Start Date:
20th May 2011
End Date:
20th May 2011
Start Time:
7.30.
End Time:
Unstated.
Start Date:
25th June 2011
End Date:
25th June 2011
Start Time:
17.00.
End Time:
23.00.
Wyldwoods the “Creative arts and crafts for wellbeing” Charity for Adults and Young People are holding a fund raising barbecue bands, beer and bunting party at their centre at Wyldwoods, Dean Corner, Broseley, Nr Telford, Shropshire on 25th June 2011. A great day out.
Please find enclosed your personal invitation to LINk UP! The LINk Annual General Meeting and Election at Meeting Point House at Telford Centre 6.00.
We look forward to meeting you on Wednesday the 11th May at our AGM and annual elections for the Central Management Group
Doors open at 6pm with a showcase of what we did last year – and what we are planning to do in the year ahead…
Please do come along and find out more about a new organisation called HealthWatch.
If you would like to attend or would like more information please email c.pert@staffs.ac.uk or alternatively call 01952 614180
Start Date:
9th May 2011
End Date:
15th May 2011
Start Time:
14.00 in Triton Square, London.
End Time:
15th May 2011 time Unknown.
Atos Origin have just begun a £500 million contract by the Con-dem Government to carry out ‘work capability assessments’ on all of those claiming Incapacity Benefit.
It is claimed assessments are to test what people can do rather than what they can’t. The real purpose is to strip benefits from as many people as possible.
This testing system has already led to people with terminal illnesses and severe medical conditions being declared fit for work and having benefits cut. GP’s are ignored in favour of decisions made by Atos Origin’s computer.
Plans announced for the scrapping of Disability Living Allowance have also revealed that this intrusive testing is likely to be extended to everyone on some form of disability or health related benefit.
To date around 40% of appeals against Atos Origin’s decisions have been successful.
On the 24th January and 14th April claimants from around the country demonstrated outside Atos Origins premises, with many choosing to close for the day rather than face their ‘clients’. We call on all groups around the UK to take action against these parasites who have been dubbed ‘the racial purity and euthanasia arm of the DWP’
The ConDem Government has already made it quite clear that they want to reduce the amount of money spent on DLA by as much as 20% by 2014.
On the last Day of Action Against Benefit Cuts protests, actions and demonstrations were organised in Dundee, Edinburgh, Westminster, Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol, Newcastle, Brighton, Glasgow, Poole, Burnley, Islington, Kensington, Cardiff, Poole and Truro. This time we’ve got all week!
Disability activists, claimant groups and anti-cuts campaigners have called a week of action against, so called “poverty pimps” ATOS Origin beginning on Monday 9th May with a picnic and party in Triton Square, home of their head office, at 2pm.
Triton Square is on the North side of Euston Road, just over the road from Warren Street tube and less than five minutes from Euston/Euston Square or Great Portland Street tube stations.
This is a general info link, facebook event at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=121624627914913
Below are the local West Midlands events all in Birmingham.
Millions are set to be affected by savage cuts to housing, disability, sickness and welfare benefits. Disabled people, those with long term illness, the unemployed, single parents, carers the low waged, part time students, volunteers, homeless people and college students are all likely to see a devastating drop in disposable income with many slipping even further below the poverty line.
Thursday 12th May, 7pm . Unison offices, 19th floor McClaren Tower, Priory Queensway. B4 7NN
Subject: ‘Who are they targeting? How can we stop them?’
Speakers: the solicitor from Irwin Mitchell who has just won a case preventing Birmingham City Council changing eligibility criteria for care funding, Linda Burnip, Disabled People Against Cuts; Michael Bradley, Right to Work
This is the link to the Unison Offices event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169640809755894
Then on Friday May 13th at noon outside Waterstones bookshop opposite bull statue in Bullring centre join us for leafleting and street theatre ‘ The Computer Says NO’ an adaptation of a Brighton Benefit Campaign play.
This is a link to the DPAC web site, giving info on the other Birmingham events:
http://www.facebook.com/l/caebedhm3SQtuTpMyeSXNcWZVug/www.dpac.uk.net
Shropshire Disability Awareness Day (SDAD) is based on Europe’s largest not for profit voluntary-led disability exhibition, which is held annually within the grounds of Walton Hall Gardens, Warrington.
Remember most important, entrance is free to Adults and Children – sorry, no dogs, except working dogs!
Shropshire Disability Awareness Day (SDAD) has three main aims:
As well as fulfilling all these aims, the event has been designed to give everyone who joins in a really good day out filled with interest, fun and entertainment!
Exhibition (New date TBC), as soon as possible. 10.30 am – 4.00 pm, Shrewsbury Sports Village, Sundorne Road, Shrewsbury SY1 4RQ
To researve your place please call 01952 – 261146.
Don’t miss the event everyone will be talking about.
The opening of the New Deaf Smart
Deaf Advisory Bureau D.A.B
Thursday May 5th 2011 5pm
Shawbury, Nr, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
SY4 4NZ
Main Switchboard 01939 – 251555.
Minicom and Fax 01939 – 251900.
R.S.V.P
Start Date:
11th May 2011
End Date:
11th May 2011
Start Time:
11.30 a.m Victoria Embankment London
End Time:
5.30 a.m.
Hardest Hit – Defending Disabled People’s Futures
As part of DW’s campaign on cuts to benefits and services we will be joining other organisations for a UK National Day of Action taking place in London on Wednesday 11th May 2011. The day will include a March, Lobby of Parliament and a Rally in order to raise concern about the disproportionate effect of the welfare reform proposals on the lives of disabled people across the UK.
The objectives of acting together are to:
Schedule:
The March
We will gather for the March from 11.30am on the Embankment by Horseguards Avenue.
It will start at 12.30pm and take in Victoria Embankment, Bridge Street, Parliament Square, Millbank and finish in Dean Stanley Street at around 13.30pm
Thousands of disabled people as well as family and friends will be marching to express solidarity and anger at the cuts threatening our benefits, services, jobs and rights.
The March will take us past the Houses of Parliament and we will make sure that MPs and Peers hear our collective voice and understand our message.
The Lobby
The Lobby is expected to take place in Westminster Hall between 2.30pm and 5.30pm. Everyone hoping to see their MP during the afternoon is encouraged to write in advance to get an appointment.
After the March, many of us will be lobbying our MPs as the Welfare Reform Bill reaches a critical stage in the House of Commons.
We will be sharing our stories, making sure that Parliamentarians understand the combined impact of the cuts on our lives and futures.
Crucially, we will be challenging MPs to vote against policies that will push us further into poverty and isolation.
The Rally
The Rally will take place in Methodist Central Hall (close to the Houses of Parliament) with speeches between 3.00pm and 3.30pm.
On the afternoon of the march we will meet in Methodist Central Hall to hear from disabled people about the deep unfairness of the cuts for their lives and futures.
We will also listen to politicians from the main political parties to find out how they plan to uphold the rights, equality and participation of disabled people as promised in the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.
What do you need to do?
Jenny definitely has her eye on the refreshments ahead after pushing Trevor around the route!
What a nice day for a “Walk and Roll”
As I woke up the sun was flooding through our bedroom window. “Ah, its Sunday” I said, seems like Ruby has managed to get the weather right for the Walk and Roll event, well done Rub’s, its just what we ordered. After some breakfast, tea and a suitable amount of “pottering” it was time to load the “wheels” into the car.
Wheelchair on board, we were off, next stop Shrewsbury Quarry Park for the Shropshire Disability Network’s Walk and Roll event. I had been busy all week badgering all and sundry for sponsorship for the event, while keeping a watchful eye on the weather, as I didn’t fancy walking or being pushed around the Quarry in the rain! As it happened, no problems, the Sun was shining and I’d managed to raise over £200.00 in sponsorship. All we had to do now was actually make it around the prescribed route.
We arrived at the Quarry and managed to find a parking place near to the event starting point. I unloaded the “wheels” from the boot of the car and we made our way to the start point. At the start there where already quite a few people around in wheelchairs and the looming figure of Martin Woods, the Shrewsbury Town Crier looking splendid in his full uniform. Martin is the Husband of one of our Steering Group members and his services had been sought to announce the start of the event, in some style! We all smiled for the camera, as we had our photos taken for the Shrewsbury Chronicle.
The Town Crier removed his enormous bell from its bag and proceeded to bring things to order, ringing his bell for all he was worth, with his voice booming out from beneath his bushy beard. Martin certainly got the full attention of all of the children playing on the swings and slides to our left and most of their parents. What a splendid way to start our event, after Martin’s starting announcement everyone knew SDN were in the Quarry!
We were off, not as many people as we would have hoped for, but the company and the sunshine made up for the lack of numbers. I decided to try to be brave and walked along, pushing my wheelchair. Jenny, my wife was walking with me and soon she convinced me that walking was not going to work and that I needed to sit and let her push! Reluctantly, I gave in and sat in my wheelchair. We rolled along chatting to other walk and rollers and saying hello to lots of well wishers along the way.
The sunshine had worked its wonder and the Quarry Park was really busy, people on bikes, people on rollerblades and families out walking, enjoying the beautiful spring weather, there were even people brave enough to sunbathe! The river Severn was also really busy with people practising their rowing, with coaches riding along the riverbank shouting out instructions to their charges on the river.
We arrived to the turn around point only to notice some activity going on around Geoff’s, our Chairpersons wheelchair. “My batteries have died” Geoff said, “I fully charged my chair last night, but I think they are at the end of their working life, as they are four years old”. Confusion ensued as we all tried to work out just how to get Geoff’s chair into its “manual mode”. Help arrived in the form of Martin Woods, “oh”, said Martin, “you just pull these out here”, pulling on the bosses in the centre of the wheels that everyone else had been trying for ten minutes! “You need to get some WD40 on those when you get back Geoff” Martin said, with a wry grin on his face.
We started to make our way back along the riverbank to the start point. Geoff’s normal PA was having a well deserved day off and luckily her son Shaun was looking after Geoff for the day. “It was much easier walking up here alongside you than pushing you back Geoff” Shaun said as we made our way back. Even though Shaun is a big lad, the weight of Geoff’s chair, and Geoff made Shaun puff and pant a bit. Geoff had yet another job for Julie on her return to work tomorrow, sort out some new wheelchair batteries, fast!
We made our way back to the start and sat around a while, awaiting the return of everyone and ensured we were all “booked back in”. Ruby was busy clicking away on her camera, getting some great shots to go onto the SDN web site and to help her with publicity. More fun ensued, trying to get Geoff back into his van without power, a good shove from Shaun and a passer by and Geoff was safe and sound back in his van. “Let’s do it all again next year” was the parting remark from Geoff as Shaun closed the vans tailgate on what had been a fun filled morning in the sunshine.
As a final note I would just like to thank the people of Shrewsbury and the surrounding areas who were in the Quarry Park on Sunday, firstly for the general interest that they showed in our event, the very positive comments and observations made to some of our members and for the way that “we”, as a group of wheelchair and scooter users were made to feel most welcome in the Quarry without any prejudice along with all of the other people out enjoying the spring sunshine and a very special thanks from Shropshire Disability Network to anyone who kindly gave us a donation on Sunday. As we intend to make this an annual event, why not consider coming along and joining us next year, “wheels” not compulsory!
Start Date:
9th June 2011
End Date:
10th June 2011
Deaf Education: Changed by Cochlear Implantation?
National College of School Leadership, Nottingham
Programme Outline, Thursday June 9th:
Programme Outline, Friday June 10th:
For more information, visit: www.earfoundation.org.uk/education/articles/645
Start Date:
14th July 2011
End Date:
17th July 2011
Tickets are on sale now – ask for guest / disabled camping for easy access to the communication team.
Venue: Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk
MRSLI’S, Ti’s & JTI’s will interpret shows in comedy, literature and theatre arenas, outdoor theatre and more! Level 6 communicators available on site and for children’s area. BSL Tour available on arrival. Loop system installed in literary, poetry, comedy and guest / disabled box office.
This is a very visual festival with many events needing no communication support. Festival information at www.latitudefestival.co.uk. Deaf access information from Carole: hands4uaccess@hotmail.com.
