A pan-European organisation is next week launching a new website called DysNet to connect thousands of families around the globe whose lives are affected by thalidomide. It will provide the latest information and support, as well as research and historical documentation.

It’s the brainchild of a group of thalidomiders from across Europe who realise that although they are approaching fifty years old, there are many younger people with congenital limb differences in the world with whom they can share their experiences of how to lead independent and fulfilled lives.

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the thalidomide generation. Half a century ago, the thalidomide drug was finally withdrawn from circulation in the face of overwhelming evidence that it caused birth defects, most characteristically, shortened arms and legs.

The EDRIC group (European Dysmelia Reference Information Centre) which is launching the website is chaired by thalidomider and former BBC veteran Geoof Adamson-Spink (pic). The launch is promoted by a PR colleague, Tania Tirraoro, who runs the Special Needs Jungle website and  is a speaker at a conference I am promoting for families and professionals involved with special educational needs, Towards a Positive Difference.

Geoff said: “There are many small support groups dotted around Europe and the rest of the world of people with various forms of dysmelia. We want to bring all of their knowledge together so people can find the answers they need and also contribute to the database from their own experiences. We believe this will  improve the lives of people with limb differences everywhere.”

I wish them every success. The website link is here.

This is a link to their Facebook site.

The minister for children and families, Sarah Teather, outlined the proposed reforms which she said this would prevent parents being forced to go from “pillar to post” in a battle between different authorities and agencies.

It is estimated that 21% of children in England are identified as having SEN – 21% of the school population in January 2010. Only 2.7% have statements. More than half of the pupils, 11.4%, are in the school action category.

Janet, who is organising an SEN conference next month for families and professionals, Towards a Positive Future, said:

“Although I welcome health education and social care being legally forced to work together, and I welcome parents having more control over who provides the special education needs provision for their child, I am concerned that the amount of money that will be put into the personal budget will not in reality be enough for them to be able to access the services that they need.

“I also think that there isn’t visibility for the general public, parents or local authorities as to who is available locally to be commissioned to work with individual children.  I am also sure that the information that needs to be given to parents isn’t currently readily available, and also that living with a child with special educational needs takes an awful lot of time.

“At the moment many parents have direct payments in order to pay for respite, but have to prepare accounts which takes a lot of time and local authorities get very upset if you don’t provide them with quarterly accounts.  If you pay for someone else to do your accounts, that money has to come out of your child’s respite. So it is really difficult for parents who haven’t got the time or these skills to take on board yet another job when all they want to do is be a parent to their child.

“In theory, the plan is a really good idea, but what is needed is for key workers to be allocated to take this work on and manage this budget on behalf of parents, just like they do for head injured children who get compensation and a trust fund set up which is managed by a case manager, and that system works very well and takes the pressure off the family, whereas this system appears to be putting more pressure on families to take on another role that takes up more of their time.”

Tickets are still available for Janet’s conference on Saturday, 16 June in Newbury, where speakers include actress Jane Asher, president of the Autistic Society. Full booking details can be found here.

We queued nervously for our weigh in this morning after our 7am run/power walk, the last at the end of an exhausting, but exhilarating, week.

I was determined to wear the same jeans I wore for my first weigh in and not cheat by jumping on the scales with light weight joggers weighing 3lbs less which would give an inflated result. At the end of  my punishing week, my weight loss was 3 1/2 lbs and a total loss of 8 cms around my vital statistics.

At first I was disappointed because I was hoping for a 4- 5 lb loss, and I know I couldn’t have worked harder. But I have to bear in mind that my ability to exercise at full pelt was hampered on two days, quite considerably on one of them, following a leg injury when I pulled a ligament or muscle and I couldn’t stand on my leg without wincing in pain.

We were each given personal reports showing the results from the Ki armband monitors we wore each day which recorded our levels of activity and the calories we burned. I was delighted to see that I exceeded my target to burn 2,600 calories each day, burning as many as 3,655 calories, the equivalent of a 1lb weight loss.

When I questioned my trainers about my weight loss, they said it was lower than others because I led a more was active than them before I joined boot camp, and this makes it harder to achieve a quick weight loss. I certainly feel my jeans are baggier and I can fasten my belt tighter by two notches; I plan to bin my fat day jeans by the end of the month.

The results of my fellow boot campers was very interesting and demonstrates how very personal and complex weight loss can be. Two super guys achieved an astonishing result by losing 1 stone each. One of them worked himself extra hard as his goal was to lose 1 stone, and he really sweated and pushed himself to the limits to achieve, which was fantastic considering he skipped Saturday’s programme to go to Wembley to watch his beloved Chelsea team play.  Yet the other guy did not have anything like the same physical ability to match this, though he still worked his hardest, and yet they still achieved the same weight loss.

We were all gutted when our lovely larger lady who also pushed herself to the limit, and beyond, ended up gaining 2 lbs in weight, while still losing inches when she was measured. This was clearly evident to us all and we anticipated a huge weight loss for her. At the end of the day, the reduction in inches, while very encouraging, is very demotivating after an exhausting week of constant activity, some of it quite punishing, and a low calorie caffeine free diet. I suspect the extra weight was muscle gain and that her weight loss will show up on the scales in the next week or so as her body continues to adapt. I’m hoping that will happen to me too.

Age is no barrier to boot camp as one of the ladies in our group is a very youthful 61-year-old, she was so impressive, with our youngest in their twenties. I was so impressed to learn that one woman had just retired the week before boot camp, what an imaginative treat at the end of your working life!  As the week progressed, we could all see the improved levels of fitness in each other. Boot camp really suits all those who are young at heart and will get stuck in to whatever exercise is planned without winging about it. Boot camp is meant to be tough and take you out of your comfort zone, and it’s essential to remember that; it’s not for wimps; the rain drenched walk through soggy fields epitomises that.  Everyone was magnificent, and I feel privileged to have been part of such an inspiring group.

Looking back, there were some moments at the beginning of the week when I never thought I would make it to the end as the continuous exercise was so hard, and the tough love of our trainers Richard and Lewis was more than we could take. But they made it great fun, and we all appreciated their huge commitment towards us, the long hours they put in, and the challenging and varied activities they planned each day, none of which were repeated. Richard particularly amazed me with his hoola hoop skills and I couldn’t resist buying one for myself to work out in the garden.

I felt my biggest achievement was my improved stamina for running  which was pretty much non-existent as I prefer power walking. I also really enjoyed the different circuits, working out with weights and our terrific Zumba class with Charlotte, who left us begging for more. And the good news is that by the end of the week, all my aches and pains had vanished thanks to the various therapies I had had during the week to relieve them, most of which were included in the boot camp package.

Richard told us that we would make new friends for life and I fee this is true. My fellow boot campers were such an amazing bunch, including a couple of comedians with great wit and humour, as well the zany, and each and every one of them were good natured and supportive of each other.  There is even talk of one of our group hosting a follow-up boot camp at his home in Majorca, only this one will include alcohol!

I stopped off at a supermarket on my way home to stock up on fresh, healthy food and carry on my good work. I also plan to book in some personal training sessions at my gym to build up on my improved fitness level. I’m hoping what I have learned and achieved in the last week will stay with me for life.

I started off my Champney posts by referring to Jenni Murray who is fighting the flab, and suggested she should join our boot camp. I would like to repeat this because I am sure she would reap tremendous benefits from it too. Go on Jennie, give it a try!

Update 13 May: Great news, the weight is still coming off, my scales show I have lost 5 lbs! Yay, I feel incredibly motivated

Update 14 May: More good news, my scales this morning show I lost another 2 lbs, so a 7lb weight loss in total. The Huffington Post has also published my story about Champneys boot camp.

*I was a guest of Champneys.

Today is our last day and after a week of extreme exercise, pushing myself beyond my pain barrier, sacrificing tea, coffee, alcohol and bread, surviving on 1500 calories a day, I was also able to enjoy a daily therapeutic treatment which made boot camp all the more tolerable.

The day ended with a range of pampering treatments included in the programme; they were three blissful thalassotherapy sessions, two massages, a body salt scrub and a detox seaweed wrap. However, I was keen for a couple of extra treatments as well and the challenge was to fit them during the day which was tightly packed with wall to wall activities. I achieved this by sloping off from a cookery demonstration on how to make bliss balls so I could enjoy a muscle relaxing treatment when my aching limbs were rubbed all over with Elemis oil by expert firm hands and I was then sealed in a silver foil wrap. While my skin was absorbing all this goodness, the masseur paid attention to my knotted shoulders, stroking my neck and head too. It was my favourite treatment of the week.

Today I shall be skipping the motivation talk (I am so motivated that I also fitted in an extra weight training session in the gym yesterday) to have a St Tropez spray tan at the bargain price of £15 to complete my new lean look. I am not a sun worshipper, and this seems the healthiest way to obtain that sun kissed look.

I have also made the most of Champney’s infra-red sauna and have booked another session there today as it provides many health benefits and is a great detoxer, but, most importantly, eases my aching muscles, and many boot campers have taken advantage of this treatment which is provided free for us.

Exactly how much leaner I am will will be revealed tomorrow during the big weigh-in after our early morning power walk. I feel proud knowing that I have done my very best and I am hoping for a weight loss of 4-5 lbs. Miraculously, the packet of rice cakes which I brought with me as a surreptitious snack remain unopened as I never once felt hunger pangs.

We all feel sad that the week has come to an end, I certainly feel much more energised and everyone is still smiling through their aches and pains. We all agree that it was a wonderful, memorable week when many new friendships were made. It would be lovely for us to meet up again in six months time to see how boot camp has motivated us to continue living healthier and more active lives.

*I am a guest of Champneys

There is a tremendous bonding among our group, a strong feeling of comradeship and mutual support which has built up during the week. If one exhausted boot camper feels they cannot move another muscle, they are always given the encouragement they need by their group to boost their motivation.

It’s something we have all experienced, even the super-fit amongst us, and there are times when we question why we have put ourselves through such a punishing regime, we feel we cannot go on any longer.

Yesterday was particularly tough with three rounds of circuits, but they all varied and all fun, and I now hope I have mastered the perfect press-up.  I do commend Richard and Lewis again for planning such an imaginative range of activities, which today includes swinging our hips in hoola hoops which I know will be fun and I used to love as a child, and I am looking forward to watching the guys in our group attempt this. There is always a surprise in store for us in the day, even if it turns not to be a pleasant one.

Two of our activities yesterday were outdoors in intermittent light rain and while it’s not the most pleasant experience, we all felt a terrific sense of achievement afterwards for sticking it out, even though we ended up totally bedraggled and soaked in perspiration. Some of us may have started the week as wusses, but true grit has taken command and we can now rise to any challenge. Bring it on guys!

After all, boot camp is meant to be tough, we wouldn’t want it any other way.

I have been trying to book a St Tropez spray tan all week, but it is fully booked, with one free appointment which clashed with aqua fit. When someone suggested I should skip that for the tanning, I instinctively refused because I felt I would be letting the whole group down, as well as myself, and we have come too far together for me do such a thing.

There’s just two days left now, so we are over the worst. My headaches from the caffeine withdrawal have gone and I wake up feeling much perkier than I did at the beginning of the week.

*I am a guest of Champneys.

We are wearing Ki Fit armband monitors throughout the week which record how many calories we are burning throughout the day during all our activities, as well as our sleep pattern. Last night we were given some feedback, and it looks quite promising, despite the setback from my injury on the second day when I pulled a muscle or ligament, when there was clearly an activity dip, but I still burnt 2,864 calories that day, which was above my target of 2,600.

I need to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound, and I came close to that on a couple of days with 3,245. As I am performing on 90% capacity due to the injury which is still niggling, I am delighted with this. From these results, I am hoping to shed around 5lbs by the end of the week. I am determined to reach 3,500 burnt calories a day, that is my personal goal for the rest of the week.

We had a two hour break from our activities yesterday to give the trainers time to assess our monitors, and I expect they will be making us work all the harder for it today. We start off with strength training at 7am, and yoga (hurray!), then a trim trail, a challenging exercise jaunt through the woods. The afternoon includes legs, bums & tums class (we feel the burn constantly!), followed by speed, agility and quickness (more circuits), which will be very testing for me as I woke at 4am this morning. I find my mattress too hard and uncomfortable on my back and I’m sipping fresh lemon and ginger tea as I write this at 5.45am.

At least the day ends with aqua fit, which is always fun and hardly seems like exercise, and I can soak my muscles in the warm mineral water during thalassotherapy. Bliss!

We are always exhausted at the end of the day and my head hits the pillow at 9.30 pm. However, this evening we have a guest speaker, an osteopath who will be talking about posture. Let’s hope we are not slouched sleeping in our chairs throughout her presentation.

*I am here as a guest of Champneys.

We are half way through the week now and the pain is beginning to hit hard as our punishing fitness routine – six house of activity a day – takes its toll on our bodies and we begin to hurt all over, especially our thighs and bottoms, which is not surprising after around 200 each of squats, lunges and press-ups  in the last few days, though our motivation remains high.

The two hardest parts about the day are getting up early each morning for a jog or power walk, or the gruelling session of circuit training which pushes you beyond endurance, and although extremely tough, I actually don’t mind it. The second is the burning sensation in my thighs and bottom which proves that I have pushed all boundaries in my effort to be fitter at the end of my boot camp week. In fact, I do not know one person in our group who has not got a sore bottom.

Many of us have suffered headaches too from the caffeine withdrawal. I have never before given up tea and coffee, it’s my first ever such detox, and the last time I gave up alcohol was when I was pregnant, and my youngest son is 19, so we have had this to cope with on top of pushing ourselves beyond our pain barriers.

Today we had outdoor circuits, and I would like to commend Richard and Lewis for planning such a diverse range of activities throughout each day, and always including a daily outdoor activity. It got off to a shaky start as I was 5 minutes late and had to do 10 press ups on the wet grass for my punishment, along with three others were also late, my new lovely social worker friends from London; it could have been much worse, we could have been made to do 100! It was good practice as a couple of the circuits involved doing press-ups on the wet grass and crawling on all fours under a low bar.

We then played a team game of frisbee, which was tremendous fun, and again, and the fierce competitiveness of boot campers was clearly visible. Suddenly those who perhaps didn’t appear the fittest found hidden reserves of energy and were absolutely demons on the field, transformed into whirling dervishes.

We also had a session of fitball which I always enjoy, but my highlight of the day was Zumba with Charlotte, a real cracker with lots of fizz who charmed us all into swinging our hips to the Latin American beat. I even asked for an extra routine to my favourite Ricky Martin dance song. I have tried Zumba before at my gym and didn’t enjoy it, and now I know why, the teacher was nowhere near as good as Charlotte. Thank you Charlotte, I always knew I would love Zumba.

Other planned activities throughout the week are another long walk, spinning (cycling madly on an exercise bile) and swinging hoola hoops, which is great for the waist.

The biggest challenge for our trainers who are encouraging us to work as hard as we can and more, is the past injuries that people have, such as knee problems, as well as injuries sustained during the week. I badly hurt my calf after pulling a muscle or ligament and couldn’t stand on it without wincing for several hours, and even now I am  careful with it so I do not exacerbate it.  A girl in our group fell on her back, and these injuries naturally restricts us both, though we are working to our best ability and not shirking.

After our six mile walk yesterday which I completed with the aid of a stick, my fellow boot campers surprised me by saying they had nominated me their “man of the match” for completing the walk instead of giving up and sitting round the pool for the afternoon, but as walking is one of my big pleasures in life, I was not going to let that hold me back. I am no wimp.

We now have a Greek themed dinner and I am taking my Greek music with me. If all goes to plan, we will burn a few extra calories with some Greek dancing too.

*I am a guest of Champneys.

The strict exercise and diet regime is beginning to have an impact. One of our fellow boot campers left a class early yesterday, and later successfully pleaded for a side dish of beetroot in addition to her calorie counted lunch which was included with an alternative meal choice on offer as she really fancied it, and was determined to have it.

Another boot camper had a lie-in this morning and escaped the gruelling circuit training; he missed out on our painful quota of squats, lunges and planks, all the harder for being done at 7am while we are still bleary eyed. The sense of achievement we felt afterwards for sticking it out was immense, and never before did two my boiled eggs and rye bread for breakfast taste so good.

On the subject of food, each day we are given some phyllium husk in a glass to drink with water and help fill us up, as well as a scoop of flaxseed, which we mix together. I think I shall try this for a month when I return home to help maintain my weight loss, but I have been advised not to take it any longer.

The strategy behind this week is to regulate our sugar level to help reduce our cravings for food, and it is hoped we will reap the benefit of this afterwards, adopting healthier food habits, eating smaller portions, and consume  less tea, coffee and alcohol. It is easy enough in this controlled environment where all the meals are prepared, but maintaining it in the real world is another challenge.

A nutritionist this morning gave us a pep talk about the healthy foods we should be eating, and we have been promised menus of all the tasty meals we have eaten throughout the week to take home. The boot camp programme is devised so we burn up 2,500 – 3,000 calories a day during our six hours of activity, but only eat 1500 calories (1700 for men), so weight loss should be assured.

I’m off to my “suspension training” class now, which involves working our abs by pulling on ropes attached to the ceiling, and after lunch, we have a two hour walk, followed by aqua fit and more thalassotherapy, which is always a pleasure to look forward to.

Despite the exhaustion and hard work, everyone is really enjoying boot camp, we are all smiling through it.

*I am here as a guest of Champneys.

I suffered a major setback today.

After our 7am power walk, and the best breakfast I have ever had (more on this later), we headed for a local playing field to play Kwik Cricket, but a modified version which involved all team members running with their fellow boot camper who was batting.

During the warm up exercise when I was teamed with a very enthusiastic and energetic  book camper, I suddenly felt a sharp spasm and terrific pain in my calf as we teamed up and he had to push me back, pulling either a muscle or ligament. I was in excrutiating pain, and imagined the worst, that I would have to sit out most of the future activity events for the rest of the week.

However, I was having none of it, and thanks to some advice on stretching from trainers Richard and Lewis, a session on the spa’s Vibrogym and some infra-red treatment, the application of  muscle relaxant gel, Ibuprofen, the loan of a heat wrap given to me by a very kind trooper here, as well as a full body massage, I feel I am now on the road to recovery.

I am still limping slightly, but I joined in circuits and pilates , and am looking forward to a long walk tomorrow which will take place, come rain or shine, I am told.

All our meals are calorie counted to total 1500 throughout the day, while men are allowed an extra 200 calories. So one of the breakfast menu choices totally surprised and delighted me, a full cooked breakfast comprising of a turkey fillet, two poached eggs, half a dozen mushrooms and rye bread. It was scrumptious. I was surprised to discover that it contained the same calories as the muesli and porridge also on offer. I have never had turkey for breakfast before, and I’ll certainly choose this choice again tomorrow if it is still on the menu.

Talking of food, it’s time to get ready for dinner now. And I think I deserve it!

*I am a guest of Champneys.

It’s 9.30pm and I still haven’t unpacked my bags. My newspapers which I picked up this morning remain crisp and unopened.

Since arriving at Champney boot camp at Henlow Grange  at 11am, I’ve not had a minute to draw breath. My reason for joining the week-long group is to shed a few pounds and improve my fitness level, and the programme started instantly, without a moment to lose.

As you can see from my beautifully prepared chargrilled tuna salad lunch, the nutritional content is high, but portion sizes are moderate (yes,, that is half a new potato), calculated at 1500 calories per day for women, and 1700 for men. I have started eating much more slowly to savour every mouthful, chewing each morsel of food about 20 times to make it last longer.

What makes this week all the harder for everyone is that we cannot drink tea and coffee, only herbal teas, and it is alcohol free too, of course, so it is a thorough detox as well.  Although my room should have been cleared of tea and coffee, the fact that it has been overlooked is tempting, but I will not succumb. I am sipping camomile tea instead, and a fresh slice of lemon and grated ginger has been delivered for my room to drink with hot water first thing tomorrow morning before our 7 am power walk.

My fellow boot campers have varied needs for coming here. Some are slim and super-fit already, but enjoy high levels of fitness and pushing themselves really hard to the next level. Others, like me, need that extra boost to kick-start a healthy lifestyle that remains constant. There are a couple too who are obese. A few have tried other boot camps before, even in America. There is one guy who appears very fit and toned and has booked up a second boot camp week later this month at Champneys in Forest Mere.

I’m wondering how addictive this is going to become for me too!

The afternoon was spent on an hour long country walk and we then played bench ball, a kind of netball without the nets, though I still wearing my leather walking boots which hopefully meant I burnt off extra calories. It brought back school day memories I ran around the pitch at full speed. I was intrigued to observe how this competitive element gave even the least fit members in our group an extra spurt of energy. Maybe that’s the secret to book camp activities, make them all competitive!

After a snack of three dried apricots and some seeds, we then dived into the large pool for aqua fit. I looked on enviously at other Champney guests who lounged around the pool reading magazines and chilling then.

It was then time for a welcoming and soothing, thallasotherapy treatment in a heated pool with various minerals to draw out toxins and jets to press against areas that needed that extra pressure. Now you can see why there was no time to unpack, because after a shower, it was time for dinner.

There was an additional flurry of excitement at Henlow Grange throughout the day. When I arrived at Henlow, the receptionist made a call to their dining room to book in one of the hugely successful boy band One Direction which has just taken America by storm. I asked which one, and she told me they were expecting Louis Tomlinson.

My sons were dead impressed and asked me to take a photo. A waiter even showed me which table had been reserved for him, but when I looked later, the place was taken by another fit looking guy. We are not sure why this happened as staff really believe that the One Direction star had booked in.

It wasn’t hard work for all of us though as one of our fellow boot campers was excused from the day’s activity. He signed in, attended the welcome talk, and then left for Wembley to see the Chelsea-Liverpool game. He will have lots of catching up to do tomorrow.

I am impressed by the staff who can’t do enough for your, and our trainers Richard and Lewis are lovely. The whole group is very supportive of each other and I am looking forward to getting to know them better throughout the week.

*I am a guest of Champneys.

P.S. The One Direction mystery is solved, I was told that it was Louis’ parents who came here.