seeing Roy being recognised for his outstanding work in Eagle Radio’s annual Local Heroes Awards is terrific. I should say that Roy is wonderfully supported by his wife Deborah, who’s an equal mainstay in the running of SHV&F-LP.

There’s a monthly meeting of the project on the first Tuesday of every month at the Sea Cadet centre in Gilbert Road, Frimley. Each month there’s a speaker from one of the many veteran support organisations. I occasionally attend a monthly meeting, and end up learning a lot from these presentations.

Surrey Heath Mayor’s charity wine tasting evening

This looks like a pleasant evening, and all for good causes.

Reminder: Tommorrow, give your jumble to Lightwater Scouts

Interested in trees – come along to the inaugural meeting of Surrey Heath Tree Wardens

Two Camberley residents, Trefor Hogg and Jerry Brownlee, are instigating a tree warden scheme for Surrey Heath, in conjunction the the Borough Council’s Arboricultural Officer.

They’re looking for tree wardens and helpers in every ward and village in Surrey Heath. I’m told that there are two volunteers in West End, in addition to Trefor and Jerry.

There’s an existing Surrey Tree Wardens Network, with Trefor and Jerry looking to establish the Surrey Heath element. Trefor says,

We will be holding our first full meeting on 25^th September 7:00 pm, in the Olive Room, The Link Building, St John the Baptist Church, Church Road, Windlesham GU20 6BL.

This is early notification of the meeting, an agenda will be published on Facebook shortly. If you’re interested to helping lease let jerry.brownlee@ntlworld.com or treforh@hotmail.com know if you’re intending to attend.

Always good to be in at the beginning. Trefor’s Facebook Page is HERE.

Fact: Surrey Heath is the greenest Borough and has the highest tree cover in Britain at 40.6%.

Here are a couple of interesting photos of trees in the borough, one of Phillyrea latifolia by Bagshot Station, and another of an unusually shaped Scots Pine in Lightwater Country Park.

Reminder: The not to be missed West End Ag & Hort Show tommorrow

My wife’s craft entry is complete, and the kitchen is taken over with her bread making for the West End Ag & Hort Show in Tringham Hall, marquee and recreation ground in Benner Lane. It’s a fun show, where the competition is fierce for the produce, flower, and craft categories. My dear wife is a previous winner in bread and craft. Though I’m only turning up as a visitor, it’s just as exciting for me to enter the hall and marquee after judging, to see the judges results.

There’s more information about the West End, Windlesham & District Agricultural and Horticultural Society Show’s Facebook page HERE.