The Mobile Resource Unit (Bus)

The Parky Brain Of The Borders Trophy (3)

The Borders Branch of the Parkinson’s Disease Society was started in the year 2000 by Mr Gary Hattie, this was a chance for sufferers of the disease and their families to meet and talk to other local people in a situation similar to themselves and seek comfort from others who know and understand what they were going through.

In the last three months of the 20^th Century the Mobile Resource Unit travelled around the Scottish Borders discovering what people with Parkinson's disease, needed and wanted in the local area.  On Monday 31 January 2000, the first meeting was held of the Borders Branch of the Parkinson’s Disease Society in the Committee Rooms at the Borders General Hospital.  Even today Gary Hattie’s favourite memory of the group is walking in and seeing so many people there. 12 meetings later and the Branch has outgrown the Committee Rooms and moved to the Chaplaincy Centre at Borders General Hospital.

The needs of the group have also been helped with the start of the Wednesday Day Hospital once a month to allow sufferers regular access to see physiotherapists, specialist doctors, nurses, etc.

Gary’s inspiration for starting the group came from the months he spent with the Mobile Resource Unit discovering the needs of the people affected by the disease.  He identified a gap in the care given to sufferers of Parkinson’s disease and their families in the Scottish Borders.  “"The fact that there was nothing there for sufferers of the disease, and having spent 3 months with the mobile resource unit I discovered that the need was there even if the facilities weren’t."  The aim of the Branch is that it intends to continue to provide help and support, in order to improve quality of life of sufferers of Parkinson’s disease and their families within the Scottish Borders.

The Branch meets regularly on the last Monday of every month, excluding a summer vacation.  There is always fun to be had at the meetings with quizzes, games, competitions, crafts and speakers invited along to talk on subjects of interest to the branch members.  Also an event much anticipated is the yearly Christmas party.

The ongoing Parky Brain Of The Borders Quiz is a regular 6 monthly event which is held in April and October of each year.

The branch has organised day trips, including a visit to The Falkirk Wheel, Moffat, Ocean Terminal and many more. The branch has also organised some holidays for members.  In the past destinations have included Belgium in 2005, Holland in 2006, and Lytham St Annes in 2007, with hopefully a few days somewhere nice this year.

These holidays are accompanied by medical personnel.  This enables members who live alone or require extra help, to enjoy a holiday confident in the knowledge that they are being looked after while still maintaining their independence.

In 2010 Parkinson's Disease Society changed it's name to Parkinson's UK.

Parkinson's Disease

(Some Basic information)

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition affecting movements such as walking, talking, and writing. It is named after Dr. James Parkinson (1755-1824), the London doctor who first identified Parkinson's as a specific condition.  

Parkinson's is found all over the world. Exact global figures are not always available, though it is estimated that four million people worldwide have the condition. 

Generally, in the UK : 

• One in 500 people, around 120,000 individuals have Parkinson's

• About 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed each year

• Symptoms first appear, on average, when a patient is older than 50

• One in 20 of those diagnosed each year will be aged under 40 years

• Statistically, men are slightly more likely to develop Parkinson's than women

For further information on the disease please visit Parkinson's UK home page by clicking on the link below:-