SHERINGHAM AND CROMER ROUND TABLE

Sheringham and Cromer Round Tabler Malcolm Fisher has just taken over the Area Chairmanship from Kelly Clarke of North Walsham Round Table. Malcolm has been in Table for over 15 years and is a past Chairman of Sheringham & Cromer. He has served on the Area Committee for the past two years. A keen wildlife watcher he was recently able to volunteer on a 3 month rainforest expedition in Ecuador and is now fortunate enough to be able to combine his passion with work, being employed by Norfolk Wildlife Trust looking after their Visitor Centre at NWT Ranworth Broad.

On taking over the chairmanship Malcolm stated he was proud to be holding the post, particularly as he is the first Sheringham and Cromer Tabler to do so. He congratulated the 17 Tables in Area 6 for their magnificent fund-raising efforts this year; a total of around £60,000 has been raised mainly for local charities but also includes £4,000 for the Round Tables of Indian and Sri Lankan to help with their re-building projects after the Tsunami disaster.

He is looking forward to a busy year, starting in Glasgow with the National Conference week-end and then visiting all 17 Tables in Area 6. Anyone interested in joining Sheringham and Cromer Round Table should contact Andy Johnson on 01263 822146 or visit sheringhamandcromerroundtable.co.uk. For more information on other tables in Area 6 please contact Andy Lodge the new Area Membership Officer on 01692 407801 or andy.lodge2@ukonline.co.uk or visit www.roundtable.org.uk .

If you're travelling in Europe, make sure you've got a new E111 certificate as well as your travel insurance. An E111 is free, and it could save you a lot of money and hassle if you need medical help while you're away. If you've already got an E111, you should check to see whether it's still valid. If it's not, you'll need to apply for a new one. The E111 is valid in; Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Why do I need an E111?

Having an E111 certificate means you can get free or reduced-cost medical treatment if you fall ill or have an accident while you're in any of the European countries listed here. It also covers you for treatment for chronic illnesses (like diabetes), maternity care, illnesses you had before you went away, and things like kidney dialysis and oxygen therapy (by prior arrangement).

What about my travel insurance?

By itself, your travel insurance might not be enough to cover your medical care while you're away, and some travel insurance policies aren't valid without an E111. Your E111 can also save you money by covering the excess - the first part of the claim, which you normally have to pay yourself - if you do have to claim on your insurance. But it's still advisable to have both: travel insurance covers some things the E111 doesn't cover, such as repatriation to the UK
I've already got an E111.

Why do I need to get another one?

Because of changes in EU law, E111 forms issued before 19th August 2004 aren't valid any more. If your form has an expiry date of 31st December 2005 at the bottom, it's valid until that date. If there's no expiry date, you'll need to apply for a new form for each member of your family, including children, who plans to travel in Europe in 2005.

How do I get an E111?

All you need to do is fill in an application form, and an E111 for each member of the family that needs one, then take them to the counter at your Post Office for stamping. You can pick up an application form at the Post Office or download one from our website at www.dh.gov.uk/travellers. You can use the same application form for you, your spouse or partner, and up to six dependent children.  Introducing the EHIC From 31st December 2005, E111s will be replaced by a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You can pre-apply for your EHIC now by ticking the box on the back of the E111 application form. If you do this, your EHIC will be sent to you automatically before your E111 expires at the end of the year. From 1st September 2005, you'll also be able to apply for an EHIC online through www.dh.gov.uk/travellers, by post or by phone. We'll be putting the details on the website closer to the date, and there'll also be ads in the newspapers.