p11 p9 p5 p7 p19 p20 TAKE ME HOME! TAKE ME HOME! TAKE ME HOME! TAKE ME HOME! opening doors . . . broadening minds When you’ve finished reading this paper please pass it on to a friend or neighbour When you’ve finished reading this paper please pass it on to a friend or neighbour MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR! MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR! JUNE–JULY, 2012 THE PLUNGE! THE PLUNGE! TAKE TAKE TAKE WIN WIN p13 MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR! TAKE ME HOME! TAKE ME HOME! TAKE ME HOME! TAKE ME HOME! p14-15 – and get all the info on how to overcome many of life’s challenges – and get all the info on how to overcome many of life’s challenges THE PLUNGE! 90% ‘PICK-UP’ AT SUPERMARKETS AND HOSPITALS MANCHESTER GLORY . . . p16-18 p31 NORTH WEST THEATRE GUIDE p24-25 . . . and COMMENDED, Niche Newspaper of the Year — national Newspaper Awards 2012 CIRCULATION DOUBLED! 440,000 440,000 READERS READERS SOLAR POWERED PUMP SYSTEM SOLAR POWERED PUMP SYSTEM p27
Transcript
p11p9p5
p7 p19
p20
TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!opening doors . . . broadening minds
When you’ve finished reading this paper please pass it on to a friend or neighbourWhen you’ve finished reading this paper please pass it on to a friend or neighbour
MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR!MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR!
JUNE–JULY, 2012
THE PLUNGE!THE PLUNGE!TAKETAKETAKE
WINWIN
p13
MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR!
TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!
p14-15
– and get all theinfo on how toovercome manyof life’s challenges
– and get all theinfo on how toovercome manyof life’s challenges
THE PLUNGE!
90% ‘PICK-UP’ ATSUPERMARKETSAND HOSPITALS
MANCHESTERGLORY . . .
p16-18
p31
NORTH WESTTHEATRE GUIDE
p24-25
. . . and COMMENDED, Niche Newspaper of the Year — national Newspaper Awards 2012
CIRCULATION DOUBLED!
440,000440,000READERSREADERS
SOLAR POWEREDPUMP SYSTEMSOLAR POWEREDPUMP SYSTEM p27
All Together NOW! is exceptionally well liked by its readers.220,000 readers DO NOT see any other local paper — The Murray Consultancy‘
n All Together NOW! is aregistered charity set up toprovide a tip top news servicefor anyone whose life isaffected by disability, long-term healthcondtions or age.n The charity reliesentirely on supportfrom its sponsors,advertisers andfrom general subscriptionsand grants.n You can contact us on
0151 230 0307
NEWS p2-8
BANK WORKERS CHARITY p7
THE MORGAN FOUNDATION p9
GETTING ON p10
INDEPENDENT LIVING p12
UNITED UTILITIES p13
DISABILITY AWARENESS DAY p14-15
MOTORZONE p16-18
MERSEYTRAVEL p19
SKILLZONE p20-21
HEALTHZONE p22-23
THEATRE GUIDE p24-25
RUSSELL GRANT’S STARS p26
SOUNDING OFF: Sir Bert Massie p26
GARDENING p27
PUZZLEZONE p28-29
CONTACT BOARD p30
SPORTZONE p31-32
DOZENS of musicvenues and festivalshave signed up to acharter pledging a betterdeal for deaf anddisabled people.
Glastonbury andReading festivals areamong the big namesthat have joined charityAttitude is Everything’squest for improvedaccess to live music.
They have all signedup to their Charter ofBest Practice, whichcommits them to makingthings better.
Attitude is Everythingworks with the musicindustry, audiences andartists across the UK,and their many famoussupporters includeElbow, theStereophonics andPeaches Geldof.
Venues and festivalsagreeing to take part inthe scheme areassessed by mysteryshoppers. An actionplan is produceddemonstrating howaccess can be improvedand – once it’s in place –the venues are officiallyapproved and receive acharter certificate.
Now, award-winningdesign agency FerrierPearce has teamed upwith top London musicvenue KOKO and aresending speciallydesigned certificates toto the first 55 venuesand festivals thatachieved either bronze,silver or gold standardcharters.
Festivalsvow todo better
EX-MANCHESTER Citystar Paul Lake joined aparty marking the latest
milestone in the life of ahaven for young people withcomplex healthcare needs.
The former Maine Roadfavourite was at the new EtihadStadium to celebrate EAMLodge, in Wythenshawe,becoming a Community InterestCompany. The lodge providesday care, respite care andresidential care in a home-from-home environment.
The club’s Chairman’s Loungeprovided the back drop for
founder Elizabeth Marland andher team to make merry, alongwith young people from EAMCare Group, their families andguests from every sector.
In 2005, with her nursingbackground and 31 years’experience in nursing, Elizabethidentified a need for children andyoung people with complexhealthcare requirements.
She embarked on finding ahome and procuring theresources needed. Her first, EAMHouse in Partington, opened inFebruary 2006. This grew due todemand from five to eight beds,
providing a much-needed serviceto children and families.
Two years ago she opened thefour-bed EAM Lodge inWythenshawe.
Elizabeth said: “With supportfrom my team I have been ableto take EAM Lodge to its nextlogical stage, which is to movethe business into a CommunityInterest Company, which meanscharitable status of a kind. Wewill now be in a position to applyfor funding to further enrich thelives of the young people in ourcare.”nwww.eamcaregroup.co.uk
City’s new champsCity’s new champsNEW GOALS: Paul Lake and Elizabeth Marland (inset) with guests celebrate the launch
TRIBUTES have beenpaid to Lord Ashley,the UK’s first deaf MP
and long-time campaignerfor disability rights.
Lord Ashley – better known asJack – has died at 89 afte morethan four decades’ commitmentto the cause.
Many spoke of his fearsomecampaigning skills, hisdedication to the rights ofdisabled people, and hispersonal charm, while he wasonce described by Labour’sGordon Brown as “a shiningbeacon for honour and
decency”.Others highlighted his vital
contribution to breaking downthe barriers to disabled people’sparticipation in public life.
Jack represented Stoke for 26years. He was first elected as aLabour MP in 1966 and made apeer in 1992.
Born in Widnes, Cheshire, helost his hearing in 1967 andwould have resigned but wasurged to stay on by the Labourprime minister, Harold Wilson.
Jack learned to lip-read, andrebuilt what had been apromising political career – with
the support of his wife, Pauline.He partially regained hishearing through a cochlearimplant.
One of his most successfulcampaigns was the fight forcompensation for people bornwith impairments caused bytheir mothers taking the drugthalidomide while pregnant inthe late 1950s and early 1960s.
Guy Tweedy, a thalidomidesurvivor and a leading disabledactivist, said: “He was a greatinspiration for disabled peopleand for thalidomide victims inthe UK. He was one of my
TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!
Us On:Centrally Located In Town Centre At Rear Of ‘Wilkinsons’58 Claughton Street, St. Helens Town Centre
SALES, REPAIR & SERVICING
OF ALL MOBILITY & DISABILITYPRODUCTS
Fylde coast ready to rock with disability!
A NEW Government wage incentivescheme to encourage employers togive young disabled people furtherwork opportunities is being being madeavailable in July.
A payment of up to £2,275 will bemade available for employers whorecruit young disabled people throughWork Choice – a specialist disabilityemployment programme that providestailored support to help disabledpeople who have the most complexsupport needs.
PUT on your trainers – and pump upthose wheelchair tyres – for a fun wayto help raise funds for a cure fordiabetes. Three walks in the North Westand North Wales are planned for thesummer:nLlandudno Promenade, June 17.Contact Joseph Cuff, tel 029 2066 8276nMorecambe Bay, July 28, and StHelens, Sherdley Park, September 16.nContact Maria Roberts, 01925 644572
Cash for jobs. . .
Get moving!
SHADOW Education SecretaryStephen Twigg is givingAll Together NOW! a big
helping hand – and urging moresupermarkets to team up with thecharity.
The Merseyside MP had nothing butpraise for the trailblazing paper when hepopped into the charity’s offices.
“This newspaper is absolutely brilliant,”he said, “and deservesevery bit of help. Notonly is All TogetherNOW! helping andinspiring the hugenumbers of peopleaffected by disabilityand ill-health, it is alsoraising much-neededawareness abouthealth in general – andabout having a goodtime.
“It’s the only paperof its kind in thecountry!”
Mr Twigg added: “It’samazing to think thatdespite the generaldownward trend innewspaper circulations,All Together NOW!goes from strength.
“This is largely due tothe magnificent helpnow being given fromNorth Westsupermarket bossesand theircommunity/charity staffwho are letting thecharity place itspick-up boxes in theirstores.
“The fact that it is freeis also a massive boostfor those families whoare finding it hard tomake ends meet.
“It’s a greatcommunity paper,”continued Mr Twigg,“one which needs anddeserves every ounceof support.”
LOADING UP: Stephen Twigg MP, Tom Dowling and sons, Ben and Dan
Hello!SUMMER’S finally here – and,wow, have we some hot newsfor you!
Your FREE and favourite AllTogether NOW! paper has justbeen voted the Magazine of theYear – beating off competitionsuch as Lancashire Life, no less,– in the How Do regional mediaawards.
And we were also singled out inthe niche publication category ofthe national Newspaper Awards.
These accolades are the perfectgifts as we celebrate the charitypaper’s SEVENTH anniversary!
The How Do judging panel,comprising experts from allcorners of the North West’s mediaand marketing industry, werehugely impressed with the wayAll Together NOW! is buckingthe trend in declining circulations.They also liked the charity’sinnovative partnerships with publicand private sector bodies.
Within the past six monthsAll Together NOW! hasDOUBLED its circulation to115,000 copies, amassing areadership that’s nearing half amillion.
Ninety per cent of copies are
now being picked up insupermarkets, hospitals andhealth centres.And there’s more good news:Liverpool Community Health(NHS) Trust have become ournew partner (see Page 13)
The Trust delivers healthcareand health promotion to the750,000 residents of Liverpool,Sefton, Knowsley andneighbouring areas ofMerseyside.
James Brown, Head ofCommunications, Engagementand Marketing at LCHT, said:
“We are very impressed withhow All Together NOW! isgetting health messages to large
numbers of disadvantaged peopleacross Merseyside – and beyond.
“We will be using our pages topromote healthy lifestyles and tohighlight all ofour services.”
Hopefully, other NHS Trusts willfollow suit and join our band ofpartners which also includes TheBank Workers Charity, LiverpoolCommunity College,Merseytravel, The MorganFoundation, Park Group andUnited Utilities.
A massive THANKS to youall. We can only exist – anddevelop – with your support.
— Tom Dowling, editor
Seventh heaven!
MP urgesmore storesto stockyour paper!
Seventh heaven!
SUNNY Blackpool is getting ready torock in style . . .
Fylde Coast Disability Awareness haveorganised a spectacular ‘LabelsDisable’ weekend of inclusive activities,performances and displays at theprestigious Winter Gardens.
The event, taking place on July 28-29,will include ‘Disability Rocks the Fylde’with performances from many local actsand celebrities including Martin Finn(Autistic Superstars BBC3), Rob Eagle(Britain’s Got Talent 2011) ‘Father andSon’ (Britain’s Got Talent 2010), andGraham and James Edington, who bothbeat cancer.
Tina Mulgrew, chair of FCDA, said:“We will be highlighting the ability in‘disability’ and are inviting inclusivesports and performing arts groups toshow the community what can beachieved.”
On the opening day a variety ofvoluntary organisations and businesseswill be promoting their services thathelp people with their independence.
And on the Sunday there will be FyldeFamily Fun Day with a craft fair.n If YOU are interested in volunteering,or would like to take part in any otherway, contact Tina on 07577 232953 orFrank Hilton 07549 789 078
MANY THANKS – once again – tothe extremely kind and generousreader (who wishes to remainanonymous) for their latest £1,520donation, which we received at theend of May.
Donations like this are a hugeboost to our small charity and areenabling us to get even morepapers out and about. It really isVERY MUCH APPRECIATED . . .
300,000 – two-thirds of All Together NOW! readers – DO NOT readany other disability or health publication — The Murray Consultancy‘
Restaurants urged tobe more ‘friendly’
Why we love this paper
Just the job!
THE job prospects of youngdeaf people could betransformed by a scientific
breakthrough.A major obstacle faced by deaf
people with communication difficultiesis making themselves understood toprospective employers who areunlikely to know sign language.
But now easy-to-access software,which can brush aside that barrier,may soon be available.
The technology, developed in theUK, would allow young deaf peopleat, for example, a job interview, tosign in to a standard laptop, netbook,smartphone or other portable devicesuch as a tablet.
Their signs are translated into textwhich can be read by the person theyare conversing with.
The software application is the firstof its kind in the world that can beused on portable devices and allowsusers to customise sign language totheir own specific needs.
The technology could transform howsign language users – from theprofoundly deaf to those who losthearing in later life – communicate.
Computing scientists at Technabling,a spin-out company of the Universityof Aberdeen, are behind thetechnology that aims to bridge thegap between sign language and morestandard forms of communication.
One of its main focuses is to helpyoung deaf people gain employmentopportunities.
Dr Ernesto Compatangelo, founderof Technabling, said: “The aim of thetechnology, known as the PortableSign language Translator (PSLT), is to
empower sign language users byenabling them to overcome thecommunication challenges they canexperience, through portabletechnology.
“The intent is to develop anapplicatio that is easily accessible andcould be used on different devicesincluding Smartphones.”
The PSLT has the potential to beused with a range of sign languagesincluding British Sign Language (BSL)and Makaton.
The number of people in the UKwhose first or preferred language is
BSL is estimated to be between50,000 (Action on Hearing Loss) and70,000 (British Deaf Association)*.
BSL is, however, a general-purposelanguage and therefore poseslimitations for users, making itimpossible for them to easily expresscertain concepts and terms that arevery specific or used only withinparticular areas of society - forexample education and theworkplace.
To overcome this, PSLT enablesusers to personalise sign language totheir own individual needs.
TV PRESENTER NataliePinkham is the latest celebrityto agree to run five kilometresblindfolded for a cause givingmillions of people their sightback.
And distinguished explorer SirRanulph Fiennes will be helpingout for the second year runningat the Great City Race throughthe City of London on July 12.
Sir Ranulph, who will start therace, said: “The statistics
around avoidable blindness areshocking - every five secondssomeone goes blind and 80% ofblindness is avoidable.”
England cricket hero DarrenGough and Coronation Streetactor Oliver Mellor (Dr MattCarter) will also be among thecelebs helping to raise moneyfor Seeing is Believing, aninitiative that has so far helped28 million people around theworld.
TV Natalie on the runCAPTION: Natalie Pinkham and Sir Ranulph Fiennes
A HUGE crisis inhealthcare for theelderly lies aheadunless more money isfound urgently.
That’s the warning fromJulia Manning head ofinfluential think-tank2020heatlh
She said: “For too long,successive Governmentshave delayed addressingthe urgent problem offunding an ageingpopulation and theirincreasingly expensivehealthcare requirements.
“Funding must not beleft out of theGovernment’s latestreport. It’s time forpoliticians on all sides ofthe aisle to unite and fixthe fiscal crisis engulfingthe healthcare of ournation’s elderly.
“The Governmentcannot afford to playpolitics with an issue thatwill affect us all sooneror later.
“Failure to address thevital issue of fundingthreatens not only thehealth of millions ofpensioners, butquestions the verypremise the NHS wasfounded upon:healthcare for all, freeupon demand.”
The proportion ofpeople over the age of80 is rising every year,with the demand forelderly care projected toincrease by over 50%within 20 years.
Previous estimates forthe costs of healthcarefor the elderly arebelieved to total£1.7billion, which fallsshort of the £2.9bncurrently spent onalcohol related illness inthe NHS.
Mrs Manning added:“David Cameron has anopportunity to deal withthe demographic timebomb afflicting the UK’selderly.
“Nobody wants to seetheir grandparents ortheir friends’ parentsthrown out of theirhomes because thereare insufficient funds to
TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!
‘Healthcrisis for elderly’
RESTAURANTS, supermarkets andleisure centres are being urged tobecome more accessible.
A survey asking which public spacespeople with autism would most like tosee improve their access, was toppedby restaurants with 32%.
Supermarkets received 27% of thevote followed by leisure centres (17%),shops (10%), theatres (9%), events suchas fireworks displays or sporting events(4%) and banks with one per cent.
Lisa Hopkins, autism lead atDimensions, the charity that carried outthe curvey, said: “Accessibility is notjust about wheelchairs and ramps. Thisis clearly something people feelpassionately about.”
Many contributors also called for extratraining for all staff working with thepublic.
Dimensions has been championingautism-friendly environments which hasled to the launch of their ‘AutismFriendly Films’ partnership withODEON.
More than 16,000 people have alreadywatched newly-released films on the bigscreen in an environment adapted totheir needs.nwww.dimensions-uk.org
“It’s beenexciting to follow the
rise and rise ofAll Together NOW! over the
past few years. It’s such apositive publication, from
positive people and plays a hugerole in highlighting disabilityissues and opportunities across theNorth West in an upbeat way.“We’ve been working withAll Together NOW! since it startedback in 2005 and we’re delightedwith the response we get fromreaders wanting to find the bestwheelchair accessible vehicle
for their particular needs.”- Donald Pow, general
manager, AlliedVehicles
App to helpyoung deafpeople getinto work
‘
A HOSPITAL worker whosebosses failed to adapt herworkplace, causing her to developarthritis, has received £30,000damages.
The 54-year-old from Blackburn,forced to take ill health retirement,has difficulties washing anddressing as well as poor balance,after developing spondylosis,which affects the joints.
Her employers knew she sufferedfrom RSI in her right hand, wristand elbow, caused by keyboard
overuse in a previous job but theyignored her condition, meaningshe was forced to cradle atelephone between her shoulderand neck for 90% of her workingday.
Having worked at BlackburnHospital from 1999, thespondylosis developed in 2007,shortly after her time using thephone as a clerical officer.
Despite her known pre-existingdisability her employers did notmake arrangements for her
workplace to be assessed. Whenshe asked for a headset she wastold it wasn’t possible because thephones weren’t compatible.
In May 2008 the pain became sobad she was retired on ill healthgrounds.
UNISON lawyersargued that thehospital should have assessed herworkplace and put a phone inplace that would have allowed herto use a headset.
East Lancashire Hospitals NHSTrust settled the claim out of court.
Hospital worker wins £30,000 damages
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AN arts contest for adults and childrenwith a physical or learning disabilityhas been launched by Scottish law firmMorrisons.
The project, entitled “Imaginarium”,encourages people to submit a piece ofart using any medium, paint, pencil,collage, photography or computer.
Three winners will be selected withthe chance of winning a day’sworkshop with an artist and artmaterials.
Runner-up prizes will include placeson courses run by ProjectAbility(www.project-ability.co.uk/).
The winners will also have their artwork published in a series ofpostcards.
Contact Gillian Brown on 0141 3325666 by the closing date of August 31.
Arts prize on offer
The brains in SpainTHE pioneering project Reach112 –helping people with a hearing loss tocommunicate with the emergencyservices – is hosting a free conferencein Santiago de Compostela, Spain, onJune 28-29.
Organisers want those with aninterest to contribute their brainpowerto the discussions, which will informthe project’s final report to theEuropean Commission.nwww.actiononhearingloss.org.uk
MORE children can lookforward to a fun-packedholiday at a Cheshire
adventurefarm following a donationfrom house builder Redrow.
The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust,in Millington, is a haven for disabled,terminally ill and disadvantaged childrenfrom all over the North West, offeringweek-long holidays, day trips, fun daysand Christmas parties in 10 acres ofbeautiful Cheshire countryside.
The Redrow Foundation’s donationhas been ear-marked for theFarm Trust’s‘Free Holiday’programme, which offers week-longholidays for children and their carers.
Alexis Stewart, administrator at the RedrowFoundation, said: “The opportunities here forchildren are amazing. They get to see, doand experience things that most of themwould never do in their everyday lives.
“We’re delighted that our donation of£3,000 will help six children enjoy a week-long stay at the Adventure Farm. I’m sure it
will be a holiday they’ll never forget.”Facilities include an adventure playground,
art room, sports hall, multi-sensory suite, anassault course with specialist equipment forwheelchair users, activity nature trail and aherd of alpacas – a sort of small, hairy llama.nThe Redrow Foundation is the nationalcharity of housebuilder Redrow Homes,which builds new homes across Englandand Wales. It provides financial support
for the relief of poverty and sickness inthe UK and, in particular, providesaccommodation and related assistance,including respite care, especially tochildren, the elderly and those who aresick or infirm. To date it has contributed almost £400,000to good causes.nTel: 01565 830447nwww.childrensadventurefarm.org
PLAY TIME: Rebecca Kelly and Jack Dobie from Middlefield School, Speke, with Farmfundraiser Rachel Robinson, Alexis Stewart – and a few very inquistitve alpacas
BETTER access at GPpractices and healthcentres is beingdemanded byorganisations thatrepresent deaf people.
They also want healthproviders to useinterpreting services thatuse only appropriatelyqualified sign languagepracticioners for deafpatients.
New research by Actionon Hearing shows that41% of surveyed peoplewho use British SignLanguage as their firstlanguage have left a healthappointment feelingconfused about theirmedical condition, becausethe interpretation was notup to standard.
More than two out ofthree people said they hadasked for an interpreter tobe booked for a GPappointment but did not getone.
The charity stronglyrecommends that all signlanguage Interpreters usedby healthcare providersshould be registered withthe National Registers ofCommunicationProfessionals.
Jackie Ballard, chiefexecutive of Action onHearing Loss, said:“Wewant standards incommunication for peoplewith a hearing loss to beimproved and meet thelegal requirements of theEquality Act 2010.”n Information Line: 0808808 0123 or 0808 8089000 (textphone).
Chance to test drive a car if you’re 14 or over
‘Bad deal’for deafat doctors
THE NHS is failing to offer people withmental illness a full choice ofpsychological counselling andtherapies,.
A new report from the Centre forSocial Justice is highly critical of theNHS’s talk therapy service.
The report, Commissioning EffectiveTalking Therapies, urges it to slash itsred tape and use therapists from theprivate and voluntary sector to givepeople more choice.
Currently, many therapies offered byspecialists in the private and voluntarysector are not yet recommended by theNational Institute for Health and ClinicalExcellence (NICE), as it requires thesame level of supporting evidence astreatments for chemotherapy or openheart surgery.
The scale of mental illness is startling,with one in four adults affected at somepoint during their lifetime, and one insix experiencing symptoms at any onetime – making mental illness the largestsingle cause of disability in our society.
The cost to the economy is estimatedat £105 billion annually, with a loss ofaround £13 billion in earningssustained by people of working age.
“BRILLIANT!” That’s the judges’ verdicton Dublin’s impressive conventioncentre – the first Irish winner of a topaward for access.
Ireland’s first purpose-builtinternational conference and eventvenue, on the banks of the River Liffey,above, has been granted the AccessExcellence award.
The award acknowledgesorganisations that embrace an inclusiveand integrated approach in creatingaccessible events.n www.theccd.ie
YOUNG people withdisabilities can gain adriving licence at 16 – a
year ahead of those who arenot disabled.
That’s great! But where, andhow, do you start to gain theexperience of getting behind thewheel?
Well, there’s good news forteenagers 14 and over.
Three exciting FREE one-dayevents taking place in July andAugust will help you to startdriving and plan for your first car.
The Get Going – Live! eventsare organised by two nationaldisability charities, DisabledMotoring UK and Mobility Choice,the team behind the annualnational Mobility Roadshow.
You can test drive a selection ofadapted vehicles, including drive-from-wheelchair WAVs, in a safeenvironment accompanied by
experienced professional drivers.There will also be expert advice
in a friendly no-pressureenvironment from organisationsand companies with a wealth ofknowledge - from choosing aninstructor with experience ofteaching disabled motorists tofinding out about the adaptationsand vehicles right for you.
Get Going – Live! dates are:July 14 - Donington Park LaunchPad, DerbyshireJuly 28 - Yorkshire Event Centre,Harrogate
August 11 - TRL Wokingham,Berkshire
You must be over 14 to testdrive the adapted vehicles on asafe on-site road system,accompanied at all times by aprofessional driver. But youngerprospective learners are welcometo practise transferring into cars,familiarise themselves withcontrols and may also travel as apassenger with an instructor.
nVisit www.getgoingnow.orgor call 01508 489 449.
TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!
SCIENTISTS have made a ground-breaking discovery which could helptreat one of the world’s biggest killerillnesses.
The breakthrough could lead to thedevelopment of new drugs.
Cardiovascular disease, which causesheart attacks and strokes, accounts forone in three of all deaths in the UK,often brought about by clots blockingmajor blood vessels, preventing criticalblood flow to the heart or brain.
Now researchers at University ofReading have uncovered themechanism by which platelets, theblood cells that cause clots,‘communicate’ with each other and theinner walls of blood vessels whenclotting.
WHEELCHAIR userCharlotte White hasjust reached the top
of Mount Snowdon – with alittle help from her friends.
Thirty friends, in fact.The group took six hours to
reach the 1,085m summit,battling through snow and hail.
Expedition co-leader RobChapman said: “There weretimes when we didn’t think wewould make it to the top with thetoll the bumpy path was taking onCharlotte’s body and the weatherclosing in.
“But she has incredible reservesof strength and we could see that
nothing was going to stop hergetting there.”
The climb has so far raised over£7,000 for 3H (Helping Hands forHolidays), a charity that helpspeople with disabilities takeholidays and gives respite to theircarers.
Charlotte, 22, has enjoyedmany 3H holidays since a headinjury at the age of 11 left herwith little movement in her armsor legs.
“3H has given me so much overthe years and helped me to dothings I would never otherwisehave tried,” she said.
“I hope that people reading this
feel inspired to try somethingthey would never have feltpossible – whether they have adisability or not.”
Charlotte is currently studyingfor a degree in Social Policy andCriminology at Kent Universityand is in the process of launchinga website – Enable Us –providing forums, inspiring storiesand resources for able-bodiedand disabled people.
She has also been selected toperform at the Paralympicopening ceremony in September.
n 3H, tel 01892 860207www.3hfund.org.uk
THE Court of Appeal has ruled that housing benefitmust take into account the extra needs of disabledchildren and adults.
The ruling – made after a human rights case involvingthree families – will stop disabled people from beingevicted if the housing benefit cap means they or theirparents do not get enough money to pay all the rent fora suitable home.
One of the families relied on 24-hour care to help adisabled man who only received housing benefit for aone bedroom flat, as that was all he was entitled to atthe time, but needed a second bedroom for his carersto sleep in overnight.
Two of the three siblings in another family aredisabled – one has Down’s Syndrome, another hasSpina Bifida.
The family could only claim for a three-bedroomhome, so the two disabled children would have to sharea bedroom.
Their disabilities made this impossible.The Government has already changed the regulations
for calculating housing benefits for disabled adults, butwill now have to change it for families with disabledchildren.
John Wadham, of the Equality and Human RightsCommission, said: “Our intervention has helped toensure that all disabled people claiming housing benefitdo not face indirect discrimination.
“If it was not for the Human Rights Act, disabledpeople may be more likely to fall into rent arrearsbecause they cannot afford the home that meets theirneeds and then face eviction.”
Landmark ruling on housing benefit
Snow Queen!Snow Queen!
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVERAL HELPERS:Charlotte, inset, and en route to the summit
We give banking families andretirees support and advice when it
is most needed
n EVER feel you need a bit ofsupport when you’re facing atough time? n That’s what we’re here for. Ifyou work for a bank, we can helpyou with providing information,advice and financial support in theareas of home, wellbeing andmoney.n We’ve been working successfullywith our three main partners for thelast year (and longer in somecases).n Like all partnerships, we’ve learntfrom our experiences and adjusted oradded services to suit our client’sneeds. n So what can our partnershipsdo for you . . ?
Want to find out more? Visit www.bwcharity.org.uk or call our FREE helpline on 0800 0234 834Want to find out more? Visit www.bwcharity.org.uk or call our FREE helpline on 0800 0234 834
Leonard Cheshire Disability supports thousands ofdisabled people in the UK and works in more than 50
countries. LCD campaigns for change and provideinnovative services that give disabled people the
opportunity to live life their way. Ourpartnership supports clients with a range of
information and advice and mentoringsupport.
Here’s how our partnership hassupported Rob . . .
Rob has severe anxiety. He’d worked inbanking for almost 20 years but hasbeen signed off work for a year andisn’t entitled to occupational sick payanymore. Concerned about hisfinances, he got in touch.Myra, an LCD Client SupportAdvisor worked with Rob to helphim move from occupational sickpay to claiming EmploymentSupportAllowance(ESA). Theyalso lookedinto benefits;Rob is nowclaimingEmployment SupportAllowance.
However, getting ESA hasmeant Rob’s income dropped.Myra and Rob looked intoreducing Rob’s outgoings andincreasing his income and dida benefit check.Rob was eligible for council
tax benefit and having comparedutility prices, he negotiated a
cheaper deal with his existingsuppliers. Rob says: “I have never been in
this position before. Myra provided alot of information which has been
really helpful. I would like to expressmy gratitude for your continued support
during my convalescence.“You really have been a pleasure to
converse with and you always manage tosimplify any major concerns.”
The National Autistic Society isthe leading UK charity for people
with autism (including Aspergersyndrome) and their families. Our
partnership supports clients with arange of information and advice.Here’s how our partnership has supported.Sharon . . .Sharon has two daughters, Emily and Lucy.Emily was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at the age of
10. Her diagnosis helped the family to really understand herbehaviour.
Through our partnership, they have received freelifetime membership from the NAS.
Sharon has joined her local NAS branch, where she’smet parents in similar situations.She also discovered they were eligible for disabled
children passes at theme parks. This made a potentiallyextremely stressful holiday a fantastic one as the queues,crowds and noise would have been too much for Emily tohandle.
Through the partnership they have received £100 worth ofvouchers for books and DVDs, especially useful for Lucycoming to terms with Emily’s diagnosis.
Sharron says: “Just knowing we have lifetime membershipwith the NAS has provided me with a huge comfort, knowingwe have the support and advice available to us as Emilygrows up.”
Arthritis Care exists to support allpeople with arthritis, and providesclear and accurate informationabout living with arthritis andaccess to the best possible servicesand support available, including self management andpain management techniques as well as personalisedsupport. Here’s how our partnership has supported Colleen . . .Colleen has very severe arthritis in her knees and strugglesto get out on her own. She had suffered a recentbereavement and was starting to see the bills mounting up,causing her to feel down and worry about her future.
Colleen got in touch with us. We provided financialsupport for a new mattress and to have her bathconverted to a shower, making her daily routine muchmore comfortable. Through our partnership with ArthritisCare, Colleen has received counselling to cope with herbereavement and she’s been given support and informationon managing her debts.
Arthritis Care also suggested Colleen did some regularexercise to help the pain so with financial support from usshe is now going to the gym regularly. Although her kneesstill hurt, she can climb the stairs and get out of the housemore easily.
Colleen says: “Thank you for the tremendous help. Justbeing able to afford to exercise regularly has improved mylifestyle a great deal. I will be eternally grateful.”
HERE’S HOWHERE’S HOWWE CANWE CANHELPHELP
n HAPPY FAMILY:Life is now awhole lot betterfor Sharon andher family
For more information about how the service works, or for a FREE demonstration, call 0845 075 3900, or visit www.vnclifeline.co.uk
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NEWS
TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!
440,000 readers . . .
Out of time andout of money..THOUSANDS of disabled
people have lost theirentitlement Employment
and Support Allowance – worthup to £99.15 a week for thoseunable to work due to illnessor disability – as a one-yeartime limit came into force.
Shaun Williams, director ofcorporate affairs at LeonardCheshire Disability, said: “ESA isonly paid to people who have beenassessed by an independentmedical professional as unable towork due to ill health or disability.
“It is completely unjust to put atime limit on this support fordisabled people, many of whomwant to work but are unable to doso.
“We are deeply concerned aboutthe impact that time-limiting willhave on disabled people.”
The time-limiting only affectdisabled people who havepreviously worked.
Mr Williams added: “Thousands ofpeople will struggle to find a jobwithin this time frame – theDepartment for Work and Pension’sown research suggests that ofthose on ESA and in the WorkRelated Activity Group, 94% willtake longer than a year to findwork.
“Over the next three years, asmany as 700,000 people could beadversely affected by limitingcontributory ESA.
“Disabled people are alreadytwice as likely to live in poverty asnon disabled people. Taking awaythis vital support runs the risk ofpushing even more people intopoverty and debt.”
People will still be able to applyfor income-related ESA after their
contributory ESA claim ends, but ifa claimant’s partner is earning aslittle as £139.60 per week, orworking 24 hours or more perweek, claimants will no longer beeligible for ESA.
This figure is the total a couple onbenefits could get if one partner iseligible for the Work RelatedActivity Group of ESA but receiveno other premiums.
Neil Coyle, director of policy andcampaigns at Disability Rights UK,said: “Whilst we welcome disabledpeople being supported to enterand retain work, this measure isunlikely to incentivise work,penalises disabled people whohave worked, and leaves 280,000disabled people and their familiesfacing extreme poverty andexclusion.
“The Government must monitorthe effect of time-limiting out ofwork support closely and shouldbetter support disabled people intoemployment.”
Bashir:‘Courageof mybrother’
Time-limitingruns risk of poverty, debt
NORTH-West healthcharities carried offhalf this year’s
GlaxoSmithKline IMPACTAwards.
Run in partnership with TheKing’s Fund, the awardsprovide all winners with£25,000 to develop theirorganisations.
Winning charties included:Age UK Cheshire East:Promoting older people’swellbeing, the charity providesservices to over 11,000 localpeople annually and has aband of 200 volunteers. Beacon Counselling,Stockport: The charityprovides counselling andrelated services to adults,young people, and children inGreater Manchester.Blackburn with DarwenHealthy Living: Focused onimproving the health andwellbeing of their localcommunity, BwDHL puts localpeople at the centre of thedesign and delivery of theirservices. These include the
innovative mobile gym bus,called the Health Buzz,bringing advice and physicalexercise to thoseneighbourhoods in most need.Women’s HealthInformation and SupportCentre: The Liverpool-basedcharity provide an impressiverange of services includinghealth workshops; supportgroups on issues like selfharm; one-to-one support tosome of the most vulnerablewomen; and runs anaccredited health trainersprogramme. They havehelped over 6,000 peopleacross Liverpool for under£170,000 annually.
Other winners were:Target Ovarian Cancer Women’s Rape and SexualAbuse Centre (Cornwall)Healthy Valleys (SouthLanarkshire)Hepatitis C Trust
Charities wina £25k boost
THE award-winningjournalist Martin Bashirhas joined forces withthe charity helpingfamilies living withDuchenne MuscularDystrophy.
Bashir’s own brotherTommy died fromDuchenne at the age of29.
Now Bashir hasbecome patron forAction Duchenne, thecharity dedicated tofinding a cure andproviding support.
He said: “I knowsomething of thedevastating effects ofthis disease havingcared for my brother,Tommy.
“It ultimately took hislife but his couragemade our family realisethat we, too, needed todo whatwe can toencourageresearch,raisefunds andsupportfamilieswhoconfrontthiscondition with suchbravery and resolve.”
Bashir, pictured, whoalso supports the workof Charley’s Fund, a UScharity seeking a curefor the disease, hostshis own daily newsbroadcast in New York,having joined NBC in2010 after six years atABC.
Duchenne MuscularDystrophy affects onein 3,500 male births inthe UK, and is the mostcommon and severetype of musculardystrophy.
Children are usuallydiagnosed with thedisease, by the age offive and rarely live pasttheir 20s.
Established in 2001,the charity has raisedseveral millions ofpounds to fund medicalresearch andpartnerships.Tel. 020 8556 9955.
‘A BUMPER new edition of the highly-regarded Rough Guide to AccessibleBritain is available online
The guide features over 200 ideas for“worry-free” days out with more than60 new reviews.
Each review includes the well-thought-out accessibility features andunique attractions that contribute to agreat day out, plus hints and tips fromthe Rough Guide’s team of disabledwriters.
New for the fourth edition is a scenicdrive for each of the regional chapters,with full colour maps and ideas forwhere to stop off along the way.
Another addition is a selection ofreviews looking at some of the UK ‘smost beautiful towns - like Harrogate inYorkshire and Ely in Cambridgeshire,with ideas for attractions to visit, aswell as practical access information forthe area.
Readers can try white water rafting atLee Valley White Water Rafting Centre,Hertfordshire; take a trip to the home ofPremiership giants Manchester United;or visit the new London Olympic Parkin Stratford.
The Guide has been developed inassociation with Motability, the leadingcar scheme for disabled people.n www.accessibleguide.co.uk
HERE at the Morgan Foundation we want tohelp organisations who share our philosophy– Making a Difference.
Over the past decade we have helped hundreds oforganisations across the region, committing morethan £9 million.
And this year we will be giving away to good causesa whopping £1.5 MILLION!
Created in 2001 by businessman Steve Morgan OBE,founder and chairman of Redrow plc, chairman of theBridgemere Group of Companies and WolverhamptonWanderers FC, the Morgan Foundation supportscharities across North Wales, Merseyside, WestCheshire and North Shropshire.
Our aim is to provide funding for small to medium
sized organisations who are addressing specificneeds in these regions. We are particularly keen tosupport those who have already begun to make animpact, but need a helping hand to expand their workand increase their effectiveness.
We focus our help mainly on those who work directlywith children and families but we recognise that manywider issues may also affect their welfare, so we areinterested in any project that contributes to the qualityof life in our region.
If you, your group or charity is based within ourgeographical area (see map, right) and you think wemight be able to help with your project then pleasecall our administrator, Jane Harris, BEFORE sendingyour application. Contact Jane on 01829 782800
Making a difference – that’s our goal!
THANK YOU so much for the supportyou have given to us over the last threeyears and particularly over the last 12months. I’ve never felt worried orintimidated when calling you forinformation or advice as is often thecase when making contact with othergrant making trusts, so I thank you on apersonal level for that.
— Sue Dwyer, Manager at WAMFriendship Centre in Picton, Liverpool
As we celebrate 25 years of innovativeand acclaimed work with young people,Yellow House would like to thank TheMorgan Foundation for their tremendousand generous support which has kept usalive through these recent tough timesand has played a very important role inmaking a powerful and life changingdifference to so many people. TheMorgan Foundation should be proud ofthe positive effect they have made to theday to day lives of seriously excludedyoung people.
— George McKane Founder/DirectorYellow House
We are so grateful to The MorganFoundation for their grant. It has been aregular source of income each monthand was particularly important as weexperienced financial difficulties. It hasenabled us to continue to supportfamilies - without it we would not havebeen able to do this very necessarywork. Having this funding has alsohelped us when we have put in otherfunding applications.
— Ferries and Port Sunlight FamilyGroups
Thank you so much for our grant. Thiswas such a lifeline for us at a crucialtime. You really made a difference!
— Widnes and Runcorn CancerSupport Group
What a great difference The MorganFoundation grant has made to the livesof young people involved in our projectand to the staff and volunteers whostruggle to meet the needs of so manyat risk and vulnerable young people. We
are currently dealing with very seriousissues relating to neglect and alcoholrelated abuse of young people. Thanksto your kindness, and Jane’s support,we are still here and our young peoplecontinue to make progress.
— Canal Boat Adventure ProjectWe are very grateful to The MorganFoundation for their invaluable supportwhich has enabled us to deliver directsupport to families in North West Wales.
Many thanks for your continued support.Diolch yn Fawr.
—Contact a Family North WalesThis grant was made available to us at atime when we feared that we may haveto close. Our gratitude as anorganisation can only be measured bythe number of adults and children thathave benefited from the support theyhave received. Many thanks.
—Cruse Bereavement, North Wales
Thanks a million!Thanks a million!MEET the youngsingers from theMerseyside-based Jus Kidzyouth group whowowed theaudience at lastyear’s MorganFoundationEntrepreneursAwards night.
Jus Kidz wasset up by parentsof children withdisabilities to endthe isolation theysuffer atweekends andduring schoolholidays.
The group runan inclusiveSaturday activityclub – which alsogives parentssome much-needed respite –and they alsoarrange schoolholiday schemesand day trips.
COMING VERY SOON . . .
. . . 2012 Entrepreneur AwardsSTAND BY for the BESTawards scheme in theregion!
Now in their sixth year, TheMorgan Foundation EntrepeneurAwards get better and better –and this year’s competition willbe the best yet!
The competition is beinglaunched during June and thereis plenty to get excited about.
With cash prizes totalling£115,000 PLUS a package of
valuable professional servicesfor winners and runners-up, theawards can make a substantialboost to your charity orbusiness.
Young entrepreneurs, as wellas those charities andbusinesses that are making aproven positive social oreconomic impact on the localcommunity will also be eligible toenter.
Shortlisted candidates will be
invited to make a presentation tothe panel of judges at CardenPark hotel, Cheshire, inSeptember and winners will beannounced live at the MorganFoundation EntrepreneurAwards Gala Dinner on inNovember.
For full details of how to enterkeep an eye on our website(address below) – and makesure you get hold of the nextedition of All Together NOW!
OVER the years The MorganFoundation has helpedhundreds of charities to
continue and develop their vitalcommunity work. The feedback weget is terrific. Here are just a few ofthe letters that have come our way . . .
QI AM not exactly old at 54 but Iam beginning to feel it as mydad, aged 79, is quite a
problem. He has always been a very independent
person, but since my mother died he hascarried this to the extreme.
He lives alone not far from me, and Ineed to keep an eye on him to make surehe is taking his medication and eatingwell. Yet he resents this.
It seems he just wants to be left byhimself to sit in front of his computer andsurf the internet.
It’s also very upsetting when I take himshopping to the supermarket. He issometimes unsteady and if I try to supporthim he becomes quite aggressive so Iback off rather than cause a scene. ThenI see people looking at me, thinking Idon’t care.
AACCEPTING assistance fromothers is never easy after alifetime of independence and
your dad is still trying to cope in hisown way with the grief of losing yourmother.
He enters a different world by switchingon his computer.
Is there a third person, a family memberor friend, who could make him see thateveryone is concerned about his healthand safety and that his attitude is puttinga great strain on you?
Maybe one approach is to put the ball inhis court. Be less attentive for a while sothat he comes to realise he does needyour help, and asks for it, but obviouslyyou will still worry.
In the event of an accident or falling ill,community alarms allow a person to callfor help, even if they can’t get to a phone,through a 24-hour response centrecontacted by pressing a button on apendant or wristband.
Staff will call out the best person to help– a neighbour or relative or theemergency services. He may co-operatewith you more readily through thecompanion that has come to dominate hislife – his computer.
If you or a family member are also online have you thought of downloading theSkype programme to provide face to facecommunication with your dad?
This way of ‘keeping an eye on him’could just tick the box! He might alsowelcome the independence of doing hisown shopping on line . . .
WE’RE all livinglonger – and that’sofficial.
Average life expectancyat birth in the 53countries in the WorldHealth OrganisationEuropean Region is over72 years for men andaround 80 for women.
While birth rates andtotal population numbersare declining in some,the proportion of peopleaged over 65 is forecastto almost doublebetween 2010 and 2050.
But as well as thehighest life expectancy,the Euro region also hassome of the highest ratesof factors like alcoholand tobaccoconsumption, which leadto premature death andchronic diseases.
Zsuzsanna Jakab,WHO Regional Directorfor Europe, says:“Increasing lifeexpectancy in Europe isa tremendousachievement and weneed to match addingyears to life withimproved quality of life.
“Policy-makers all overour region can supportthis development byinvesting in a broadrange of policies thatpromote healthy andactive ageing.”
Examples include:nReducing the risks offalls.n Increasing access toand opportunities forphysical activity.nProviding publicsupport to informal caregiving, with a focus onhome and self-care.n Increasing thevaccination againstinfluenza of older peopleand prevention ofinfectious disease.
JUST when I foolishlystarted to believe I hadfinally mastered my PC
and the internet, along comesan email that has knocked thestuffing out of me.
It seems that for those of us“older converts” – those of us whowho have crossed the big divideand have put all our trust into thenew teachings – we now have tocope with another scary prospect... the increasing danger ofstrangers nicking all our moneyfrom our bank accounts.
Although research says that usover-55s are the most careful withour bank account details, the factis that we are now faced with anever-increasing need for onlinepasswords.
And despite one in 10 Britonsrevealing that their accounts hadbeen hacked into in the past 12months, the research found thatthree quarters of people (meincluded!) use the same passwordfor multiple accounts – onlinebanking, shopping, email, socialmedia sites, and so on.
The survey by esure homeinsurance found that nearly aquarter of those asked keep allsecurity passwords in one place.
One in 10 have even snooped ontheir own partner by using theirpassword without their permission.(Definitely not me – far too scary toeven contemplate that one!)
The most popular password itseems is your mother’s maidenname with almost 20% using thisto access their accounts. This isdespite the fact that 15% per centsaid they knew it was possible fora stranger to access thisinformation.
Nikki Sellers, from esure, said:“The number of passwords neededto navigate modern life isconstantly increasing and this hasled many Brits to taking serioussecurity risks. Having youraccount hacked into can be verydistressing and lead to furtherviolations, such as break-ins,which is another reminder of the
need for adequate homeinsurance.
“Writing down passwords issometimes the only way to avoidforgetting them, but this shouldthen be treated as a highlyvaluable possession and notcarried around or left lying aroundwhere it could easily end up fallinginto the wrong hands.”
The findings revealed that we areeven more predictable when itcomes to entering pin numbers.
One in seven use their birthday,while 10% opt for a simplecombination such as ‘1234’ or fourof the same numbers.
A third of those questioned evenadmit they do not always cover uptheir pin number when paying forsomething or getting cash out of a‘hole in the wall’ machine...
Aaaghh - I’ve been thrust into anew age and I’m not sure that I likeit. All this talk of passwords andpins is enough to make me log off,unplug and get out my pen andpaper again. But where did I leavethem?
Perhaps I should have made anote . . .
ONE in 10 of us retired people in theUK – that’s over one million people –are still in work.
832,000 are aged 65 and over, and278,000 are between 55 and 64.
The reasons for the over 65s continung towork are many and varied, including throughchoice as people enjoy their work, orincreasingly through necessity, wherepeople realise they are financially unable to
retire.Over 70,000 retired people are spending
16 hours or more a week in part-time work.Aston Goodey, at MGM Advantage, says::
“The retired nation is facing a very difficultchallenge.
“Overall, they need more money becausethey are living longer, but returns onannuities have been falling, and savingsaccounts and many investment products
have been delivering poor returns. “Given this, we are not surprised that so
many people in retirement are back in work.”At the end of last year, MGM Advantage
published a report called ‘Our RetirementNation’, showing that the contribution madeby this part of society is not fully recognised.
It called on the Government and society todo more to understand their emotional,health and financial requirements.
We offer a range of free services to help customers who:
Need a little ExtraCare?
To find out more call 0845 746 1100 or textphone 0808 143 1195
Beat the bogus caller
Home or away – keep all doors
the door
0845 746 2200
03/12/SD/5073
Statistics show that around 20 bogus caller crimes are committed every day in the UK, but this might only be 10% of the total that actually take place as victims often feel too embarrassed to report it to the police.
Bogus callers often claim that there is an emergency and that they need to check the water supply; they will use this as an opportunity to trick themselves into customers’ homes claiming to be from United Utilities or ‘the water board’. Once inside, they will distract the homeowner while they or an accomplice helps themselves to money and valuables.
Genuine United Utilities’ employees always carry an ID card and are happy to show this to you. They will never put pressure on you to get into your home and are happy for you to phone United Utilities to check their identity. And genuine employees won’t refer to ‘the water board’ as this hasn’t existed for more than 30 years!
Bogus callers can be very persuasive, but our advice is to never feel under pressure to let someone into your home.
to bogus callers!
To help you, we operate a ‘password protection’ scheme. Joining the United Utilities password scheme is easy.
It takes just one call to 0845 746 1100. We simply need your details and your choice of password. Then, whenever someone claiming to be from United Utilities calls at your home, you can ask them for your password. Only a genuine visitor from United Utilities will know what it is. It’s a simple deterrent that really does work and will give you the confidence to turn people away.
Most gas, electricity and telephone companies will operate a similar scheme – see a recent bill for further details and contact numbers.
LIVERPOOL’s new Mobility &Independent Living Service is openfor business.
The showroom-style service offers a range ofhigh quality mobility and independent livingproducts at competitive prices.
And it is backed up by an extensive range ofinformation, advice and support services fordisabled people, carers and staff from healthand social care services.
Sir Bert Massie, former chairman of theDisability Rights Commission, performed theopening ceremony at the Brunswick BusinessPark premises.
Manager Gavin Thompson said: “The fourlarge showrooms are full of innovative
equipment on display for people to comealong and try out and buy if they want to.”
The service is being operated by WarringtonDisability Partnership working in partnershipwith Liverpool City Council and LiverpoolCommunity Health NHS Trust.
Dave Thompson, founder and chairman ofWDP, said “We are delighted to have theopportunity to work with the city council, NHSand local disability organisations in Liverpool.
“This service builds on the recognition wereceived from the Department of Health for ourCentre for Independent Living in Warrington.
“They have since promoted WDP as anexample of ‘best practice’ in terms of thedevelopment of innovative user-led services.
“One of the main changes we haveintroduced is an open door policy, wherepeople can call in during opening hours,without the need of an appointment.’’
A wide range of daily living products are ondisplay including bathroom and kitchenequipment, beds, and chairs.
There are also mobiity aids such as threeand four-wheeled scooters, manual andpowered wheelchairs, plus a variety ofaccessories – and all backed up by a mobilityworkshop and service centre located at WDP’sheadquarters in Warrington. n The Summers Road showroom is openMonday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm. Tel. 0151 709 0121.
Do YOUneed ahelpinghand?
OPEN FOR BUSINESS: From left, Sir BertMassie, Rachel Hanlon, Jayne Horton,Gavin Thompson and Dave Thompson
DISABILITY campaign groupBreakthrough UK says thatsociety currently devalues
disabled people – and that they arebeing attacked through theGovernment’s welfare reform agenda.
The organisation, which has offices inManchester and Liverpool, has undertakenresearch to ensure that disabled adults’ viewsremain central to guiding the ongoing “Rightto Life” debate.
Breakthrough UK’s acting chief executiveMichele Scattergood,,pictured right, said:“This research couldnot be more timely.
“We wish to ensurethat policy makers atevery level are fullyinformed about theway disabled peoplefeel about thefundamental issueswhich now impact ontheir lives from start tofinish.
“At the start of life, disabled people mayexperience problems in fertility services andnew genetic treatments bring with themethical issues about the prevention ofimpairment.
“And there has been an increasedawareness of the inequality surrounding endof life care.
“Disabled people’s voices in this emotiveand important ongoing debate havepreviously gone largely unheard and ourfindings are intended to address thisimbalance.”
Disabled professionals and academicsshaped the research by sharing theirpersonal experiences and expertise aboutthe challenges facing them in 21st centuryBritain.
These findings are now being madeavailable to policy makers in Governmentwhile also being used to help organisationsensure that their Equality Scheme ActionPlans – which aim to ensure that everyone istreated fairly – are fully informed.
Leading disability campaigner Sir BertMassie, formerly Chair of the Disability RightsCommission, said: “The most basic humanright is the right to live.
“We need to move with the utmost cautionin agreeing to any change in law that mightthreaten society’s resolve to treasure thelives of disabled people.
“Breakthrough UK’s Policy Think Tank isimmensely important at this time – it providesa platform and space for disabled academicsand professionals to discuss critical disabilityissues.
“Society must be prepared to discuss theissues surrounding pre-birth and end of lifefully and frankly if it is to progress in anappropriate manner for the 21st century.”
HUNDREDS of Liverpoolcabbies have beeninformed about how to
spot the signs of bowel cancer.A team from Liverpool Community
Health NHS Trust visited taxi ranksacross the city, talking to driversabout the symptoms of bowelcancer and giving them stickers andair fresheners to put in their cabs.
The shirt-shaped air freshenersare available in both red and blue sothey suit drivers of both footballingpersuasions!
At Liverpool Lime Street Stationtaxi rank, driver Terence Gill, fromAigburth, said: “I have been a taxidriver for 36 years and I have gotprostate cancer but am in remission.
“It is hard for a taxi driver to be
healthy. You sit down for longstretches of time but the work istiring so you are not in the mood forexercising when you finish.
“Also, you are not in an office thathas a loo, so you may find yourself
holding on for longer than youshould or taking one more farebefore stopping to find a toilet.
“I would advise taxi drivers tomake sure they get exercise andlive as healthily as possible. Also,
they should go to the doctor if theythink they have health problems.”
Project support manager for LCH,Olufemi Olajide, who was giving outthe information to drivers, said: “Wehave visited five different taxi ranksand we have spoken to around 550taxi drivers. Some taxi drivers haveeven been stopping to discusshealth issues with us.”
LCH chief executive Bernie Cuthelsaid: “This is a really effective wayof getting the message about cancerout in the community. This will raiseawareness amongst our taxi driversof the signs to look out for and willpossibly prevent serious illnessesdeveloping.”
For more information visitwww.liverpoolcommunityhealth.nhs.uk
LIVERPOOL CommunityHealth NHS Trust (LCH) iscelebrating 150 years ofnursing.
To mark the anniversary, LCH– together with Liverpool JohnMoores University, The RoyalLiverpool and BroadgreenUniversity Hospitals NHS Trustand the University of Liverpool –has commissioned a book tocommemorate 150 years ofnurse training in Liverpool.
The people of Liverpool arebeing asked to share theirstories of nursing and nursetraining and their tales will befeatured in the book, which is tobe published in autumn.
Helen Lockett, director ofoperations and executive nurseat LCH, said: “Our nurses andhealth visitors have a longtradition of caring for some ofthe most disadvantaged andvulnerable people in their owncommunities.
“They will have manyfascinating stories to tell aboutthe extraordinary families theyhave worked with. I can’t wait toread the book.”
District nurse training has itsroots in Liverpool, so this makesthe occasion even more specialfor LCH and its staff.
NightingaleHelen added: “The first training
school for nurses outside ofLondon opened in Liverpool 150years ago - making thiscelebration even more special.”
Commissioned on 1st July1862, the first training schoolwas the result of a pioneeringcollaboration between FlorenceNightingale and WilliamRathbone.
Situated on the corner ofAshton Street and Dover Street,behind the Liverpool RoyalInfirmary it opened its doors inMay 1863.
The book, Liverpool Nursing150, will trace the developmentof provincial nurse educationand training from its beginningsin Liverpool through to thenational registration of nurses in1919, two world wars and theadvent of the NHS to morerecent years, degree anddiploma qualifications, the role ofthe nurse practitioner and thefuture for nursing in the 21stcentury.n If you are a Liverpool-trainednurse, or you know someonewho is, please visitwww.liverpoolnursing150.org.uk
n SYMPTOMS of bowel cancercan include blood in your poo orlooser poo.n You should see your doctorstraight away if you’ve hadeither of these symptoms forthree weeks or more.n Other bowel cancer symptomsinclude a pain or lump in yourtummy, feeling more tired thanusual for some time and losing
weight for no obvious reason.n Not all symptoms mean it’sbowel cancer; they can be dueto other conditions such aspiles, which may still needtreatment.n You’re not wasting anyone’stime by getting your symptomschecked. However, earlydetection can make all thedifference.
THE KNOWLEDGE: Taxi driver Terence Gill with the red and blue air fresheners
DISABILITY AWARENESS DAY Walton Hall Gardens Sunday July 15
DAD’S SET TO DAD’S SET TODave and histeam preparefor a veryspecial 21st!
INSPIRATIONAL and MOTIVATING - these werethe words used by one visitor who attended lastyear’s Northwest Disability Awareness Day.And very few of the 25,000-plus record attendance
could say any different! This year’s event marks the 21st anniversary of the
annual show that is now acknowledged as being Europe’slargest voluntary led pan disability exhibition.Once again, it’s being staged at Walton Hall Gardens –
and the organising team at Warrington DisabilityPartnership are determined to make it the BEST EVER!
Dave Thompson, founder of WDP and the DisabilityAwareness Day event, said: “We are pulling out all thestops to make DAD’s 21st anniversary a huge andspectaular event – a day that will provide lastingmemories for many visitors, many who will be travellingfrom all parts of the UK and beyond
“It could even be a day that changes people’s lives!”A huge tented village will house the exhibition involving
over 250 exhibitors promoting independent living.“There will be so much information and so many
products on display to help solve all kinds of challengesthat people may have,” added Dave.
Apart from all the exhibitors there will also be a fullprogramme of entertainment.
Inclusive Arts is just oneof the highlights. Thisyear’s line-up includesthe return of The Heroesgroup – and otherdisabled performers fromacross the UK, includingCarly and Martin from theBBC’s AutisticSuperstars.
The Sports Zone willinclude archery, rifleshooting, climbing wall,wheelchair basketballand scuba diving, withthe opportunity toexperience a taster dive!
Children and familieswon’t be stuck for thingsto do with entertainersand a funfair.
The event is one of thelargest community eventsin the North West,involving more than 150volunteer stewards andassistants from Lions andRotary Clubs, SeaCadets, Thorn CrossYoung Offenders Instituteand dozens of family andfriends.
There’s a freeaccessible Park & Rideservice from the OldGreenall Brewery siteand a free bus servicefrom Warrington BusInterchange.
On-site facilities includeBritish Sign Languageinterpreters, a scooterand wheelchair loansservice, and trainedassistants.
Walton Hall Gardens Sunday July 15 DISABILITY AWARENESS DAY
COME OF AGE COME OF AGEPhotographs and memories Photographs and memories
DAD will be the finale of aweek consisting of 12complementary eventsthat will attractthousands of visitors.Check out the website
for the latest confirmedevents. www.disabilityawarenessday.org.uk
STAGING the annual DisabilityAwareness Day is a costlybusiness.
But, thanks to support from newsponsors Your Housing Group and thefantastic fundraising efforts from the teamat Warrington Disability Partnership, theshow goes on!
One of WDP’s most successfulfundraisers was the scuba event atWoolston Neighbourhood Hub whichraised more than £6,000.
A team of 22 put on their swimming gear– eight experienced divers taking up themile challenge and 14 novice diverscompleting the ‘Try Dive’.
DAD Co-ordinator Dave Thompsonsuccessfully completed the challenge –beating last year’s time with a personalbest of 1 hour and 49 minutes.
Dave, a full-time wheelchair user sincesustaining a spinal injury playingAmerican football in 1989, has limited usein his left arm and none in his right arm orlegs.
His dive buddy, Graham Horton, alsocompleted the challenge in less than anhour.
Both were tired, stiff and sore, but stillsmiling, as they exited the pool to cheersfrom the crowd.
“I’m aching all over now but I wasdetermined not to give up,” said a jubilantDave.
Terry Wood, from Cheshire ScubaAcademy, provided all the equipment whilethe Dive Team gave their expert help,tuition and support.Donations can still be made on line byvisiting www.justgiving.com/scuba2012
PICTURES BY DAVE MOLYNEUXand TOM HORTON
SPLASHBACK: Scuba diving sessionswere a big hit at last year’s event
3 seats plus wheelchair passengerParking sensorsEasy-use electric winchFull original passenger seating as standard
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So if you are disabled or drive for a disabled person, whether the vehicle is modified or not you can put the brakes on costly car insurance!
3130_Motor Ad 100x135.indd 1 24/9/08 11:27:59
THIS year’s Mobility Roadshow ison track to be the best ever withseveral ‘first view’ opportunities
for visitors.In the Motoring Arena, the first adapted new
Vauxhall Zafira Tourer will be available to testdrive.
Launched just a few weeks ago, Vauxhallbelieves the vehicle’s strong safety focus andspacious luggage space for mobility aidstorage is “the ultimate car for disableddrivers and passengers”.
Ford has chosen the Roadshow to host oneof the first Ford B-MAX displays.
Features expected to have wide appeal topeople with disabilities are the easy-access1.5m wide aperture door system andspacious interior.
Another, the Active City Stop, helps preventcollisions in slow-moving traffic byautomatically braking if necessary.
Sirus Automotive is launching a newwheelchair passenger-up-front vehicle, basedon the fuel-efficient 1.3 Fiat Qubo, which thecompany says will be the most affordable onthe market.
Acknowledging that for some, price hasbeen a barrier, the company is determined tomake the option of side by side motoringaccessible to more disabled passengers.
Also launching is another new wheelchairaccessible vehicle, the Lewis Reed SEATAlhambra, a “good-sized” five passenger seatvehicle, with room for one wheelchairposition.
Apart from showing off four top wheelchair
accessible vehicles, Constables is alsolaunching Unwin’s new Solar wheelchairrestraint system in its Nissan NV200 andRenault Kangoo conversions.
Sled tested to ensure utmost security for thewheelchair user, Constables believes this tobe one of the most innovative systems on themarket.
At the Mobility Choice stand, visitors canfind out all about the new Mobility Choice
Motoring website, an online portal for a rangeof services for the mobility sector, includingnews, vehicle reviews and road tests, asection for pre-owned adapted vehicle sales,and a comprehensive directory facility.
Mobility motoring has always been at theheart of this popular event and, as always,visitors will also be able to try out hundreds ofnew accessories, wheelchairs and scooters,health and fitness equipment, home products,and all sorts of gadgets and gizmos toenhance independence.
New features this year include a dedicatedFitness Zone, Switches for Kids and Tech forTeens, Interactive Crafting and PaintingWorkshops.
The Design Zone is expanding withopportunities to vote for favourite products,and there will be a daily programme of mini-tournaments and events in the Sports Arena.
n Mobility Roadshow, Thurs-Sat, June 21-23, Peterborough Arena, East of EnglandShowground.n Register for test drives and free ticketsat www.mobilityroadshow.co.uk
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RENAULT KANGOO AUTOGRAPH™
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0800 916 3028www.alliedmobility.com
With Allied Mobility, having your own wheelchair accessible car doesn’t have to cost the earth.
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Register online for your FREE tickets at www.mobilityroadshow.co.ukor call 0845 241 0390
The Mobility Roadshow...driving mobility forward
21st, 22nd & 23rd June 2012
Peterborough Arena (East of England Showground)
The UK’s original hands-on consumer
event, showcasing mobility innovation for almost 30 years
Open 10am daily Free admission
& parking
INSPIRATIONAL - be amazed atlife-changing products and new ideas
for YOUR independent lifestyle
INFORMATIVE - gain a wealth ofexpert help, information and advice
INTERACTIVE - test drive vehicles,wheelchairs, powerchairs, scooters, cycles;
join in sport, watch demonstrations,activities for all the family
accessible vehicles, Constables is alsolaunching Unwin’s new Solar wheelchairrestraint system in its Nissan NV200 andRenault Kangoo conversions.
Sled tested to ensure utmost security for thewheelchair user, Constables believes this tobe one of the most innovative systems on themarket.
At the Mobility Choice stand, visitors canfind out all about the new Mobility Choice
Motoring website, an online portal for a rangeof services for the mobility sector, includingnews, vehicle reviews and road tests, asection for pre-owned adapted vehicle sales,and a comprehensive directory facility.
Mobility motoring has always been at theheart of this popular event and, as always,visitors will also be able to try out hundreds ofnew accessories, wheelchairs and scooters,health and fitness equipment, home products,and all sorts of gadgets and gizmos toenhance independence.
New features this year include a dedicatedFitness Zone, Switches for Kids and Tech forTeens, Interactive Crafting and PaintingWorkshops.
The Design Zone is expanding withopportunities to vote for favourite products,and there will be a daily programme of mini-tournaments and events in the Sports Arena.
n Mobility Roadshow, Thurs-Sat, June 21-23, Peterborough Arena, East of EnglandShowground.n Register for test drives and free ticketsat www.mobilityroadshow.co.uk
0800 089 0146Quoteline hours: Mon to Fri 9am-7pm | Sat 9am-4pm
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DISABLED learner drivers could savethousands of pounds on theirinsurance – and protect their parents’no claims bonus at the same time.
Parents, family or friends adding ayoung driver to their own insurancewill often be faced with cripplingadditional premiums, and run the riskof losing some or all of their no claimsbonus in the event of a fault claim.
But a new scheme from specialistbroker Chartwell Insurance allowsdisabled youngsters between 16 and 25to take out their own comprehensiveinsurance on someone else’s car fromless than £2 per day.
The cover can be taken out on amonth-by-month basis, so learnersonly pay for the cover they need beforepassing their test.
Gerry Bucke, general manager atChartwell, said: “Although youngdrivers have a higher accident rateoverall, this doesn’t apply to learnerswho have to be accompanied whiledriving at all times,” he explained.
“But traditional insurance policiesdon’t take this into account, andtherefore the premiums charged to addlearners to existing policies are out ofkilter with the actual risk.”Call 0800 089 0146 for a free quote andimmediate cover.
L-drivers joy! L-drivers joy!
ALLIED Mobility has added anexciting new wheelchairaccessible vehicle to their
impressive range of mobility cars.The Fiat Freedom offers comfort, class
leading headroom and optimum accessibilityat the lowest Advance Payment available onMotability.
Based on the popular Fiat Doblo, the all-new Freedom is designed to make travellingwith a wheelchair or scooter hassle-free. It isavailable with a manual or automatictransmission.
Fitted with state-of-the-art features,including a lowered floor and a lightweightwheelchair ramp, the Freedom has beenbuilt for optimum safety and ease of access.
You also have the option to add a remotecontrol winch that simply clips to the front ofthe wheelchair, allowing navigation up theramp with the assistance of a hand-heldcontrol.
Standard features such as the heightadjustable driver’s seat with armrest, airconditioning, radio/CD and electric frontwindows also make for a relaxing andcomfortable drive.
Those concerned about theirenvironmental footprint need not worry asyou can rest easy in the knowledge thatyour Freedom mobility car comes with aEuro 5 engine as standard, offeringexceptional performance, superb fuelefficiency and low emissions.
Fiat’s innovative new engine also featuresStop Start technology, which cuts the enginewhilw the vehicle is idle, for even greaterfuel economy.
With a stylish large rear window, metallicpaint and body-coloured bumpers, theFreedom packs a punch in the looksdepartment making this compact butspacious vehicle stand out from the crowd.
With up to three passenger seats togetherwith room for a wheelchair passenger, theFiat Freedom is ideal for couples or families.
The Fiat Freedom is available now fromAllied Mobility through the MotabilityScheme. n Allied Mobility helpline: 0800 916 3062.www.alliedmobility.com
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There will be one Customer Forummeeting every three months in each ofthe five Merseyside districts, with the firstevent being held in Sefton, on July 17, atBootle Town Hall.
Other meetingsJuly18: Wirral Customer Forum, TheLauries Community Centre.
July 19: Knowsley Custome Forum,Knowsley Community College.July 20: St Helens Customer Forum, StHelens Town Hall.July 23: Liverpool Customer Forum,Friends Meeting House.
Each district Customer Forum starts at2pm with the exception of St Helenswhich runs from 1.30pm.
All meetings are free to attend and areopen to anyone on Merseyside who uses,
or has an interest in transport across theregion.
n For more information contactPaulette Lappin or Marie Conway on0151 330 1200, [email protected]@merseytravel.gov.uk nOr write to them at PO Box 1976,Liverpool L69 3HN.
n Merseytravel helps fund busroutes for journeys to hospitals,schools and less popular routesthat commercial bus operatorsdo not provide.n In Merseyside, the busoperators provide approximately80% of bus services while wesubsidise the other 20% to meetyour needs where we can.n Mersey travel owns and runsboth of the Mersey Tunnels,providing a 24-hour cross riverlink 365 days a year.nMerseytravel owns and runsthe Mersey Ferries, offeringdaily commuter services plusweekend crossings and leisurecruises.n Merseytravel provides andmaintains bus stations and busshelters and supplies over 6,000bus stops with information.nMerseytravel and Merseyrailhave recently secured AFAfunding to install accessibletoilets in 17 stations acrossthe Wirral and Northern linesby 2014.
0871 200 22 33Calls costs 10p per minute fromland lines, mobiles may vary
Merseytravel is making sure that Public Transport on Merseyside is easy for everyone to use
We care about the accessibility of our buildings, vehicles and information. All of our staff are trainedto be courteous and considerate, particularly when our customers have special requirements.
Whether it be automatic door openers in our head office, availability of textphones for main points of contact, or producing timetables in large print, we want to make public transport easier for everyone to use.
Among our services and facilities are:
with disabilities
developed in partnership with our local authorities and bus companies
Textphone users can dial 18001 then 0871 200 22 33 for a text relay assisted call
So whatSo whatdo YOUdo YOUthink ofthink ofpublicpublictransport?transport?
EDUCATION . . . TRAINING . . . JOBS . . .RRIIGGHHTTSS
Wheeler-dealerOCCUPATIONAL
therapistSusannah Ali only
planned to spend sixweeks as a volunteer inschools and ruralcommunities in deprivedareas of South Africa.
But she was so moved bythe terrible conditionsendured by the regions’disabled children she camehome and set up a charitydedicated to improving theirlives.
And ever since then,Susannah, 22, has workedtirelessly raising enoughmoney to provide functioningwheelchairs and wheelchairassessments to more than80 children, plus an electricwheelchair for a severelydisabled student.
A 24-hour sponsored sing-a-thon, and a Lands End toJohn O’Groats bike ride, areamong events that helpedSusannah and partner DanBullock raise over £20,000for the charity – named Help4 Happy’s after the headteacher of the school wherethe inspirational studentvolunteeered.
Susannah taught children inthe rural communities aroundDurban. At a schoolspecifically for disabledchildren, she was deeplymoved by what she saw,
including children who “hadto help each other get fromtheir beds to their wheelchair,if they had one, and to usethe toilets.
“The children had a varietyof disabilities, both physicaland mental, and most had tolive in at the school as theirfamilies couldn’t afford tolook after them at home.Terrible condition“As the school was
completely reliant ondonations they had very littleequipment and what they didhave was in terriblecondition, so most of thechildren’s needs were notbeing met,” added Susannahwho went on to graduate withhonours at the University ofDerby.
Susannah and Danreturned to South Africa to
buy the first 40 wheelchairsfor the school through acompany which also carriesout detailed wheelchairassessments for the children.
“To be suitable for differentchildren’s needs thewheelchairs can havefootplates, headrests orcushions. For one verydisabled child, calledNozipho, we were able tobuy an electric wheelchairwhich she can control usinga small joystick on herarmrest.”
As an occupationaltherapist, Susannah knowsall too well the challengesthat people with disabilitiesface – and more so in ruralSouth Africa.
“I wanted to use myknowledge and experience todo something that made adifference,” she said. “Ibegan by makingrecommendations for layoutchanges and adaptations tothe school that would helpthe disabled children to movearound the school better.
“But the main issue was stillthe lack of functioning andsuitably sized wheelchairs, orwheelchair assessments tohelp find the best chair for aperson’s needs. To get morewheelchairs it was clear thatwe needed to raise somemoney to buy them.”n www.help4happys.co.uk
Susannah’s givinga new life to kidsin dire conditions
LISA Simpson can’ttalk or do lots ofthings most people
take for granted – but, oh,has she an eye fordancing!
And so good is she atcreating dance routines sheset up her ownchoreography business.
Two years on, her company,Simpson Board Enterprises, isgoing from strength tostrength.
Communicating via anelectronic speech aid, Lisasaid: “We work with disabledpeople with limited or non-verbal communication toaccess an area of the artscurrently denied them.
“We teach choreographyusing the Simpson Board - aflexible A3 sized laminatedboard covered in the words,diagrams and symbolsneeded to create dance.
“It allows people to indicateusing their eyes or by pointingwhere, on a virtual stage, theywould like the dancers to goand what sort of moves theyshould make.
“An assistant sits alongsidethe user, reads the board andspeaks these instructions
aloud to the dancers.”Lisa, who has quadriplegia
cerebral palsy, studied BTECND in Performing Arts andhas a degree in SurfacePattern Design from theUniversity of Huddersfield.
Her dance venture beganfour years ago when she wasapproached by LouiseKaterega, creative director ofFoot In Hand DanceCompany.
Lisa helped Louise and amember of Cut Dance inSuffolk, who also has cerebralpalsy and limited verbalcommunication, tochoreograph a piece of dancefor the first time.
“It was so inspiring to watchher developing into achoreographer,” recalls Lisa,“that along with my businesspartner Ray Rooney, Idecided to set up SimpsonBoard Enterprises.
“We now travel the countrydelivering workshops toeducation establishments,dance companies andcommunity groups.
“Sessions are tailored to theabilities of individual groups.”
Lisa and Ray have heldworkshops at the DisabilityDance Symposium at
Beaumount College inLancaster, GloucesterDance’s Ignite course, theFoundation for CommunityDance’s Dance and Disabilityaspect of their NationalSummer School in Leicester,the BA (Hons) Dance Theatreat Plymouth University, Arts &Wellbeing Event hosted byPanda & ARC in Stockport,Springfield School in Kirkbyand Juskidz in Kirkby.
Lisa received lots of help toset up her business fromMerseyside start-up supportorganisation ELECT.
“They helped us to write abusiness plan, to do our firstyear financial prediction andto apply for funding.
“With ELECTs help we weregranted a £9,945 grant fromBig Lottery Fund, Awards ForAll.”
Janine Hyland, Lisa’s’business advisor at ELECT,said: “It is fantastic to seeLisa doing so well. She istestament to what hard workand determination can do.” n www.simpsonboard.co.uk
Queen ofthe dance
How Lisa’smaking the‘impossible’possible forpeople allover the UK STRENGTH TO STRENGTH: Lisa Simpson
. . . call 0151 230 0307
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traumatic accidents torepair naturally has beendeveloped by UKscientists.
The breakthrough couldimprove the chances ofrestoring sensation andmovement in injured limbs.
The traditional course ofaction, where possible, is tosurgically suture or graft thenerve endings together.However, reconstructivesurgery often does notresult in complete recovery.
Now a team from theUniversity of Sheffield andLaser Zentrum Hanover hascome up with a method formaking devices callednerve guidance conduits(NGCs) which encouragenerve regrowth.
The team can nowmanufacture NGCs withdesigns that are far moreadvanced than previouslypossible.
John Haycock, Professorof Bioengineering atSheffield, said: “Whennerves in the arms or legsare injured they have theability to re-grow, unlike inthe spinal cord.
“However, they needassistance to do this. Weare designing scaffoldimplants that can bridge aninjury site and provide arange of physical andchemical cues forstimulating this regrowth.”
The new conduit is madefrom a biodegradablesynthetic polymer materialand has been designed toguide damaged nerves tore-grow through a numberof small channels.
Dr Frederik Claeyssens,lecturer in Biomaterials,said: “Nerves aren’t just likeone long cable, they’remade up of lots of smallcables, similar to how anelectrical wire isconstructed.
“Using our new techniquewe can make a conduit withindividual strands so thenerve fibres can form asimilar structure to anundamaged nerve.”
Once the nerve is fullyregrown, the conduitbiodegrades naturally.
The team hopes that thisapproach will significantlyincrease recovery for awide range of peripheralnerve injuries.
In laboratory experiments,nerve cells added to thepolymer conduit grewnaturally within itschannelled structure andthe team is now workingtowards clinical trials.
Dr Claeyssens added: “Ifsuccessful we anticipatethese scaffolds will not justbe applicable to peripheralnerve injury, but could alsobe developed for othertypes of nerve damage, too.The technique of laserdirect writing may ultimatelyallow production ofscaffolds that could help inthe treatment of spinal cordinjury.
“What’s exciting about thiswork is that not only havewe designed a new methodfor making nerve guidescaffolds which supportnerve growth, we’ve alsodeveloped a method ofeasily reproducing themthrough micromolding.
“This technology couldmake a huge difference topatients suffering severenerve damage.”
ONLY one-in-five of us are eating therecommended five portions of fruit andvegetables a day, a poll for WorldCancer Research Fund has found.
Nearly a decade after the Department ofHealth introduced the 5-A-DAY campaign, aYouGov survey has shown that only 22% ofthe British adult population is consuming fiveor more portions a day.
And fruit and vegetable consumption levelswere lowest in the north of England, where18%answered that they had five or moreportions daily.
WCRF Head of Education Kate Mendozasaid: “These figures show that many peopleare still finding it difficult to follow the healthy
eating message. Getting at least five portionsof fruit and vegetables a day is the buildingblock of a healthy diet. Not only are fruit andveg a good source of nutrients, they alsotend to be low in calories and full of fibre sohelp us maintain a healthy weight.
“A diet based on plant foods, such aswholegrains and pulses as well as fruit andvegetables, can reduce cancer risk asresearch shows they protect against a rangeof cancers. Foods containing fibre reduce therisk of bowel cancer.”
The research showed, on average, that17% of lower income households get at leastfive portions per day, compared to 27% forthose in higher income groups.
A reason to live life on the vegAPASSER-BY fell in the streetclose to my house and peoplewere quickly on the scene to
help.An assumption that the stranger was
drunk soon gave way to the thought thatthe person may have an underlying healthcondition causing them to stumble. Butwhat do everyday happenings like thisteach us?
For me it’s about how we behavetowards others when we encounter theunusual, or behaviour from others whichwe feel is outside of the social norm. Forinstance, suppose that person was drunk– should we really be quick to judge them;and how can we possibly know what hasgone wrong in their life that led to heavydrinking and self-neglect?
Perhaps we have to accept thatsometimes people do exhibit oddbehaviour.
But who judges what is “normal”anyway?
Articulate and feisty TV presenter TrishaGoddard has a clear view on this. Shehas personal experience of mentaldistress having been an in-patient in apsychiatric hospital and is passionateabout mental health services following atragedy involving her late sister. Trisha’sview on “normality” is, as she put’s it...“the only thing that should be labelled‘normal’ is the setting on a washingmachine!”
According to research carried out for the
Department of Health two years ago onein three people said they wereuncomfortable around people withdementia. They told the MORI poll theywould find it difficult to spend much timewith someone who has dementia.
Given that the number of people withdementia is expected to double over thenext few decades it doesn’t bode well forall of us if we cannot treat everyone withrespect and dignity.
Mersey Care is committed to humanrights in healthcare, which areunderpinned by the FREDA principles ofFairness, Respect, Equality, Dignity andAutonomy.
So if anyone asks, what or who is‘normal’, just tell them thatFREDA is . . .
by Beatrice Fraenkelchair, Mersey Care NHS
19
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
RReeaacchhiinngg NNEEWW hheeiigghhttssRReeaacchhiinngg NNEEWW hheeiigghhttssIn the 10 yearswe have beenconductingnewspapersurveysnothing comesanywhere nearto thestandardsbeing set by All TogetherNOW!The results arehugelyimpressive— The Murray Consultancy
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SPECIAL weight loss surgerytransformed the life of the man who usedto be Britain’s highest user of insulin.
Michael Parker, 49, who weighed 34stone and was plagued by ill-health, hadto take 600 units of insulin a day – 12times the average amount.
Michael is among 200 peoplenationwide who have all undergone acomplex weight loss procedure known asthe duodenal switch.
He was one of 40 patients who cametogether for the first time to share theirexperiences at an event held by weightloss surgery information charityWLSinfo.
Michael said: “Since having theoperation, I have lost 19 stone, no longerneed insulin, my blood sugar levels arenormal and my blood pressure is down.
“I do not have any symptoms ofdiabetes that plagued me for almostseven years.”n www.wlsinfo.org.uk
Veg with the edge
A fat lot of good
I did it my weigh
Wealth for health
TV CHEF and nutritionist Dale Pinnockis embarking on a national crusade toraise awareness of the vital importanceof omega 3 in our diets.
Omega 3 is a type of vital fat found inour food that has been at the centre ofover 15,000 trials in recent years, andhas been shown to be a vital ingredientin protecting us from high bloodpressure, high cholesterol, depression,anxiety, obesity, and evenneurodegenerative disorders such asAlzheimers disease, yet it is one of themost overlooked and deficient nutrientsin the UK.
It is found widely in fish, greenvegetables, some seeds and fruits.
SCIENTISTS are investigating whethercabbage can help prevent cancer,cardiovascular disease and otherconditions.
Dr Wendy Russell, from the Universityof Aberdeen’s Rowett Institute, said: Ourstudy will investigate compounds foundin different species of cabbage producedin Scotland, with the aim of identifyingwhich ones have a positive impact onhealth when we eat them.
The study is one component of a widerproject looking at the potential healthbenefits of Scottish produce.
“If we can identify compounds in foodsproduced in Scotland, such as cabbage,which have clear health benefits it wouldprovide the evidence needed toencourage the public to choose thesefoods as part of their regular diet.”
A NEW £180 million grant scheme is nowopen for applications from small andmedium sized enterprises and academicsthat can develop solutions to healthcarechallenges.
The Biomedical Catalyst is a keyelement of the Strategy for Life Scienceslaunched by the Prime Minister inDecember last year.nwww.innovateuk.org/content/competition/biomedical-catalyst.ashx
LIFE’S on the up for a womanwho struggled for years with thephysical and psychological
effects of a ‘drop foot’.Lida Litras is the first person in the UK
to benefit from a new electronic implantthat has improved her walking – and herconfidence.
Fourteen years ago Lida, then 33 and asingle mother-of-two, suffered adevastating stroke.
She was in hospital for five months andafterwards struggled to remainindependent because of drop foot, whichcaused her to trip easily.
But Lida can now walk more naturallyand without pain thanks to the ActiGaitimplant from mobility experts OttobockHealthcare.
The inconvenience of wires andelectrodes that are familiar with existingdrop foot solutions are no longer an issue.
External electrodes can cause irritationand pain, with the electrical chargecausing skin damage,
Lida said: “Since the ActiGait implant Ican walk effortlessly and have no painwhatsoever, it’s a million times better thananything I’ve had before.
“Before ActiGait, I had to wear baggyclothes and wasn’t able to wear dresses orskirts due to the embarrassment of visiblewires and electrodes on myleg from my old drop footsolution, which made me feelunfeminine.
“Now I have the confidenceto go out, dress the way Iwant – and I can look forwardto the summer and wearingmy dresses and sandalsagain.”
Dr Salim Ghoussayni, atOttobock Healthcare, said:
“This device provides a realalternative to restrictive anduncomfortable treatments.
“Lida has the confidence togo where she pleases andenjoys a significantly higherquality of life.”
What is drop foot?n Drop foot sufferers are unable toactivate the muscles in the front oftheir leg or raise their foot to clearthe floor when walking.n The condition can be caused bymultiple sclerosis or incompletespinal cord injuries as well as stroke.n Drop foot can leave sufferers withcomplex mobility challenges, lowself-esteem and a lack of confidence.n Every year an estimated 150,000people in the UK have a stroke ofwhich one-third will be left disabledand will require rehabilitation.n www.ottobock.co.uk
A step forward
HAPPY: Life’s ‘a million times better’ for Lida
WITH obesity levels in the UK ever increasing,mum-of-four, Romilla Arber is determined to to doher bit to help and has founded The FoodEducation Trust.
The charity’s mission is to equip children andadults with basic cooking skills, enabling them tolearn how easy it is to prepare healthy, nutritiousmeals from scratch – and rely less on processed,fast food that is high in fat, sugar and salt.
Romilla has already raised more than £10,000through the sales of her book ‘What’s forDinner?’ and she is hoping to add to it throughsales of her new book ‘What’s for Dinner?Second Helpings’. n www.foodeducationtrust.comTel. 01635 268 989.
Mum on a missionRecovery in site..WITH 10 children a day being diagnosed with cancer– and many having to spend extended periods of timein hospital – it’s hoped a new website from theChildren’s Cancer Recovery Project will offerwelcome advice and support to parents and familiesaffected.
The site is packed with practical information,including ‘Top Tips’ aand details about financial grantsfor families.
Hannah Bellamy, executive director of the CancerRecovery Foundation, said: “The site alsoencourages health professionals to learn more aboutour services and pass vital details on to parents whoneed support and assistance, or just a place that theyknow cares about them.”n www.childrenscancerrecovery.org.ukTel. 01883 713922.
FEELING stressed out? Take a moment to relax,breathe deeply and think of the last funny thingyou saw or heard. While those around wonderwhat you’re smiling about, you’ll be doingwonders for your heart health.
When you’re stressed, the hormone cortisol isreleased, which raises sugar and fat levels in theblood increasing blood pressure.
Risky lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinkingand unhealthy eating are common when stressed soit’s not surprising depression and anxiety are thoughtto increase the risk of heart disease.
Here are some other tips to help you overcomethose blue moods and begin to protect your heart:
Relax: Deep breathing and simple relaxation canhelp relieve tension and increase oxygen rich bloodflowing through your body.Be Active: Exercise counteracts the effects that yourbody produces when under stress.Balanced Diet: Don’t skip meals or over indulge onsnacks that are high in saturated fat, sugar or salt.Choose a good variety of foods with lots of colour anda balanced combination of protein, complexcarbohydrates and soluble fibre.Have Fun: Make time for activities that give youpleasure not stress!n www.heartresearch.org.uk n Tel. 0113 234 7474.
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Tel: 0151 230 0307
One advert goesa long, long wayOne advert goesa long, long way
Until Jun 23: The NormanConquests by Alan Ayckbourn.Liverpool Everyman. Comictrilogy.Jun 5-Jun 9: Girls Night.Manchester Opera House.Hilarious evening ofentertainment.Jun 5-Jun 9: West Side Story.Blackpool Grand Theatre.Jun 6: Simon Amstell.Manchester Lowry. Stand-upcomedy.Jun 6-Jun 23: The Rise and Fall ofLittle Voice. Bolton Octagon.Heartwarming musical.Jun 7: Ukulele Orchestra of GreatBritain. Llandudno Venue Cymru.Jun 7: Michael Winslow. ManchesterLowry. Impressionist.Jun 7: Sir Ranulph Fiennes.Manchester Lowry. Inspirationaltalking from the Polar explorer.Jun 7-Jun 9: Dancing in the Streets.Manchester Palace Theatre.Jun 8: Phil Buckley.Manchester Lowry. Stand-upcomedy.Jun 9: Chantel McGregor. St HelensCitadel. Exciting rock and bluesmusician. Jun 10: The Owl and the Pussycat.Manchester Lowry. Puppetry, livemusic and beautiful storytelling.Jun 10: Dave Gorman.Manchester Lowry. Stand-upcomedy.Jun 10: Billy Ocean. New BrightonFloral Pavilion.Jun 10: Jim White. ManchesterLowry. Singer-songwriter.Jun 11: Science Museum Live.Llandudno Venue Cymru. Get readyfor a breathtaking ride that will inspire,inform and entertain. Jun 11-Jun 16: Avenue Q.Liverpool Empire. SesameStreet’s grown-up brother. Notfor children.Jun 12-Jun 16: Oliver! Theatr Clwyd.Classic Gilbert and Sullivan musical.Jun 13: Jimmy Tarbuck.Manchester Lowry. Stand-upcomedy.Jun 14: Rhod Gilbert.Llandudno Venue Cymru.Stand-up comedy.Jun 14: Psychic Sally on the Road.New Brighton Floral Pavilion. TV’sown Sally Morgan demonstrating hermediumship abilities. Jun 14-Jun 16: Blood Brothers.Blackpool Grand Theatre. The playwhich inspired the hit musical.Jun 14-Jul 7: The Match Box.Liverpool Everyman. New play byFrank McGuinness.Jun 15: Colin Fry. Llandudno VenueCymru. The People’s Medium.Jun 15: Swinging at the Cotton Club.Manchester Lowry. Action-packedshow celebrating the music, danceand songs of the 20s and 30s.Jun 16: Chris Cornell. ManchesterLowry. Singer-songwriter.Jun 16: Tom Stade.Manchester Lowry. Stand-upcomedy.Jun 16: The Doors Alive. St HelensCitadel. Tribute band.
Jun 17: A Wild Life- An AudienceWith Steve Backshall. LlandudnoVenue Cymru.Jun 17: Beyond Time - A Tribute toJagjit Singh. Manchester Lowry. Anevening of Urdu and Hindi ghazalsand geets paying tribute to theGhazal King of India.Jun 17: Craig Campbell.Manchester Lowry. Stand-upcomedy.Jun 17: Remember Remember.Manchester Lowry. Set in a world offorgotten fairytales, this showcombines original music, animationand play.Jun 18: Gervase Phinn.Manchester Lowry. Stand-upcomedy.Jun 18-Jun 23: Save The Last DanceFor Me. Blackpool Grand Theatre.Nostalgic, feel-good journey throughthe music of Doc Pomus and MortShuman. Jun 18-Jun 30: Blood Brothers.Manchester Opera House. Theclassic musical. Jun 18-Jun 19: TheHitchhiker’s Guide to theGalaxy Radio Show...Live!Liverpool Empire. The original radio
recording cast back together.Jun 18-Jun 23: Doctor in theHouse. New Brighton FloralPavilion.Jun 19-Jun 23: Disney’s Beauty andthe Beast. Theatr Clwyd. ClassicDisney musical.Jun 19-Jun 23: I Dreamed a Dream.Manchester Palace Theatre. TheSuBo musical.Jun 19-Jun 30: Starlight Express.Manchester Lowry. One of thelongest-running musicals in theatricalhistory.Jun 20-Jun 21: Cirque du Ciel’sShanghai. Liverpool Empire. Amarvellous two hour extravaganza,showcasing the best in Chinesecircus.Jun 22: Robin Ince.Manchester Lowry. Stand-upcomedy.Jun 24: Fireman Sam.Llandudno Venue Cymru. TheHero next door is back!Jun 25-Jun 26: Midnight Tango.Liverpool Empire. Tango showfeaturing Strictly Come Dancing stars.Jun 25-Jun 28: Wider OpportunitiesConcert. Manchester Lowry.
� access ramp and� veranda� wide access doors� gas central heating� large wet room and toilet
adapted for disabled use� Passes to Funwork
Complex included
Jun 26-Jun 30: CemeteryClub. WolverhamptonGrand Theatre. Blackcomedy.Jun 27: Inscape Summer MusicFestival. Machester Lowry. Aselection of music and songsperformed by SpecialEducational Needs schools inGreater Manchester.Jun 27: Tony Bennett in Concert.Liverpool Empire. Live musicfrom the international best-seller.Jun 27-Jun 30: A Comedy ofErrors. Theatr Clwyd.Shakespeare’s comedy.Jun 29: The Johnny Cash Story.Llandudno Venue Cymru. Bioplayfeaturing the life and music of thecountry legend.Jun 29: Sing-a-long-a Grease.Liverpool Empire. Sing along toone of the world’s favouritemusicals.Jun 29-Aug 11: Reds andBlues - The Musical.Liverpool Royal Court.Comedy musical.Jun 30: Johnny Cash Story.Liverpool Empire. Bioplayfeaturing the life and music of the
country legend.Jun 30: The Beat. St HelensCitadel. Forerunners of the 2-tone ska movement. Jul 1: The Drifters. BlackpoolGrand Theatre. Chart-topperslive in concert. Jul 1: Hugh Laurie.Manchester Lowry. Thecomedian showcases oneof his other talents: music.Jul 1: Elis James.Manchester Lowry. Stand-up comedy.Jul 1: Little Red... You KnowWho! Manchester Lowry.Spellbinding play for youngchildren.Jul 2-Jul 7: Doctor in theHouse. Blackpool GrandTheatre. Follows thefortunes of Simon Sparrowstarting as a new medical studentat the fictional St Swithin’sTeaching Hospital in London.Jul 2-Jul 7: Chicago! LiverpoolEmpire. The international award-winning musical returns toLiverpool. Jul 2-Jul 4: TheHitchhiker’s Guide to the
Galaxy Radio Show...Live!Manchester Opera House. Theoriginal radio recording cast backtogether.Jul 5: The Drifters. Rhyl Pavilion.Chart-toppers, live on stage. Jul 5-Jul 6: The Wizard of Oz. StHelens Citadel.Jul 6: The Hitchhiker’sGuide to the Galaxy.Llandudno Venue Cymru.Featuring the original cast of theradio recording. Jul 6: Paul Heaton. ManchesterLowry. Former Housemartinperforming a career-spanning setof hits.Jul 11-Jul 14: The EmpireChanges Hands. Theatr Clwyd.1950s themed musical.Jul 12-Jul 14: FrankieBoyle. Liverpool Empire.Stand-up comedy.Jul 13: The Lancashire Hotpots.Manchester Lowry. Popular folkband.Jul 13: Sir Ranulph Fiennes.Llandudno Venue Cymru.Evening of Q&A with the World’sgreatest living explorer.Jul 14: Whole Lotta Led. St
Helens Citadel. Led Zeppelintribute band. Jul 15: Rhys Darby.Manchester Lowry. Stand-up comedy.Jul 15: Andy Zaltzman.Manchester Lowry. Stand-up comedy.Jul 17-Jul 28: Starlight Express.Liverpool Empire. One of thelongest-running musicals intheatrical history.Jul 20: A Night With RickyHatton. Rhyl Pavilion. An eveningwith the boxing legend.Jul 20: Jimmy Tarbuck.Llandudno Venue Cymru.Tarby swaps the Palladiumfor the Venue to share anecdotesand jokes in his evening ofcomedy for grown-ups.Jul 20-Jul 22: Our House.Llandudno Venue Cymru.Musical based on the songs ofMadness.Jul 24-Jul 28: 42nd Street.Blackpool Grand Theatre. TonyAward-winning musical.
nAS PART of the London2012 Festival, the NationalTheatre Wales is collaboratingwith the poet Kaite O’Reilly ona performance calledIn Water I’m Weightless.nThe performance will seedeaf and disabled performerstelling stories of life as aperson with a disability otherthan their own. The castincludes Mandy Colleran, MatFraser, Karina Jones, NickPhillips, Sophie Stone andDavid Toole.nWales Millennium CentreCardiff (July 26 - August 4)
LAST year Odeoncinemas started theirinnovative special
“autistic-friendly” filmscreenings.
Now London’s top independenttheatre charity has staged itsfirst ever ‘relaxed performance’in the West End for families with
children with special needs.More than 500 families
attended Mousetrap’sperformance of at Shrek TheMusical in the Theatre Royal,Drury Lane.
The loud and bright productionelements of the show weretoned down to cater to the
children’s sensitivities, and therewere also allocated areas forchildren who needed to leavethe auditorium, where they couldsit on bean bags and watch theshow by relay screen.nMousetrap Theatre Projects,tel 020 7836 4388nwww.mousetrap.org.uk
AN INTERNATIONAL billof disabled artists is setto wow audiences atCardiff’s fifth UnityFestival.
Highlights of this year’sline up include The Openingand The Closing byphysical comedy specialistsSpymonkey; Liverpoolcomedian Laurence Clark;Portuguese dance companyGrupo Dançando Com aDiferença; and Seville-based Danza Mobile withtheir flamenco performanceinvolving disabled and nondisabled dancers; andAustralian-award winningBack to Back Theatre whowill perform small metalobjects.
There will also be a signmime workshop fromaerialist and physicaltheatre practitioner RameshMeyyappan; a percussionworkshop from CommunityMusic Wales; and a WaggleDance session tocompliment Tin BathTheatre’s sign interpretedchildren’s show.nThe festival runs fromJune 21-30.nwww.wmc.org.uk/unity
Shrek to the rescue!Shrek to the rescue!Shrek REHEARSAL TIME: The cast of In Water I’m Weightless
Festivaltime inCardiff
THE FIRST wheelchair repairservice of its kind at a UK airportis to be piloted at Heathrow
during the summer.The new trial will run between July and
September and will have a specialisttechnician on-hand to fix faults on thespot.
The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign,whose young Trailblazers group initiatedthe trial, are delighted with the plans.
Trailblazers project manager Bobby Ancilsaid: “We are delighted to hear about thispilot, which is going to be a real boost fordisabled tourists planning a trip to the UKover the summer.
“Handing over a powered-wheelchair -which can cost up to £16,000 – to anairline can be a pretty daunting prospectfor its owner. To then be stranded at abusy foreign airport because a wheelchairis no longer functioning is the stuff ofnightmares.
“We really hope that this pilot will be asuccess and that Olympic and ParalympicGames might bring us the legacy of apermanent wheelchair repair service atour busiest airport.”nThe Trailblazers battle to improve theUK tourist industry for disabled travellers.nTel, 020 7803 4807nwww.mdctrailblazers.org
Airport’s newwheelchairrepair service
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220,000 of our readers DON’T see ANY other newspaper
WHILE parking my car in a payand display parking area I placedmy parking badge where it wouldbe clearly seen.
As I was doing so another carpulled up in front of me. It containedtwo middle-aged women who alsoplaced a blue badge near thewindscreen. Having done so, theyleapt out and scurried away showingall the agility of Olympic athletes.
Disabled people’s blue parkingbadges are not intended just forwheelchair-users. But it doeshowever require an enormous stretchof imagination to believe that the twowomen were disabled or sufficientlydisabled to warrant the use of thebadge.
People who are truly disabled areoften unable to park in the specialwider parking spaces because they
are occupied by non-disabled peoplefraudulently using blue badges.
Many disabled people need all thespace such bays offer to enable themto get their wheelchair or othermobility equipment out of theirvehicle
This is why disabled peoplewelcome the new rules beingintroduced to make abuse of the bluebadge more difficult and easier toenforce.
All of us who are disabled must alsoplay our part in ensuring the integrityof the scheme. If we have a badge itis our responsibility to ensure we donot allow family or friends to use itwhen we are not using the vehicle.
If we fail to do so we might wellfind that our badges arewithdrawn and it will be our ownfault.
IF I was to believe some of thenewspaper reports I couldreasonably conclude there are no
disabled people in Britain today –that everybody claiming disabilitybenefits is a fraudster who is livingin idle luxury on the backs of hard-working taxpayers.
This scenario is used to justifydraconian measures to force disabledpeople off benefits and into work.
It is argued that disabled people whocan work should work. Many disabledpeople argue that they would like towork but for some it is, for healthreasons, impossible.
There are reports of disabled peoplewho have died shortly after beinginformed that their benefits are being cutand that they should get a job. It is, ofcourse, difficult to apply for work from acoffin.
A large part of the problem is that theassessment undertaken by the Frenchoutsourcing company ATOS, underinstructions from the Department forWork and Pensions, is unfit for purpose.
Sometimes on the basis of a telephoneconversation or a cursory medicalexamination disabled people are judgedto be fit to work and have theirEmployment Support Allowancewithdrawn.
Until they were scrapped by theThatcher Government, there used to beEmployment Rehabilitation Centreswhich were skilled in giving disabledpeople work assessments over severalweeks. Their reports on whether adisabled person could work and the typeof work they could do were detailed and
accurate. If this is compared with thecurrent situation the inadequacy ofcurrent assessments become obvious.
The assessor from ATOS might noteven be a doctor and it is extremelyunlikely that the assessor will be anexpert in the impairment that thedisabled person has.
It is no wonder that 40% of people whoappeal against the ATOSrecommendation to stop their benefitswin their appeal.
However, even if the assessor makesthe right decision about somebody’shealth it is not clear what skills theyhave to assess employment potential.
This would require a detailedknowledge of the skills required in
different types of jobs.If we overcome this hurdle there is a
third one . . . The success of a disabledperson in finding work is not onlydependent on their own skills andattitudes but also on the attitudes ofemployers.
Survey after survey has shown thatdespite equality legislation manyemployers are still reluctant to employdisabled people. That is why roughly halfof disabled people of working age areout of work.
If there was 50% unemployment in thegeneral population it is doubtful that thePrime Minister of the day would keep hisjob. Yet it is acceptable for disabledpeople.
Living with disability is expensive, asmany of the disability costs are not metby the state. If disabled people who areunable to work have their social securitybenefits cut it will not result in themworking but it will make them evenpoorer and in greater financial distressthan they are now.
SOUNDINGOFF!
Blue badge holders also have a duty!
with Sir Bert Massie
I FOUND it interesting how peoplewarmed to the huge woodenpuppets that strolled into Liverpool.The Giants were different butenough like us for all of us to havean affinity with them.
Some disabled people also lookdifferent but receive a differentresponse from some members of thepublic.
People with severe facialdisfigurement become accustomed
to others turning away their eyes.People with learning disabilities
experience bullying and intimidationalmost daily.
Would it not be a much happierworld if we all embraced thediversity of humanity that is allaround us inthe same wayas weembraced thegiants?
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Those giants on city streets
Britain’s top voice
on disability joinsAll Together NOW!
ARIES (March 21st - April 20th)You’ll have to stand firm at work at the end of June ifyou want to attend a family function. All your hard workfinally begins to pay off in early July. A trip for pleasurenear the 22nd provides the intellectual stimulation youneed.TAURUS (April 21st - May 21st)You’ll be rewarded for a job well done by mid-month.Support from an unexpected source arrives early July,putting more money in your pocket. The New Moon onthe 19th warns against making personal attacks on acolleague.GEMINI (May 22nd - June 21st)The middle of June is a good time to make moneyfrom your creative efforts. The New Moon on the 19thinvites you to make a fresh start - but don’t over-estimate your importance at work.CANCER (June 22nd - July 23rd)A secret flirtation gives a welcome dash of spice. Helpfrom unseen sources arrives in mid-June, helping youmake some expensive repairs to your home. The earlydays of July are ideal for an extensive homeimprovement project.LEO (July 24th - August 23rd)You’ll get a lovely email, text, or phone message froma long lost friend. The New Moon on the 19th warnsagainst loaning or borrowing money. By mid-July yourcreative ability wins the admiration of severalprominent people.VIRGO (August 24th - September 23rd)A friendship comes to an abrupt end in the waningdays of June. Happy news, though, of engagement,marriage or pregnancy reaches your ears in early July.A loved one or best friend will share their goodfinancial fortune with you around the 22nd.LIBRA (September 24th - October 23rd)Avoid getting in a power struggle with a respectedexpert. The final days of June force you to deal with adomestic issue. July opens with an exciting familycelebration. The New Moon on the 19th warns againstaccepting a job offer that will leave you precious littlefree time.SCORPIO (October 24th - November 22nd)An admirer confesses a crush. The last days of themonth aren’t favoured for travel. Resist your urge tobreak the rules in mid-July. The New Moon on the 19thwarns against biting off more than you can chew,especially as far as intellectual pursuits are concerned.SAGITTARIUS (November 23rd - December 21st)The beginning of June is perfect for signing a contractor entering into a business agreement. You could get ascholarship, government grant, or bank loan in thedays surrounding the 24th. July gets off to an excitingstart. Resist the urge to make a pass at a friend.CAPRICORN (December 22nd - January 20th)Follow medical advice to the letter as June getsunderway. Be gentle with a stressed out relative in thedays surrounding the 24th. Resist pressuring a lover orbusiness partner into making a decision at month’send. Launch a new health regimen.AQUARIUS (January 21st - February 19th)Take up a new hobby or sport. Beware of makingenemies at work. The New Moon on the 19th warnsagainst gambling. The first days of July allow you tospend time on private pleasures. Friendship will turn toromance near the 17th.PISCES (February 20th - March 20th)June opens with a warm family reunion. You may haveto deliver some painful truths to a delusional friendduring June. Don’t let a relative take advantage of yourgenerosity. July’s New Moon on the 19th makes itimpossible to mix business with pleasure. Spoil a loveror youngster with an expensive gift.
with RUSSELL GRANT
HELPING HANDS Disabled and need advice on gardening? Contact national charity THRIVE.Tel. 0118 988 5688. www.thrive.org.uk or www.carryongardening.org.uk
CHECKLISTFLOWERS: Trim over low,spreading plants that havefinished blooming, such asaubrietia and heather, withgarden shears and give them agenerous liquid feed of high-potash fertiliser. Make sure thecompost in patio pots does notdry out and liquid-feed regularly.Plant autumn flowering bulbssuch as colchicum and autumncrocus.SHRUBS: Remove the fadingflowers of roses, pruning theheads back to an outward-facingleaf joint to encourage a secondflowering in appropriate varieties.To encourage a good secondflush of bloom, spray the foliagewith a liquid feed. Choose onecombining a feed with insecticideand/or fungicide if aphids orfungal diseases like blackspot ormildew have been a problem.LAWNS: Grass in which springbulbs have been grown can becut lightly now. Lawns sufferingfrom dryness will benefit if themower setting is raised.PONDS: Tackle blanketweed andother invasive plants in ponds.Blanketweed can often becontrolled for several weeks at atime by removing as much aspossible and treating with TetraAlgoFin, which is harmless tofish, wildlife and ornamentalplants.FRUIT: Check gooseberrybushes for mildew. Trim offaffected shoots and, if theproblem seems serious, spraywith a fungicide.VEGETABLES: For a crop oflate vegetables, sow quick-maturing varieties and waterthem thoroughly until well-established. Sow pea Cavalier,lettuce Little Gem, carrotAmsterdam Forcing, radishes,perpetual spinach and beetrootPablo.HERBS: Take cuttings of shrubbyherbs such as sage, rosemary,thyme and cotton lavender. Takecuttings under a leaf joint, strip offall but two or three topmostleaves and set them in pots incutting compost in a shadyposition.GREENHOUSE: As tomatoesripen, keep feeding and wateringregularly. Pinch out thesideshoots from cordon tomatoesand tie in the main stem as itcontinues to grow, then pinch outthe growing tip once five or sixtrusses of flowers have set fruit.Cherry tomato types can beallowed to grow taller.HOUSEPLANTS: Repot if rootsare showing through the baseholes in thepot or on thecompostsurface.
Growing places
WIN the cleverest gardening kit we’veseen for a long time – a solar-poweredpump system to hose your garden froma water-butt or any other container.
The RainPerfect system from TwoWests and Elliott, costing £114.99, iseasy to install and provides enoughpressure to run a standard hose nozzleor a low pressure sprinkler system. Itsrechargeable battery is solar-poweredso requires no electrical supply and iscompletely portable.
The centrifugal pump givespressurised pumping at 0.9bar/13PSIand from a single charge the solarpowered battery can pump 378 litres (83gallons), emptying a 210-litre water buttin 18 minutes.
A compact 3.5-watt solar panelmeasuring 20cm by 23 cm (8in by 9in)provides power via a 4.5m length ofcable to the rechargeable battery, takingabout eight hours to charge fully.
The panel can be mounted on thewater butt, or on a fence or wall, forwhich screws are provided. A groundspike is also included in the kit.
For a chance to win your ownRainPerfect system, answer thisquestion:
How long does the RainPerfect systemtake to empty a 210-litre water butt?
Send your entry with your name andaddress on a postcard or sealedenvelope to RainPerfect Competition,All Together NOW!, The BradburyCentre, Youens Way, Liverpool L14 2EP,to arrive by Friday July 27, or enteronline at www.alltogethernow.org.uk
Remember to tell us what you think ofAll Together NOW! – and tell us whereyou picked up your copy of the paper.n For the full range of Two Wests &Elliott’s gardening equipment or for afree catalogue, phone 01246 451077 orgo to www.twowests.co.uk
IF YOU have never heard ofthe National GardensScheme, you need to get
out more.Where to go? The glorious
gardens that are opened to thepublic in every county throughoutEngland and Wales in aid of thescheme’s charities - MacmillanCancer Support, Help theHospices, carers’ trustCrossroads Care and manyothers.
NGS was launched 85 yearsago to support district nursingand 120 of the original gardenswill be open this year.
Back in 1927 most wereillustrious places with gardensmaintained by teams ofprofessionals.
Since then they have beenjoined by gardens of all sizes andeven allotment plots.
This year’s edition of thescheme’s directory, affectionatelyknown as the Yellow Book,describes 3,500 gardens,including 450 open for the firsttime, with features as diverse aswoodland, water and topiary intown and country settings.
Altogether the NGS has raisedmore than £35m. This year alone£2.6m is being awarded, includinga donation to a guest charity, theAlzheimer’s Society.n For information about gardensor to buy the 744-page book(£9.99 including P&P) go towww.ngs.org.uk.Tel. 01483 211535.
DON’T MISS IT – walled garden at Holehird, Windermere
TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!
PUMPING UP THE ACTION: The RainPerfect system
You can win this top gardening kit
WHEN you choose your day out, don’t beafraid to wander farther afield. There arealways plenty of yellow signs showing the
way to the more secluded gardens. Some of thelarger ones open regularly but dedicate admissionon a particular day or two to the NGS.Here are a few to check out:CHESHIRE: Arley Hall, one of the original gardens tobe opened, has a spectacular yew-buttressedherbaceous border, holly avenue and walled garden(August 4).Brooke Cottage, near Wilmslow, displays a wide rangeof exotic plants and ferns in woodland and watersetting (July 14-15).The Rowans, near Malpas, is an intriguing Italianategarden divided into themes, with statuary, ponds andherbaceous borders (July 14-15).SHROPSHIRE also boasts some of the initial 1927openers, including Hodnet Hall, 60-acre landscaperenowned for pools, lakes, trees and flowering shrubs
(June 17), and Weston Park, Shifnal - Capability Brownparkland with rose garden and long border (July 4).Among many newer delights is Windy Ridge, LittleWenlock, a stunning, award-winning garden full ofcolour with 1,000 different species (June 24, July 15,August 5, September 2).LANCASHIRE’s outstanding gardens includeClearbeck House, near Lancaster, which reveals asurprise round every corner with fountains, sculptures,ponds, a Rapunzel’s Tower and wildlife lake, as well asmore conventional borders (June 3-4 & 24, July 1).In Bretherton is a pleasant example of the increase ingroup openings featuring five contrasting privategardens (June 17, July 15, September 2).CUMBRIA’s charms include Dalemain, noted forancient trees, old roses and herbaceous borders, nearPenrith (July 1). Holehird, the Lakeland HorticulturalSociety’s creation just outside Windermere, is also asight not to be missed with a colourful walled garden,mountain views and enchantments all year (July 19).
Each question has four possible answers and is worth from one to 15 points. Circle your
chosen answers and keep a record of your points total. Maximum total points 120.QUESTION 1 – for 1 point:What is the ball called in the Harry Potter game Quidditch?A SnitchB SnatchC ScritchD Scratch
QUESTION 2 – for 2 points:What is the modern meaning of ‘a nunchuck’?A A winter wind in CanadaB An Arctic mouseC A computer game controllerD The paddle for a kyak
QUESTION 3 – for 3 points:Where do wild chimpanzees sleep at night?A In dense foliageB In a tight group on the groundC In crude nests in treesD In burrows or caves
QUESTION 4 – for 4 points:Which ship’s captain appeared in the Tintin stories?A Captain HaddockB Captain HalibutC Captain SnapperD Captain Sturgeon
QUESTION 5 – for 5 points:What is the capital city of New Zealand?A ChristchurchB WellingtonC AucklandD Dunedin
QUESTION 6 – for 6 points:Which dance, to the song Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, won Charlie Brooks and Vincent Simone the 2011 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special?A TangoB WaltzC QuickstepD Jive
QUESTION 7 – for 7 points:What is Lady Isabella on the Isle of Man?A A steam ferryB A water wheelC A funicular cable railway D A working tin mine
QUESTION 8 – for 8 points:What nickname was given to the 93rd Highlanders during the Battle of Balaclava?A The Six HundredB The Death or Glory BoysC The Thin Red Line D The Old Immortals
QUESTION 9 – for 9 points:With which musical instrument was Larry Adler associated?A GuitarB HarmonicaC TrumpetD Drums
QUESTION 10 – for 10 points:Which king was slain at the Battle of Bosworth?A Richard III B Edward VC Henry VIID James I
QUESTION 11 – for 11 points:Which horse won the King George VI Chase for a record fifth time on Boxing Day 2011?A Kauto StarB Long RunC DenmanD Master Minded
QUESTION 12 – for 12 points:Which pop group had a UK No 1 hit in 1988 called, With A Little Help From My Friends?A Pet Shop BoysB BrosC Wham!D Wet Wet Wet
QUESTION 13 – for 13 points:Which planet has Triton and Nereid as its satellites?A NeptuneB JupiterC MercuryD Venus
QUESTION 14 – for 14 points:Where do organisms called cryophytes grow?A On the side of volcanoesB On ice or snowC In desertsD On other organisms
QUESTION 15 – for 15 points:In which country is the Jasper National Park?A CanadaB Australia C South AfricaD New Zealand
Actress Charlie Brooks. See Question 6
2. US politician (7) 7. Petticoat (4)8. Move slowly (4)
9. Mechanical (7)10. Merely (4)12. Protuberance (4)15. Navy (5)17. Small (6)18. 1960s teenager (6)19. Golden fruit (6)21. Cultivator (6)22. Genuflect (5)23. Pitcher (4)26. Remain (4)28. Hanging bed (7)29. Three (cards) (4)30. Lies (anag.) (4)31. Idler (7)
10. At an angle (7)11. Tactile (anag.) (7)13. Dishevelled (7)14. Depict (7)15. Light stroke (5)16. Sum (5)20. Glossy coat (6)21. Felt hat (6)24. Verruca (4)25. North Wales resort (4)26. Slide sideways (4)27. Colleague (4)
Can you find the celebrity name hidden in this StarspotCrossword? Complete the crossword in the normal way thenmake a note of the letters contained in all the squares whichare marked with shaded stars. These letters will make ananagram of the name you are looking for.
ACROSS DOWN
The Accumulator QuizSTARSPOT CROSSWORD
SUDOKU
9 1 8 2 65 4 9 83 6
1 2 8 71
2 7 8 6 5 31 4 5
7 9 66 1 2 3
THERE is just one simple rule in Sudoku. Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9, andso must each 3 x 3 box. This is a logic puzzle, and you should not have to guess.
EASY DIFFICULT
FILL in the blank squares in the grid with numbers so that each horizontal or vertical line adds up to the total given in the box either to the left or above it. Horizontal totals are given in the top right corners of the shaded boxes; vertical totals in the bottom left corners.You can use the numbers 1 to 9, but may not use the same number more than once in any run. The number may be used again, however, in the same row or column but as part of another run.
12 9 1316
16 29 613 8
634
11 19
8
88 13
729
7
MEDIUM
KAKURO
3 98 2
1 64 9 6 1 38 4
9 27 15 3 8
5 3 1 7
‘‘ ‘SAY THAT AGAIN . . .
Experience issomething you get justafter you needed it
— Anon
We don’t stop playingbecause we grow old, wegrow old because we stopplaying!
- Benjamin Franklin
Wrinkles merelyindicate where smileshave been.
- Mark Twain
Keep grinning - itmakes peoplewonder what you’vebeen up to.
Can you place the six dominoes (right) into the grid below in such a way that the number of spots in all four rows across and all four rows down totals 9?
A
B
C
D F
E
1 2
3 4
5 6
CROSS CODE
SPOT CHECK
L A N D B I Q U E J I
A M A Z M O M Y C I B
E B N A A Z A P S F A
Z I A M I B I R U A H
W E A T L A H T L M A
A N I K A M A I A P S
I D N I P A D L A E N
N A T S T O N A N D S
B N A D A N G G U E I
R E R G O S A A O R N
U N E I M A L I P A G
Starting from the central shaded letter, move one letter at atime (up, down, right or left, but not diagonally) to find 18countries which drive on the left.
PATHWORDS
DIALLING CODES
MODILLION
Here is anunusual wordwith threedefinitions, onlyone of which iscorrect. Can youidentify the rightdefinition?
WORD WIZARD
1) A Portuguesecoin, currentin England inthe earlyeighteenthcentury;
2) A substanceformed as aby-productduring theproduction ofporcelain;
3) Anarchitecturalterm for aprojectingbracket underthe corona ofa cornice.
Telephone dialling pads combineseveral letters on one key. Herewe have encoded several sets ofwords or items by using numbersrather than letters. Then we havedivided them into groups of threecharacters and run all the namesone after another to make yourtask a little more difficult. Canyou crack the codes?
Spaces and any punctuation marksare represented by 1.
Each pair of words has a missing word between them that actsas a link to both (e.g. FRONT – DOOR – MAT). The initial lettersof the six answers (reading downwards) will spell out anEnglish county.
LET – – – – – RULE
GOOD – – – BY
SCHOOL – – – – – – STAGE
JERSEY – – – – – FLUSH
GREAT – – – – – – ROAD
GOLDEN – – – – – – CARD
MISSING LINK
In which year did all three of these significanthistorical events take place?
1. The airship R101 crashes in France enroute to India with the loss of 48 lives.
2. US astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discoversa previously unknown planet which isgiven the name Pluto.
3. The poet and author D.H. Lawrence diesaged 44.
WAS IT?a) 1924; b) 1927; c) 1930; d) 1933; e) 1936.
MAKE A DATE
TRANSFORMERAdd the given letter to the first word to make a new word.
Word WizardNo 3 is correct. A modillion is a bracket.Dialling Codes1. The Four Seasons; Sheep May Safely Graze; William Tell Overture; Music For The Royal Fireworks; Bolero.2. praying mantis; cockroach; deathwatch beetle; scorpion; locust; woodworm; cricket; silverfish; Spanish fly.3. Christian Dior; Karl Lagerfeld; Pierre Cardin; Mary Quant; Jean-Paul Gaultier; Coco Chanel; Jasper Conran.4. cedar; sycamore; willow; oak; elder; spruce; sandalwood; teak; eucalyptus; walnut; birch; elm;
apple; yew; may.5. dental floss; shampoo; flannel; cabinet; showel gel; bath mat; deodorant; mirror; towel; toothpaste; razor.6. Gordonstoun; Harrow; Charterhouse; Eton; Malvern; Radley; Ampleforth; Whitgift; Stowe; Lancing; Marlborough.Spot CheckA = 1; B = 6; C = 4; D = 5; E = 2; F = 3.Missing Linkslide; use; report; royal; escape; yellow. County: Surrey.Make a DateThe year was 1930.TransformerUse + R = Ruse.
EACH number in our Cross Code grid represents a differentletter of the alphabet. You have three letters in the control gridto start you off.Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, thenuse your knowledge of words to work out which letters shouldgo in the missing squares.As you get the letters, fill in other squares with the samenumber in the main grid and control grid. Check off thealphabetical list of letters as you identify them.
1 2 3 4S
5 6 7 8H
9 10 11 12 13
A14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!
n ALTRINCHAM. Tel 0161 9291714n ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE. Tel0161 339 9500n BARROW. Tel 01229 434039n BIRKENHEAD. Tel 0151 6476162n BLACKBURN ANDDARWEN. Tel 01254 690566 or07757 502217n BLACKPOOL. Tel 01253 349427 n BOLTON. Tel 01204 392946n BURY. Tel 0161 764 9966n CARLISLE. Tel 01228625950n CHESTER. Tel 01244 312626n CHORLEY. Tel 01257 260888n COLWYN BAY. Tel 01492533822n CREWE. Tel 01270 580 031n ELLESMERE PORT. Tel 0151355 1420n KENDAL. Tel 01539 740 933n LEIGH, Wigan. Tel 01942 777985 n LIVERPOOL. Tel 0151 7070877n MANCHESTER TraffordCentre. Tel 0161 747 2684n MANCHESTER ArndaleCentre. Tel 0161 839 4060n NELSON. Tel 01282 692 502n NORTHWICH, Vale Royal Tel01606 288820n ORMSKIRK, WestLancashire Tel 01695 570055n OSWESTRY. Tel 01691656882n PENRITH. Tel 01768 895 438n PRESTON. Tel 01772 204667n RHYL. Tel 01745 350665n ROCHDALE. Tel 01706 865986n RUNCORN, Halton Lea Tel01928 716971n SHREWSBURY. Tel 01743236900n SOUTHPORT. Tel 0151 2886885n ST HELENS. Tel 01744 613388n STOCKPORT. Tel 0161 6661100n WARRINGTON. Tel 01925240064n WARRINGTON. BirchwoodTel 01925 822 411n WIGAN. Tel 01942 776 070n WINSFORD. Tel 01606557550n WREXHAM. Tel 01978312390
MIDLANDSn BIRMINGHAM. Snow HillRailway Station. Tel 0121 2368980. Level 2, Centre CarPark, Bullring. Tel 0121 6162942n STAFFORD. Tel 01785619456n STOKE ON TRENT. Tel01782 233333n SUTTON COLDFIELD. Tel0121 355 1112n TAMWORTH. Tel, 01827709392 n WALSALL. Tel 01922 650781n WEST BROMWICH:Sandwell. Tel 0121 553 1943n WOLVERHAMPTON. Tel01902 556021
nANGLESEY: TARAN Tel 01407 721933
nBLACKPOOL Disability Information and Support. Tel 01253 472 202. Textphone 01253 476 450
nCHESHIRE CILTel 01606 782760
nCHESTER Dial House Tel 01244 345655
nDENBIGHSHIRE Tel 01745 354445
nELLESMERE PORT DICETel 0151 355 1420
nHALTON Disability Service Tel 01928 717222
nKNOWSLEY DISABILITYCONCERN. 0151 480 4090
nLANCASTER DISCTel 01524 34411
n LIVERPOOL Association of Disabled People. Tel 0151
263 8366. Text 0151 260 4076nMERSEYSIDE Coalition ofInclusive Living.Tel 0151 260 4001nNEUROSUPPORT Centre
Tel 0151 298 2999nMANCHESTER (GTR)
Coalition of DisabledPeople
Tel 0161-273 5154nMOLD Flintshire Disability
Tel 01352 755546nNELSON: Pendle Pakistan
Welfare Association. Tel 01282 603 616
nPRESTON DISC: Tel 01772 558 863. Textphone 01772 204 787
nRHYL Tel 01745 350665nSTOCKPORT: Disability
Stockport. 0161 480 7248
nWARRINGTON Disability Partnership. 01925 240064
nWIRRAL WIRED Tel 0151 670 1500
nWEST LANCS HELPLINE Freefone 0800 220676
n ST HELENS DASHTel 01744 453053
nWREXHAM Tel 01978262955MIDLANDSBIRMINGHAM DisabilityResource Centre Tel 0121789 7365Disabled People’s NetworkSolihull Tel 0121 788 1544STOKE: Disability SolutionsTel 01782 683800WOLVERHAMPTON Elderand Disabled Group Tel01902 448552
ORGANISATIONS FORPEOPLE WHO ARE BLINDnACCRINGTON
Tel 01254 233332nBARROW Tel 01229 820698nBIRMINGHAM Action forBlind Tel 0121 665 4200nBLACKBURN
Tel 0125 554143nBLACKPOOL
Tel 01253 792600nBURY Tel 0161 763 7014nBURNLEY Tel 01282 438507nCARLISLE: Action for Blind
People Tel 01228 595121CHESHIRE & N WALES:Vision Support. Tel 01244381515nCUMBRIA (West)
Tel 01946 592474nCUMBRIA (Sth Lakeland)
Tel 01539 726613nGUIDE DOGS Tel 0118 9835555nHENSHAW’S 0161 872 1234
Tel 0151 227 1226nLIVERPOOL: BradburyFields.Tel 0151 221 0888:Action for Bind Tel 0151 2983222n MANCHESTER: Action for
Blind Tel 0161 787 9252nPRESTON: Action for Blind
People Tel 01772 320550n OLDHAM Tel 0161 682 8019nROSSENDALE
Tel 01706 873256nSIGHTLINE (North West) Tel0800 587 2252nWIGAN Tel 01942 242891nWIRRAL Tel 0151 652 8877
ORGANISATIONS FORPEOPLE WHO ARE DEAFnBIRMINGHAM Institute forDeaf Tel 0121 246 6101nCHESHIRE Deaf Society
Tel 01606 47831nCUMBRIA Deaf Society
Tel 01228 606434nLANCASHIRE (EAST)
Deaf SocietyTel 01282 839180
nMANCHESTER Deaf CentreTel 0161 273 3415
nMERSEYSIDE Society for Deaf Tel 0151 228 0888
nST HELENS: DeafnessResource CentreTel 01744 23887nWOLVERHAMPTON Centrefor Deaf Tel 01902 420904nN WALES Deaf Association,
Tel 01492 542235
CONGRATULATIONS to the FIVE lucky winners of ourspring gardening competition.
All five winners will receive asuperb copy of the RoyalHorticultural Society’s latest book,‘How to Grow Plants in Pots’ that’spublished by Dorling Kindersley.Stephen Lyons, Bowland Road,Baguley, Wythenshawe (I pickedup my copy of All Together NOW!at Wythenshawe Hospital)Mr Graham Holroyd, MythopRoad, Lytham St Annes (Booth’sBlackpool)Mrs Pauline Walker, Somerville Street, Crewe (LeightonHospital)Mr Ken Gallop, Suncroft Close, Woolston, Warrington(Subscriber)Andrew Kay, The Willows, Mawdesley, Ormskirk,Lancashire (ASDA Skelmersdale)
HUNDREDS of readersentered our competition towin a week’s self catering
holiday at the beautiful IrtonHouse Farm in the Lake District.
Situated at Isel, near Cockermouth,the farm buildings have beensensitively adapted for disabledholidaymakers by owners Reg andJoan Almond.
Our lucky winner is Mrs L Randall,from Appleton Road, Upton, Chester.
She writes:“I would love to win this break as
there are very few places I can gowhere an owner has made theaccommodation wheelchair-friendly.
“I picked up my copy of AllTogether NOW! at the Countess ofChester hospital. I love the paperbecause it is bright and cheerful - andfull of useful information. It was a greatread when I was in hospital.
GET GROWING!GET GROWING!Time to pack those holiday bags!
Stay ahead of the game . . . www.alltogethernow.org.uk
AN ELEVEN-man wheelchair rugby squad hasbeen announced to represent ParalympicsGBat the London Paralympics.
Out to avenge two successive fourth-place finishesat the last two Paralympic Games will be AndyBarrow, Ross Morrison and Jonny Coggan, all ofwhom competed at both the Athens and the BeijingGames.
The team also includes Mandip Sehmi and BulbulHussain, who featured in the team that missed out ona medal in Beijing.
As part of the plan to ensure the team are in the mixfor medals this time around, GB Wheelchair Rugby
has recruited and developednew talent, which hasresulted in six athletesmaking their Paralympicdebut for London - teamcaptain Steve Brown, MylesPearson, David Anthony,Mike Kerr, Aaron Phipps andKylie Grimes.
“We are definitely lookingfor a medal out of thisParalympic Games,” saidGBWR chief executive DavidPond.
“The team has finishedagonisingly close at the lasttwo Games, despite securingstrong results including threesuccessive European goldsin 2003, 2005 and 2007.
“So after Beijing we tooksome of our best young andpromising talent out to the2009 EuropeanChampionships where wefinished fourth – and the2010 World Championshipswhere we finished fifth.”
The team also won silver atthe 2011 EuropeanChampionships.
“We are now in a positionwhere we are confident thatthe team we have nominatedto the BPA is one that canwin a medal this time around.
“Wheelchair rugby is atough, fast game played withno fear and plenty of clashesand it’s certainly not for thefaint-hearted!.”The full squad:David Anthony (Neath)Andy Barrow (Greenwich)Steve Brown (Sittingbourne,Kent)Jonny Coggan (SouthWoodham Ferrers, Essex)Kylie Grimes (Farnham,Surrey)Bulbul Hussain (Whitechapel)Mike Kerr (Glasgow)Ross Morrisson(Farnborough, Hampshire)Myles Pearson (St Annes onSea, Lancs)Aaron Phipps (Southampton)Mandip Sehmi (Warwick)
TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!
FIVE visually impairedteenagers made climbinghistory by becoming the firstblind people to ever competein the British Para ClimbingChampionships.
Not only did they take part inthe event held at Climb Rochdale– they came away with threemedals including a gold!
The teenagers, from theLiverpool VI Climbing Club run byOnThisROC, only startedclimbing last November.
Team coach Andy Coltart said:“They have achieved an amazingamount in such a short time andhave proven that disabilitydoesn’t mean inability!”Pictured from left: MarlaHornbrook, 13, (Wrexham);bronze winner Joseph Corner,10, (Liverpool); gold medalwinner Reanne Racktoo, 15,(Bury); silver medal winnerSamantha Bate-Johnson, 17,(Southport); and JayneMassey, 13, (Liverpool)
Blind climbers triumph
THE 22 footballersselected to representParalympicsGB at the
London 2012 ParalympicGames include MartinSinclair, brother of Swanseaplayer Scott Sinclair, and ex-Everton Academy starMichael Barker.
Twelve players will feature inthe 7-a-side team for playerswith cerebral palsy, and 10players have been selected aspart of the 5-a-side team, forplayers with a visual impairment.
Although neither team medalledat the 2008 Beijing ParalympicGames, both squads have beenshowing plenty of encouragingsigns.
The 7-a-side team finished inthird place finish at the 2011 BTParalympic World Cup, while the5-a-side team won a bronzemedal at the 2011 IBSAEuropean Championships inTurkey.The full squads are:7-a-side:Craig Connell (Glasgow)Billy Thompson (GK)George Fletcher (Liverpool)Matt Dimbylow (Northwich)Blair Glynn (Tranent)Josh Beacham (Hayes)Martin Sinclair (Camberley)Jonathan Paterson (Motherwell)James Richmond (Tullibody)Alistair Hesleton (Milton Keynes)Ibrahim Diallo (Bristol)Michael Barker (Liverpool)
5-a-side: Dan James (Exeter)Lewis Skyers (GK)Dave Clarke (Harpenden)Dan English (Washington)Darren Harris (Sutton Coldfield)Robin Williams (Exeter)Keryn Seal (Exeter)Lee Brunton (North Shields)Will Norman (Worcester)Roy Turnham (Liverpool)
TWO sets of brothershave been selected forthe ParalympicGB judoteam.
Liverpool’s Dan and MarcPowell, both visuallyimpaired, are following inthe footsteps of their father,Terry, who competed inboth the Seoul and AtlantaParalympic Games.
And Sam and Joe Ingram,from Coventry, will also bejoining Brighton’s BenQuilter in the five-manteam. BROTHERS IN ARMS: Mark, left, and Dan Powell
Top namesin footballsquads
Rugby line-up
DAVID Weir won his SIXTH London Wheelchair Marathonequalling Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s record.
The 32-year-old won a sprint finish to take the title in 1:32:26,beating Switzerland’s Marcel Hug by a second, with AmericanKrige Schabort a further second adrift.
Blackpool’s Shelly Woods ensured there was further success forBritain’s Paralympians, cruising to victory in the women’swheelchair race.
Woods, 26, finished almost three minutes ahead of Japan’sWakako Tsuchida, while Canadian Diane Roy took third.
Wood said: “To win a Paralympic gold medal is my ambition asan athlete. If I could do it in London would be amazing.”
Weir equals Tanni’s record
SOUTH African starOscar Pistorius stolethe show with an
explosive 200mperformance on theopening day of the BTParalympic World Cup.
Pistorius, who holds WorldRecords and Paralympic goldsin the 100m, 200m and 400mcompetitions, defended his BTParalympic World Cup title withease, showing just how stronga contender he is for multipleParalympic glory.
The 25-year-old believes thesupport of the 5,000 strongManchester Regional Arenawas the catalyst for his win and
says the event can be the fuelto fire him to glory in London.
Pistorius, who opted out ofcompeting in the 100m, toconcentrate on his 200mefforts, must have beenscreaming with delight whenhe saw good friend and starBrit Jonnie Peacock racing to anew British Record in theT42/43/44 100m.
Peacock dashed to victory inspectacular fashion, setting anew British record of11.32secs. 2012 Olympic andParalympic Games.nFor all the action at the BTParalympic World Cup visit:www.alltogethernow.org.uk
Please send this coupon and a cheque payable to All Together NOW! to:Subscriptions Dept., All Together NOW! The Bradbury Centre, Youens Way,
Liverpool L14 2EP — THANKS!
All Together NOW! is helping andinspiring tens of thousands ofpeople whose lives are affected bydisability. But the charity needs tofind ways to balance the books.You can help in a big way bybecoming one of our loyalsubscribers. For a suggested £12donation (or more, if you canafford it!) we will send you thenext SIX editions.
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£8m gives us a£8m gives us asporting chanceBRITAIN’S greatest
ParalympianBaroness Tanni Grey-
Thompson, pictured, hasteamed up with SportEngland to launch an £8million fund to get moredisabled people playingsport.
A wide range of organisationswith the ideas and expertise toopen up more sportingopportunities for disabledpeople will be able to bid for£10,000 and over of NationalLottery funding from SportEngland.
The announcement of theInclusive Sport fund comesweeks after Culture SecretaryJeremy Hunt urged the sportingsector to up its game to attractmore disabled people to sport.
Just one in six disabled adultsplays sport regularly, comparedto one in three non-disabledadults.
Research says that lack ofspecialist equipment; transportissues; low self-confidence; andpoor information about theopportunities out there areamong the main reasons for the
low numbers of disabled peoplegetting involved in sport.
Baroness Grey-Thompsonsaid: “I am delighted that thisnew allocation of funding isavailable and is specificallytargeted at improving access tograssroots sport to moredisabled people.
“I am confident that this willencourage people who don’tcome from a traditional sporting
background to participate.”Minister for Sport and the
Olympics, Hugh Robertson,said: “In the year theParalympics come home, this£8 million investment will helpbreak down some of thebarriers to participation andmake sport a more viablechoice for disabled people.”
Jennie Price, Sport England’schief executive, said: “It is anuncomfortable truth thatdisabled people enjoy feweropportunities to get involved insport.
“Sport England is committedto changing that, and making iteasier for disabled people to fitsport into their daily lives.
“The Paralympic Games willput the sporting achievementsof disabled people in thespotlight as never before.
“I want to make sure thatSport England’s £8m lotteryinvestment is a catalyst to helpmore disabled people getinvolved.”
Currently 17.6% of disabledpeople play sport at least oncea week, up from 15.1% in2005/6 when the Olympic bidwas won.
ENTRIES are beingaccepted for thesecond annualyourgolftravel.comJunior DisabledBritish Open.Now with a title
sponsor for the firsttime, the country’s mostinclusive golftournament for youngdisabled golfers islooking to build upon itssuccessful inauguralevent.
That saw 13-year-oldFrankie Jones, fromWelshpool, become thecompetition’s firstchampion.
Lindsey Horton ofRemarkable Events,which owns andmanages thetournament, takingplace at East SussexNational on August24/25, said:“Everything is in placeto ensure we have afabulous 2012competition.
“We anticipate a largeentry. It’s an ideal,maybe unique,opportunity foryoungsters to playsocially yetcompetitively in agenuine tournamentenvironment.
“The senior event hasattracted people fromnearly 20 differentcountries and, giventime, we see no reasonwhy the juniorcompetition won’t dothe same.”
The junior contestruns alongside thesenior event and isopen to golfers agedbetween 12 and 18(inclusive) as at August23, 2012.
All entrants must holda recognised handicapcertificate or an officialletter from their club’sgolf professional,illustrating their playinghandicap.
HOT SHOT: Richard Warren hoping forglory this year. To enter this year’s JuniorOpen call 01825 880191 or visitwww.disabledbritishopen.orgClosing date Monday August 13
