News

Together for Short Lives is today launching round two of its Improving Transitions for Young People Fund, which will back new initiatives aiming to transform the experiences of young people with life-limiting conditions as they move from children's to adult services.

“It’s something positive that I can focus my mind on during such a dark time. I know she’ll be smiling down on us all,” says Leah Reek’s mum who has entered this year’s LOROS Twilight Walk in memory of her daughter.

“We’re doing the walk for Leah, I know she would be so proud of us, she’d have a massive smile on her beautiful face.” Mum-of-two Joanne Reek, of Asfordby, says she hoped to raise £1,000 for the Hospice in Leah’s memory.

Since the tragic death of her daughter, Joanne and her family set up a JustGiving page and it has raised an astonishing £15,701 to date.

Joanne says:

Caldecotte Xperience in Milton Keynes has launched a wheelchair-accessible Wheelyboat: the first fully accessible power boat to operate at this outdoor activity centre, strengthening existing provisions for people with disabilities. 

Two charities, The Wheelyboat Trust and Action4Youth, workied together on the project, to provide young people with mobility impairments with the ability to participate fully in water-based activities at this centre.

A disability film festival held by Business Disability Forum in London this summer will see lucky students win a paid job with the production company 90seconds. 

The Business Disability Forum Film Festival, which this year is sponsored by Barclays and will be hosted at KPMG’s headquarters in Canary Wharf, will showcase the best young filmmakers and their takes on what it means to be disabled in 2018. 

The Festival will take place on 20 June 2018 from 3.00pm – 6.00pm.

In the lead-up to the Festival, Business Disability Forum are running a challenge for student and graduate filmmakers, with competing teams given seven days to write, produce and direct a film about disability.

A little girl with one of the world’s rarest medical complaints was giving a boost by disability vehicle specialist Adapted Vehicle Hire (AVH) when her family hit severe mobility problems.

Four-year-old Mary Allen, of Nantwich, Cheshire, was born with macrocephaly-capillary malformation syndrome (MCAP) – a condition that affects only 300 people globally and leads to severe physical and learning problems. She also suffers from hydrocephalus and epilepsy, which cause life threatening seizures, and has spent her life in and out of hospitals, including Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool and Leighton Hospital in Crewe.

Wheelchair-accessible holiday accommodation centre Calvert Trust Kielder has joined forces with respected artist and interior designer Anne Curtis to revamp a suite. 

A former quarter-finalist on BBC 2’s The Great Interior Design Challenge, Anne has worked with the award-winning centre’s dedicated team to re-design The Gallery Corridor, consisting of five rooms each with a nature theme to highlight the local wildlife at Kielder Water and Forest Park. 

This is the first time Calvert Trust Kielder has partnered with an interior designer with all parties hoping to mirror the success of the centre's collaboration with architect and TV personality George Clarke  (Amazing Spaces) for its hugely popular ‘Sky Den’ accommodation.

So here is our story, more ancient than hist’ry, With monsters and mortals and Gods on their thrones. This March, the Orpheus Centre celebrate their 20th birthday with a musical extravaganza at The Other Palace. Highlighting their important work, alumni and current students from this pioneering disabilities charity will join forces with recent graduates from the Arts Educational School to present Sir Richard Stilgoe’s Orpheus – The Mythical.

A Surrey Choices employment support specialist is celebrating after winning a prestigious award at the National Autistic Society’s Autism Awards 2018.

Winner in the ‘Most Inspirational Social Care Professional’ category, Carolyn Tucker impressed the judges with her exceptional contribution to the lives of autistic people.

Carolyn supports people with a wide range of disabilities by helping them to find employment opportunities with local employers.

The support specialist works for the EmployAbility Service at Surrey Choices with adults who may have traditionally found it difficult to secure employment. EmployAbility is a dedicated service that helps to find work placements, training, volunteer opportunities and paid work with employers.

A Birmingham man, who is deafblind, will attempt to complete an epic 52 mile trek in the summer, walking the distance of the RidgeWay, a historic national trail in the South of England, helping to raise money for the national disability charity, Sense.

44 year-old John Churcher, from Erdington, has a hearing impairment and only 3% vision. His friend, 49-year-old Mark McGowan, from Glasgow, will be John’s sight-guide for the walk, assisted by Jay Owen (27) who is autistic.

John, who has Usher Syndrome, is no stranger to great feats. Over the last decade he has become an accomplished climber, competing at the Paraclimbing World Championships, and being recognised as the first blind person to climb to the summit of the Eiger.