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Our annual Fun Walks and our Patient and Carer Partnership meetings continue to be
successful with many attendees.

Our chairman, Ken Timmis, has been accepted as Patient Representative on the Patient and Carer
Network & College of Physicians and is the current President of Heart Care Partnership (UK),
the patient and carer arm of the British Cardiovascular Society.

There have been changes of Group Officials during 2009.
The new Patron is Dr. Andy frost, Clinical Director for Cardiothoracic Services at the Heart and Lung Centre,
this being a valuable connection for the Group with the Centre.

We also have a new Treasurer, Mr John Holder FCCA MloD, works in the Private Sector.
The third change, brought about by the retirement of our Secretary of 21 years, Mrs. Helen Murray,
is the appointment of Ms. Elaine Moreton, a Health Care Assistant in the Outpatient Department of the
Heart and Lung Centre, yet another valuable connection with the Centre.

We continue to present at the monthly education classes for new patients provided by the
Rehabilitation Department, handing out our Recipe Booklet to endorse the talk by the dietician.
In 2006 we donated £50,000 towards the cost of a Transeosophageal Echocardiography machine (TOE),
which assists surgeons by showing pictures of the back of the heart during an operation.
In the same year, to assist hospital finances, we pledged two years salary payments for an
Arrhythmia Nurse Specialist and also for a whole time equivalent in the Rehabilitation Department,
a total over two years of in excess of £150,000.
In 2008 the Wolverhampton Primary Care Trust picked up these salary commitments.
More recently we have undertaken to finance the Phase IV exercise programme in the community,
which involves paying for the services of two excercise Physiotherapists and the fees of four city Leisure Centres.

We have also become affiliated to Arrhythmia Alliance and begun vascular work with stroke organisations.
An ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) sub-group has been formed and is doing well.

In June 2008 the Group received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2008
for its work in providing support and representation for the patients and carers of the
Heart and Lung Centre at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton.

The award recognises the outstanding contributions made to local communities by groups
voluntarily devoting their time for the benefit of others.  The prestigious national honour,
which is equivalent to the MBE, sets the benchmark for excellence in volunteering, and the
activities of those awarded it have been judged to be of the highest standard.

This achievement is a tribute to all who have served the Group since its formation in 1985. 
Each has played a significant part, whatever the sphere of service, and all take a personal share
in the achievement.  Furthermore it goes without saying that each shares the gratitude of the rest
and also of every patient and carer who has made use of the Group’s services over that time.