Chatteris Parish Community http://www.chatteris.org/ Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:24:46 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 Tuesday, 01 July 2008 23:22 - Jem now settled in at home - still awaiting Gym conversion for ... http://www.chatteris.org//index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68:jem-is-coming-home&catid=44:jem-finch&directory=152 Jem was formally discharged from Stoke Mandeville National Spinal Injuries Unit on Friday 18th July at around 7pm. He has returned home to initially live within the main house whilst plans are agreed and the building work to strip and modify the Gym at the rear of the house into a 15' x 40' bungalow for him. The sauna and gym will be moved and re-established in the cottage at the front, which was our preferred Jem accommodation plan A, but is apparentky deemed too expensive due to the need to replace the asbestos roof!

Now Jem is home, I will update the main site blog (click through on Jem's picture) about once a month so that his progress is trackable and the trials and tribulations of the accommodation are shared, especially with those far afield in Africa, Canada, Australia and the USA! The earliest start date for building work is now said to be January/February as they have yet to go out for tenders and have only just got the plans agreed!  Joy!!

Click through on his picture for latest information and the background to his injury.
Jonathan

]]> Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:22:42 +0100 Friday, 22 February 2008 00:32 - Jem Finch http://www.chatteris.org//index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48:jem-finch&catid=44:jem-finch&directory=152

UPDATE
Saturday 22nd November 2008
I am afraid I have been very lax in updating this site as life trundles on without much changing for Jem. His life is really on hold until we have the old gym building made into a living room and sluice room for him. He has a motability car on order with hand controls - for delivery in about 8 weeks. As it is he sees many of his local friends and is frequently to be seen wheeling through the town or being towed behind a friend's motability scooter! (Must get a picture of this!) He has purchased some flashing wheels from the USA which make it easy to see him coming from some distance! Typical Jem - but very sensible!
He has also now got two solar panels and even a wind turbine - so his new abode will be pretty Green!
Morale wise he accepts his situation - and is looking forward to restarting College after Christmas.
We are now approved to have our existing Gym and Sauna building at the rear of the main house stripped and converted into a 15' x 40' bungalow for him, with shared access to the house, but with a wet room, bedroom and living space built into the existing gym space. Design work is almost complete - but the design will beg the need for filling in the pond to enable access, help with loading some of the accummulated junk in and behind the gym into a skip and making more space in the cottage to take the gym equipment and sauna. We will also need to erect some sort of covered/weather roof access between Jem's home and the house when funds permit, and any help in the construction would be welcome when the time comes!

The sauna and gym will be re-established in the stables/cottage at the front of the house which is also necessary for Jem's continued rehabilitation and a family living space also built in there. As long as no-one sleeps under the sheet asbestos roof, although it is sealed, the powers that be are happy!

I am now reducing the size of this blog - but will occasionally update it as things change. There are still people who know Jem who have not heard of his accident so I am retaining the background piece


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