Hearts & Minds Support Group
A self-help group that helps patients and carers face the future
Next meeting: 2nd April 2025 - Steve will be hosting a Quiz Night for the April meeting. We will have teams of 6 at £3 per head. So please bring along your friends and your own refreshments for a fun night out.
- Meeting Venue: Steeple View Memorial Hall, Willowfields, Laindon, Basildon, Essex, SS15 4EQ
- Our meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month
Hearts & Minds' Objectives
- To increase awareness of heart disease, its causes, treatments, implications and help available.
- To provide social and personal contact with people who share and understand their needs and problems.
- To liaise with existing groups, organizations and institutions in this and related fields.
- To promote and provide support on aftercare for patients, partners, and carers when resuming home and social life.
Hearts & Minds is a self-funding and voluntary group, which has been started by people with heart problems so that they can offer support and information to others in the Basildon & District area who are suffering from heart problems. These problems include angina, heart attack and other heart related problems.
As heart disease has a tremendous impact on an individual’s whole family, Hearts & Minds objectives encompass those who care for the sufferer too. Someone who has experienced problems with their heart is undoubtedly in a good position to offer comfort and hope to those who are suffering from heart related illnesses and Hearts Minds have members who can be contacted by anyone needing help to come to terms with their illness.
There are many fears and worries experienced by people with heart disease and heart related illnesses. Sharing these with others helps to lessen the load. Hearts & Minds hold regular meetings where members can share problems and experiences.
We have speakers who give interesting and informative talks related not only to heart disease but on a number of topical and social subjects. Membership of the group is free so that anyone who needs our help and support can join us.
Latest News
At the December 2024 meeting Steve organised a very special treat for us - as his Grandson Sydney and his new dance partner Halle - gave a stunning demonstration of their wonderful Ballroom Dancing skills.
Sydney has been twice a Junior National Champion in Quickstep for 9 - 10 age group, and was 3rd in the National Finals for Latin in the 10 - 11 age group. He has also danced at the iconic Tower Ballroom at Blackpool.
Sydney and Halle have only been dancing together for a few months but have had a very successful start to their partnership - winning all competitions they have entered. They have also both danced at the Empress Gardens Ballroom which is part of the Winter Gardens complex in Blackpool.
Steve has said he hopes they will be able to return for a further treat during 2025 - so we are looking forward to seeing them in the future.
Online Skills
One of the areas that the pandemic has highlighted is the need to provide more support and training for online activities, whether that be work related, leisure related or as mentioned above, being able to access health care.
There are a quite a few initiatives out there now that are free to access. Below are a couple of links that you may find useful as starting points.
- The first is the Learn My Way initiative:
https://www.goodthingsfoundation.org/learn/learn-my-way/ - The second is run by Lloyds bank limited and whilst primarily aimed at business use, might provide some helpful information:
https://www.lloydsbankacademy.co.uk
British Heart Foundation - Heart Matters
Some of you already subscribe to this excellent newsletter. If you would like to subscribe (it’s free) the link for signing up can be found at https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-subscribe
It has some really useful and informative articles, for example in this month’s edition are a list of the 10 most healthy breakfast cereals. (Porridge without added salt or sugar is the best).