And the Winner of YDC 124 is......................................

[emmily121]

I'm sorry. I do normally have the competition bit in the listing but the bread was listed at after 11pm on the 24th and was a bit rushed. I did have the is a charity auction and I do believe I fulfilled all the other criteria.

Country I did have 3 items there were not in the competition as I only ran them for 3 days.

Just let me know if it is decided I am not winner.

I will tell you a little more about the Laurencekirk Thursday Group:

We live in South Aberdeenshire, which is a huge rural geographical area with not a lot of services. Until 7 years ago we were able to access health services in Angus, the next county as it was much closer than Aberdeen. 2 political decisions were made at that time, one was to close down the existing mental health hospital at Sunnyside in Montrose, the second was that Aberdeenshire patients could no longer be seen across county borders and that we would have to travel the 40 odd miles to Aberdeen.
The group was initially formed by 6 former patients of Sunnyside because for various reasons we couldn't travel to Aberdeen on our own. (I was one of the 6)
We asked the local Mental Health Team if there was anything they could do to assist us and they agreed that they would supply both a CPN (Community Psychiatric Nurse) and a support worker to the meetings and that they would pay for the hire of the hall.
Within a month the CPN identified 14 people that would benefit from this service.
So in October 2007 we started weekly meetings. The main hurdle that we had to face is that the service was to cover the area from Stonehaven to Edzell and from all the wee coastal villages and farm villages. There are no local transport provisions to and from most of these areas. In the beginning we were paying over a £100 a week for a taxi mini bus to pick everyone up.
Very few of us have the confidence to drive and we were paying for the transport ourselves.
We did finally manage to sort things out and now pay half that and the mental health services help with the rest.
18 months ago I was voted in as the fundraiser. Due to the stigma that still exists about mental health the group members remain anonymus as some of them dont want work collegues or other to know of their condition. I said I didnt mind as I had spoken in the forums previously about my problems and I would not reveal any details about the folks.
I had already been involved in the YDC from when I joined ebid so I suggested that with the groups permission I would put some YDC listings on each month.
Of the original 14, 3 of us still attend the group. Others have recovered or passed away. There are 20 names on our books although weekly attendance is usually around 10-12 people. Over the time more than 100 people have attended and most have moved on.
The group provides a lifeline to those that are emotionally, socially and geographically isolated to come together in a safe atmosphere and interact. For a few it is their only interaction with other people in a week.

I do hope you can see the difference the little bit of fundraising we do can make to these people. I cannot post photos but I can pass on the heaartfelt thanks of all the goup for the £187 we have managed to raise so far this year.

My choice this month therefore is the Laurencekirk Thursday Group and I hope some of you will support me in that.

Penni

A very worthy cause Penni, I'll happily list my usual half a dozen (though I may have to review that amount next year) to help raise funds for LTG.

[countryfeedback87]

No problem at all Penni, was just some confusion is all and getting a bit ahead of myself thinking I had won LOL!

Thanks for the info on LTG, a great cause and something that is in a way close to me so I look forward to supporting them later this month

[meebo1]

Congratulations, Penni

[Tropical_Trish]

Well done Penni, and what a great last minute idea you had!
Corr, I sure wished I could make bread, I have tried and tried, but everything turns out like house bricks!
I think my hands are too hot, or maybe I am too rough kneading the dough, knocking it senseless and it then gives up the will to live!

[JanetB]

Everyone is a winner in my books, you all do such a fabulous job of supporting all kinds of charities.

Penni, the Laurencekirk Thursday Group is a good choice - I'll be doing my usual humble part next month.

[Maelbrigda]

Sunny has said she has tried the bread and that it was lovely. I had been making bread for breakfast when I thought that maybe I could offer a loaf. (my breakfast braid was a multi-grain with extra seeds and it was yummy too).

The folk at the group are going to try to make something for listing that is a communal effort so we'll see what we manage.

[moonwitch]

Sunny has said she has tried the bread and that it was lovely. I had been making bread for breakfast when I thought that maybe I could offer a loaf. (my breakfast braid was a multi-grain with extra seeds and it was yummy too).

The folk at the group are going to try to make something for listing that is a communal effort so we'll see what we manage.

The bread is very yummy...I have been eating some with breakfast and it definitely makes a delightful change from the usual pap that can be bought locally.

Some of you know that I have a gluten intolerance problem but will eat a little bread as a treat once in a while.

I will be digging out the Ebid recipe book for this YDC as mental health issues are relevant to my close family and friends.

Edited to add that I have just listed the cookbook...

[sucadot]

Well done Penni!

[Maelbrigda]

thank you all. I have been working hard trying to find items that will please. Although I love chocolate and the like being diabetic I dont usually bid on it as if i won I would be too tempted

If you ever look at the mental health forums you would find that in the UK a huge stigma still exists. If I happen to mention I have been in a mental hospital some people look at you as if you are a monster and are going to grab a knife and kill them.

Many famous people suffer or have suffered mental health problems including Churchill and Stephen Fry. In Scotland there is the "see me" but again in our area there is not a lot of services.

[cheaver]

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Congratulations Penni. The bread-making was a stroke of genius! Well done!

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