From the Chairman...
I am delighted and honoured to continue as Chairman in ASBAH’s 40th Anniversary year.
I know you are all familiar with ASBAH’s distinguished history during which many tens of thousands of individuals and families have received a huge range of support and help from ASBAH advisors.
But I am also conscious of the difficulties that so many families have experienced over the years and it is gratifying to know that the ASBAH team has always been there for them.
The 40th anniversary year is not just a time for looking back, but also the perfect opportunity for us to take stock of ASBAH’s position. We can look forward to the many challenges facing our service users and their families and examine how ASBAH can respond to those challenges.
ASBAH has just completed its new 5 year Strategic Plan to 2011 which reaffirms its commitment to service users. The Plan will ensure that ASBAH continues to give the advice, help and direction they and their families need to ensure they can get the most out of life.
After much discussion we also recently put together our response to the National Service Framework for Long-Term Neurological Conditions. For the first time in government policy, these conditions are identified as worthy of attention and quality services. It may only be words on paper at the moment, but it gives us a definite goal to work towards both, nationally and locally.
Almost three quarters of our affiliated local associations have now signed up to ASBAH’s ‘Compact’ to ensure that both locally and nationally, ASBAH is able to have a bigger voice on behalf of all of our service users.
One particularly exciting piece of news in our 40th year is the £224,000 award from the Big Lottery Fund to create and run, for three years, our national Helpline and Information Service. This helpline will mean that everyone affected by spina bifida or hydrocephalus will benefit from an additional source of information and support. Local associations can play their part to ensure that details of the Helpline are there, at the point of diagnosis in their area. The Helpline will make ASBAH accessible to more people than ever before.
With our adviser network, our website and soon, our Helpline, ASBAH’s service provision to individuals, families and carers; and to medical, education and other professionals has never been greater.
But a charity is only as effective as the people within it and I know that without the ongoing commitment and professionalism of the local associations, ASBAH staff and trustees, we could not achieve our aims. So I give my grateful thanks to you all.
My thanks also go to the trusts, companies and individual donors who give the huge financial support which enables ASBAH to carry out its vital work.
So ASBAH can not only enjoy celebrating this milestone anniversary year, but just as importantly, with all your help, we can all look forward to an even more successful future.
Richard Astle, ASBAH chairman