Members' Benevolent Fund: The total collected for the Fund during July 1988 was €1,610.47 made up as follows:

Mrs G M Hinchcliffe (lecture fee) 10.00

Miss U.A Modlin 5.00 Middlesex Hospital School

of Physiotherapy (annual ball) 500.00

Contributions under deeds of covenant 95.00

Commission and interest 1.000.47

€1,610.47

The Fund is separate from the Society's general funds and it would be helpful if cheques were made payable to 'CSP Members' Benevolent Fund'.

€

St Thomas's Hospital Physiotherapy Association will meet for its annual general meeting and reunion on Saturday, October 8, at St Thomas's Hospital. The Association welcomes new members; anyone wishing to join should contact the honorary secretary, Miss J Hickling, Garden Flat, 2 Chepstow Vlllas, London W11 2RB.

Norfolk Branch: There is to be an annual dinner for Norfolk Branch members and their friends on November 5, 1988, a t 7.30 pm for 8 pm. It will be held at the Assembly House in Norwich. Speaker and ticket details to be announced in the October Journal.

Bristol Royal Infirmary School of Physiotherapy: 40 years on1 The venue for the 1948 set reunion will be at 251 A Henleaze Road, Westbury-on-Trym. Bristol BS9 4NQ (tel 6243201, the home of Mary Machin (n6e Sledge), 12 noon onwards, October 22. Further details from Mary or Thelma (Bristol 422041). Accommodation available if needed. RSVP by October 12. Please come.

Molra Pekenham-Walsh Foundation: The 1 1 th memorial lecture will be held at 6.30 pm on Wednesday, November 9 in the Morris Lecture Theatre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London ECl . Title: Inventing techniques and chasing pain. Lecturer: Louis Gifford BSc MCSP.

This will be followed by cheese and wine in the Great Hall. Tickets (€6) will be available in advance from Miss V Naish MCSP, Physiotherapy Department, St Bartholomew's Hospital. SAE appreciated.

Royal Orthopaedic Horpital, Birmingham, School .of Physiotherapy: The annual ball will be held in the evening following the graduation ceremony on Saturday, November 19, at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Speaker: Dr V Cross. Band and disco. Charity raffle in aid of muscular dystrophy. All past students welcome. Contact Kathy Kinross on 021-471 4780 - afternoons.

Teesside Polytechnic Department of Heelth and Community Studies: Valerie Lord, deputy leader of the Polytechnic's physiotherapy course retired et Easter 1988. Valerie has been associated with the Teesside physiotherapy course since its inception in 1972, initially as a teacher and since 1980 as the deputy course leader. In recognition of her considerable contribution to physiotherapy, it is proposed to establish an annual award for our most successful first-year physio- therapy student. Would ex-students or ex-colleagues who wish to contribute to a trust fund to finance the award please send a cheque, payable to the 'Valerie Lord award', to the Departmental Administrator, Department of Health and Community Studies, Teesside Polytechnic, Middlesbrough, Cleveland TS1 3BA.

Recognition of Clinical Interest Groups Council has agreed to implement a process of recognition

for Clinical Interest Groups. It believes this will strengthen and enhance the links between these groups and the CSP, which will benefit the profession as a whole. A discussion document giving details of the advantages of recognition has been circulated to and welcomed by existing Clinical Interest Groups and is available for anyone interested.

Recognition can be sought by any group whose commor, interest relates to clinical practice, whether or not currently considered a Clinical Interest Group.

The criteria for recognition are: (a) That the group has a minimum of 50 signatures of Chartered physiotherapists committed to join a particular Clinical Interest Group (or an existing membership of at least 501. (b) That the proposed group provides for a clinical area of physiotherapy or a client group that has minimal overlap with other physiotherapy or client groups. (c) That the group demonstrates a clear and valid relationship between the area of expertise/specialism and the core of physiotherapy as described in the Charter. (See 'The practice of physiotherapy' - Physiotherapy, August, pages 356-358.) (d) That the group demonstrates a commitment to developing an area of expertise by education, practice and research, which will benefit both the profession as a whole and the general public.

Any group which can demonstrate i ts fulfilment of these

criteria is invited t o apply for recognition. Applications should include the following information:

1. Current membership list of the group. 2. Aims and objectives of the group. 3. A statepnt of how the group believes it fulfils criterion (b). If a group recognises that it may overlap with other group(s), some idea of how.ihe group wishes to deal with this would be helpful, eg it is willin$ to talk to other group(s1 with similar interests, or recognises ovetlap but can identify within that a different perspective or different skills that warrant an independent group. 4. A statement of how the group believes it fulfils criterion (c). 5. A statement and/or evidence of how the group believes it fulfils criterion (d). This will include details of, or intent to proceed with, setting standards, education and research. 6. Current constitution of the group. 7. Current list of officers. 8. Current list of publications, if any, or literature designed for physiotherapists or members of the public.

Applications will be considered by the Professional Practice Committee.

Any group wishing to submit an application should send it t o Judy Mead MCSP, Professional Affairs Officer, The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, 14 Bedford Row, London WC1R 4ED, who will be pleased to discuss any queries members may have and from whom copies of the discussion document can be obtained.

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fiysiotherepy, September 1988, vd 74, r)o 9 470