Aware
Newsletter of East Sussex Disability Association Issue 45 - Sept 2012
Universal Credit What is Universal Credit? (UC) Universal Credit simplifies and streamlines the benefits system for claimants by bringing together a range of benefits and credits into a single system. Universal credit is intended to be a new benefit which will replace the following benefits nationally from October 2013: • child tax credit • housing benefit • income related employment and support allowance • income based jobseekers allowance • income support • parts of the social fund • working tax credit What will claimants be expected to do in return for Universal Credit? As Universal Credit sets out to improve work incentives there will be conditionality requirements set according to your individual capability and circumstance. You will be placed in one of four groups: 1.no work-related requirements 2.work-focused interview requirement only 3.work preparation requirement 4.all work-related requirements Full details of groups who will continue to be supported can be found at: Explanatory Memorandum for the Social Security Advisory Committee – Universal Credit Regulations 2012 (pages 41 and 42)http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/uc-draft-regs-2012-memorandum.pdf How much is Universal Credit? You will be awarded a Universal Credit maximum amount based on your level of income and other family circumstances. Universal Credit is made up of a standard allowance and potentially five elements, as any award is based on a claimant’s personal circumstances. The five elements are: 1) Child Element / Disabled Child Additions 2) Childcare Element 4) Limited Capability for Work Element 5) Housing Element
3) Carer Element
The amount of benefits you can receive, including UC, will be limited to £500 a week if you are a lone-parent or part of a couple or £350 per week if you are single.This benefits cap does not apply if you are in a household where someone is claiming certain benefits. n
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Contents Universal Credit......................Cover Editorial .........................................2 View from the Chair.......................3 Queen Alexandra Hospital Home ..4 ESDA services ........................5/6/7 News from Local Groups 8/9/10/11 ....................................................12 Volunteering at ESDA .................13 Wheelchair Boxing ......................14 Letters - Notices ..........................15 Events and Contacts...............Back
Editorial Nick Tapp CEO It seems like only yesterday that I was writing my last article for Aware. I always have to think about what I might write as there is always so much I could include. Since my last article we’ve had the Queen’s Jubilee. I’m sure many of you watched the celebrations on TV and that some of you joined in local street parties or one of the events held by ESDA’s local groups. I was invited along to DELTA’s where much fun (and food) was had by all. We had the Euro 2012 - although we’ll quickly pass over the England team’s dismal performance, but well done to Spain. And we’ve had the first Brit to win the Tour de France – congratulations to Bradley Wiggins.
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As I write we’re well into the Olympics and have the Paralympics to follow. Disabled people have already featured with Dame Evelyn Glennie, the deaf percussionist leading the drumming, and the Kaos Signing Choir for Deaf and Hearing Children in the opening ceremony. I saw a couple of wheelchair users amongst the dancers and carrying the petals for the cauldron. The first person to smash a world record during these Games was a blind archer from South Korea. We’ve also got Oscar Pistorius’s 400 metre run to look forward to. I’m eagerly anticipating the Wheelchair Rugby, one of the most physical sports to grace the event! But against all this we’ve had the wettest summer on record. For those of us with gardens it’s been a terrible year with only the weeds growing and the slugs and snails multiplying in huge numbers. It is also a difficult and worrying time to be a disabled person. People continue to see their services reduced and they have to pay more towards them. We hear of at least one local authority that is capping the amount it will pay for care for disabled people which could mean they are forced into residential care. As the cuts continue to bite this is likely to be something we hear more of. Benefit changes continue to bring worry and despair to disabled people. I’ve just watched two TV programmes about ESA and Work Capability Assessments that highlighted the injustices and indignities that disabled people are having to face. They were truly shocking. But that’s where Disabled People’s Organisations like ESDA can help. We need to hear your experiences and views so we can tell Government what it’s really like for real disabled people. We’d love to hear from you. n
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View from the Chair Sarah Playforth This is by way of being my “mid term report” although it is in fact nine months since I became Chair. That time has gone like a flash and here we are, the CEO, Finance and Administration Manager, Treasurer and I preparing ESDA’s Annual Report. In reading through the draft, I was struck, even in these challenging times, at how many people continue to benefit from the services provided from our Centre by our staff teams and how this is so well supported by the district groups, committed volunteers as well as by our Board. We are, and have been for some years, in a period of transition to become what we are now, a user led organisation that aims to meet the current expectations of disabled people and those who care for them and work with them. Many disabled people now aim to achieve independent living and to choose how they spend their resources and ESDA has a key role in this. At the same time, we continue to support people who expect more traditional services, quite a balancing act. The voice of disabled people in East Sussex is heard through ESDA and the influence of that voice on the policies and practices of organisations in the County is hugely significant. Being a Disabled Person’s User Led Organisation (DPULO) means that this influence comes from disabled people themselves and this is in line with the expectations of our local health and social care providers. Hosting the East Sussex LINk, well regarded on the national healthcare stage, also key to ESDA’s ability
to play a key part in the move towards more joined up health and social care. Looking at the numbers supported, informed or trained by ESDA from our Centre for Independent Living and by local groups, together with those who used our coach services, we can see that 20-25,000 people benefited from our services over the year, something we can all be proud of, particularly in this time of austerity, which is having an inevitable impact on the incomes of individual disabled people and on the resources available to them and to those who work with them. I very much enjoyed attending two events recently; DELTA’s Jubilee lunch at Dean’s Place, a superbly organised and decorative occasion – most impressive; and the Open Garden this year at Hailsham Grange. Many thanks to all those involved in organising this event, to Noel Thompson for his charming hosting and to Mrs Sara Stonor DL, the Vice Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex for opening the event. I look forward to some more invitations to group events, it is important to me to have this contact with you all and I know I have at least one Christmas lunch to enjoy!
Obituary We heard recently of the death of one of ESDA’s long term supporters, Nick Danagher. Nick was one of the key campaigners for independent living and held many high profile positions, most recently as the development worker for the South East Network of Disabled People’s Organisations, in which role, I was delighted to be working with him once more. Sadly that was a short lived reunion and the disability movement has lost a creative thinker, a real powerhouse for change and a man with a great wit that made meetings with him a real pleasure. A personal and professional loss for many of us. n
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News The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home- supporting ex-Servicemen of the past, present and future. With a proud history of 93 years The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home Hospital Home (QAHH) provides specialist nursing care, rehabilitation and support for physically disabled ex-Servicemen and women and their families. Now being one of only 3 establishments of its kind in the UK, QAHH is an example of how important it is to continue to provide much-needed nursing and rehabilitation care to those who have served in HM Forces. We provide a range of facilities which makes QAHH leaders in our field of care.Our physiotherapy and occupational therapy units are at the heart of the Hospital Home and our highly trained multi-disciplinary nursing team ensures our residents are given the best possible care. We specialise in ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) and also provide End of Life Care.
residency, intermediate care and respite care. Our facilities include: Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Chapel, Counselling Service, IT facilities, Dietician, Speech and Language Therapy, day trips and outings, Speech Therapy, Cognitive Therapy, sensory room, rehabilitation garden, social and recreation and much more.
QAHH is a special place and home to over 60 war veterans at any one time. We pride ourselves in providing high quality nursing and rehabilitation care to our residents who have served our country at some of the most difficult times with little thought of personal loss or gain. Sadly, demand for nursing and rehabilitation services is high and it is necessary to raise over ÂŁ1.3 million each year to ensure that the Hospital Home is able to continue to support members of the physically disabled ex-Service community.
At QAHH we strive to bring independence and dignity back to those who have selflessly served our country and now both need and deserve the very best in nursing and rehabilitation care. We offer long term
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If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a resident at The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home or if you would like to support us in some way, please visit our website www.qahh.org.uk, call 01903 218444 or email me Juliet Stallard on julietstallard@qahh.org.uk The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home Boundary Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 4LJ 01903 218444 www.qahh.org.uk Registered Charity No: 1072334
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ESDA Services Information Service Changes to the Blue Badge Scheme The Government is taking forward important reforms to the welfare system. One of these reforms will involve changes to Disability Living Allowance and will affect eligibility for a Blue Badge. About a third of all badges are currently issued to people who receive the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance. The Department for Transport is therefore seeking your opinions on the options they have for dealing with the impact of the changes. The implementation of PIP will affect eligibility for a disabled person’s parking permit, or Blue Badge. The Department for Transport (DfT) is responsible for the legislation that sets out the eligibility criteria for a badge. They are therefore issuing a consultation document to seek views from disabled people, their representative groups and the local authorities who administer and enforce the Blue Badge scheme on options for dealing with the changes to DLA. The DfT has identified three main options for responding to the implementation of PIP. They would however be interested to receive ideas and suggestions for other practical solutions that would be affordable and would help to support the future sustainability and operation of the Blue Badge scheme. The three main options are: Option 1 – no legislative link between eligibility for a Blue Badge and eligibility to PIP. Option 2 – establishing a legislative link between Blue Badge eligibility and the enhanced mobility component of PIP.
Option 3 – establishing a legislative link between Blue Badge eligibility and those who score 8 points or more within the ‘Moving Around’ activity within PIP. This assesses a person’s physical ability to get around. The consultation period began on 10 July 2012 and will run until 2 October 2012. Please ensure that your response reaches the DfT before the closing date. If you would like copies of this consultation document, they can be found at http://www.dft.gov.uk/topics/access/bluebadge or you can contact Sally Kendall if you would like alternative formats (Braille, audio CD, etc). Please send consultation responses to Sally Kendall Traffic Division Department for Transport Zone 3/26 Great Minister House 33 Horseferry Road London SW1P 4DR Email: bbes@dft.gsi.gov.uk ESDA urges anyone who currently holds a Blue Badge to access the consultation and complete the questions and return them ASAP. This affects you all, and is your chance to influence the decisions made by the Department for Transport. n
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ESDA Services Daily Living Centre Drop-in mornings We hold regular drop-in mornings on the first Thursday each month between 9.30am and 12.30pm. NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY FOR THESE SESSIONS. They are proving to be popular and are open to anyone, offering the opportunity to view the Daily Living Centre in an informal way and “try before you buy”.
These sessions add value to our regular drop in sessions, so for more information on forthcoming ‘guest’ exhibitors please look at the DLC page on the ESDA website: www.esda.org.uk or contact the DLC in the usual way. Training opportunities The DLC in association with Assist UK are holding two 2-day Pathfinder training courses (commissioned via Adult Social Care). The programme aims to create an increased awareness of the potential of assistive technology solutions to enable disabled and older people and their care-givers to get on with their everyday lives safely and with dignity. The courses centre on the Trusted Assessment Approach and are designed for people working in services who have regular contact with their service users. For more information please contact the DLC. Display area
In June we invited representatives from Morris and Alexander, Langham and McNish to be ‘guest’ exhibitors. They brought a range of their chair raisers to demonstrate. In July we held an informal product information session on easy turn bed sheets with slide panels and as Aware goes to print Abacus Healthcare will be demonstrating a working model of their platform bath as ‘guest’ exhibitor at the August drop-in morning.
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As some of you may know, we have had a leak in the roof over the bedroom area of our display and we have had to rearrange the main display area to accommodate the two beds. We are pleased to say that the leak has now been repaired and we will be taking the opportunity to redecorate the room before replacing the exhibits. Comment from a Client of the DLC: ‘The information provided was comprehensive and explained a range of options for going forward’. n
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ESDA Services Paralympic fever with ESDA Coach Services!
Reaching the parts that other coaches can’t reach!
By the time you receive this latest edition of Aware Magazine the UK will be proudly hosting the London 2012 Paralympic Games (29th August to 9th September) with many millions of spectators enjoying, revelling in and marvelling at the superhuman efforts of Paralympians from the world over.
Our midi sized 30 seat coaches enable us to go door-to-door to collect disabled people from their homes, which is vital if they have no other form of accessible transport. These outings give isolated people the chance to socialise and enjoy trips to venues they would not be able to manage without ESDA Coach Services and the support of their community group/association.
In our part of the world ESDA Coach Services was delighted to provide accessible coach transport to Searchlight of Newhaven to help transfer competitors and spectators taking part in the Seahaven Para Games held at The Downs Leisure Centre in Seaford in August. This was the second year Downs Leisure staged the event after the huge success of the inaugural games in August last year.
If you would like to find out more about using ESDA Coach Services for your group’s transport requirements, or need advice on how to set up your own club then please contact Wendy Hiscox on 01323 514512 (Tuesday to Friday 9am to 3pm) or email wendy.hiscox@esda.org.uk anytime. We will be delighted to provide quotes for outings, help and advice, including information on suitable accessible venues in the South East. Serving our Community ESDA Coach Services Ltd is proud to serve not only 19 ESDA Group Districts but also more than 80 other eligible Social and Community groups* in the County that offer inclusive outings and events; ensuring that disabled residents and members can partake in the fun.
ESDA Coach Service’s Board and Staff are dedicated to providing a friendly, reliable and professional service. We welcome feedback and ideas on how we can improve our service. n info@esdacoaches.com www.esdacoaches.com *Eligible not for profit groups include any organisation whose membership has one or more members with mobility difficulties or vulnerability.
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News from local groups Heathfield
Bexhill On Friday 18th May Bexhill District took 50 Members to the Bannatyne Spa Hotel for a celebratory lunch to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. As you can see from the photograph the Members had a
Photo showing Chairman Eileen Baker, Organiser Diana Cameron, Grace Denman (seated) and her Assistant, all waiting on the platform. Heathfield ESDA enjoyed a ‘Jolly Diamond Jubilee Party’, on-board the Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park, on June 7th 2012. Despite the really wet day, we had a very good ploughman’s lunch followed by a piece of our fabulous Jubilee Cake. All our members went home with a little party bag, containing a small Jubilee teabag stand and some sweets, all donated by our local Rotarians. Like the damp Jubilee celebrations in London, our members thoroughly enjoyed their wet day, with no grumbles, and they all have copies of the excellent photographs taken on board the train.n
very enjoyable lunch including a toast to Her Majesty. This lunch was made possible due to the generosity of the Grants Panel of Rother District Council. Bexhill District Committee arranged for the tables to be suitably decorated and some of the Members came wearing red, white and blue regalia.n
Polegate & Willingdon members enjoying lunch at Blackstock Farm, Grove Hill. n
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News from local groups Hailsham Open Garden
Jubilee Party
On Sat 7th July Noel Thompson, Vice Chair of the Association opened his garden to enable the committee and ESDA to raise funds. It was officially opened by Mrs Sara Stoner DL, the Vice Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex.Thanking us afterwards she said she was very interested to hear about the Association and how we work with and for the disabled people in East Sussex. She was presented with flowers by one of the Rainbows.
On June 5th - the Queens Jubilee Day the Hailsham District Committee gave its members a party at the home of our chairman, Carole Hellwing. The weather was not very good but the day was an outstanding success. It was going to be a garden party but because it was rather cold and dull, Carole, her family and sister Kay, had set up lunch in the barn. It was all decked out in bunting and a Union Jack hat for everyone to wear. Carole’s husband had made some delicious soup to warm us all up.Then followed a traditional ploughman’s lunch. By this time we were getting rather cold so we transferred to the house for strawberries and cream and home make cakes. A raffle had been arranged by Carole’s daughter to add to the fun.
Although the day was rather dull we raised £608. There were various stalls selling home made cakes, knitted goods, plants, books, tombola and a raffle. The Rainbows were raising money for us by naming the dog and guessing the birthday of the doll. Teas, coffees, cream teas and ploughmans lunches were all sold. Again it was a day where volunteers and staff worked as one for ESDA. It is by this unity that things can be achieved and we thank all for giving up their Saturday.
Everyone enjoyed the day very much and it was all made possible by everyone working together to achieve it. David, Mark and Bill the coach drivers gave up their bank holiday to drive the coaches and we thank them most sincerely for this. Also Peter and Andy, two volunteers from the office who were fantastic, they were wonderful with our members. All in all a good day and one our members will not forget.
Vin Tapp - Hailsham District Comittee n
Vin Tapp - Hailsham District Committee
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News from local groups Eastbourne Group
Crowborough Group
Members of Eastbourne District Committee enjoyed the sunshine at Bentley Wildfowl in June.
The Crowborough ESDA Club is going from strength to strength and with the increasing membership we are investigating the need for additional transport. We recently had two successful collection days at local supermarkets in Crowborough to raise funds for the Club. We also received a donation from the Tunbridge Wells and Crowborough Scottish Country Dance Group. n
Sadly the group lost longstanding member Sylvia Funnell in June suddenly. The Eastbourne District Committee continues to grow and have enjoyed outings around the County. The group had a fundraising Tombola and information stand in Eastbourne Arndale Centre in May to raise much needed funds to keep the costs down for our members. May Jones, former Chair of Eastbourne District Committee and current member celebrated her 90th Birthday in July.
Sedlescombe and Westfield The Sedlescombe & Westfield group is struggling somewhat however to secure more members. The local communities have been very supportive and are helping us to promote the group in the area. To encourage more members we are inviting members of the wider community to join us, so fingers crossed we will be able to sustain the group until it starts to flourish like our other groups. n
Uckfield Group The Polegate & Willingdon ESDA group continue to grow and have enjoyed outings. Members Mr & Mrs Davis said “Whatever trip we have both been on have been very enjoyable. The escorts and drivers have always been very caring. We both look forward to our trips out. It gives us both a day off from all the other things we have to deal with. ESDA is doing a grand job and we are both glad that we joined.� Recent favourites have been Bluebell Railway, the Bear Inn at Burwash and Blackstock Farm. n
The Uckfield ESDA Club has left the starting blocks with its first outing in July. The group go out and about on the 3rd Tuesday of the month and we are getting new members from the publicity we have been doing locally so we are confident that the membership will increase and that the Club has a bright future. n
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News from local groups Seaford Kurlers Quite a lot of items to report on. In May we refereed for the Seahaven Lionesses annual tournament. This year’s event was very well organised by them. They also ran a raffle. The proceeds, of £60, were donated to us for all our help. In May we received a grant from Seaford Town Council of £50 – this we put towards our Diamond Jubilee Party.
Everyone entered the red/white/blue mood.
Our in-house tournament was finally won in May by Joyce Lane and Barbara Bradley. The runners up were Barbara Chapman and Edna Dudley. The winners received the Tournament Shield and smaller keepsake shields as did the runners up. The shield itself in on view in the Downs Leisure Centre, Seaford. Earlier this year we applied to Wave Leisure Trust Community Fund for a grant in order for us to be a able to pay for a Kurling Coaching Course. The application was successful and in May we received £400. We received the cheque at a presentation event at the Wave Leisure Centre in Seaford. The coaching course will run on 9th August at the Leisure Centre. The course is run by GBKA (Great Britain Kurling Association). Our Diamond Jubilee Party was on the 29th May – a week before the real event in order to avoid the other many activities that happened in Seaford. The party kicked off at 3.00pm. The buffet lunch was provided by the catering staff at the Downs Leisure Centre. The meal was the best ever buffet that I have EVER been to. The food was of a very high standard and was so very different from the standard buffet. We complimented the staff for the whole event which went very well indeed.
On Sunday 23rd July we exhibited the sport of New Age Kurling at the Seaford Fun Day at the Leisure Centre. The weather was superb and the whole day went with a swing. There were a huge number of sports being displayed and tried out by those interested. Bouncy castle and funfair went down well. We look forward to the Para Games Day at the Leisure on August 19th. There will be a tournament for disabled people. We will show and referee the kurling section. Last year’s event was very successful. I am sure that all will go well this year. Seaford Kurlers meet every Tuesday at 2.00pm for two hours at the Downs Leisure Centre. Contact – Mrs June Wood on 01323 895376 or email sally1989@tiscali.co.uk Club Secretary June Wood. n
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News from local groups DELTA DELTA’s Summer has been very eventful with Coralie and Edwina being invited by Her Majesty the Queen to her garden party on May 22nd. A fantastic day which we will never forget. We had beautiful sunshine. As I am a wheelchair user we were invited in an hour before everyone else, so we had a wonderful view of all the other guests arriving in their finery. The Palace staff had saved us places under the trees next to one of the Military Bands. We sat drinking fresh lemonade perfect! I spoke to the Queen and thanked her, she gave me such a lovely smile, one I will never forget. DELTA also celebrated the Diamond Jubilee with a party which 50 people attended, at Deans Place Hotel. We had invited her Majesty, but sadly she was unable to come. The Queen wrote us a lovely letter that was read out at the party.
lovely day which our Chairman, Robert Benfield summed up in a very moving speech followed by a toast to her Majesty. After lunch Gill Luckhurst had made up a Royal quiz. Wow! What a challenge, but fun! We now have our Olympic Day to look forward to on August 9th. To see what we get up to go to our website www.deltadisability.com n
News from LINk It has been another busy time for the LINk and as we move ever closer to a shadow Healthwatch organisation, this could well be our last article as “LINk” Since my last update the LINk have published their Annual Report for 2011/12; a report of their findings following LINk representatives visits to 33 care homes across East Sussex and are just about to publish the findings from the survey about how well you rated your GP, Dentist, Optician and Pharmacy. The report will be available shortly, or you can come along to an event on 5th September to hear all the outcomes as the report is presented in public. (For more details about the event call: 01323 514510, text: 07968 119 806 or email: info@thecountylink.net I would like to thank you for all your comments and views over the past four years and I hope you will continue to provide feedback to Healthwatch. It is your comments and views that help the LINk improve local services. There is a new national website for Healthwatch so you can keep up to date with any developments: http://www.healthwatch.co.uk/
Everyone received a Jubilee mug, something to remember the day by. It was a
If you subscribe to our Newsletter, you will receive local updates about the transition from LINk to Healthwatch. Elizabeth Mackie LINk Manager n
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Volunteering at ESDA As I am sure many of you are aware it is volunteers who provide the foundation of ESDA’s work. As an Association, ESDA evolved from the community spirit of people volunteering their time, skills and experience, to assist in improving opportunities and choices for and with disabled people across East Sussex.
One thing that I like about ESDA is the amount of volunteering courses that are available to me in order for me to also gain new skills. I like these courses because it gives me more of an insight into the world of disability from other people’s perspectives of how to best help people who come to us for guidance. n
Over the last six months we have lost some volunteers and we currently need help on Reception in the office and also assistance on the local group outings so that we can continue to provide a worthwhile level of service to all members, disabled people, their friends, families and carers as well as other organisations that need our expertise.
I volunteer here at ESDA teaching people how to use the PC and internet.
If you have never considered volunteering before please do and if you have thought about it but have not taken the next step I would encourage you to get in touch with me, Marianne Colliard.
Before I came to ESDA, I wasn't a very confident person and wasn't very comfortable speaking to people, but I gained a lot of confidence and am now more at ease talking to other people.
Phone: 01323 514531 email: marianne.colliard@esda.org.uk n
Working at ESDA has helped me in gaining a qualification which will help me in the future to help get me a job.I met a lot of nice people at ESDA, all the staff and other volunteers are really friendly and helpful towards me and that made me feel very welcome, although I was really nervous on my first day.
Ben Croft ESDA Volunteer I have been working here for 2 years and it’s a nice and happy place to work. I like volunteering here at ESDA because it gives me a chance to help people in the community. I mainly help out in the Karten computer suite on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, we principally teach older people basic computer skills, who lack knowledge and confidence to learn these new skills. I find it very satisfying when I see our learners growing in ability and confidence.
Maria Jeremy ESDA Volunteer
I heard about ESDA through a support group and they offered me a volunteer job whilst using one of their services. At first I was unsure about it since I didn't have the confidence but I thought about it and gave it a go and got interviewed by Marianne, the volunteer coordinator. She was happy to have me on board the volunteer team and the other volunteers showed me how to set up the computers and where everything is. I find working at ESDA quite rewarding and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to gain experience and the confidence. n
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Other news Wheelchair Boxing Hastings Kickboxing Academy is trying a new idea. Last week 2 members of Hastings Wheelerz came along for their very first session of boxing. Claude Sinden, Jack Smart from the Wheelerz and John Ward from HKA were put through their paces last Thursday in a first of many new sessions starting at Hastings Kickboxing. We ran just the same as a normal class, with warm up drills and techniques adapted to allow for their chairs. The already fit and active Wheelerz participated in a 45 minute boxing session combining conditioning and pad drills.
Leonards Academy, I plan to expand this much further, I want to see if I can offer my skills to people who have never dreamed of this.I already have a class prepared for a group of partially sighted people, in Kickboxing session for next week” Instructor Carl Denne carries on by saying, “After helping some great kids around the schools, I saw that the children and adults get a great sense of achievement from the training they participate in.” Jack Smart has Cerebral Palsy and Claude Sinden an undiagnosed nerve damage condition, all the men are fit and healthy but enjoyed challenging themselves. Jack said, this was a great chance to try something new and I/we loved every minute of it. I’ve only done it once and have got the buzz already and want to do it again tomorrow if I could, Carl made it fun and tough at the same time. Extra training like this will not only help improve our basketball skills, but allows us to try out a sport we have longed to do for many years, helping improve upper body strength and get out extra stress we can’t do within other sports. HKA, is fully backed by William Parker Sports College and now sponsored by Super Stitch 86. Instructor Carl Denne is planning on offering much more than just Kickboxing to the everyday person.
Owner Carl Denne said “I’ve always been interested in helping as many people as I can. Young, old, fit or not. After watching the guys play Basketball a few months back it gave me an idea and this is where we are today. Over the past year HKA has helped young children at: Parker Sports College, Saxon Mount and both Hastings and St
To find out more about the sport and how Hastings Kickboxing Academy can help you reach your dreams, or if you are part of a disability group and would like to get involved then please contact Carl on 07949 221946. Or visit our new site at www.hastings-kickboxing.co.uk. n
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Letters- Notices Dear ESDA I found my visit to the DLC extremely helpful, the service was caring, insightful and professional. Speaking to qualified staff instills more confidence than speaking to a sales person.
Dear ESDA The information Service gave me much needed information about the way forward.
Many thanks,
I am very grateful as it came at a time when help was desperately needed, the information was very useful.
Mrs P
Thank you, Mr S Dear ESDA
Thank you to the DLC team for all the help and advice that you gave us concerning a wheelchair, we now have the correct chair. Mr and Mrs W
Dear ESDA You have an excellent Information Service, it is much needed for people with a genuine disability to get justice.
Dear ESDA I was extremely interested to hear about your organisation and how you work for all the disabled people regardless of their disability. I have looked at your website and briefly at the wonderful book you gave me and am very impressed by all you do in East Sussex. with very best wishes, Sara Stoner
I had great advice re a tribunal for DLA mobility claim.
The Vice Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex
Thank you,
Obituary
Mr D
Denise Reilly 1966 – 2012
Dear ESDA ESDA offers a wide range of services for disabled people, the Information Service made a positive difference because of the relevant and caring advice given at the right time. Mr W
It is with much sadness that I have to tell you of the death of Denise Reilly who worked for several years with ESDA on our Welfare Rights Project. Denise was a tireless fighter on behalf of individuals. Many clients arrived in very desperate situations. Denise’s success in overturning decisions at Appeals Tribunals meant that we were always receiving letters of thanks and gratitude. Her dedication, intelligence and wit will be greatly missed. n
ESDA - actively empowering and supporting disabled people - www.esda.org.uk
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Events and Contacts Notice of ESDA AGM October 19th 2012 - 11am Beechwood Hall, Beechwood Lane, Cooksbridge, Lewes, BN7 3QG Tea/Coffee and Danish Pastries, will be served from 10.15am
Newhaven Peacehaven and Seaford Lions Club 2012 Donkey Derby Seaford Bank Holiday Monday 27th August 2012 (The Martello Fields) 11am -4pm Both ESDA Head Office and ESDA Seaford will be having stalls at this fabulous event.
DLC Open morning/drop in sessions Thursdays 9.30-12.30 on 6th Sept, 4th October and 1st November for further details email: dlc@esda.org.uk
Facebook@ ESDA For those of you who have a facebook account please like the ESDA page of facebook, sign into facebook and search for East Sussex Disability Association then click like.
East Sussex Disability Association
1 Faraday Close, Eastbourne BN22 9BH Tel: 01323 514500 Fax: 01323 514501 Text: 07564 932445 Email: info@esda.org.uk
Coach Services
Website: www.esda.org.uk info@esdacoaches.com - 01323 514512
Daily Living Centre
dlc@esda.org.uk - 01323 514515
Information Service
info@esda.org.uk - 01323 514521
Meeting Room Hire
info@esda.org.uk - 01323 514500
Local Services
localservices@esda.org.uk - 01323 514500
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Please note that the views or articles in the Aware newsletter are not necessarily the views of ESDA.