CPISRA (Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association) to hold inaugural outdoor recreation camp for adults with Cerebral Palsy and related neurological conditions

Head of Recreation for CPISRA and Scottish Adventurer Julie McElroy talked to us about the exciting, upcoming outdoor adventure camp for adults with Cerebral Palsy being held by CPISRA. 

Future Healthcare is the UK’s only exhibition and conference showcasing healthcare products and services to a global audience. Taking place at Olympia London from 18-19 March 2019, Future Healthcare gathers more than 4,000 buyers from 65 countries for two days of education, networking and cross border purchasing. The event is organised​ in association with UKIHMA – a strategic partner of Healthcare UK, a UK government trade promotion organisation jointly funded by the Department for International Trade, the Department of Health and NHS England.   

Event Director, Dawn Barclay-Ross said: “Gathering thousands of buyers from around the world, Future Healthcare 2019 is a fantastic springboard for suppliers to find new business on the international stage.”

The term disability covers a wide range of conditions and impairments, but it can be anything which can affect a person’s everyday living. This can include mental, physical, cognitive or developmental impairments. 

It is important that people living with a disability have access to a wide variety of activities which help to improve their everyday quality of life. 

Physical Wellbeing

Physical exercise can be a huge challenge for someone who is living with a disability, and this is not just restricted to those with limited mobility. Exercise can seem like a daunting task which is why inclusive sports and activities should be offered widely in the community. 

Sometimes customising a vehicle to make it wheelchair-accessible is a lifeline. It means freedom, comfort and control. Renault has been at the forefront of supplying suitable base vehicles into the Motability market for wheelchair accessibility for many years. Renault say, “Our converter partners are able to offer a great selection of vehicles to meet the specific needs of the wheelchair user, so whether you are a Motability customer or looking to outright purchase a wheelchair accessible vehicle, then we can introduce you to our converter partners who are experts in this field.

The Bearhugzzz SpaceSaver Bed provides a soft, yet strong and safe environment for sleep, play and relaxation. Suitable for vulnerable children and adults, it is designed to accommodate the needs of people with autism, Angelman syndrome, epilepsy, challenging behaviour and multiple learning difficulties.

It can help to eliminate poor sleep patterns and provide safety for those who wake during the night. A major benefit is the bed’s ability to withstand vigorous behaviour, thanks to its soft padded sides which protect the user against injury. The steel walls are covered by soft foam with a waterproof, wipe- clean, antimicrobial fabric that is available in a range of beautiful patterns and colours.

Statistics released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that 526,000 workers suffered from work related stress, depression or anxiety in 2016/17, with 12.5m working days lost. In response to this and the growing need for having trained Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) in the workplace, Health and Safety Training / Consultancy provider Live For Work has launched its first course centred around the mental health and well-being of workers.

The MHFA England training course is designed to teach people how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and provide help on a first-aid basis.

Expert support and dedication changed Harvinder's life. In the past class teachers may have been confused by the student whose consistent underachievement seems due to what may look like carelessness or lack of effort. Harvinder enrolled at NewVIc in 2010 to the Level 2 Childcare course. He demonstrated a huge passion for working with children. During his initial interview he raised concerns about his struggles with reading and writing. Having had no previous assessments, he was assessed and diagnosed as being one of the most severely dyslexic students at NewVIc.

Dizzying abseils, skydives, log flume marathons, bike rides and raft races are just a few of the exciting activities customers of Majestic Bingo Limited indulged in to raise money for Variety, the Children’s Charity. 

The 16 bingo clubs of Majestic Bingo Limited raised a grand total of £132,063.81 over four years for Variety. The average sum of money raised per club has been over £2,000, each year, every year, for four years – the highest of any bingo organisation supporting Variety, the industry’s nominated charity.

Of this feat, Mark Jepp, Managing Director of Majestic Bingo, said: “It’s all down to our dedicated clubs and their generous customers, we can’t thank them enough. 

Arundel Castle in West Sussex is both an ancient castle and a stately home. Set high on a hill, the Castle has commanded the striking landscape of the South Downs for nearly ten centuries. 

Access to the Castle 

There is Blue Badge allocated parking in the car park near the Ticket Office, which is at the bottom of the hill at the main entrance. There is level access to the Ticket Office, however a steep incline to reach the Castle. A buggy is available to take visitors up the hill and can be arranged by asking a member of staff upon arrival at the Ticket Office. 

Patients can assess their own back pain using an app on their phone or tablet as effectively as current paper methods, a new study from the University of Warwick has shown.

The study, published in the open access journal Journal of Medical Internet Research, demonstrates that digital versions of established measurements for assessing back pain are just as reliable and responsive, opening the possibility for their use by patients for routine measurements and clinical trials.

The researchers see this study as a necessary first step in the greater use of digital media in clinical settings, in light of recent calls for greater use of such technology by healthcare providers.

Occupational Therapists visiting the OT Show have discovered the many ergonomic moving and handling benefits of the leading wheelchair Powerpack range from TGA. (Stand E34, 21-22 November, NEC).

Regain, the charity for sports tetraplegics, is excited to announce its new fundraising appeal, Transforming Lives. Aiming to raise one million pounds, the Transforming Lives campaign was officially launched at the Waldorf Hotel on Thursday 22nd November by the charity’s founder and chairman, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, and former Olympic swimmer and Regain patron, Mark Foster.

How long would you expect a piece of technology to last? In Mandy de la Mare’s case, it’s decades. The “tech” in question is her Closomat shower (wash & dry) toilet. Looking like, and capable of being used as a conventional WC, the Closomat has integrated automatic douching and drying. The user does not have to wipe clean (or be wiped clean).

“I’ve had a Closomat for 42 years and am only on my second one!” she says. “I only replaced the first one when I moved in 2003 after 30 years, and thought then that I had better upgrade to a new one.”

The National Trust at Croome, a beautiful ‘Capability’ Brown landscape, historic house and wartime museum, is striving to make Croome as accessible as possible to its visitors.

On arrival, the Visitor Centre team offer orientation to routes around the estate.   Croome’s accessibility map also shows the gradients of garden paths within the parkland and where seating is available.  

Visitors can pre-book one of the free electric outdoor mobility vehicles before heading off to discover the parkland with statues, temples, follies and lake.

Wheelchair friendly shuttle buses also run between the Visitor Centre and the house throughout the day.

Every little opportunity to gain back a little bit of independence can make the biggest difference to someone disabled. To avoid any disruption to a daily routine that can come with mobility issues, it is important to simplify and tailor your living space to your needs. Bespoke Interiors Newcastle has put together 4 tips to help you achieve just that without compromising style and design over function. 

Replace a bath with a walk in shower enclosure