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www.alltogethernow.org.uk
15TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
SHOPMOBILITY
n ALTRINCHAM . Tel 0161 929 1714 n ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE. Tel 0161 339 9500 n BARROW. Tel 01229 434039 n BIRKENHEAD. Tel 0151 647 6162 n BLACKBURN AND DARWEN. Tel 01254 690566 or 07757 502217 n BLACKPOOL. Tel 01253 349427 n BOLTON. Tel 01204 392946 n CARLISLE. Tel 01228 631564 n CHESTER. Tel 01244 312626 n CHORLEY. Tel 01257 260 888 n COLWYN BAY. Tel 01492 533822 n CREWE. Tel 01270 580 031 n ELLESMERE PORT. Tel 0151 355 1420 n KENDAL. Tel 01539 740 933 n LEIGH, Wigan. Tel 01942 777 985 n LIVERPOOL. Tel 0151 707 0877 n MANCHESTER Trafford Centre. Tel 0161 747 2684 n MANCHESTER Arndale Centre. Tel 0161 839 4060 n NELSON. Tel 01282 692 502 n NORTHWICH, Vale Royal Tel 01606 288820 n OSWESTRY. Tel 01691 656882 n PENRITH. Tel 01768 895 438 n PRESTON. Tel 01772 204 667 n RHYL. Tel 01745 350665 n ROCHDALE. Tel 01706 865 986 n RUNCORN, Halton Lea Tel 01928 710144 n SHREWSBURY. Tel 01743 236900 SKELMERSDALE. Tel 01695 550066 n ST HELENS. Tel 01744 613 388 n STOCKPORT. Tel 0161 666 1100 n WARRINGTON. Tel 01925 240064 n WARRINGTON. Birchwood Tel 01925 822 411 WIDNES: 0151 511 8833 n WIGAN. Tel 01942 776 070 n WINSFORD Tel 01606 557550 n WREXHAM. Tel 01978 312390 MIDLANDS n BIRMINGHAM. Snow Hill Railway Station. Tel 0121 236 8980. Level 2, Centre Car Park, Bullring. Tel 0121 616 2942 n STAFFORD. Tel 01785 619456 n STOKE ON TRENT. Tel 01782 233333 n SUTTON COLDFIELD. Tel 0121 355 1112 n TAMWORTH. Tel, 01827
Days out just got easier
Jane and daughter, Faith
These families need a break T
HREE in four families caring for disabled adults felt forgotten about during the lockdown – and received no warning that support and care were being reduced.
And a third of families are still waiting for the support to be reinstated, a survey by national disability charity Sense found. More than half of families had to take on additional caring responsibilities, and many were denied access to vital community services such as medical treatment, day centres, and support at home. Faith Tasker, 20, from Liverpool, has complex disabilities, which include being autistic, blind and hearing impaired. When the lockdown begun, the day service and respite support she receives stopped and she was left in the care of her family 24/7. Seven months later, and the support is still to be reinstated. “Providing care with no respite is tough”, says Faith’s mother, 60-year-old Jane, “but the hardest thing is the lack of information about when the support will be reinstated, or even what the plan is.
“You feel like you’re chasing people for updates, and then getting fobbed off.” The charity’s chief executive, Richard Kramer, said: “Everyone has had their life affected by this pandemic, but few have had a harder time than the families looking after disabled adults over the last five months. “Many haven’t had a break from caring and feel isolated and forgotten. Disabled people’s needs have largely been forgotten. “Government must take action to reinstate the care and support that families need such as short breaks. “We need to see clear and increased communication with disabled people and their families, and sufficient funding, support and resources to local authorities to flexibly deliver care and support.” Sense is asking supporters to sign their letter, calling on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, to take action to secure and reinstate community services and support, such as short breaks for disabled adults and their families. n www.sense.org.uk
HELP AT THE END OF A PHONE
n ANGLESEY: TARAN Tel 01407 721933 n BLACKPOOL Disability Information and Support. Tel 01253 472 202. Textphone 01253 476 450 n CHESHIRE CIL Tel 01606 331853 n CHESTER Dial House Tel 01244 345655 n DENBIGHSHIRE Tel 01745 354445 n ELLESMERE PORT DICE Tel 0151 355 1420
n HALTON Disability Service Tel 01928 717222 n KNOWSLEY DISABILITY CONCERN. 0151 480 4090 n LANCASTER DISC Tel 01524 34411 n LIVERPOOL Association of Disabled People. 0151 263 8366. Text 0151 260 4076. n ACSIL (Amputees and Carers), Tel, 0151 261 1166 n THE BRAIN CHARITY Tel 0151 298 2999
n MANCHESTER (GTR) Coalition of Disabled People Tel 0161-273 5154 n MOLD Flintshire Disability Tel 01352 755546 n NELSON: Pendle Pakistan Welfare Association. Tel 01282 603 616 n PRESTON DISC: Tel 01772 558 863. Text 01772 204 787 n RHYL Tel 01745 350665 n STOCKPORT: Disability
THE new online edition of The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain (accessibleguide.co.uk) is packed with over 200 comprehensive reviews. Through collaboration with Carers Trust and the National Autistic Society, this edition features more information relevant to carers and those with hidden disabilities. Twenty-five exciting new venue reviews are featured, including outdoor attractions such as Belfast Zoo, Kew Gardens, Legoland, Trebah Gardens, and Powis Castle According to research, half of people with a disability, or their carers, spend between two and five hours planning a day out and one in 10 spend more than a day researching. Emma West, reviewer and foreword author of the Guide, said: “The Guide is such a valuable resource for simplifying that process.”
In the can!
THE three winners of our recent competition to win a Miracle Watering Can are: Suzanne Ford, Norley Drive, Eccleston, St Helens; A Kilshaw, Plover Avenue, Winsford, Cheshire; and Katherine Comer, Dingwall Drive, Wirral. n For the full range of Miracle Can products, go to www.miraclewateringcans.co. uk
Stockport. 0161 480 7248 n WARRINGTON Disability Partnership. 01925 240064 n WIRRAL WIRED Tel 0151 670 1500 n WEST LANCS HELPLINE Freefone 0800 220676 n ST HELENS DASH Tel 01744 453053 MIDLANDS n BIRMINGHAM Disability Resource Centre Tel 0121 789 7365
n Disabled People’s Network Solihull Tel 0121 788 1544 n STOKE: Disability Solutions Tel 01782 683800 n WOLVERHAMPTON Elder and Disabled Group Tel 01902 448552 n WEST MIDS Amputee
Group. 07891 794733; 07585 958322; 07557 228154
