To make reading easier for you all we will divide the newsletter into two parts. The first section mainly for you at home, our visitees - the second section being mainly for your visitors. Lets hope it all makes for interesting reading.

As you may know, we are having another Strawberry Tea-Party on Thursday the 14th of June, at 3.00pm, again at Girton College. Anyone who has not sent for a party invitation, and now wishes to come, can fill in the form at the end of this letter and return by the 31st May to me, John at 11-12 Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1QA. So far we have about 50 of you coming, so it should be fun. We have a singing group to entertain you and of course cakes and strawberries and cream.

Click here to print off the form

If possible, we will be writing all party-goers nearer the time to let you know who will be transporting you and approximate collection times to be ready by.

Girton has special toilets for the disabled which will be useful for some of you. However, the first-aiders we have booked cannot lift any of you who can’t get from your wheelchair with just a little support from them. It’s something to do with the Red Cross insurance policy to prevent them injuring their backs (most homes and hospitals now have lifting hoists, which Girton doesn’t), so please give ‘toileting’ serious consideration please.

Some of you have access to a computer - you may like to look out for our new web site which we plan to use for publishing this newsletter and to recruit more visitors. Look for www.srcf.ucam.org/contact 

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TRUSTEES:

A warm welcome to Gillian Moore who has already spent many years helping CONTACT as a student visitor and recent co-chair of our student committee..

THE WAITING LIST

Lots of you are still waiting for a visitor - our success has attracted more visitees than we can supply students for. To date there are 60 of you waiting for visitors. We loose around 30 visitors who graduate each year so we need to recruit up to 90 new visitors in the autumn! We will do our best.

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Thank you all for the important work you do. Many isolated and lonely folk depend on the contact you give them. If any of you have friends who may be interested in becoming a volunteer for CONTACT, give them our office phone number (01223 360441) and we will send them details and an application form.

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A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS....

There now follows, and you'll have to excuse my enthusiasm, a rather brief
example of my favourite aspect of Contact, namely the chance to share
stories and experiences. It is through stories often that we gain advice and
guidance - the power of the parable remains undiminished. For those of us
students immersed in our limited academic world, these tales not only remind
us of the outside world, but help remind us of the ways of reaching it.

Following my altruistic introduction, it seems sadly necessary to tarnish
our halos. Here at Contact, we're not all as unselfish as we seem. You think
we just come round for a lovely cup of tea and a chat - actually we're
looking for gossip and good stories. For example, I visit Joy, who used to
work in Italy as an English nanny. Italy has always provided a connection
between us; I used to live there. So we can speak of the countryside and the
songs and the handsome men (and women!) and the food and the wine and so
forth.

The real highlight, however, are Joy's anecdotes. Occasionally Joy will hint
at some of the people she has looked after over the years. I must confess,
there is a sneaking thrill to be found in discussing the domestic
arrangements of a Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Not all of her
charges were so famous, but they were always unique.

Certainly this is proof that everyone has a story to tell. The range of
experience shared by the reader's of these words is frankly overwhelming. At
Contact, one of our main aims is to ensure that such knowledge and joy (sic)
are never lost. So, as a visitor, a request - keep talking! Cup of tea,
anyone?
 

Adrian Greystoke - joint chair and visitor for CONTACT

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More Party matters:

Fill in the form (unless you have already sent one), if you’d like to join us at the Strawberry Tea-party on the 14th June 2001, Girton College, 3.00 pm. Our transport will need to start collecting many of you soon after 2.00 pm, so please be ready and near to your door. If you live in sheltered accomodation or care accomodation, please tell your Warden or Home Manager about the Party

A University Charity funded by Cambridge City Council and University Colleges. Registered Charity No 800834