At the start of her year as Federation President, Sue Williams asked us to ‘Think On It’ – to talk about mental health and the importance of speaking out and raising awareness. To coincide with World Mental Health Day we arranged a ‘Think On It’ event and were joined by friends, family and members of other Clubs in the South Lancashire Region. Three speakers gave us an insight into various aspects of mental health – Sarah Pritchard spoke about her work at Stockport Women’s Centre with women who have been involved with the criminal justice system and have experienced anxiety, stress and trauma. Alison Forster is studying for a MSc in Sport, Physical Activity and Mental Health at Edge Hill University; she emphasised how important physical activity is to everyone’s mental health. Fii Pendaeli is a psychiatrist (and one of our newer members) – she

Catherine and Hilaria were presented with their badges and welcomed to the Club by President Elect Rose at our September meeting.

he speaker at our October meeting was Elizabeth Muir from Medical Detection Dogs. The charity was established in 2008 and is at the forefront of research into the diagnosis of cancer and in helping people with life-threatening diseases. Bio-Detection Dogs are able to find the odour of diseases, such as cancer, in samples of urine and breath. Medical Alert Assistance Dogs detect changes in an individual’s personal odour and alert them or a carer to an impending event. The dogs receive the highest standards of care – living in the homes of staff or volunteers where they are loved and cared for as part of the family. Hilaria gave the vote of thanks and presented a cheque; the charity receives no government funding and we were please to be able to give a donation towards their work.

To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre, members joined the march to St. Peter’s Fields on 16th August. Liberty caps were in evidence to symbolise freedom and democracy.