Palmerston Residents Association Chairman Terry Hoey Thanks Everyone For Their Hard Work In 2008

Hi everyone hope you all had a nice Christmas and looking forward to a great new year, we have been in existence now for more than a year and we have achieved a lot in that time. We have seen many changes, including the credit crunch hitting many home buyers and developers alike,also the area has changed where old housing stock has been demolished by the developers and left as land banks.

We have seen so many development sites left as fly tips without being fenced off, it just shows what high regard the developers hold for the people of Sydenham and what respect they hold for our children who are put in danger by these sites left in an unsafe condition,we call on those responsible to take a second look at how they have left their sites and think again regarding security. I cannot understand their thinking, it is an open invitation to anyone wanting to have a fall on someone elses land and put a huge claim in.

We have seen the residents association grow from strength to strength this year and we have achieved a lot, thanks to the hard work of our members. just look at what we have achieved since our first meeting in June 07 Tree Protection Orders  on all the trees on the Palmerston Road and the Hill at Dennorton Park. we have succeeded in spot listing the Gustav Wolff Cottages at Station Road, we are in contact with Wesley Housing Association regarding a sign to depict the Smiles Family on the Palmerston Road,we have also been in contact with the Belfast Historical Society in regard to having a Blue Plaque put on the former residence of Stewart Parker play write on the Larkfield Road.

We are seeing  our notice boards going up on many main road in and out of Sydenham we are also very pleased with  contacts that we have made with Northern Ireland Railways, our agreement reached by both of us to work together in making Sydenham Station become one of the prime halts on the Bangor line.We have to say a big thank you to  Mr Gerard McAtarsney of Station Management for the great work in placing two stands for our notice boards and also the safety fence that has been built for the benefit of the community. we are very pleased in the way Northern Ireland Railways wants to work with community associations and has listened to the association on the needs of the community in the Sydenham area and we look forward to working with him in the future.

We have seen many new groups start up in the Sydenham area and we welcome them all as part of our community, we have seen many changes in how we want change brought about. We have seen the formation of groups for and against the airport, and  groups for the protection of Victoria Park. Also the forming  of the Sydenham Community Partnership headed by Chris Deconnink ,we would like to thank Chris for every thing that he does for the Sydenham Community and for all the hard work that he does within our community. I have seen Chris working late into the night and is hands on in helping with all events a really big thanks to you Chris for this

We have seen our first event taking place with the Church of Ireland on the Larkfield Road we would like to thank the Minister for all the hard work by himself and the people of the church to make this event happen we say a big thank you to Francy McCrea Minister

in letting us hold the event in the church grounds and the church hall and for taking time with our visitors from Finglas in the South of Ireland. This was our first ever event and without his expertise we would have had a problem. We would also thank Chris Deconnink for his input in this event he worked very hard indeed to make sure that our visitors were treated well, we would also thank him for his experience in putting an event like this on and we hope to work with him again on another project for the Sydenham Youth in the coming summer months once more Big Thanks to Francy and Chris for all your work.

Neighbourhood Watch we are pleased to say that our neighbourhood watch scheme is also going from strength to strength we are bringing on new areas to help the community feel safer. We hope to have signs up on Station Road, Larkfield Road ,Victoria Road and Inverary Drive, this will cover all major routes in to the area,  we are hoping to bring on more in the new year. We would like to thank Sean McCormmick for all the time he has taken in making sure that things happen when they are supposed to. Many Thanks Sean

Policing in the Area we would like to thank the PSNI of Northern Ireland for all the hard work they do in our area and for the time they take in attending meetings some of which they get a very hard time at, we would like to thank the Police at Strandtown for the hard work they do for so little praise. many many thanks

New Links we have been making new links with other groups this year,  and we are pleased with the links we now have with the Inverary Community, we want to work closer with them in events and community projects and working with the Sydenham Youth to help them feel included in the decisions being made in the Community. We have also made better links with the Inverary Community Centre and we wish to thank all the staff for the hard work that they do in the centre, we also say special thanks to Sandra Workman who does a great job in the Sydenham Community and works hard for the whole community of Sydenham in times when she is unwell her self, many thanks Sandra For all you do and the hard work you put in.(a real community worker)

The Palmerston Residents Association is for the whole community and is open to people who would like to become members we like to think that we care what happens in our community, not just to stop developments or new apartments but to make change in the area we live in and to bring about real change to all the residents in the Sydenham Area. We have a big job to do and many things to put right we are here because we need to be we want our community to get all that is on offer to them, community grants being spent on the community and the area being regenerated.The residents association will fight for change in the area and will help anyone who can bring about change for the good of the Sydenham area,  we will work with our council to bring about change to our streets to make them safer for the whole community.We will work with Belfast City Airport to bring about change in the way they handle noise pollution and in the way they handle the environmental issues like Victoria Park, as chairman of the residents association I feel it is better to be on the inside talking than being on the outside shouting. Change only happens when someone wants to listen, I feel its time to engage with the airport and not just shout about it. I feel the airport is here to stay and is going nowhere and its time to work with them on issues that impact on us all.

 

I would like to thank everyone for all the hard work they have done for us in the past year and hope you all have a good new year and hope to see you all in the new year

 

Best Regards

Terry Hoey        

Palmerston Residents Association Would Like To Thank East Belfast Community Development Agency For Their Support in Our Disabled Learners Classes

We would like to thank Chris Deconnink for all the support he has given us during 08 in relation to supporting are grant for Disabled Learners Classes that we will now be able to set up in the new year Chris has always been very supportive in our projects but we feel that our classes will enable us to help our disabled community and allow them to access the Internet and to open up a whole new way of life for them.

The classes will be starting early next year we will have places for five people at the beginning but we are hoping to expand on this as time goes on we will also be holding classes for our senior citizens to enable them to access the Internet giving them more choice in how they live in regard to online shopping,emailing and Online Banking we will be keeping our classes small to enable our learners to have a better chance to interact with the instructors.

Classes will be held in community centres and church halls to enable citizens have a much easier access to them and any one wanting to join a class will have to apply to the residents association for booking information.Contact Terry Hoey C/o 86 Palmerston Road Sydenham Belfast Northern Ireland BT4 1QD

Palmerston Residents Association Would Like To Thank East Belfast Community Development Agency For Their Support in Our Disabled Learners Classes

We would like to thank Chris Deconnink for all the support he has given us during 08 in relation to supporting are grant for Disabled Learners Classes that we will now be able to set up in the new year Chris has always been very supportive in our projects but we feel that our classes will enable us to help our disabled community and allow them to access the Internet and to open up a whole new way of life for them.

The classes will be starting early next year we will have places for five people at the beginning but we are hoping to expand on this as time goes on we will also be holding classes for our senior citizens to enable them to access the Internet giving them more choice in how they live in regard to online shopping,emailing and Online Banking we will be keeping our classes small to enable our learners to have a better chance to interact with the instructors.

Classes will be held in community centres and church halls to enable citizens have a much easier access to them and any one wanting  to join a class will have to apply  to the residents association for booking information.

 

                                                                          To Book Please Write To

                                                                                    Terry Hoey

                                                                   Palmerston Residents Association

                                                                          C/o 86 Palmerston Road

                                                                                     Sydenham

                                                                                        Belfast

                                                                                 Northern Ireland

                                                                                       BT4 1QD

This Is Our Little Super Hero Cavan After A Three Hour Operation On His Nose To Clear An Infection

This is a picture of our brave little grandson who is fighting XLP,HLH,EBV, in Bristol Childrens Hospital in England. At the age of only five years old our little grandson fights these dreadful diseases  that are infecting his little body. when he would visit us on holiday he would say he was a super hero.
Cavan is like any other little boy of his age running around in a Spider man suit zapping everyone in site. We cannot understand why these diseases have picked on him, we have been told that XLP only effects one hundred families world wide. when we went to Bristol Hospital to see him we found it all very hard to take in.

Our grandson has lost an inconceivable amount of weight and the drugs he has to take to try to fight off the infections are incredible. We rely on medical research to tackle this disease to help young children fight it with better odds than they have at present. When we see our grandson and how he is now it just rips your heart out.
XLP is a genetic disease could it be tested for before birth and the gene fixed before birth, this must be possible we can do so much but we cannot solve this problem why?
when you see and live with the results of this disease and the uncertainty of it all, and the impact it will have on our grandsons life. We have to ask how this can happen in a world that is so far advanced and has made so many medical achievements, but this gene cannot be cracked.

As the grandparents of Cavan we have decided to set up a trust fund for him as we cannot be sure of the outcome of the XLP.  His doctors are giving him chemotherapy by lumber puncture to kill off lymphasites in his brain.  We do not know what effect this will have on his brain We ask the readers of ZIMBIO to Lobby their drug manufacturers to look at XLP and to help us get the word out regarding this disease please when you read this article make up your mind to  join with us in a search for a drug that will wipe this disease of the face of the earth .

Our grandson had glandular fever and seems to have been the trigger for it how many more parents in the world could be at risk of this disease and do not know they are passing it on to the boys in their families. as XLP only attacks boys and is passed on by the mother. Help us to help them make

XLP known throughout the world and press for research.
                                                                              

                                                                                     The Cavan Tommy Hoey Trust
                                                                                       C/o 86 Palmerston Road
                                                                                                 Sydenham
                                                                                                    Belfast
                                                                                            Northern Ireland
                                                                                                   BT4 1QD
                                                     Do not Read This And Do Nothing Do Something To Help Our Fight

Palmerston Residents Association Chairman Terry Hoey Says Our Grandson Is Fighting XLP An Extremely Rare Disease Affecting Only Males He Is Also Fighting HLH And EBV

  As chairman of the Palmerston Residents Association I thought I was a Real Fighter for good causes  I did not for one moment think I would Be fighting for a cause that would be so close to both my wife and our family's heart our grandson has XLP,HLH,EBV,.During the past few weeks we have been in England to be close to him and his mum Debs and dad Jason and his sister Maeve they all live in Cornwall in a small town in Bodmin,our grand son had been ill for some weeks we thought he had Glandular Fever and started to get worse.

My wife and I travelled over to England to see him we had been in constant contact with our son on the journey down from Stranraer to Cornwall our son rang us and told us he was being moved to the Children's Hospital in Bristol as the Hospital in Cornwall felt that he may have HLH,in its self this is a life threatening illness but at that time we were not aware  just how sick our grandson was when we were on the Motorway we passed his Ambulance taking him to Bristol Hospital,we did not think over the next few weeks just what a roller coaster we had got on.

Our grandson has been fighting a battle his mum and dad was told at one time that the next 48hrs would be crucial to him as he had had a seizure we were then told that he had the EBV,Virus as well it took some days before the Hospital could confirm that he had XLP this disease is thought to affect less than 1 child in a million due to this doctors know little about the disease our little grandson is a real fighter he has to take so many drugs to enable his little body to fight off the disease who would have thought that something like glandular fever could trigger this off.

 

How Common Is XLP

This disease is extremely rare 100 families with XLP are known world wide the cause of the condition was only found in 1999 it is caused by a mutation or even a mistake in genes the treatment at the this time is anti- viral medicines and immunoglobulin therapy or steroids the child may receive a variety of treatments .Bone marrow transplant is the definitive treatment of choice 70% of individuals with XLP die by the age of ten years without any treatment. However, as we are learning more about the Disease they are identifying adults with milder forms of the condition

(Great Ormond Street Hospital)

 

I have supported many causes since setting up the Residents Association and I feel that more has to be done to research into this disease and that XLP should be highlighted and I intend to do just that,as Jason and Debs and Maeve live in England and we live in Northern Ireland our family members intend to set up a Trust Fund for Cavan to help with family support for them we have also received information that Bodmin Community also want to set up a fund to support them.  We hope to link with them to enable us to raise funds for  { The Cavan Tommy Hoey Trust } we would also like to Mention the Support that has been given by C L I C  in Bristol as they have been a great support to Jason, Debs And Maeve at this time. Our whole family would like to thank the Bristol Children's Hospital for all the care they are giving our grandson at this time and would also like to thank all the nurses for showing such care to our grandson and to the doctors who are treating him at this time.

 

We would ask anyone reading this to help and support this cause either in funding or letters of support to

The Cavan Tommy Hoey Trust C/o 86 Palmerston Road,Sydenham,Belfast,Northern Ireland, email terryhoey@ntlworld.com