June 2017 Breakfast: A timely tip, a worthy cause and a new member of the Chamber team
It was lovely to welcome back two old friends to our June 2017 breakfast as they have been unable to come to breakfasts for a while.
Jim Darrah, of J-Jaz, not only apologised for his long absence due to the pressure of work, and promised to do better but also came bearing gifts – HEEP, a home evacuation emergency plan.
In the wake of the terrible tower block fire in London, it makes sense for every household to have a plan for getting everyone safely out of the house if there should be a fire. The HEEP goes through the details from start to finish. From knowing where the front door key is to the pathways to get there. Ensuring there are no blockages on the route is part of the plan. It also includes regularly checking smoke alarms are working and having a destination planned once everyone has left the house.
Paul Johnstone
Another welcome returnee, Paul Johnstone, had been out of networking action for a different reason. In December 2015 he was diagnosed and had subsequent treatment for prostate cancer. It has been calculated that one in four cancer diagnoses per year is for prostate cancer. A total of 45,000 men.
Once he had been successfully treated, Paul decided to set up a new venture to raise money for a charity Prostate Cancer Research, which focuses on raising awareness, advising and trying to encourage men to check for signs so that they get an earlier diagnosis.
Working on the principle that laughter is the best medicine, he has set up the Suffolk Punch Comedy Club. The club will organise comedy night events for any organisation or group wanting to raise money for the charity. There are three formats, pre-watershed, post-watershed and adult which means they can be tailored to fit the audiences. The Club has approximately 400 comedians on its books.
He said laughter has a long history of being beneficial for people. It has been linked to the normal functioning of blood vessels, improving emotional health and social interaction. As a result, it has been found to lower stress and anxiety levels, just a few of the benefits.
Information from our Chairman
Allan welcomed our visitors:
Nigel Stead, from Driving Miss Daisy an Ipswich-based community companion service to accompany children, the elderly and anyone no longer able to drive, and Peter Basford, Lloyds Bank area director for business services, who is also on the board of Menta and the committee of the IoD (Institute of Directors) as well as mentoring businesses.
Allan also introduced our new bookkeeper, Suzanne Bloomfield, of SB Bookkeeping, who is now taking over our bookkeeping and bank reconciliation tasks, leaving Treasurer Kate Kelly with more time to concentrate on recruiting more members.
Tell us what you want
Allan is happy to receive any suggestions for what members want to see the Chamber doing in the future. Please send your ideas (and your want lists) to [email protected].
Dates for your diary:
| July Coffee Morning | July Breakfast |
| Needham Market Community Centre | The Bistro, Stonham Barns |
| Friday, 7 July | Friday, 21 July |
| 10am-noon | Starting at 6.45am |
For more information contact Keely Taylor
phone: 01449 770965
e-mail: [email protected]
Anyone who has a story to publicise should contact marketing officer Alison Withers:
