One of the missions of the Ann Conroy Trust is to re-establish a network of local support group meetings. Whilst attending the annual meeting in 2022, Sarah mentioned that she would be happy to help the Charity in any way she could and said she would be willing to try and set up a meeting in her local area. Sarah reached out to the Friends of Ann Conroy Trust on Facebook; Chiari MalformationAn anatomical abnormality affecting the lowermost part of brain, where it joins the spinal cord, at the top of the neck. Various sub-types are described - see under their individual names. The term hindbrain hernia is sometimes used to incorporate all forms. UK on Facebook and the Brain and Spine Foundation to advertise the fact she was trying to set up a meeting in Cornwall and the South West.
Sarah held a Teams meeting one Saturday afternoon and was surprised to learn that one of the attendees came from the same town as her! There were attendees from Truro; Wells; Liverpool; Cheltenham; Launceston; Torquay and Newcastle. Obviously not everyone was from Cornwall or the South West, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was everyone was now in contact with one another! During the meeting everyone introduced themselves and talked about their conditions and symptoms. A discussion took place about how and when to arrange another meeting.
The intention is that it will be face-to-face at the end of November 2023.
As a collective, the group were asked to create a set of group standards, a copy of which you can view on the Local Support Groups page.