CHAIRMAN

David Martin

Tel. 07597 301748

DEPUTY CHAIRMAN

John Parker

Tel. 07970 568425

SECRETARY

Allan (Mac) Black

Tel. 07512 022949

TREASURER

Duncan Pickard

Tel. 01334 870203

TALK CONVENOR

Graeme Hogg

Tel. 01334 653043

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Jim Lawrence

Maurice Shepherd

David Sinclair

ASSIST.SECRETARY

Vic Broad

ASSIST. TALK CONVENOR

Bill Bowman

TALK RECORDERS

Jim Lawrence

Tony Miklinski

Brian Murray

Graham Pirie

MEMBERS PAGE

To access the MEMBERS page enter your password in the box above

...........................

Tuesday

9th December 2025

12.30pm

Christmas Lunch

Club News

Secretary email: macblack.author@gmail.com

David Martin chaired a well-attended meeting on 26th November in Castlehill Community Hall and was pleased to welcome the speaker for today, Jo Middlemiss. He also had the pleasant task of introducing a new member for induction, John Houston.

John Houston had the opportunity to give the assembled members a little bit of his background – now retired, having worked for BT for thirty years. He is a keen golfer, and enthusiastic cyclist, and football enthusiast, and highlighted Scotland’s recent glorious win.

Jo Middlemiss travelled from Kinross today to be with us. She would be telling us about the charity that she is involved in with her cousin - EMP, Ethiopia Medical Project. Additional background information can be found on https://www.ethiopiamedicalproject.com/about-us/

Ethiopia Medical Project

We were given a very interesting talk today on The Ethiopia Medical Project (EMP) by its representative, Jo Middlemass.  

EMP was launched 10 years ago in Northern Ethiopia. It assists The Buccama Health Centre in Southern Ethiopia in its work by fund raising to pay for basic treatments and staff salaries. It heals thousands of mothers suffering from Uterine Prolapse and also men and women suffering from Prodoconiosis.

Jo’s endeavours started in a low key-way raising funds for the Project with tea parties using the tag line “Pants for Pounds”. Everyone is either related to a mother or friends of a mother with Uterine Prolapse but seldom talked about. In Ethiopia the woman is literally ostracised from her family because of the perceived “shame”. So far 12000 to15000 women have been treated using pessaries and follow-up advice which allows women to re-enter normal family life.

Although Jo fundraises here in Scotland, she also goes out to Buccama for one month each year staying at the convent attached to the clinic to check on their requirements and works in the clinic. Whilst there she discovered the huge problem of Prodoconiosis. It is a degenerative problem of the skin in the foot and lower leg caused by barefoot exposure to the irritant particles in the clay soil. The mistaken belief that it is a contagious disease means the sufferer is kept apart from society and not treated. The clinic teaches basic cleanliness with soap and oil massages regularly, plus the wearing of socks and shoes funded by EMP. If not treated early, the feet can be lost. It’s a very poor agricultural existence with no Government benefits whatsoever. If you have no feet you don’t live. 500 people a week are treated for 1 hour per week and given health education in that hour.

EMS now is a Registered Charity and members responded to Jo’s talk by donating to EMP.

Vote of thanks given by Chair David Martin

Graham Pirie