In article , mogga
writes
I've got a bag of stuff I don't take anymore that had been on the way
to the chemist for a while...

Is it this one:
http://www.intercare.org.uk/donate-medicines

The address rings a bell definitely. They'll take other stuff as well
like plasters, bandages not just tablets.

Janet

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Warwick
writes
That page makes it look like your GP has to do the donation right up to
the last couple of lines at the bottom where it says you can post direct
to them.


That's how i found them, they USED to be sent from your doctors but
local doctors stopped doing it for one reason or another so i assume
they've left the original text in place.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Warwick
writes
We've already got SARS, MRSA and a few other resistant bacteria. Finish
your course even if you feel better (As I will with the Amoxicilin I
started today) and dispose of anything your GP tellsyou to stop properly.



Well sending stuff that the Charity will accept seems to be a fairly
good idea Warwick.

And what's "properly" otherwise? Some tablets HAVE to be stopped after a
short time, maybe there should be a voucher incentive to take stuff back
to chemists if they can destroy it safely if it HAS to be destroyed.
After all I have a multifuel fire but who does nowadays and anyway a
domestic fire would not presumably be hot enough to incinerate tablets
safely without giving off perhaps dangerous fumes?
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article ,
Janet writes
The NHS dispensed over 900 million prescription units last year and there
are growing fears that patients do not adhere to their doctors
instructions when taking the medication.


Maybe there's a good reason then to find out why people don't and what
might be the best way to tackle the problem.
At the moment i have lost my voice, no big deal, no cold or anything
just a bit of a sore throat, glands a bit uncomfortable in neck but
Strepsils will do, yet the number of people who can't understand why I
haven't gone to the doctors is amazing!
--
Janet Tweedy

Janet Tweedy wrote:

In article ,
Janet writes
The NHS dispensed over 900 million prescription units last year and there
are growing fears that patients do not adhere to their doctors
instructions when taking the medication.


Maybe there's a good reason then to find out why people don't and what
might be the best way to tackle the problem.
At the moment i have lost my voice, no big deal, no cold or anything
just a bit of a sore throat, glands a bit uncomfortable in neck but
Strepsils will do, yet the number of people who can't understand why I
haven't gone to the doctors is amazing!

My GP told me off yesterday. Apparently 3 weeks trying to ignore a cold
with at least a week of that in bed really does open you up to secondary
infections like bacterial bronchitis. I've been told to lay off on the
conservation work for a couple of weeks rather than knocking myself back
repeatedly. So my GP who lives a sedentary life in a nice warm office
in direct contact with sick people all day is immune while I; who cycle
150 miles per week and run 100 while working in fresh air; get laid low.

Kinda back on topic... The conservation work (volunteering) is a
wonderful thing to be doing for lots of reasons. I'm currently without a
garden or allotment so it gets me outdoors and working hard. I'm helping
to improve the wilder green spaces in and around Leicester for others.
I'm also learning a lot about our native plants courtesy of a very
knowledgeable volunteer leader. In the 8 months I've been doing it my
botanical knowledge has increased a hundred fold. Most of the work tends
to involve hacking stuff back to ensure access but I've spent many a
happy hour sitting in the rain with a loupe (small but relatively
powerful hand magnifier) pulling wild flowers to bits to document
precisely how many species are growing in a square metre (the only way
to tell some species apart). As a gardener it can be quite an eye
opener. We only have 3 patches of Japanese knotweed (injecting it with
glyphosate tends to make it go away) on our sites to deal with but the
Indian balsam is becoming a huge problem. The speed of the spread is
frightening.

Warwick

Janet Tweedy wrote:

In article , Warwick
writes
We've already got SARS, MRSA and a few other resistant bacteria. Finish
your course even if you feel better (As I will with the Amoxicilin I
started today) and dispose of anything your GP tellsyou to stop properly.



Well sending stuff that the Charity will accept seems to be a fairly
good idea Warwick.

And what's "properly" otherwise? Some tablets HAVE to be stopped after a
short time, maybe there should be a voucher incentive to take stuff back
to chemists if they can destroy it safely if it HAS to be destroyed.
After all I have a multifuel fire but who does nowadays and anyway a
domestic fire would not presumably be hot enough to incinerate tablets
safely without giving off perhaps dangerous fumes?

I dunno. I picked up some information but I'm an IT geek (retraining
as an ecologist) not a chemist. When I've had short term prescriptions I
only receive the amount prescribed. When I had a muscle spasm that
wouldn't go away and effectively crippled me I was prescribed 3 days of
diazepam which was *just* enough to unlock the muscle. I assume that
anything that would be a danger in the water course needs to be
incinerated. I *think* GPs are becoming better at not over-prescribing
too.

We could have done with that and the medicines scheme in the early 90's
when my grandmother went into hospital. Once the duplicate packets were
removed we got her medications down to 2 carrier bags full. But that was
a GP who treated every symptom as it turned up and never linked them
together in his head. The hospital had a bit of a nightmare trying to
work out how to get her off most of them but the point was moot since
cancer was prety much everywhere by then. The GP got struck off for his
shotgun prescribing conflicting medicines.

Warwick

In article , Warwick
writes
Kinda back on topic... The conservation work (volunteering) is a
wonderful thing to be doing for lots of reasons.


Sounds good I've always wanted to do something like that but don't want
to just pick up litter etc., wouldn't mind getting tog rips with taking
out scrub and brambles and so on. Very therapeutic and lots of people
with same mindset.

Not sure there's much of that type of conservation round South
Buckinghamshire. Even better love to go on w help restore a garden or
something but the ones I've looked up mean you have to pay THEM for the
privilege of going and I can't afford the sort of money they demand
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On Nov 17, 7:02*pm, Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , Warwick
writes

Kinda back on topic... The conservation work (volunteering) is a
wonderful thing to be doing for lots of reasons.

Sounds good I've always wanted to do something like that but don't want
to just pick up litter etc., wouldn't mind getting tog rips with taking
out scrub and brambles and so on. Very therapeutic and lots of people
with same mindset.

Not sure there's much of that type of conservation round South
Buckinghamshire. Even better love to go on w help restore a garden or
something but the ones I've looked up mean you have to pay THEM for the
privilege of going and I can't afford the sort of money they demand
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraphhttp://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

I know it's not in your area, but the RSPB are always looking for help
and don't charge.
See http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/Do_som...cm9-206824.pdf

On Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:02:18 +0000, Janet Tweedy
wrote:

In article , Warwick
writes
Kinda back on topic... The conservation work (volunteering) is a
wonderful thing to be doing for lots of reasons.


Sounds good I've always wanted to do something like that but don't want
to just pick up litter etc., wouldn't mind getting tog rips with taking
out scrub and brambles and so on. Very therapeutic and lots of people
with same mindset.

Not sure there's much of that type of conservation round South
Buckinghamshire. Even better love to go on w help restore a garden or
something but the ones I've looked up mean you have to pay THEM for the
privilege of going and I can't afford the sort of money they demand

You may want to check out your local wildlife trust
http://www.bbowt.org.uk/

They have volunteer pages on their web site listing the current
vacancies (including one for a wildlife gardener at one of their
reserves). If they are anything like the Devon Wildlife Trust they
will be grateful for your time and will probably pay traveling
expenses.

rbel

In article
, Dave
Hill writes
I know it's not in your area, but the RSPB are always looking for help
and don't charge.
See http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/Do_som...cm9-206824.pdf


Yes but looking at the brochure it goes back to welcoming visitors yadda
yadda yadda, but what i would like to do is to employ some of my
scorched earth policy type gardening skills and clear weeds etc.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article ,
Janet writes
or try the National Trust; many of their large properties have Friends
groups who do conservation work

Janet



They were the ones i first looked at Janet but either they want a lot of
money or they don't seem to want actual horticultural skills but meet
and greet etc.
--
Janet Tweedy

I'm involved in two lots of conservation:

i) Natural England, on the Ingleborough NNR. Lots of variety and opportunity to learn new skills. At the moment we're dry-stone walling

ii) as you know, managing a local nature reserve on behalf of the local Council - again, lots of variety, and because we determine what is to be done, lots of opportunities to use skill and knowledge. We've done a lot of tree planting, bulb planting, we're developing a wild flower meadow, and a bog area. We've built a stone bridge, and put in some "mini waterfalls' into the stream to improve oxygenation and add to the variety of water sounds as you walk through the area.

This area started in 1980 when a local man asked the Council if he could clear up a derelict ex-mill site - so you could always start your own group!

Other possibilities: British Waterways are turning over a lot more of the canal-side maintenance to volunteers

Your local footpath group may need help keeping paths clear, mending stiles and so on. Have you looked at
Volunteering opportunities
Amongst other conservation things, they talk about maintaining footpaths in the Chilterns

Our Council is implementing "Big Society" by cutting down on its garden staff and inviting the public to come and work for free alongside those who are left - lots of scope there for using gardening skills, though morale of those you are working alongside may not be all you wish.

Our Council also has groups of roaming volunteers - a Sunday group and a Wednesday group - who go to a different park each day. And on the Chiltern Council website I found: "For further information on volunteering with Bucks Country Parks
contact Tim Williams or Simon Fieldhouse on 01753 511060
or e-mail "

On Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:02:18 +0000, Janet Tweedy wrote:

Sounds good I've always wanted to do something like that but don't want
to just pick up litter etc., wouldn't mind getting tog rips with taking
out scrub and brambles and so on. Very therapeutic and lots of people
with same mindset.

Take a look at http://www2.btcv.org.uk/display/volunteer

Was the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers but now only uses
BTCV. Brother in law does volunteer work for them, anything from
building drystone walls to clearing rohdendrons etc. ie real, get yer
hands mucky, stuff. They also run the pay for "working holidays" but
I'm pretty sure what my BiL does is pure volunteer work. They provide
basic tools and possibly transport from a meeting point, you provide
PPE and the grunt.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote:

On Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:02:18 +0000, Janet Tweedy wrote:

Sounds good I've always wanted to do something like that but don't want
to just pick up litter etc., wouldn't mind getting tog rips with taking
out scrub and brambles and so on. Very therapeutic and lots of people
with same mindset.

Take a look at http://www2.btcv.org.uk/display/volunteer

Was the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers but now only uses
BTCV. Brother in law does volunteer work for them, anything from
building drystone walls to clearing rohdendrons etc. ie real, get yer
hands mucky, stuff. They also run the pay for "working holidays" but
I'm pretty sure what my BiL does is pure volunteer work. They provide
basic tools and possibly transport from a meeting point, you provide
PPE and the grunt.

Erm.. you need your own waterproof jacket and they advise on sturdy
boots but any more special PPE required for a particular job is
provided. Our local BTCV even has a good number of steel toecapped
boots for the borrowing if you need them.

Warwick