Heathy Abingdon is in the Community Free Space, Bury Street, Abingdon from 21st to 26th May for Dementia Action Week.  Lisa Thompson was there on behalf of the Alzheimer’s society.

During the week, various groups are present to talk to the public: the Alzheimer’s Society, Dementia Oxfordshire, Carers Oxfordshire, Daybreak, Stowford and Abingdon Court care homes, Soha Housing and Fiddle Fingers Quilts. Details are on the web site www.healthyabingdon.org.uk.

Healthy Abingdon was set up a year ago to bring together groups and individuals to find ways to improve health and wellbeing in the town. There are over 200 community groups in the town that contribute towards peoples health and wellbeing in various ways from physical exercise to keeping the mind active or just having fun.  Dave Butterworth, the Chair of Healthy Abingdon says, ‘It is all about helping people keep well, recover faster from illnesses and cope better with long-term problems. These are all activities that the voluntary sector does well and could do even better in partnership with the NHS and social care services.’

One of the projects that Healthy Abingdon has just started is to make Abingdon more Dementia Friendly which involves, amongst other things, signing up more Dementia Friends and helping those who deal with the public to be more understanding of the needs of those with dementia.

Mind in Abingdon is a charity working to improve the wellbeing of our community.

They will be holding a series of 6 free workshops in June and July which are open to anyone.

The Workshops are experiential and allow participants the opportunity to try out different holistic approaches to improve and enhance their sense of wellbeing.

On Saturday 19th May, Mind in Abingdon are taking part in Oxfordshire Artweeks. The exhibition Visions invites you to explore our artistic response to Visions: experiences, dreams, and hopes within our life journeys.

At lunchtime today, town council staff closed the Ock Valley Walk having been informed of a Health and Safety risk on the bridge at the town end.

People will now walk down the alternative route along Ock Street and breath in all those traffic fumes. Let us hope the closure is not for too long.

As I understand it, from reading the Herald, doctor’s surgeries in Abingdon and surrounds have started opening at the weekend from this weekend. The Malthouse Surgery was open this morning …

as was the Abingdon Surgery for pre-booked appointments. I was also told that the Malthouse will be open tomorrow – Sunday. Surgeries will be working together, so you book through your own surgery but may get an appointment elsewhere depending on the rotation of who is open. It will also allow evening appointments to 8 pm.

The Malthouse will be taking on new GPs to cater with their extended hours, so I am not sure there will be room on the board for all 14 of them.

Both Dr Crossley, and Dr Buttar are now gone from the top of the board at the Abingdon Surgery, as younger doctors start heading up the practice.

There is also the minor injuries at the Community Hospital who are open to 10:30 pm. All this will hopefully reduce the burden on A&E at the JR.