We’re thrilled to announce that we’ll be partnering with Naidex, Europe’s largest event for the disability and independent living sector! 

Celebrating its 45th anniversary, the show will take place on the 26th & 27th March at Birmingham’s NEC, and we’d love for you to join us at the show by grabbing your FREE ticket here!

Get ready to see the latest in assistive technology, mobility products, accessible traveling, living aids and more!

You’ll also get the opportunity to hear over 250 seminars covering a wide variety of topics such as employability, mental health, fashion and rehabilitation amongst others.

An award-winning Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH) project to tackle loneliness and isolation has been extended to a rural Staffordshire village with help from a local councillor.

Inspired by the success of the Marston Court Friendship Group in Stafford, part of a programme of events staged as part of the pioneering BeConnected project, regular meetings are now planned in Eccleshall.

The first was held in the village's community centre and more than a dozen local residents were joined by Cllr Jeremy Pert who has supported the initiative with a £250 donation from a Local Community Fund.

A leading provider of specialist care for people living with dementia in the North East has appointed a new dedicated training coordinator to its growing team.

Stuart McBean from Walker, Newcastle, has joined Dementia Matters to help develop and enhance the not-for-profit organisation’s internal training programmes for both new recruits and existing members of staff.

The Playhouse Company, which specialises in creatively designed and made-to-order playhouses, has helped change children’s lives by donating a bespoke playhouse in order to raise money for BBC Children in Need.

Funds were raised for the charity after the company donated two playhouses as part of the Great CarFest Raffle at the annual CarFest festival, held in Cheshire and Hampshire. The festival is held in both the south and north of the UK and raises money for BBC Children in Need, as well as other charities. In 2018, the raffle generated £82,616 across the two events.

One of the unique prizes was won by Mr Gary Shaw, of Kent. However, Mr Shaw decided the playhouse would be better placed at the Acorns Children’s Hospice, in Walsall.

A specialist supported living rehabilitation service near Caterham is taking a novel approach to working with people who are living with brain damage.

Staff at Wren Park, home to up to 17 individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI), are sharing therapeutic sports sessions alongside the people they support.

The programme, designed by assistant psychologist Fran Chaisty, is aimed at helping people to take steps to improve their physical and mental health.

“Lack of initiation and motivation due to ABI are often one of the biggest challenges people experience as a result of ABI,” said Fran, from neurorehabilitation provider NPsych-Rehab.

The head office team that supports one of the UK’s leading health and social care providers has raised more than £1,000 for a local charity, after completing a series of fundraising events throughout 2018.

The team at Shaw healthcare’s headquarters in St Mellons, near Cardiff, set out to raise money for mental health charity Cardiff Mind, organising fundraising events like dress-down days and themed raffles throughout the year. Shaw healthcare runs more than 63 care homes and day care facilities across the UK, including specialist services for residents and service users living with dementia and other mental health illnesses.

Join us on Saturday 16 March 2019 as we take part in the National Disabled Access Day and discover more about St Paul’s Cathedral. Whilst we aim to improve accessibility every day of the year, Disabled Access Day puts disabled people at the heart of Cathedral life and showcases inclusive ways to explore St Paul’s.

When Christopher Wren was designing St Paul’s, the concept of accessibility was still centuries away. But in recent times we have worked incredibly hard to be inclusive of all people and Disabled Access Day gives us the chance to show people they should not be nervous about visiting us, whether as a sightseer or worshipper.

Creating a bathroom that looks good is obviously important, but it also needs to be practical and accessible for all ages and abilities. There are a few design tweaks that can be implemented to ensure that your bathroom is appropriate for everyone. Some key considerations for an accessible bathroom;

Shower or Bath

Following the huge success of the inaugural King Power Quad Nations tournament in 2018, which saw over 5000 supporters watch Paralympic Gold, Silver and Bronze medallist teams from around the globe compete in Leicester, Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby have announced their players for the 2019 tournament in a line up which includes athletes who have previously represented their country in the Paralympic Games.

A wheelchair power pack, co-funded by a children’s charity, has offered life-changing independence for a local 13-year-old boy with diplegic cerebral palsy.

Riley Murray, from Montrose, a twin was affected by twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a condition that can occur in identical twin pregnancies who share a placenta. TTTS happens when there is an imbalance in the placental blood vessels that connect both twins. If the blood doesn't flow evenly between the twins, one twin receives more blood and therefore nutrients, causing developmental problems.

Riley’s parents were aware throughout the pregnancy that their children may suffer physical and potentially mental disabilities due to the condition, and he and his twin brother were delivered 11-weeks prematurely. 

Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) is calling on the government to prescribe volunteering as a method of tackling loneliness and mental health issues.

Following a survey of 1,629 volunteers, RDA is marking its 50thanniversary by launching a report on the impact of volunteering on health and wellbeing and the benefits for both RDA participants and the volunteers.

The report was presented at a Parliamentary Reception in Westminster, hosted by MP for Cheltenham, Alex Chalk on February 6, with the charity calling on the government to recognise the dual benefit that volunteering brings.  

This Valentine's Day, West End leading ladies Alice Fearn and Sophie Evans from the smash hit musical Wicked will release a charity single with a difference, in aid of the Samaritans. A mashup cover of Cyndi Lauper’s classic Time After Time melded with Scott Alan’s Always, the single will be available via www.nickbarstow.com on iTunes and Amazon music.

Kidz to Adultz Middle, Thursday 21st March, Ricoh Arena, Coventry, CV6 6AQ, 9.30am-4.30pm.

One of the UK’s largest FREE events supporting children and young adults up to 25 years with disabilities and additional needs, their families, carers and all the professionals who support them.

With a few adaptions to your kitchen setup, independent cooking and eating can become fun, and most importantly, safe again.

Care Management Group (CMG) has joined with Surrey County Council and other care providers, to launch a new programme and tool, aimed at transforming care for people living with learning disabilities and other associated complex needs. 

The collaboration, which was launched in Portcullis House with the support of Tom Brake MP, brought together CMG; Consensus; Choice Care Group; Dimensions; Pathway For Care; and Surrey County Council for the first time. It saw the launch of the pioneering Surrey Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Quality Experience Tool and the Surrey Coaches Programme.