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Wales / Cymru news

Find out about our activities in Wales - news, events, fundraising and volunteering opportunities.

Lesley Griffiths AM meets Wrexham Parkinson's nurse

February 2012 - Welsh Government Health Minister Lesley Griffiths has met the specialist Parkinson's nurse she helped to get appointed in 2011.

Having a Parkinson's nurse has made a huge difference to people with Parkinson's in Wrexham, after years of campaigning.

Full news story: Welsh Health Minister meets local Parkinson's nurse

Assembly inquiry into Residential Care

The National Assembly for Wales' Health and Social Care Committee are conducting an Inquiry into Residential Care for Older People.

Our response to the Inquiry into Residential Care for Older People (Word, 255KB)

The inquiry looked at a range of aspects including:

  • how people enter residential care and the availability of alternative community services
  • the staffing issues of residential care provision, including the right skills mix and access to training
  • the experiences of service users and families
  • quality of residential care services
  • effectiveness of regulation and inspection arrangements

To find out more please contact Carol Smith, Campaigns, Influence and Service Development Officer for Wales on 0844 225 3715 or email cisdo.wales@parkinsons.org.uk.

Hardest Hit event on disability benefits, Cardiff

A big thank you to everyone affected by Parkinson's who came out in Cardiff on Saturday 22 October 2011, as part of the Hardest Hit rallies and marches that took place across the UK.

Around 5,000 people came out at rallies and marches across the UK to show government just how unfair these cuts are.

The message to government was that people with disabilities and conditions such as Parkinson's are being unfairly targeted by the coalition government's cuts programme.

You can see all our photos from the weekend's marches and rallies across the UK on our Flickr page.

Wales newsletter Autumn 2011Latest Wales newsletter

Our Autumn 2011 newsletter for people affected by Parkinson's in Wales is now available. Some of the items featured in our Autumn edition include:

  • Campaigning for Parkinson's nurses in Wales
  • Information on how we're providing learning support to community pharmacists in Wales
  • Putting a stop to dyskinesia

Calendars for research

Our Chepstow and District Support Group has produced a calendar for 2012 featuring some of the brilliant paintings that their members have done via their weekly art class.

Proceeds from the calendars go towards funding our vital research.

Calendars are £5 each and £1 postage and packing, and can be paid for by a cheque made payabale to Parkinson's UK, Chepstow and District Support Group.

To order your copy, contact Anne Hughes on 01291 623465 or email angelh@talktalk.net.

Wales campaigns - Have your say

Promoting the impact of Parkinson's nurses

Parkinson's nurses - affordable, local, accessible and expert care. A guide for planners in WalesWe launched a new report - Parkinson's nurses - affordable, local, accessible and expert care. A guide for planners in Wales - at the National Assembly in July 2011.

The report champions the work of Parkinson's nurses in Wales and highlights how they help save the NHS money. It's part of our Fair Care for Parkinson's campaign.

If you're in Wales and affected by Parkinson's, take part in our campaign to tell your Assembly Members about the importance of Parkinson's nurses.


Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010

The Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010 received Royal Assent in November 2010 and is a key step forward in providing support to carers. The measure will place new duties on the NHS and local authorities in Wales, to work on their own or in partnership, to prepare and publish a carers' strategy.

The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on draft regulations and guidance to support the implementation of this measure. The regulations and guidance aim to address the gaps in provision of services for carers, and to ensure consistent standards.

Our response to the Carers Measure consultation (Word, 237KB)

Wales 'Join Us' Tour

During Parkinson's Awareness Week (11-17 April 2011) our Wales team visited each of our 28 local groups working hard in Wales to support people with Parkinson's.

The Parkinson's UK branded car visited:

View our Google map of the route.

View photos from the tour on Flickr.

For more information about the tour, contact our Wales office on 0844 225 3784 or wales@parkinsons.org.uk

Parkinson's UK on BBC Wales advert

We're delighted that the BBC Wales Charity Message for April 2011 was on behalf of Parkinson's UK. Did you see it?

There were several television features scheduled across BBC1 and BBC2 Wales during Parkinson's Awareness Week 11-17 April.

White Paper on social services published

The Welsh Assembly Government has published a White Paper on social services - Sustainable Social Services for Wales: A Framework for Action - in February 2011.

The paper puts in place a framework for meeting the challenges facing social services in the next decade and beyond. And it sets out priorities for action.  

It aims to reshape and refocus social services in order to ensure that they remain strong, and can continue to meet citizens' needs and aspirations.

Get involved in fundraising

There are so many ways that you can help us to help people affected by Parkinson's, and ensure people in Wales get the support they need.

  • Hold a Party for Parkinson's
  • Involve your company, workplace or social club
    Whether you want to hold a one-off event to support people with Parkinson's, or make us your charity of the year, we would love to hear from you. There are many exciting ways in which you and your colleagues and friends can get involved.
  • Hold your own event
    You may already be organising a local event - anything from an art exhibition to a weekend ramble. Why not support us by simply adding sponsorship, an auction or a raffle to your existing plans?
  • Trusts and foundations
    Help us to support more people with Parkinson's in Wales. Find out about opportunities to fund a range of projects in Wales, from nursing posts to education initiatives.
  • Make a donation to help people with Parkinson's

To find out more about any of these opportunities to support us, contact our Wales Regional Fundraiser, Sara Bass on 0844 225 9835 or email rf.wales@parkinsons.org.uk

Get involved in volunteering

There are lots of opportunities to volunteer with us in Wales, from joining one of our local branch committees, to helping us at events or getting involved in fundraising in your area. Volunteering can help you to share your existing skills or to develop new ones. All new volunteers receive an induction and support from our team.

If you are interested in knowing more about volunteering with us, we would love to hear from you. To find out more, contact:

More about volunteering your time to help people with Parkinson's


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