OMG it’s JULY!!! What a difference two months make, we have been busy with the Energise event in May, followed by our first Tai Chi in the park session, and we had a fabulous day at the carnival in June. All this hard work is paying off. The average attendance for May was up to 16 and June 14.5 up from 12.6 in April. Our Facebook group has increased to 406. In the 30 days prior to June 14th, we have had 615 visits on our website.
Let’s see what else we have been up to……

BOCCIA

If there’s ever an inclusive sport that brings out the team spirit and competitive nature of a bunch of Fibromites, it’s Boccia! Teams were4-a-side. The smaller teamshelped keepthefocus. 5/3 to the reds!We all thoughtthe floor was uneven,and the balls didn’t go where we wanted them to go LOL.The Boccia kit was borrowed from Active Erewash.

Symptom of the Month

Over the past two months we have explored Fibro Fog and looked at the difference between chronic fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Emotional Support

In May,Sue from Open Minds got us to take something out of the box but due to Fibro Fog, I haven’t got a clue what we did next lol. In June,Sue looked at Positive and Negative thinking.

Crafts

In May, Philippa one of our committee members who also helps run Inspirative Arts in Derby took us through our most dangerous craft yet; needle felting. You can see the concentration on everyone’s faces as they try not to prick their fingers. In June, Philippa steered the group into making the Fibro First Aid boxes that we are doing in partnership with Sue from Open Minds as part of coping skills.

Evening Tai Chi Classes

We will not be advertising any beginner’s courses this time at our evening classes at Broad Street Spiritualist Church on Thursday evenings. We have retained nearly all current students and have no capacity to start a new course.

Monday Petersham Classes

The Monday classes at Petersham Community Hall are going well. These courses are in Partnership with Strictly No Falling and are ideal for people who are at risk of trips and falls. The next new course will start on Monday July 8th. We have 10 places remaining for our Sun Style Short Form class 14.30 hrs. Cost is £5 a class, pay as you go. Our Tai Chi classes are open to anyone aged 18+. The movements are specifically designed to include people who otherwise find it difficult to exercise. This form is slow and gentle, ideal to start your Tai Chi journey. Our certified instructors have been trained to teach you safely and will make it easy to learn in a fun and relaxed environment.

Free Tai Chi in the Park Practice Sessions

Last Saturday in the Month, 10am – 11am at the flower gardens on West Park

Sadly, the weather wasn’t on our side again! However, the participants braved the down pours and they all finished this year’s Fibro 5 Challenge which was a cryptic clue treasure hunt. A big thank you to Open Minds for supporting the event and bringing their members down to take part. We had a table at the butterfly gates selling maps and then people finished at our gazebo. The weather rained off the stalls that didn’t have shelter and we found our team huddling under the gazebo to keep warm and dry until all participants had completed their treasure hunts.

Thank you to the Rugby Club for staying open a hot drink and sausage cob was just what we needed. We had a disappointing take up for the wellbeing village with only Live Life Better Derbyshire and Rachel Bates from Weleda along with Open Minds. There seems to be so many cuts that organisations have no longer got the manpower to attend many events. This is a big shame, as not everyone has access to the internet. With community shifting to the internet, it is those people that haven’t got it that we need to reach out to and connect face to face.

It was a beautiful day for our first Tai Chi in the Park practice session. There were 10 of us practicing our Tai Chi skills to a small audience. There were 4 people from Fibro Active classes, 5 from Impact Physio classes and a lady who came to join in who had been to the World Tai Chi event in April but had no experience.

The June Tai Chi in the Park was glorious. There were 12 of us in all. Three attended from outside the classes and were interested in joining us.

Carnival

Another beautiful day on West Park which brought the crowds in. We nearly sold out all but a handful of items. Thank you to Clair at Long Eaton Tesco who contributed to the tombola prizes. We also had some goody bags left over from Energise so we gave those away too.