If two is company, three is a definitely a welcome crowd as innovative wheelchair company Carbon Black System turns its focus to an equally innovative finance solution for the global launch of Carbon Black II – the second generation of what has become known as ‘F1-inspired ‘mobility.

Thanks to a new manufacturing process, the unique and futuristic wheelchair, made entirely of lightweight and strong carbon fibre, is being re-launched at a dramatically lower price. 

The business is getting the product ready for wider markets using crowdfunding investment - where a greater number of backers each contribute smaller investments in return for a share of the company.

Calvert Trust Exmoor has achieved the AHOEC Gold Standard for the quality of its outdoor education, and continues to be the only centre in the South West to carry this endorsement.

The AHOEC (Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres) exists to champion high safety and quality standards in the provision of outdoor learning, and does not award its Gold Standard assurance lightly, with just 49 centres across the UK currently brandishing the accolade.

As parents of two special needs children our own holiday experiences have been stressful and challenging.  In 2002 we decided to try and change holidays for people with disabilities and provide high quality, accessible and welcoming self-catering accommodation for families like ours.  It took us 2 years to find Helsey House and its outbuildings.  We started work on converting the cattle stalls into cottages in December 2004 and welcomed our first guests in August 2005. 

Nine months ago, Ashford Borough Council took steps to tackle the waiting times for Disabled Facilities Grants assessments (DFGs) in a determined bid to improve the quality of life for disabled and vulnerable people.

As a result, the waiting list for the grants has been hugely reduced and the council's Cabinet voted to go one step further by changing the means test formula and by introducing a system of discretionary grants aimed at reaching even more people in need of help.

Disabled Facility Grants are used to pay for essential adaptations to allow disabled people to continue to live within their own homes and to achieve as independent a life as possible.

A young man from Worthing has received a life-changing new powered wheelchair after hitting his £24,000 Children Today fundraising target.

18-year-old Daniel Hanson, who has the progressive muscle-wasting condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, is reliant on a powered wheelchair to get around. Yet after five years of heavy use and Daniel’s changing needs, he desperately needed a new wheelchair.

Daniel’s mum Penny comments:

CARE home staff raised hundreds of pounds for the Stroke Association and its stroke survivors and their families after helping supermarket shoppers with their packing.

Staff from The Beeches Care Home, in Stockton on Tees, organised the Stroke Association fundraiser at Tesco Extra, on Durham Road.

They spent the day on the checkouts, collecting £219.92 in donations from generous shoppers.

Helen Wood, home manager at The Beeches Care Home, on Green Lane, said:

Nestling in the heart of Wigan's greenbelt, just a stone’s throw from suburban streets and the local doctor’s surgery, lies a little oasis of calm, Fir Tree Fishery CIC provides an accessible facility in which the elderly, particularly stroke survivors, can come to fish with assistance from young learners who have faced difficulty in gaining qualifications or employment. UCan2 editor Victoria Galligan met up with Martin Taylor, who is the Managing Director, to find out how it has evolved since its inception eight years ago…

Rudding Park in Harrogate, North Yorkshire was awarded the 2018 ‘Catey’ Accessibility Award announced last night at Grosvenor House, London. Over 1200 of the great and the good from UK hospitality attended the award ceremony, considered as the Oscars of the Hospitality industry.

Peter Banks, Rudding Park Managing Director said:

“I am absolutely delighted that Rudding Park has received the Accessibility Award. We understand our guests have different needs and our philosophy is to continually invest in the business to ensure the products and services are of the highest standard and accessible to all.  

A team of volunteers from Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) are gathering views on accessibility issues from visitors to The Championships, Wimbledon to help to ensure that it serves up a friendly experience for wheelchair users and other people with disabilities.

Busy sports events can be tricky to negotiate for people with disabilities, but disability charity QEF has formed a strong partnership with the All England Lawn Tennis Club to advise where there may be  challenges for visitors. The accessibility experts from QEF have carried out hawk-eyed surveys and brought along clients of its services who are wheelchair users to check how measures aimed at improving the experience for disabled people work in practice during the busy Championship Fortnight.

Shropshire charity founder and athlete, Kelda Wood will row 3000 kilometres solo - from La Gomera to Antigua in the Talisker Whiskey Challenge for her project Row to Raise.

Kelda, a professional sportswoman, suffered a life changing injury to her leg in 2002. Since then, she has gone on to become a member of the GB Paracanoe Squad, just missing out on selection for the Paralympic Games in Rio. She later became the first recorded adaptive woman to summit Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America.

In 2010 Kelda founded the charity Climbing Out, which runs 5-day outdoor activity programmes that use Kelda's life-long passion, sport, to help rebuild confidence and self-esteem in the young people taking part.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is calling on all crafty shoppers from Manchester to help beat heart disease by taking part in The Big Stitch campaign.

Launching on 1st July for two weeks, style seekers can help raise vital funds for life saving heart research, by buying an item from the Chorlton BHF shop and adding their own personal stamp to it. The best will be in with a chance of winning one of three fantastic prizes.

The Chorlton BHF shop, based at 7-9 Chorlton Place, Wilbraham Road is one of 530 BHF clothing and accessory shops across the UK. BHF shops are full of amazing finds that can easily be adapted to suit your personal style, through utilising basic sewing skills and adding decorative items.

Enthusiastic ramblers from Nurseplus’ Eastbourne branch completed a 20-mile walk to Lewes recently, raising £500 for its chosen charity partner, Leonard Cheshire.

A team of five staff members from the healthcare recruitment company trekked from the office to the market town, passing landmarks such as the Long Man of Wilmington on the South Downs on the way. 

Kayleigh Neale, Branch Manager at Nurseplus Eastbourne, commented: “It felt fantastic to complete the challenge and it’s extremely fulfilling to know that we’ve raised money for such a worthy cause.

Make the most of the glorious weather this summer with inclusive days out inspiration from The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain. A wide range of top accessible attractions throughout the UK feature in the inspiring new guide to encourage people with diverse needs to enjoy a family day out during the holidays.

The revamped The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain, now in its 10th year, offers reviews and details of ramps, accessible toilets, and parking spaces for visitors with more hidden conditions such as autism and mental illness. The guide includes reviews of over 180 venues, including great outdoor escapes such as: 

The result of a £1.5 million refurbishment has been unveiled at YHA Swanage in the South West.

The extensive investment at YHA Swanage has created 11 brand new en suite bedrooms and one fully accessible bedroom, which means wheelchair users will now be able to stay at the youth hostel. Importantly, the refurbishment has retained the building’s stunning Victoria heritage and period features.

Digital charity, Euan’s Guide, is using the Red Cord Card Campaign to everybody understand why emergency cords in accessible toilets shouldn’t be tampered with.

Euan’s Guide, the charity used by disabled people to review, share and discover accessible places to visit, is celebrating 30,000 requests of its popular Red Cord Card. The cards were created by the charity in 2015 to educate the public and increase awareness around safety in accessible loos.