HELENS8URGH & DISTRICT BRANCH OF ENABLE
CHAIRPERSON REFQRT 2026
Both Tuesday and Thursday dubs 8fy wnning al ¢8pacity Th)w Wh￿ is gwi We ha
welcomed 8 few new members again Ihis yEaT. Ihe br8n¢h is In a goTrl place al wesent.
Tuesday dub is held in Ihe Helensburgh community Hub which is a greal kKatK￿ arnj
gTeat space lo do our acts"wties. 11 is owned by Ihe community for th8 (xynmunity.
Thursday nights we use the United Refomi Church Hall and ha￿ done w for ov•r 20
years.
We have a 2 monthly programme sel out by our secretary Eilidh M8cPh&rson .This is 50
our members know what is on each Tuesday and Thursd8y nighl and can decAd& If they
would like to attend club that night or not although n)ost ol them con)? along waTdless for
the company and friendship of others.
Our new secretary has been in position now for over 8 ye8r 8nd n)usl say she has done
great job. She has applied for funding from.. ACHA, MUSIC IN THE SQUARE. COMNIUNITY
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING and HELENSBURGH HART and has been successful in
all applications.
We now have a quarterfy newsleiter set up for all membèrs of our branch 8nd this is
distributed Ihrough the secretary to keèp everyone up to date with whal we hav8 bèen up lo
throughout the months.
The success of our clubs can be attnbuted to the commiimenl ol our volunl6ers who work
tirelessly lo ensure the clubs run twice a weak wilhoul fail..
I would like lo thank theni 811
for the time and effort they put into making our clubs B Success. Wilhout them il just would
not happen.
Otjr volunteers are, Liz MacDonald. Josephine Anderson. Margarel Miller, Jean CgvBna,
Luke Healy, Tony Pearson Ilundraising coordinator), Lesley Healy ITre8surerl Lucy McK88,
David Butler, Kelly Andrews, Jan Lighlfoot, Fiona Johnston. Margaret Mcwallers, May
McKell as well as mys811, Angela Peaison Ichairpersonl. We would also like to wÈlcome our
newesl volunteer to the team Roseanne Dunn. Finally, Ean MacDonald and Tin8 Smith are 2
dub members that help takè the subs at the start ol th8 night. Ean does the Tuck Shop and
Tina does the dishes. We a150 have 2 young volunteers th8t have joined lo offer help end
support. May8 Cairney and Caitlin Walker.
I would also like to thank a11 the guys that attend the clubs, Ih8y help loo, from glving us Iheir
ideas lor lun nights. to setting up tables elc and cl@aring up afterwards (well mosl ol them
Ihal don't rnake excuses loll. Th& clubs belong to them so il's only lair they have a part lo
play in organising, leading and swapping ideas.
Tuèsday nights have included Music qulzzes with David, t8bl6 games, fitness and chair yoga
with Julie, bingo with Demi and Tina
Thursday club have also enjoyed various activities including. Boccia, Film nights. Arts &
crafts. karaoke, just some of our club nights as well as a local band th81 give up Iheir lime
and come along every couple of months, Susan & Co (Toast). The band ar8 great and get 811
the guy5 Involved, they have even promottrd one of our club memb@rs Barrie Walkins lo
being Iheir drummer. (On the night they visit).
We visit one of our other Ioc81 branches in Alexandria for part18s and events as well as
welcoming their members and volunteers coming along lo our club too.

Th¢5 %¥6 h8ve hod a lèw funding bids Ihal have bèen successlul.Thls has beèn a
com8 bTe8k Irom 811 th8 fundraising events Ih8t we like lo normally participalo in
ibe year giving some ol the volunlfjers and Sponsors a lillle respite.
We h8W twn very lucky wilh donation5 Ihis year loo. Wg would like lo oxlend our sincere
th9nkS to th8 following Organi5alions." 8uddie5 in Boat5, Neptune Lodge16uff8losl
Hele￿￿1[gh Bowling Club. Gary Andrews Remernbgr a Lif8 and the Coffee Corner lor their
worous don8lions to our Branth.
FINANCIAL REPORT
I would like to thank Lesley Healy lireasurerl for the financial report which has now been
submitted to OSCR.
We hawe 8 h8atthyb8nk balance at present. This is a great achievement as in the last few
years rt has been so difficult for lots of groups and charities lo suNNwe as we go Ihrough thè
¢ost-of4Ning ￿$1s.
Any fundraising Ideas and help with fundraising are greatly appr8cialed 8s w8 all want to do
our uimost to keep the dubs running for as long as we Gan.
PERSONAL
OnÈ ofour rnemb8rs Alastair Robert50n h85 be8n a bitpoorly this ye8r and had to hav
quite a operation. We want to let him know we wish him a speedyrecovery. As w811 as
Oliver Ledingh8m and Lucy McKee have also had surgery and ar8 both rloing great
antl recovering well.
FINALL Y
l asthe chairpetson would personally like firstly to thank Eilidh MacPherson our secr8tary for
all the hard work she has done for the branch in the last year securing funding for US to
eTrab￿. ￿S0, I would like to thank Lesley Healy for keeping our funds ill ¢h8ck as our
treasurer for th8 last lew years.
I would also like to thank all the wmmillee tnember5 lor their hard work in helping the
branch thrive and last but C8rtainly not least I would like to say a great big thanks lo all the
volunleers for theif wmmilment lo both our clubs by giving up some of their limÈ as l Know
time 18 precious for everyone. If it was not for these people giving up that lime lo corne along
EVERY week. we would not b8 able to function thereforè we would not be able lo do the fun
things we do with our rn8mb8rs.
Al80. a greai big thanks io everyone that holds one of our charity tins irt their pr8mi5és. We
really appreciale your support of our branGh, and these tins add up week aft*r week, month
after rnonih to raisg fund5 for lh* branch.
They are..

FIDBE h61d a Christmas p8nlomlme Ihls yeBf which was Gr8898 Enable 8tyt6 at the end of
51 year which was wrillen by Liz MAcDon8ld Ivo1unle8rl Bnd the coslLJmes werè done by
Josephine Anderson Ivolunleerl Narraled by Margarel Millgr Ivolunleerl and produced by all
the other volunleers. We invilèd along a low ol the local business owneTS Ihat have donated
lo us Ihrou9houl the ye8r lo be pAri ol tho audience. The feedback we got was brilliant.
Some ol the 8LJdience said 8fl8rwards that il w05 the best show they had boen lo lor yaars.
They18ughed. they cried. they choered, bul most ol 811 they lovgd it.
Tru5
Chairperson
Secretary
Treasurer
Fundraising co Ordinator
Angela Pearson
Eilidh M8cPherson
Lesley Healy
Tony Pear50n
Committee Members..
As above 8s well as
Luke Healy Ivolunleerl
Mags Miller Ivolunleerll
Liz MacDonald Ivolunteerl
Jo Anderson Ivolunteerl
David Butler Ivolunteerl
Lucy McKee Ivolun18erl
Ean MacDonald (club rnemberl
Zoe Pearson (club rnemberl
Barrie Watkins Iclub member)
In the past our short breaks have been very popular including the Edinburgh Tattoo,
Blackpool, Coronation Street, Harry Potter experiènce, and even a one-nighl cruise from
Glasgow to Newcaslle to experience cruisingl Everyone thoroughly enjoyed Ihem58lves.
It is with regret that as a branch we can no longer offer short breaks as we cannot gel
enough volunteer5 to do this Safely and the safety ol our m¢mbers is p8ramounl lo us. We
will however sli11 be able lo offer day trips away. Vve arts going lo havo a Irip to Oban by train.
ACE Grou
Advi
mm
ee lo Enable
Our ACEIAdvoca¢y 9roup ha5 Stopped in our area, and we arè unsure il it will restart
unfortunately. This group was run for the lo¢al service users ol Enable to h8v8 a say in
tnaliers that they believe in and that affect Ihelr h88lth, wellbaing and their lives in general.

Boots the chemist. Slalion Bar, Aston Bar, Bet Fred bookies, Gordons Chemist, Home
H8rdware. Colgroin Bowling Club and Natures HaNest.
Thanks to all Ihe local busine5S8s that always donate prizes lo help us to fundraise at our
events. Without the help from these people, il would be very difficult for us lo make the
much-needed funds we require lo keep us going.
Finalty. I would like lo thank all the members of HDBE. Their happiness makes it all
*orthwhile. I personally like lo think that the Branch is a great asset lo the town and has
been now for many, many yeats and hopefully will be for many more years lo come, bul we
do to ahvays be actively looking for volunteers to enable us lo keep it going.
Dirnct
uotss from some of our members..
I woukl miss the dubs and my friends il they were not here.
Who would wash the dishes They can't do without me.
Tuesday5 and Thursday5 are my lavourile days in the week.
I foel safe at club and can have fun.
18rn1051 for Something lo do on a Tuesday and Thursday night when the clubs are not on as
there Is not rnuch lor people with a leaming or physical disability to do in town.
Completed by
Angela Pearson
Chairperson
HDBE