We’ve had a lovely sunny (if cold) week of weather here in Glasgow and it’s put a smile on everyone’s face, though there are mixed feelings as Group 3 near the end of their Epilepsy Futures journey, with their graduation in a couple of weeks.
On Tuesday 9th the group completed the seventh of eight sessions in the “Epilepsy and you” online self-management course, tackling the topic of work and daily activities.
Participants were thinking about what they have learned about managing risk and understanding their epilepsy to think about how they can maximise future volunteering, learning or working opportunities.
On Wednesday 10th they completed their personal resilience maps, to see how being a part of the Epilepsy Futures programme has affected them and their networks of support. (See this post from last year, where our Volunteer Coordinator talks about the ideas behind the maps)
As each person shared their map, their colleagues and peer mentors were able gently to point out the positive changes that were otherwise too close to home for them to see for themselves.
In the afternoon we were lucky enough to have an information session with Alison Briers of the Autism Resource Centre
Alison answered questions and gave information about how Autism Spectrum Disorders are diagnosed, how they affect people and what are the crossovers with people who live with epilepsy. It was a very worthwhile session, and many people in the room found out useful information that would be of help in supporting relatives and family friends who have autism.
Then on Thursday 11th, a group of us went for a walk round the beautiful grounds of Rouken Glen Park, located on the outskirts of Glasgow. It’s the school Easter holidays here, so the park was full of families with children, enjoying the hazy spring sunshine.
We had a long walk round the park, through the glen where the Auldhouse Burn flows over a natural waterfall. This glen is a “Site of Special Scientific interest” because of the layers of rock you can see exposed on the hillside ( read more about the rocks here)
We finished off the day by going to the nearby garden centre to have some lunch and a cuppa, before getting the bus back into the city centre.
Next week we finish off the “Epilepsy and you” course on Tuesday, attend a self management networking event on Wednesday, and pay a visit to our friends at the Celtic Foundation on Thursday, to find out about employability opportunities.
Regular readers of this blog might remember Patrick Taylor from Group 1 of Epilepsy Futures. You can read how more about how the Celtic Foundation helped him
Peter Dale
Epilepsy Futures Coordinator
Epilepsy Futures 