..................................Breathe Easy
Today I went to Breathe Easy ,Nottingham. Approximately 40 members present. Disaster, no speaker! Oh dear, what shall we do?.
The Chairman suggested that as most members sat at the same tables every month, wouldn't it be nice if we circulated and talked to new members or people we had not had the chance to talk to before.
Total success and one of the best meetings I have been to for a long time.
KOTC
I would have thought you could have regailed them with funnies Richard. Unless you are like me. Stand me in front of an audience and I just go brain dead. Proper motor mouth on paper but hopeless live.
Bobby
Just stand me up and I'm a proper motor mouth
hi plilip1 yes I have a mouth and I open it,and that's it like it or lump it,take care
Got to speak your mind caroll
What a great idea,it's funny how people become very territorial about where they sit etc.or whom they sit next to.Youve just proved,they don't know what they're missing! xx
It was a wonderful feeling
Wow 40 people King? There were only about 12 of us at mine! I should think with 40 of you it would take hours to shuffle seats 
Glad you enjoyed it though.
Bev xx
BE Nottingham normally gets about 80 to the meetings.
funny enough king i went to one today in southend and that was a very good turn out has well...must be the weather
The weather always helps
Wish we could get 40 people at our Breathe Easy meetings, have about 60 members but only 10 or 12 come to meetings. Tried everything to get them to come. Any ideas?
At my old group my secretary used to phone every single member before each meeting to see if they would like to come. It worked a treat. Fortunately she had a phone package and didn't have to pay extra for the calls. It also meant we could help anyone who was not feeling too good.
Will try this could cost a lot for phone calls though.
As I say the phone calls didn't cost.£1 worth of raffle from every extra person attending also swelled the coffers
We have to use some of the raffle money to pay the hall hire. Because of low attendance .
Try your local councillor for a donation,they have money for worthy causes
That's good news Kotc, in larger groups mingling can create a total different atmosphere as you found.Personal experience of groups has shown me that people often feel uneasy in large formal group settings, i.e that feeling that someone is the leader can be of putting if you don't like that type of person. Some people are natural mixers while others shy away from strangers.
One gentleman comes to our meetings, normally sits alone and leaves before the end, but hopefully not anymore
That's good
Thanks for all help and advice, we are trying desperately to keep our group going.
What area is your group in Tomcat98 ?
Herefordshire - very rural!
I would love the opportunity to attend but am not close enough to the nearest one to manage. 
We do a news letter every six months , so that those who can't attend can still keep in touch. Ask your nearest group if they do one.
Most groups in Nottinghamshire do a monthly newsletter
Thanks, but I rang them to see what could possibly be arranged about attendance, asking about parking in the area, etc., and they failed to ring me back. I waited a few weeks then rang again and was told someone would ring me back. I have now been waiting about a year, LOL!
And to be honest, it was getting out and the company I wanted.
Just a post script, Coventry do a leaflet of meetings and get togethers and the details can be found on line, maybe some of the other areas do the same
The BLF put all the BE group programmes on their website. But it doesn't seem to increase the attendance.
In the real world I am afraid not everyone owns or has access to a computer or the website. Not everyone realizes that their are such groups or that they can get help to start one in their area, my GP advertises it but whether that gets more members I don't know and some people are too ill to go to groups. There is no hard and fast way of improving attendance levels in any area is there?
Through talks by BE members to Pulmonary Rehab sessions
We have tried this but without much success. People fill in the membership forms, but still only a few actually come to the meetings. We try to make them welcome .
I have stopped going to the one in Weymouth,, My friend and i went to the Easter dinner, ended up sitting on our own as one of the ladies said we can,t sit with them was reserved for her friends (who did,nt urn up anyway),went to one more meeting, then decided to knock it on the head,,clickiness i do not need,,
I quite agree with you, but isn't it sad that some people are like that?
hi kotc,ye sad but there just petty as,,es ,needs remember there are loads now with copd all newcomers to it/its not just for them who have been goin ages like /oh yes love see u at breathes easy nx month sit usuall place bla bla not a bingo hall u no/new ppl wont no wats wat so will sit wherever don't have to be like /er that's my spot an that's his an her spot/manners are free so needs remember that,we are all in it 2 gether,if that had been me.i would have said.oh do they never miss with illness etc see if they liked that,petty sods,im younger and lot of my friends are like me we open our mouth but we help to.take care,
hi chrissie53,sorry u ad bad time at ur breathe easy,at ours were ive been 3 times now/2nd time I went the man who does the teas bikkies in the cornered of kitchen area ye/I got up said can I have tea/er no im makin thez for my table u have to wait he made his teas an stuff took all to his table 1st then said rite do u want tea after ten minuts ,I said ye then I left it,its not just for ppl like him an his mate its for all new ppl.so this appens elswere then ,petty if u ask me ,I went to woman I no very very well who I pay sub to ,said see u nxt time /she said ye we had a natter an u cud feel eyes on u of him an his cronie good ,u go again an sit were u want no names on chairs etc bloudy petty makes me spew,to fingers to them,there are a lot now with copd and lot of us are younger /he wants to remember that wat he dishes out will get bak,anyrd every month my friend there sends monthly details out ,so if urs does even if ur not going again u will no wats appening,take care ,
Nobody from the breathe easy has phoned us to see why we have stopped going,,so we are obviously not missed,,,there loss
hi chrissie at breathe easy in Oldham its 1 woman wat sends letters out each month,she or he as the addresses an pone numbas/so just ignore them,clik clik wont get anywere with me few there are like that but sod them,we allend up in same place,u an ur friend probably are better of not going,take care ,my friends wat have copd don't go or rehab either,an I wont be goin bak rehab again went for the walk then 1st time there was horrible so not for me,
oh i enjoyed the rehab,,that was laugh a minute,,i was the only one to go to the breathe easy,,perhaps they knew something i did,nt
It is sad,& what a wasted opportunity,to meet new friends & maybe learn something new! xxx
hi wendells,ye new friends or creeps with up each others bakside lol.take care
I hope the British Lung Foundation will read this post and take on board some of the comments
KOTC
Breathe easy 
Breathe easy
