Livability News Summer 2012

Summer 2012 Issue 12

news

Speaking Out Our beneficiaries tell us their experiences

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What you had to say

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Nothing about us without us

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On a Mission

Livability is the new face of John Grooms and the Shaftesbury Society

Message from Mike

Dear Friends, Let me welcome you to ‘Livability News’ at a time when we are all enjoying a summer of celebrations, first the Diamond Jubilee and then the Olympics and the Paralympics later in the year. We have a lot to feel proud of as a country and as a charity. Together we have achieved a great deal in providing more equal opportunities for all people and, in particular, for disabled people in the community who have historically experienced barriers to employment and independent living.

However, in this respect, there is still more to do to eradicate discrimination. What is perhaps not well known is the disproportionate impact that reductions in public spending are having on disabled people as the services and benefits critical to their quality of life are cut. This means that our charity has to play an even bigger role in supporting disabled people so that with our help they do not have to live with uncertainty and worry. Our task is therefore becoming ever more vital.

So as we enjoy our ‘glorious summer’ let us also take the opportunity to remind everyone of the need for further change in society’s attitude towards disabled people, specifically in getting a fair deal in life so that they can live life to the full. Work with us to break down prejudice towards disabled people so that we can be clear about our vision of a society where disabled and disadvantaged people can live life to the full

What you had to say In this edition of Livability News we talk about the importance of continuing to learn and grow and how we are listening to and learning from our beneficiaries (see our main feature on page 5).

Well we’re also listening to another very important group of people, you, our supporters! In January this year we sent out a survey to all of our supporters to ask for your opinions on our work, on the issues that affect disabled people and to ask you for some more information about yourself. We got a great response with well over 2,000 of you taking the time to fill in the survey so thank you all. And special thanks to the kind supporter, who does not wish to be named, who donated the prize of the £30 Marks and Spencer voucher back to Livability.

We’ve been busy collating your responses and what you’ve told us gave us a valuable insight into the issues you’re interested in and will enable us to improve the quality of our communications with you. Perhaps not surprisingly 85% of responders were Christian and 55% of responders had close personal experience of disability, with 85% of you having some personal experience of disability. You told us that we should prioritise our spending on providing support in the community, and employment was pretty important to you too, along with our more traditional work in our residential centres. Although you agreed that several issues that affected disabled people were important the ones you picked out most were suitable accommodation and tackling social isolation. Other issues you mentioned were help getting around and more respite care/support for carers. 56% of you felt that our appeals were good or excellent and 70% of you felt that our newsletters were good or excellent – this is encouraging, however we are constantly trying to improve communication. Your favourite pastimes are reading, gardening and music.

You are also a very generous lot; almost all of you support other charities, with other health and religious causes amongst the most popular. Some of you support as many as 10 or even 15 other charities, which reminds us we are very fortunate to retain your on-going support. Thanks to all of you who updated us about their gift aid status too, this will enable us to claim additional vital funds from the government for our work. (If you are unsure about your gift aid status or how this policy works please do not hesitate to contact our Supporter Services Team on 020 7452 2121) We’ll be using your answers to guide us on the information and appeals we contact you with in the future – do bear in mind that sometimes updates to your information can take a little while to be fully processed.

It’s important to “take the pulse” of our supporters and show that we are listening and learning. You have helped us to do this with your very generous response.

Thank you Mike Smith OBE Chief Executive 2

Plan for Living Thank you to everybody who donated generously to our Plan for Living appeal this spring. We raised almost £52,000. This could fund the refit of eleven bathrooms or four kitchens which form part of our most pressing projects across eight residential homes up and down the country.

There is more to these adaptations than the simple practical aspects of installing kitchens or refitting bathrooms. The effect these adaptations can have on disabled people’s lives is astounding. Do you remember Wendy and Colin’s story and how a wheelchair accessible shower in their flatlet now means they have a lot more independence and freedom? This is a powerful testimony to how relatively simple adaptations can have a lifechanging impact.

Livability trustee receives MBE Livability has a team of dedicated trustees who give their time and expertise to help the charity run smoothly. Jenny Edwards is one of them and earlier this year her charitable work and dedication received special recognition when she was awarded an MBE for her services to disabled people.

Gifts in Memory Did you know that more and more people are leaving gifts in memory of a loved one?

In Memory gifts are special tributes to those you love. They can mean so much at a time of sadness and provide a tribute that will last for years to come.

When a loved one passes away, you may wish to suggest that family and friends give an In Memory donation to Livability instead of flowers at the funeral.

You can simply make an immediate online donation, dedicated to the memory of your loved one. Names of all the people to be remembered in this way will be added to a special In Memoriam book, and they will be honoured at a Livability service during the year to come.

To find out more please visit www.livability.org.uk/memory-gifts/

Jenny, a wheelchair user, has worked with Livability for three years, having first encountered the charity’s work through its accessible holidays.

Jenny said: “I’ve always been passionate about issues of concern to disabled people…I think my motivation as a trustee is twinfold: to hear what our service users have to say and to represent them.”

When Jenny heard the news, she said what pleased her more than anything was that she had been nominated by individuals she’d worked with.

Jenny travelled to Windsor Castle for the investiture. She said: ‘The Queen said to me “You’ve been doing this a long time, haven’t you? But don’t stop now!”

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Evolving through dance and music Green tree men, singing red people, huge bouncing balls and swinging leaves are not a usual sight in the Sports Centre at Victoria Education Centre (VEC). For one fantastic week, the renowned theatre production company Oily Cart set up home at VEC to perform a creative, multisensory and highly interactive production for our students with complex and multiple disabilities.

The brilliant and memorable aerial performance of “Something in the Air” was truly amazing for all the students and teachers.

The characters meet each student and adjust sensory elements

Far too often, disabled students do not get the same opportunities as non-disabled young people. Going to the theatre together to see a performance as a class is just not possible. Public theatres have limited access for wheelchair users and some of our students would not cope with the long performances. A tailor-made shorter programme is ideal as all students can enjoy the experience of a performance which challenges accepted definitions of theatre and audience.

The brilliant and memorable aerial performance of “Something in the Air” was truly amazing for all the students and teachers. Each student had a truly unique experience and memory as William, who is ten years old, explains “I liked the green tree people who played on the saxophone”. Jazzy, also ten, said “My favourite bit was the bouncing’ and Abbie, 8 years, said "I liked swinging in the leaf" The characters meet each student and adjust sensory elements so the students can understand and fully experience it. As one teacher commented it is a ‘special show, for special children, the characters even sing to each child in the way they like to be’.

We are very grateful to Miss Janet Hall for sponsoring this memorable and truly special event.

And this is not all. VEC also had the opportunity to work with a professional orchestra recently too. Like many of the staff at our education centres, Marianne Harding goes the extra mile. Marianne contacted the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE), which is renowned for its work with schools, but which had never worked with disabled students before. The aim of the venture was to make it possible for every 4

student to participate, whatever their disability. This required extra funding, and Marianne successfully bid for a £24,000 grant from Youth Music.

This meant the students could benefit from assistive technology, which uses a range of devices designed for people with multiple and profound disabilities.

These include sensors operated by movement to produce sounds, or electronic music triggered by a headswitch fitted to a student’s wheelchair. Young people who have only ever been able to be passive listeners to music can themselves experience the fun of making music with other people. In addition, students with greater mobility were given the chance to play regular instruments, including violin, cello and double-bass.

These are more examples of how assistive technology is so important for our students These are more examples of how assistive technology is so important for our students to help aid communication and encourage them to express themselves. And thanks to your support our recent Switch on Independence campaign, which asked for your help in funding interactive screens, touch-screens and adapted computer equipment across all three of our schools and colleges, has so far raised £32,000. This is fantastic and will ensure that our students can develop their skills and confidence every day, even when we don't have visiting art projects!

Speaking Out At a time when funding for many public services are being cut and people across the nation are having to think more carefully about their spending, Livability has an even bigger role to play in supporting disabled people as some of the hardest hit individuals in the country.

Livability recently held a Service User Engagement Day in March to do just that. 29 service users attended the day in London with service unit managers from 16 locations across the UK, representing from as north as York to as far south as Plymouth.

The idea of Livability’s Service User Engagement Network is to meet regularly throughout the year to discuss topical issues and create a plan of action for all disabled people, not only Livability beneficiaries.

Our slogan for the group is ‘Nothing about us, without us’ and this really reflects the group’s intentions of an equal society for all, regardless of ability.

it was clear that barriers still exist with negative attitudes and stereotypical portrayals of disability in the wider community.

Recently the government opened a consultation entitled Fulfilling Potential and Livability and our service users were keen to have a say. The government wanted to hear from disabled people across the country, and their families, on what they need to fulfil their potential and play a full role in society. This is the first step towards creating a national disability strategy by the government.

The three areas that the government wanted views on were: • • •

Barriers that stop disabled people doing the best they can.

Choice and control in day-to-day life.

How do we change the way people think and act towards disabled people to stop disabled people being treated badly or unfairly?

The day generated some really lively discussion and there were some real positives. Most attendees were aware of and valued being able to exercise choice and control over their lives through our services.

However it was clear that barriers still exist with negative attitudes and stereotypical portrayals of disability in the wider community. Some service users were clearly hurt and stung by the abuse and prejudice they still face.

Nothing about us without us Danny, a resident at Livability’s John Grooms Court is an active member in the community and is part of the Disability Links Norfolk coalition. He took part in last year’s Hardest Hit March and is a real positive and proactive ambassador for disabled people.

Unfortunately Danny had experienced prejudice in the community solely due to the fact that he has a physical disability and is a wheelchair user. Danny attends college and he spoke of a few experiences such as waiting for the bus and bus drivers had driven past and not stopped or refused to put the ramp down to enable him to board the bus. It was clear that these instances had caused some distress to Danny and he was genuinely upset and disheartened by the experience.

Livability wants to challenge society’s attitude towards disabled people as unfortunately negative views still exist.

On a positive note however this has not dampened Danny’s proactive attitude and since then he has written to the bus company to explain his disappointment. The company in question then invited Danny in and he gave employees a training session in order to raise awareness about disability in general and how disabled people should be treated.

Livability wants to challenge society’s attitude towards disabled people as unfortunately negative views still exist. The Fulfilling Potential consultation is a fantastic opportunity for disabled people and their families to have a say and shape Government policy so it truly reflects their needs and aspirations. Over 500 responses from individuals, disability organisations and contributions from events across the UK, including our Service User Engagement Day, are being collated. The document, and responses to it, will be used to develop a new disability strategy later in the year.

You can keep updated on the progression of the consultation document and future government strategy on the Office for Disability Issues website at http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/fulfillingpotential and watch this space for Livability’s next steps.

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On a mission

Do disabled people matter to churches?

One in seven working-age adults is disabled, according to government statistics, so why are there so few disabled people in our churches?

Christians are brilliant at engaging with international justice issues: we are at the forefront of the fair-trade movement, international debt relief and sex trafficking campaigns. But when it comes to disability – an issue of inequality and injustice on our own doorsteps, why are we so slow to speak out and act?

As I write this, Community Mission advisors Hayley Humphreys and David Arscott are leading “Beyond The Lunchclub” in Sheffield - training over 50 church leaders and community workers how to support older people in their communities, so they can experience more ‘life in all its fullness’.

At a time when all we hear about is ‘austerity; cuts; hacking and crisis’, Livability is more committed than ever to ensuring those most at risk aren’t further isolated. A recent visit to Lifestyle Choices, East Midlands provided me with a powerful reminder of the positive impact our work has on our beneficiaries. Meeting two people who became great friends through shared activities enabled by the Lifestyles team was inspiring. The same passion lies behind the new Churches Inc. Charter described on this page. Livability’s vision is to help people find their own voice, make friends, access improved life choices and find a welcome in their local community. We believe the Church has a significant role to play in this, so join us by asking your own church to sign up to this charter.

Ultimately, whether supporting churches in their work or helping service users find friends, Livability seeks to live out the words of Isaiah 58 daily…

“You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community liveable again.” Isaiah 58:12, The Message version

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Adam Bonner is director of Livability's Community Mission team, helping churches transform their communities.

Livability, working with another Christian disability charity, Through the Roof, is developing a new campaign. ‘Churches Inc.’ aims to encourage Christians to really value disabled people and place them at the heart of our churches.

The campaign focuses on three areas: • Places – are church buildings accessible?

• Programmes – are church activities inclusive?

• People – are church communities welcoming?

Churches will be asked to sign up to and implement an inclusion charter based on these three areas to improve the way they interact with disabled people.

It’s our dream to have the Church gain a reputation as a great place for disabled people to go, make friends, develop their gifts, and most importantly, belong.

If you or someone you know would like to find out more about joining Churches Inc., and working to make your church a more inclusive place, we would love to help! Why not visit www.churchesinc.org.uk.

Evolving involvement “It’s really great to be still involved with this wonderful college, which has been such an important part of my life” says Doreen Hobbs, who was Head of Campus at Nash College (which originally encompassed Coney Hill School) from 1982 to 1992.

Doreen joined the Shaftesbury Association’s Coney Hill back in 1963, and was part of the team which pioneered education for disabled 16-19 years olds. Doreen took a short break from Nash when she first retired, enjoying some wonderful holidays around the world however it wasn’t long before she renewed her links with Nash as a Governor, and has been enjoying the different challenges which that role presents. “One of the fascinating things has been seeing so many changes over the years – you have to keep adapting to evolving needs.”

Doreen’s support has also extended to leaving a gift to Livability in her will. “It is nice to know that – even though the needs at Nash may evolve– my legacy gift will make a real difference in the life of future students.”

For information about how you can make a difference with a gift in your will, please tick the box on the response form, or contact Alastair Emblem on 020 7452 2118

Livability events

Events calendar

Hello from the events team! Here at Livability we are looking forward to a very exciting year ahead, with some of our favourite as well as some very new events for you to enjoy.

Going like hotcakes

Whether you enjoy sampling the delights at the Latchett’s open garden day or taking on the challenge of scaling the heights of Ben Nevis, we have a jam packed programme, with events for everyone.

To begin the summer in true Livability style we have the fantastic garden party at Mr and Mrs Hardy’s exquisite garden in East Sussex, 7 July. This year will be better than ever with a variety of musicians, stalls to visit and sample and guest speakers to share their horticultural insights. There will be plenty to do and of course fantastic tea and cakes at our café so if you want to guarantee your spot then please do get in touch with me by phone or email. Tickets are going like hotcakes!

Garden Open Day at Latchetts 7th July Featured in Sussex Life as one of its top 25 gardens to visit, Latchetts is the perfect setting for a summer picnic. Entertainment will be provided, with live music, lectures from leading horticulturalists, gardening quizzes, plant stalls and children’s play areas.

The next big event will be our weekend trek to Ben Nevis in August.

Did you know that the Gaelic translation of Ben Nevis is a “Mountain of Heaven” and it certainly is a challenge to get your teeth into being the highest point in the whole of the British Isles? Whether you are a professional trekker or avid hill walker, why not sign up to this challenge which will provide you with a wonderful sense of achievement as you reach the 4,000ft summit! (with amazing views too!)

If you fancy something a bit further afield, in October we will be trekking to one of the most remote and awe inspiring deserts on earth, the Sahara. This unique ten day, 100km trek will take you through a diverse range of stunning and changing landscapes complete with proud Berbers as guides, and camels to carry all our essential supplies!

Why not take either of these awesome and life changing challenges and at the same time raise essential funds for our work?

Hope to see you at one of our events soon!

Kerry, Head of Corporate Partnership and Events

Ben Nevis challenge 17-19th August A three day, two night trek to the highest peak in the whole of the UK. Escape to the unspoilt Scottish Highlands this August and raise money for Livability at the same time.

To find out more please contact the events team on telephone 020 7452 2115.or email events@livability.org.uk

Top Fundraiser We would like to say a big thank you to Darren Cossey, one of our fantastic marathon participants and one of only six wheelchair participants who met the strict medical and fitness regulations to join the other 36,000 runners at this year’s Virgin London Marathon.

Darren who broke his back, ten years ago in a motorcycle accident, is one of our incredible team of 37 participants who together have raised more than £60,000 for our work. Well done to all of you!

We are starting to take expressions of interest for the 2013 so if you, or anyone you know, would like to take part, please don’t hesitate to contact us to reserve your space.

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This could be your challenge Whilst supporting disabled people Ben Nevis Challenge Ben Nevis is the highest peak in the UK and one of the most spectacular mountains in the whole of the British Isles. Take on this three day challenge of a lifetime and help change the lives of disabled and disadvantaged people

Sahara Desert Ten Day Trek Travel to one of the remotest and desolate places on earth. This nine night ten day trek will transport you to another world and be an unforgettable and lifechanging experience

To find out more about these amazing challenges please contact the events team on 020 7452 2115 or email events@livability.org.uk

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