Atn issue 69 aug sep2016

CAN YOU HELP US TO HELP EVEN MORE PEOPLE? – back page

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2016

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CLIFF, AGED 100!

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NEWS

August/September 2016

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n All Together NOW! is a registered charity set up to provide a tip top news service for anyone whose life is affected by disability, long-term health condtions or age. n The charity – the only one of its kind in the UK – relies entirely on support from its sponsors, advertisers, subscriptions and donations.

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Editor: Tom Dowling

email: news@alltogethernow.org.uk

Legal Affairs, Corporate Social Responsibility, Philanthropy editor: Steve McDermott

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TAKE YOUR PARTNERS . . . Nuno Sabroso and Daniel Oliveira, the former world wheelchair dance champions HE Wheelchair Dance Sport Association is celebrating its 10th anniversary and on the lookout for more would-be dancers.

“Dance has no boundaries,” says the sport’s new patron, Rashmi Becker.

“It is for everyone and can be enjoyed anywhere.

“Dance can make us think, smile, and it is good for our well-being.

“I am looking forward to supporting the WDSA to

Marathon man Dan’s big run for his friends

enable more people to participate in all forms of dance and develop the breadth of talent in the UK.”

n Strictly Wheels (Gary Lyness & Paula Moulton): Tel. 0161 6949133. n Email: dance@strictlywheels.co.uk n www.strictlywheels.co.uk n WDSA (UK): Tel. 0300 111 30 45. n www.wdsauk.co.uk

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EASHELL Trust’s very own marathon man Daniel Snee raised more than £4,000 for the Cheshire-based charity providing education and residential care for young people.

Dan, 16, who has severe development delay, severe autism, sensory processing dysfunction, epilepsy and no speech, completed his epic feat by running four and a half laps, just over a mile, at Woodbank Athletics Track in Stockport.

In all, he ran just over 26 miles over a number of weeks with his learning support team.

Dan’s mum Michelle, from Fixby, Huddersfield, said: “I think the photo just shows what a determined young man he really is!

“Everyone is incredibly proud of him. This achievement is a celebration of Daniel – his personality, sense of purpose and everything he does well, and certainly not the list of disabilities that have been well documented throughout his life.”

Teacher Allyson Taylor said: “Running independently is a huge achievement for Dan. It helps him to focus and his vision appears to be improving as a result. It also helps him to concentrate in school.” n Seashell Trust: Tel. 0161 610 0100. n www.seashelltrust.org.uk

HALF A MILLION READERS . . .

Is your pub too noisy for comfort?

ALMOST eight out of 10 people have left a pub, restaurant or café early because of the noise.

So says charity Action on Hearing Loss, who have now launched a nation-wide “Speak Easy” campaign.

An online poll that surveyed people with and without hearing loss showed 81% had difficulty holding a conversation due to the level of environmental noise.

They were also united (91%) in saying that they will not make a return visit to a place where the noise levels were too high.

Background noise from other diners, the kitchen, and music was also responsible for over a quarter (27%) of all respondents receiving the wrong order.

The problem is made worse by recent interior design trends that have seen venues employ bold, sleek aesthetics with lots of hard surfaces and high ceilings. That means increased noise levels due to a lack of furnishings to absorb sound.

Charity chief executive Paul Breckell said: “We want to help the industry create a more welcoming dining experience for all customers.

“There are 11 million people in the UK with hearing loss.

“So, financially, it’s a nobrainer for the industry to help make dining out more enjoyable and accessible.” n The report’s companion guide, Speak Easy: How to improve the customer experience, details practical steps that venues can take to reduce background noise.

n Action on Hearing Loss: Tel. 0808 808 0123, www.actiononhearingloss. org.uk

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All Together NOW!

August/September 2016

Welcome to our new partner A VERY warm welcome to our new partner, Da Vinci Mobility, one of the UK’s leading manufactures of wheelchairs.

Founder and co-director Vincent Ross, pictured, said: “We want to raise our profile across the North West and there is no better way of doing that than being seen in All Together NOW! ” See Page 13 and Back Page

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@ATNnews AllTogetherNowNews www.alltogethernow.org.uk Honours for Steve, Ruth and Lynda

CONGRATULATIONS to all those recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list – among them All Together NOW! long-standing supporter Steve Morgan, who received a CBE for philanthropic services.

“I’m delighted,” said Steve, 63, chairman of Redrow Homes.

“I’m also proud of the recognition that it gives The Morgan Foundation for the work that it does, making a real difference to the lives of those suffering from disability or disadvantage in our region.”

In 1992 Steve received an OBE for services to the construction industry.

Also recognised were Ruth Gould, artistic director of Liverpool-based DaDaFest, who was awarded an MBE; and Lynda Hesketh, chair of Chester Phab Club, who received a British Empire Medal.

STEVE MORGAN CBE RUTH GOULD MBE MORGAN FOUNDATION – page 7

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Housing and work must be top priority DISABILITY charity Papworth Trust has called on Prime Minister Theresa May to prioritise housing and work needs for disabled and older people.

The charity’s chief executive, Vicky McDermott, said: “We will work with her Government to make sure that unmet housing needs are met for disabled and older people – so that we do not solve one housing crisis by creating another.

“Theresa May was clear in her leadership campaign that the reality of people across our country is often not reflected in the rhetoric from MPs in Westminster. We aim to play an active role in helping Ministers to understand what needs to be done to address the growing crisis in adult social care.”

MEANWHILE learning disability charity Mencap is also demanding that the rights of people with a learning disability higher on the political agenda than ever before.

Jan Tregelles, chief executive at Mencap, said: “The new Prime Minister has talked of a Government ‘for all of the people and all of the country’. This must include people with a learning disability who continue to suffer from inadequate healthcare, low employment levels, hate crime and cuts to their care and benefits.”

DIY blood tests

FOUR thousand people across Wigan who take warfarin tablets are to get the chance to monitor their own blood rather than have to make regular – and sometimes expensive – trips to GP surgeries.

New hi-tech hand-held devices will let patients submit test results to their NHS team via email or phone calls.

Their new dose of warfarin is then calculated in clinic, automatically recorded in their patient record, and relayed back to them.

John Binks, 84, a patient at Beech Hill Medical Practice, said: “It’s dead easy to use and I encourage all to give it a go.”

Dr David Humphreys, GP and chief executive director of Wigan Borough Federated Healthcare, said: “It’s great to see technology positively transform patient’s quality of life, and relieve NHS pressures at the same time.”

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August/September 2016

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Three out of 10 are losing their benfits

THREE in 10 disabled people previously claiming disability living allowance are being told they are ineligible for the Government’s new disability benefit, figures show.

Department for Work and Pensions figures show only 71% of DLA recipients who applied for the new personal independence payment (PIP) were successful with their claim in April 2016.

New PIP claimants also show a sharp fall in the last two years, with just 43% of claimants – excluding those who are terminally ill – found eligible for PIP in April 2016, compared with 65% in April 2014.

The figures suggest the Government could be on track to fulfil its threat to cut working-age claimants of DLA/PIP by at least 20% – a pledge first made by the coalition in the summer of 2010.

Books bonanza

MILLIONS of blind and partially sighted people will be able to access thousands more books, thanks to a deal involving 20 countries.

The Marrakesh Treaty, which allows organisations like RNIB to send and receive accessible books – in electronic, braille, large print and audio formats – starts in September.

Dan Pescod, RNIB campaigns manager, said: “Being able to access books is vital, and sight loss should not be a barrier.

“We support the World Blind Union’s call for every single country to ratify the treaty. In that way we can help end the “book famine” in which only some 7% of books published are ever made available in accessible formats in richer countries, and less than 1% in poorer countries.”

UN blasts austerity

UN experts have spoken out about the impact of Government austerity on the rights of disabled people and other disadvantaged groups.

They were “seriously concerned” about the “disproportionate adverse impact” of the austerity measures introduced by successive Tory-led governments, said a scathing report from the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Lorna McGregor, an Equality and Human Rights Commissioner, said: “Recent reforms to civil law justice have had particular impacts on disabled people, women and ethnic minorities.

“For example, the introduction of fees for employment tribunals has resulted in large drops in the numbers of claims brought for discrimination on the basis of sex, disability, race and sexual orientation.”

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

KEEN golfers Anthony Lynch and Mark Stuart swung into action on a gruelling 90-hole challenge, raising more than £4,500 for children’s charity Stick ‘n’ Step.

The pair teed off at 4.30am for The Longest Day 90-Hole Golf Challenge – and completed the course 12 hours 14 minutes later, each having covered 24 miles.

A week later Anthony also arranged a four-ball competition for 21 teams in aid of the Merseyside based charity.

Hundreds of Stick ‘n’ Step supporters also took part in the annual 15-mile Wirral Coastal Walk, raising another £6,000. n Stick ‘n’ Step provides support services to children with cerebral palsy and their families across the North West and Wales. The specialist sessions are not offered by the NHS and are free. n Tel 0151 638 0888, www.sticknstep.org

WASTED OPPORTUNITY

MARATHON MEN: Golfers Anthony, left, and Mark

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AMPAIGNERS have blasted the Government’s response to a major House of Lords inquiry into the impact of the Equality Act on disabled people, branding it a “wasted opportunity”.

The crossbench disabled peer Baroness Jane Campbell, who was a member of the committee that carried out the nine-month inquiry, said she was bitterly disappointed and angry.

Disabled campaigner Doug Paulley, who gave evidence to the committee, said it was a “disgusting, disingenuous travesty” that “offers absolutely nothing whatsoever and treats our experiences and evidence with complete contempt”.

The committee’s report concluded, when it was published in March, that the Government was failing to protect disabled people from discrimination, and that laws designed to address disability discrimination across areas including access to public buildings, housing, public spaces and public transport were not working.

It also said that Government spending cuts were having a hugely adverse effect on disabled people.

An analysis by Disability News

by JOHN PRING

Service of the Government’s response, suggests that it accepted in full only about eight of the committee’s 55 recommendations and rejected or disagreed with about 26, while partially accepting just six more.

The position on the other 15 was either unclear or saw the government pass responsibility to organisations such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Nicky Morgan, the former minister for women and equalities, who responded to the report, said the Government was not convinced that it would be practical to carry out an overall assessment of the impact of its cuts and reforms on disabled people.

‘Long way to go’

She said that disability rights cannot be delivered by regulation alone: “Forcing people to change their behaviours with regulation will not always change their hearts and minds and changing hearts and minds will lead to better attitudes, better access and better outcomes for disabled people.

“While we know there is still a long way to go before disabled people can truly say they have

achieved equality, Government has achieved more by initiating conversations between disabled people and the public, private and voluntary sector than by the blunt instrument of regulation.”

She said the Government would be reviewing its Fulfilling Potential disability strategy during the summer and autumn and would use the committee’s evidence and wider conversations with disabled people to help shape how we will take the strategy forward until 2020.

But Baroness Campbell said: “This response suggests our minister for disabled people Justin Tomlinson, his departmental officials and our wider government, do not understand the depth of disability discrimination and its blight on the whole of society.

“If they did, it would be a very different response – one that demonstrated to the committee a root and branch, cross-government strategy to tackle the barriers that prevent disabled people from living independently, working, learning and generally participating as equal citizens.

“Naturally I’m bitterly disappointed and angry at this wasted opportunity to kick-start a progressive equality agenda for the UK’s 11 million disabled people.”

HALF A MILLION READERS . . .

‘Give all rail users the right to ride’

THE number of disabled people travelling by train has increased sharply in the last year.

Disabled people were assisted to use a train 1,146,000 times in 2015-16, an increase of 7.7% on the previous year and a rise of 21% in just three years, statistics from the Office of Rail and Road show.

The number of bookings made through the national passenger assistance booking system rose by 7.6% to more than 341,000.

Neither of these figures includes assistance provided by Network Rail or train companies when a disabled passenger has asked for help without making a booking.

Other figures published by ORR show that the number of people with a disabled persons railcard rose by 9.6% to more than 192,000 in 2015-16, an increase of more than 47,000 (nearly a third) in just three years.

COMIC FRANCESA BLASTS NETWORK RAIL BOSS – p8

Faryal Velmi, director of the charity Transport for All, said the true number of disabled people travelling on the rail network was likely to be far higher, due to the number of people who “turn up and go” without booking assistance in advance.

She also believes the Association of Train Operating Companies should scrap the national passenger assistance booking system and instead enforce a “turn up and go” system, so that wheelchairusers and other disabled people do not have to book in advance if they need assistance to travel by rail.

She said: “We need to treat disabled people as equal citizens with a “right to ride”, and get rid of this unfair policy.”

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August/September 2016

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ENTRY FORM

All Together NOW! has again teamed up with Park – one of our key partners – to give you a fantastic chance to win their top-of-the-range Christmas hamper.

The Empire hamper is worth £549 – and it will be all yours if you win our super prize draw.

It’s the SIXTH successive year that Park have donated their monster hamper, which contains a huge range of Christmas food and drink to keep even the biggest family fed over the festive period.

Park CEO Chris Houghton said: “Our previous competitions in All Together NOW! have all been extremely popular. We are confident that this one will attract even more interest.”

So get your entries in now! n For more information about budgeting for Christmas, go to: www.getpark.co.uk/atn

THE first entry drawn out of the hat on Friday, November 6, will win the hamper. You can also send your answer on the back of a postcard to: n Park Hamper Competition,

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● Spread the cost of Christmas 2016 with easy weekly instalments ● Choose from a wide range of gift cards and vouchers. Including Love2shop Vouchers that can be spent at over 20,000 high street stores. Plus, we are adding new retailers all the time to give you even more choice! ● Enjoy your Christmas shopping knowing it’s all been paid for in advance

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RULES: By entering the competition you confirm that you understand and agree that the information you provide will be held on a Park Group database and that it will be shared by all companies within the Park Group.

A full list of those companies is available by writing to the Data Controller, Park Group Plc, Valley Road, Birkenhead, CH41 7ED. Park Group plc shall be the data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998. The information you provide will be used by Park Group and any necessary third parties to provide you with the goods and services you request. Companies within the Park Group may wish to contact you for customer care purposes or to keep you informed about the latest offers, promotions, prize draws, and competitions, using post, telephone, e-mail, SMS and any other appropriate means, including new technology. If you wish to be contacted via email or SMS, please provide us with your e-mail address and/or your mobile telephone number as appropriate.If you do not wish to be contacted by any member of the Park Group for marketing purposes, please indicate this on your entry. The winning entry must agree to having a photograph taken for promotional purposes.

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Courts must crack down on hate crime

LEARNING disability charity Mencap is appealing to everyone in the criminal justice system to take disability hate crime seriously and apply the full strength of the law.

Following new figures from the Crown Prosecution Service which showed the number of prosecutions for hate crimes against disabled people has risen by 41.3% in the last year, Mencap say it’s time to take tougher action.

Dan Scorer, the charity’s head of policy, said: “The on-going level of hate crime against disabled people is clear evidence of the levels of hostility and negative attitudes that people have to face.

“Everyone working in the criminal justice system must take disability hate crime seriously and apply the full strength of the law.

“Alongside this, greater awareness of disability among the public is needed to tackle negative attitudes.”

Why I love this paper

“I’VE JUST read the latest issue of All Together NOW! “I love it, I always love it.

“I read every issue and it is always very, very good. It’s such a good read, and so very, very interesting.

“Get hold of it.

Read it! It’s brilliant!

“It is free – be a Friend and help support them.” Roger Phillips, BBC Radio Merseyside presenter

A taste for danger

STAND by for a new TV documentary about disabled people undertaking some very dangerous sports.

The hour-long film, The Disabled Dangerous Sports Club, follows a group of people with disabilities determined to push themselves to the limit.

The film follows Bazza, aka The Chair Devil, the ringleader of a group, who lost the use of all four limbs in a car accident; Jenna, a feisty girl from The Valleys who was born with small arms; Caroline, an amputee who lost not just her leg but her husband in a tragic motorcycle accident; and Kain, one of the smallest dwarfs in the UK who has a passion for extreme sports and fitness.

No date has yet been fixed for screening the documentary.

NEWS

August/September 2016

What do you give to your favourite uncle who is celebrating his

100

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Lord of the flyers

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th birthday?

PICTURES: Rod Kirkpatrick/ F Stop Press

LIFF Crozier might have turned 100 – but that’s not stopping him living life to the full!

All Together NOW! featured Cliff a year ago taking internet lessons and finding his way around the worldwide web.

Now the former wartime pilot has taken to the skies again . . . at the controls of a Tiger Moth – “the perfect gift” from his nieces.

After landing at Darley Moor Airfield, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, Cliff hopped out of the plane beaming from ear to ear.

“It brought back more than a few memories,” he said. “It was very exciting – not like flying in a modern aircraft.”

When asked if he’d like to go up again in a Boeing Stearman, Cliff was quick to say yes before zipping up his flying suit for a flight in the recently restored 1943 US military plane.

He said: “The Stearman was also fantastic to fly in, and I’ve not been in one before. The visibility was not as good as in The Tiger Moth – the instrument panel blocked my forward view. But there was a great view over the side.”

Will Flanagan, chief flying instructor at Blue Eye Aviation, said: “Cliff’s the oldest passenger we’ve ever had. Many elderly people need to be lifted in and out of the cockpit but Cliff climbed in and out, almost without any help at all.

“You’d never believe he’s a hundred.”

As a young teacher Cliff, from Wirral, Cheshire, joined the Territorial Army in 1939 in a light ack ack antiaircraft unit.

After war broke out he was drafted and posted to the Second Brigade Searchlight Regiment in Lincolnshire.

He soon became an officer and began flying, firstly in a Tiger Moth, as a searchlight observer and co-ordinator of radar aerials.

Cliff also observed from bombers including

FLASHBACKS: The young Cliff Crozier – and last year making front page news

Wellingtons, Avro Ansons, Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys, and an Avro Lancaster.

After he became a captain, he was attached to an infantry unit as an intelligence officer defending Cherbourg and later Antwerp before ending the war in Germany.

Cliff married his wife, Renee, in 1940 and the couple have one daughter, Carolyn.

After the war he returned to teaching at Wirral’s West Kirby junior school and joined

the TA again, where he served until he was 45, He became head of Greasby juniors in 1952 and retired in 1978.

“I live for the day,” said Cliff, “and count myself so lucky to be able to do all that I do.”

HALF A MILLION READERS – AND GROWING!

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August/September 2016

All Together NOW!

Making a difference . . .

H

ERE at the Morgan Foundation we want to help organisations who share our philosophy – Making a Difference.

Over the past decade we have helped hundreds of organisations across the region,

committing over £32 million.

This year we will be giving away over £2 million to good causes.

Created in 2001 by businessman Steve Morgan OBE, founder and chairman of Redrow plc, chairman of the Bridgemere Group of Companies and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, the Morgan Foundation supports charities across North Wales,

Merseyside, West Cheshire and North Shropshire.

Our aim is to provide funding for small to medium-sized organisations who are addressing specific needs in these regions.

We are particularly keen to support those who have already begun to make an impact, but need a helping hand to expand their work and increase their effectiveness.

We focus our help mainly on those who work directly with children and families but we recognise that many wider issues may also affect their welfare, so we are interested in any project which contributes to the quality of life in our region.

£420,000 – IN ONE! Charity golf day raises the roof and lots of smiles

MORE great news . . . £450,000 was committed at our latest trustee meeting.

Grants have been awarded to: n Priority Youth Project n Rice Lane City Farm n North Salop Wheelers n Emmaus Merseyside n Target Football CIC n Oswestry Community Action (QUBE) n The Choir with No Name (Liverpool) n Sundowns

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WHOPPING £420,000 is on the way to help young people in Wolverhampton, thanks to The Morgan Foundation’s fifth biannual charity golf day.

Undeterred by the weather, the 22 teams managed to play a full round, and 250 guests at a glittering gala dinner at Cheshire’s Carden Park Hotel were provided with some tip-top entertainment from young people from The Way Youth Zone, Sasha Simone, the Rick Parfitt Jnr Band, and impressionist Rory Bremner.

Steve Morgan CBE, chairman of the Morgan Foundation, said: “The funds raised this year will go towards The Way Youth Zone’s mentoring project, where trained staff help young people, often from disadvantaged and dysfunctional backgrounds, to find a way forward with their lives.”

Rory Bremner, who is patron of the ADHD Foundation – one of the projects supported by The Morgan Foundation – said: “The UK needs more people like Steve Morgan.

“The outstanding philanthropy that The Morgan Foundation is doing makes a real difference in the heart of some of our most deprived communities.

“The Way Youth Zone provides a much needed safe place for young people in some of the toughest communities and I am proud to have played a very small part in the proceedings.” n The Way Youth Zone is a £5.5 million facility in Wolverhampton built for young people between the ages of 8-19 (or up to 25 with a disability).

CHEERS ALL ROUND: Steve and Sally Morgan with Rory Bremner

www.morganfoundation.co.uk Tel 01829 782800

The Morgan Foundation

THERE’S also a 17-seater Smiley Bus on the way to Netherley Youth & Community Initiative – making a total of 45 Smiley vehicles being donated to deserving organisations across our region.

The Morgan Foundation – “making a difference”

@Morganfound

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All Together NOW!

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August/September 2016

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Fran launches disability drive – then sees it cut ‘Audio is n 25% of disabled passengers say they worry about their journeys when travelling by train

Crossed lines! n A third of disabled people would make more use of the rail network if it was more accessible

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OP disabled comic Francesca Martinez launched Network Rail’s new access campaign – then discovered the train company’s boss had told the Government to cut money for making stations accessible.

Martinez said she was shocked to learn that Sir Peter Hendy had recommended that nearly £50m allocated to the Access for All scheme be delayed until at least 2019.

His advice came in his spending review for the Government and provoked an impassioned message from Martinez.

In an email she sent to Sir Peter, she said: “As a prominent disability campaigner, I must raise these concerns with you because I believe the flurry of cuts to welfare, and the austerity measures, are greatly impacting on disabled people and reducing their ability to lead happy, fulfilled lives.

“So I am worried that this delayed spending proposal will be part of the trend of eliminating

by JOHN PRING

vital services and funds dedicated to improving access and equality.

“At a time when many disabled people are still unable to use their local stations, this delay will mean further discrimination and negative impact on their lives.

“I know that disabled people are already the hardest hit group in society, and I fully support charities such as Transport for All in their calls for the Government to reject this spending delay.”

At the launch Martinez said the campaign was about the need to “cater for everyone’s needs from the beginning” and not as “an afterthought”, as has happened in the past.

She said: “If we want an equal society, we have got to have a rail network where everyone can access it without fear or worry.

“For a lot of disabled people there is that kind of rising panic and stress when they approach a

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journey and that kind of question of, ‘What will happen, will I be met, will something go wrong?’”

She added: “It’s all very well having an inclusive environment, but staff training is equally important.

“You have got to have staff that are aware and compassionate and patient across the whole industry because I think a lot of issues that some of my disabled friends felt, and myself, is that some of the staff can make you feel like a burden or an annoyance and be reluctant to help you.

“So in tandem with physical environment you also need to make sure the attitude is there.”

A survey for Network Rail found that two-thirds of disabled people use the railway. Of those, a quarter (24%) do not feel that their journey will be easy, and a third (33%) would travel by rail more if it was more accessible.

Mark Carne, chief executive of Network Rail, said: “We know access for disabled people hasn’t been good enough. We are committed to changing this, and doing what is necessary to make sure inclusivity is embedded in our culture.”

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needed on all buses’

DISABLED peers have called on the Government to strengthen a new bill to ensure that all new buses have to be fitted with audiovisual announcements.

They were taking part in the second Lords reading of the bus services bill.

All new buses will have to meet accessibility regulations by the end of the year, and Government statistics show that 89% of buses in England do so.

But the regulations do not include audio-visual announcements.

Baroness Jane Campbell said that providing audiovisual on buses would open up travel not only to people with visual impairments, but also to those with other conditions.

Baroness Sal Brinton, president of the Liberal Democrats, said that AV announcements were vital for wheelchair-users like herself who have to travel with their backs to the direction of travel.

London calling

Lord Colin Low said that only about 19% of UK buses were fitted with AV, but 97% of them were in London.

Baroness Tanni GreyThompson said she was a regular bus-user in the capital, but not near her home in the north-east of England “because of issues with access, routes and timetabling”.

Lord Chris Holmes, a disability commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said that accessible buses were important both for improving access to employment and addressing social isolation.

Lord Ahmad, the Conservative junior transport minister, said the bill would allow new accessibility standards, such as audio-visual announcements, to be set locally in response to the needs of local communities, but he did not suggest that the Government would make this mandatory across the country.

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

Back us, teachers

August/September 2016

All Together NOW!

BRIEFLY . . .

n GROWING up is a tricky process at the best of times but with a serious illness, it can be overwhelming.

Now UK charity Together for Short Lives has launched an online guide supporting young people as they move to adult services.

Leah Booth, one of the young people involved in developing the guide, said: “The Moving to Adult Services Guide changes all that. It shows it’s okay for me to want things in life.” n www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk

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OUNG people with spinal cord injuries have been giving student teachers some important lessons.

“Children and young people who are paralysed are often not included in school life because teachers don’t know how to support them,” says campaigner Ella Provan.

“This leads to dependence on others, isolation and depression.”

Ella is coordinating a new inclusion campaign at Back Up, the national charity that helps people rebuild their lives after spinal cord injury.

The campaign, #ThisSchoolIncludes, calls for training to be delivered to all students teachers in Initial Teacher Training by people with disabilities themselves.

Ella added: “Our experience tells us that good practice is happening but not everywhere. That’s why our schools inclusion service exists and that’s why a new training approach for student teachers in ITT is essential.

“We want all teachers to ask: ‘How can we include?’ rather than, ‘Can we include?’ This

should start with asking the child or young person how they want to be included, but it is something that is frequently forgotten.”

Kaitlan, a 15-year-old spinal cord injured student supported by Back Up, said that her teachers were unsure how to respond to her disability.

“They would panic,” Kaitlan said. “Back Up visiting my school has made things better.”

Back Up is working with the Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education and Disabled Living to design and develop an inclusion training module for student teachers in ITT.

n Spinal cord injury is permanent. It can happen to anyone through accident or illness and is easy as falling down the stairs n Every year 40 – 50 children in the UK will sustain a spinal cord injury through either accident or illness leaving them permanently paralysed. n Every eight hours, someone in the UK has their life changed forever by spinal cord injury n There are estimated to be 40,000 people affected by spinal cord injury in the UK today n Back Up Trust: Tel. 020 8875 1805, www.backuptrust.org.uk

Charities can’t continue filling gap in social care budgets

WE WANT ACTION!

N

EWLIFE Foundation for Disabled Children is calling on the Government to drastically review the reasons for failed provision of paediatric equipment in many areas of the UK after figures published by the Department of Work and Pensions in June show a 30% increase in the number of disabled children over the past decade.

Furthermore, Newlife – the UK’s largest charity provider of specialist equipment for children with disabilities and terminal illness – claims hundreds of thousands of youngsters have been denied essential equipment because public funding has been calculated on out-dated statistics.

The new DWP figures show that the number has risen dramatically so that there are now just under one million disabled children in the UK for the first time. In the last ten years, Newlife has provided

9

more than £12m of specialist equipment to help bridge the public funding gap.

The previous figure of around 0.8m disabled children has been quoted by Government – via the Gov.uk website – for the past ten years.

Last month, Newlife took its campaign to the House of Commons, where it held an exhibition from July 11 to 15.

Newlife CEO Sheila Brown OBE, said: “The health and social care sector has known for many years that as healthcare has improved more children are surviving conditions such as cancers, prematurity, accidents and birth defects, but many of these survivors are left with long or short term disabilities.

“It’s not enough to save lives, we also need to care for the lives that we save.”

She added: “Charities cannot continue to fill the gap left by shrinking local statutory service budgets.

We will be appealing to Government to use the data to properly plan for the future.”

n A HELPLINE giving vital support to parents of children with Special Educational Needs has received a major cash boost from The Masonic Charitable Foundation.

Helpline manager Jill Davies said: “Education remains a top concern for families with disabled children and the number of calls to our SEN helpline continues to rise.” n Helpline 0808 808 3555

n A MAJOR UK visitor attraction’s determination to get more disabled youngsters through its doors has paid off handsomely.

Halifax-based Eureka! The National Children’s Museum took first prize in the Arts, Culture and Heritage category at this year’s Charity Awards.

Making precious memories

W

ATCHING your baby grow is a remarkable experience – but when the future is uncertain and you are taking each day as it comes, the experience becomes all the more precious.

To support families facing the unthinkable, Newlife offers Comfort Capsules to help make memories that can be treasured forever.

Comfort Capsules have been put together with the help of an expert team and contain carefully chosen items that aim to support families in making the most of their precious time with their child.

Items include a soft blanket, a supportive V-pillow, hand print maker, camera and digital photo frame as well as a portable DVD player.

One-year-old Patrick Langford from Nottingham has a rare brain condition.

His mum, Vicky, said: “The digital camera has been brilliant for us – we are trying to take as many pictures as possible. We also have quite a lot of hospital stays with Patrick

so the DVD player has been really helpful at distracting him when we are there. He loves the blanket and the pillow - they have gone everywhere with him since we had them.

“Patrick has a twin and they were able to use the handprint maker together – we are trying to make as many memories of the two of them together as we possibly can.”

Vicky described how it can be isolating as a parent of a child with a rare illness.

“There is very little research about Patrick’s condition,” she said. “It can be quite lonely and scary thinking that you are the only family going through it. We didn’t know that anything like the Comfort Capsules existed but it is an absolutely fantastic service.” n To access the Comfort Capsule service a request must be made to Newlife Nurses by a healthcare professional on behalf of the family. n Newlife can be contacted free from a UK landline or mobile on 0800 902 0095 or on 01543 468 400. n Alternatively you can email nurses@newlifecharity.co.uk n www.newlifecharity.co.uk

All Together NOW!

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How Brexit will force us to be creative

by STEPHEN BURKE

I

Director of Good Care Guide and United for All Ages

hesitate to add to the outpourings since the Brexit vote.

The consequences of political and economic turmoil are clear to see.

What has been less discussed are the implications for care, both eldercare and childcare. Drilling down, what will Brexit mean for care in this country?

First, uncertainty makes it difficult to plan. For example, massive changes are afoot in childcare – from the extension of free childcare for three and four year olds to 30 hours a week to long-awaited childcare tax breaks.

Will these changes go ahead as planned or will the post-referendum world force more delays or backtracking? There must be doubts, given the economic shocks, whether these promises can be delivered in full.

Secondly, where funding is already tight, such as for adults, it will get tighter.

The care crisis will get worse as the economy buckles. Consequences for older and disabled people and their families are frightening.

Not only will they face squeezes on their budgets as prices rise and jobs are lost, but they will be left to cope on their own and expected to pay for their care, provide it themselves or struggle without.

Staffing crisis

Thirdly, before the referendum, many warned about a staffing crisis in care and health, with many workers coming to work in the UK from overseas.

Nothing will change overnight, except we now live in a country where some people think the Brexit result gives them the licence to be abusive and racist. This will make some workers seriously consider whether they want to work in the UK and it will deter others from moving here.

But there is already a staffing crisis – for example, many nursing homes cannot recruit the qualified nurses they need and incur large agency bills or tolerate potentially unsafe practices.

Fourthly, many independent care providers have long warned their businesses are not viable, with the prospect of care homes being forced to close. That likelihood must have significantly increased.

We have no choice but to do things differently. The growing number of families who rely on care services, now and in the future, need us all to be creative, compassionate and constructive.

Act of betrayal August/September 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

New law has failed us so much

A

YEAR after it promised it would safeguard the well-being of disabled people and their loved ones, the Care Act has failed, a report says.

Freedom of Information requests have revealed that carers are actually WORSE OFF since the launch of the Act 12 months ago.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s legislation was the most significant reform of social care law in over 60 years.

But research found that over half of England’s local authorities had spent less overall on services for disabled people and carers since it came into being than in the year before – to the tune of £397m.

And 42% of authorities had reduced their spending on respite provision by an average of nearly £900,000 each.

The research was carried out by the national disabled people’s charity Revitalise, whose chief executive Chris Simmonds called the outcome “a tragedy”.

But he said the shortage of money for social care budgets meant it was hardly surprising.

A central pillar of the Care Act was the legal entitlement of all disabled people and carers to an assessment of their support needs.

However, Revitalise found that local authorities gave fewer Needs Assessments for disabled people during the first year of the Care Act than in the year before it.

Half had carried out an average of 22% fewer Carer Assessments during the same period.

A parallel survey of disabled people and carers mirrored the findings.

SENIOR MOMENTS

Over half (53%) of disabled people and carers questioned said the funding they received had been reduced or not kept pace with inflation over the past year.

Almost half said they were now struggling to make ends meet.

Seven out of 10 disabled people and carers told the charity they were unaware of any changes to their entitlements as a result of the Care Act and half said the services they received had got worse since the Act’s introduction.

Revitalise is now calling for an overhaul of the Care Act to ensure all disabled people and carers within local authority jurisdictions are approached and offered Carer or Needs Assessments, and for more funding from central government to enable local authorities to fulfil the Act’s pledges.

. . . with FRANK HARRIS

Four in five have money worries

FOUR out of five disabled people claiming means-tested benefits are worried about changes to the welfare system, say national charity Turn2us.

Nearly three-quarters of people said they would feel even more stressed about their financial situation if their benefits were to be cut or reduced, while nearly twothirds fear they would have to cut back on food.

Almost half said they might struggle to pay their rent or mortgage, and almost threefifths are concerned they may get into debt.

One claimant said: “If it wasn’t for these benefits I would not be able to eat and keep a roof over my and my granddaughter’s head.

“I’m disabled and unable to work, and had nowhere else to turn for help.”

Another said: “Without benefits I would have no access to work or socialisation severely reducing my independence. My mental health would deteriorate along with my physical health.”

Universal Credit

Claimants also expressed uncertainty over Universal Credit that is being introduced gradually to replace six means-tested benefits for working-age people.

The new findings are released as part of the Turn2us Benefits Awareness Campaign.

The charity’s website – Turn2us.org.uk – has a free and confidential Benefits Calculator that reflects the latest welfare changes, so that anyone can check their current entitlements and how to make a claim.

The website also features information on benefits and other help for different circumstances, and a benefit changes timetable so that people can see if and when they might be affected by the changes taking place in 2016 and beyond.

Simon Hopkins, chief executive of Turn2us, said: “We would urge anyone who is worried about their situation to visit our website where they can find the latest information on benefit changes, and check their current entitlements.” n www.Turn2us.org.uk n Helpline: 0808 802 2000.

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

August/September 2016

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All Together NOW!

August/September 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

Five-year reprieve for older drivers?

R

OAD safety experts have recommended the age at which motorists must confirm they are medically fit to drive be raised from 70 to 75 – as long as proof of an eye test is made compulsory.

The Older Drivers Task Force has made seven key recommendations to the Government aimed at respecting the freedom of senior road users while keeping them safe.

In its new report – Supporting Safe Driving into Old Age – the Task Force sets out its national older driver strategy.

The emphasis is for the Government and industry to work together to ensure older drivers can stay on the road and enjoy independent lives for as long as it is safe to do so.

Other recommendations include: n Requiring the DVLA to get evidence of an eyesight test at licence renewal n Asking a consumer body to prepare specific advice on modern car safety features that are of special significance for older drivers – and consider

0800 916 3028 www.alliedmobility.com

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“silver” NCAP-style assessment n Improving road design, signs and markings to meet the highest international standards specifically to aid older drivers but bringing benefits for all drivers n Evaluating existing driving appraisal courses and improving information provided to older drivers, their families, and medical professionals n Piloting new products that offer an alternative to driving for older people. n Pooling insurer data and research into major claims involving older drivers to understand the detailed causes.

More than 25 experts and organisations in transport, health, policing, licensing, car manufacturing and insurance collaborated to produce the report.

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www.alltogethernow.org.uk

August/September 2016

L

OOKING for something to help you with your mobility needs?

A walking aid, a wheelchair, a powered scooter or a handcycle – manually propelled or a powered variety?

Or do you need your car adapting with hand controls, or something to help you getting in and out of a vehicle?

If so, then make sure you check out the team at Da Vinci Mobility, one of the most innovative wheelchair manufacturers in the country.

Set up 15 years ago by wheelchair user Vincent Ross, the company provides a wide range of mobility solutions for people with all sorts of needs.

“We can help so many people retain or regain their independence,” says Vin. “Our team have the knowledge and MAKING LIFE EASIER: Vincent Ross, left, and Steve Curran at the Da Vinci showrooms personal experience to be able to offer people plenty of options and help them “Within ten minutes of visiting us, she was just great that we can help so many people.” make the right choice.” chasing me around the showroom,” says Vin. Vin and the team also found a way of getting A few years ago they built a special vehicle “She’s now five and we are continually coming an 18-month toddler, paralysed down one side that enabled a paralysed farmer to reach fields of her body, to use a wheelchair. up with ways to help her to be even more that he had never seen before.

Her mother had been told her daughter would independent.”

“It was fantastic – for him and for us, too. “It’s They also make Trail Riders – a clip on wheel never be able to push a wheelchair.

We’re here to help, says Vin D

a Vinci Mobility founder Vincent Ross broke his back in a car accident in January 1974.

He was 22.

An engineer with English Electric, Vin was a passenger in a Bond three-wheeler when it went out of control on Queens Drive, Liverpool.

Five months later he left Southport’s spinal injuries unit – in a wheelchair, paralysed from the waist.

“Yes, it was a catastrophic, lifechanging experience,” says Vin, “and there were moments of great despair. But it wasn’t the end of the world.”

While lying on his back for seven weeks in hospital Vin saw lots of other paralysed patients visiting the unit.

“It was very clear to me that the people who were healthier, those who lived longer, were those with positive attitudes and those involved in sport. So that was it for me – I knew what I had to do.”

His company provided him with a new job as a jig and tool design draughtsman, and the council gave them a new home – with lift.

‘Just give us a call’

Next came sport. Amazingly, within just two years he made it into the GB wheelchair basketball team at the Canadian Paralympics – and returned home with a bronze medal in foil.

“It was great, but we could have done so much better had we had the kind of wheelchairs the Americans used.”

Two weeks later Vin made his own sports chair. By the time the next Paralympics came around, half of the GB basketball squad were also using his chairs.

Back in the late 70s there were no mobility shops in the UK. “You couldn’t just go and buy a wheelchair. You got them from NHS centres. They were very basic, and you had no choice.”

Vin’s response was to quit his job and start making chairs from the garage of his new Aintree home.

A few years later he joined a local charity to build his chairs – and

boost the charity’s profile by completing a gruelling Land’s End-John O’Groats wheelchair push in just 14 days, followed by another marathon across Japan.

Vin and friend, John Ingram, set up Da Vinci in 2001 and quickly became one of the UK’s most respected wheelchair makers.

The company also developed a new service for disabled drivers, offering a wide range of car adaptations including hand controls, rotating seats, hoists and roof boxes.

Following John’s retirement earlier this year, the team now comprises Vin and his three partners – wife, Mary; brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Ann Curran; and a staff of 15, half of whom have a disability.

“We’re here – and happy – to help,” adds Vin. “Just give us a call, or drop in at our showrooms and take a look at what’s on offer.” n Da Vinci Mobility, 6 Carraway Road Way, Gillmoss Industrial Estate, Liverpool L11 0EE. Tel 0151 548 1999. n www.davincimobility.co.uk

All Together NOW!

that converts a wheelchair into a powered trike.

“They are brilliant and helping lots of people get to places that previously were out of reach.”

Among those whose lives are being transformed is a 92-year-old man in Cornwall. “It’s perfect for getting him up the hills from the beach,” says Vin. Last week the team handed over another Trail Rider to a Hull vicar, who is planning a Land’s End-John O’Groats trek to help fund a new church community centre, and also a wheelchair – complete with trailer – for Kirk Mount, from Blackburn, who is about to set off on a similar marathon push.

Paralympian table tennis player Jack Hunter-Spivey also called in to the Da Vinci showroom to collect his custom-built chair, complete with his name embroidered into the upholstery.

“It looks superb – we’re all just hoping that he does well in Rio,” adds Vin. But it’s not all about hi-tech solutions…

“We can provide simple solutions to make life so much easier for everyone with a mobility issue – whatever their age and whatever their situation,” says Vin.

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All Together NOW!

August/September 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

So will it be a case of all aboard?

Tasers on the wards

MPs have voted against banning the use of Taser stun guns in psychiatric wards.

The ban had been proposed by the human rights campaign group Black Mental Health UK, and taken up by Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat MP and former care services minister.

Mr Lamb proposed an amendment to the Government’s policing and crime bill, which would have banned police officers from using electroshock weapons on psychiatric wards.

The policing minister, Mike Penning, said: “My heart tells me that the use of a Taser within a secure mental health facility must be wrong, but my brain and my experience tell me that in exceptional circumstances – it must not be the norm – it could happen.”

Life’s good

DOCTORS voted strongly against relaxing their union’s position on physicianassisted suicide.

The disabled people’s campaign network Not Dead Yet UK (NDY UK), welcomed the BMA vote, tweeting: “Thankyou to @BMA for continuing to oppose #assistedsuicide & listening to disabled people. Our lives are worth living,” and, “Disabled people will sleep safer tonight knowing @BMA doctors support us.”

FAREWELL TO OUR RIGHTS?

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AMPAIGNERS fear that Britain’s vote to leave the European Union could have serious consequences for disabled people.

Among their concerns are that the referendum result could trigger another recession, an increase in unemployment and a fresh round of spending cuts.

But there are also worries that disabled people could lose some legal protection from discrimination that they receive through the UK’s membership of the EU. However, it is far from clear what would happen to those rights when Britain leaves.

These protections include: n The air passengers regulation, which provides assistance for disabled passengers travelling in the EU, and similar rules for travel by train, ship, bus and coach; n EU rules on web accessibility for public sector websites; n The EU directive on equal treatment in employment and occupation from 2000, which bans disability discrimination in employment; n The planned European Accessibility Act, which will set “common accessibility requirements for certain key products

Fears for disabled people after Brexit

and services”.

Experts have suggested that the impact on disabled people will depend on the departure terms the UK agrees with the rest of the EU. If the UK stays in the EU single market, it could mean having to ensure its domestic laws meet the standards set out in EU law relating to the market.

According to Professor Anna Lawson, the disabled law expert heading the new Disability Law Hub at the University of Leeds, this is likely to include employment rights and discrimination laws and the proposed European Accessibility Act. If the UK agrees to maintain freedom of movement across other EU member states this could help disabled people retain and recruit personal assistants,

and enable the NHS to recruit staff, she added.

But the position of EU regulations on accessible air and ship travel is less clear and more vulnerable to being lost, as they are set out in EU law but not in any separate UK legislation, said Professor Lawson.

She added: “So if all EU law were to cease to have effect in the UK, we would lose those rights.”

The Equality and Human Rights Commission website confirms the postreferendum picture is complex.

Many protections under EU law have been incorporated into UK domestic law by legislation, and so would remain applicable post-EU exit unless repealed by parliament.

The same applies to most – but not all – secondary legislation.

Emily Brothers, a former senior EHRC manager and now a high-profile disabled Labour politician, said she was very disappointed and concerned about the implications for disabled people.

Ms Brothers said being in the EU brought them “strengthened rights and opportunities, as well as encouraging greater awareness and tolerance”.

She believes the independence of many disabled people is at risk. n SIR BERT MASSIE – P16.

SUPREME Court heard a groundbreaking case that could finally force bus companies to ensure that wheelchair-users can use the spaces reserved for them.

Doug Paulley’s longrunning case is the first the Supreme Court has heard concerning disability discrimination in the provision of services.

The importance of the case was underlined by the presence of both the president and the deputy president of the Supreme Court on a panel of seven judges.

A ruling on the case is expected before the end of the year.

Mr Paulley, from Wetherby, Yorkshire, originally took legal action after he was denied access to a bus operated by the company First Bus in February 2012, because the wheelchair space was occupied by a mother with a pushchair and the driver refused to force her to move.

Overturned

His appeal has been funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which told the court that bus companies must ensure that wheelchair-users have priority in using wheelchair spaces and that they must end their “first come, first served” policies.

Mr Paulley originally won his county court case in 2013 but the court of appeal overturned the ruling.

Chris Fry, from discrimination law experts Unity Law, said: “We hope that the Supreme Court will finally make the correct legal and moral decision that supports the overriding objective of social inclusion for disabled people, and find in favour of Doug.”

Giles Fearnley, managing director of First Bus, said: “We believe that our current policy, which is to ask other customers in the strongest polite terms to make way for a passenger in a wheelchair who needs the space, is the most feasible solution.”

PROMOTE YOUR LEGAL SERVICES TO HALF A MILLION READERS . . .

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August/September 2016

All Together NOW!

15

Airlines have ‘moral duty’ on wheelchair damage

UK AIRLINES have been told they must “show leadership” and promise to compensate in full disabled passengers whose mobility equipment is damaged in transit.

The call comes after it emerged airlines still rely on a loophole provided by the Montreal Convention that allows them to offer minimal compensation for wheelchairs and other equipment damaged by them, 14 years after a campaign was launched to address the issue.

Despite European regulations, introduced in 2006, that gave new rights to disabled passengers – and means airports and airlines must provide them with free assistance – the issue of compensation for damage and loss to wheelchairs is still unresolved. Under the convention,

compensation for damaged items, including wheelchairs, is calculated on the basis of weight rather than value.

The Civil Aviation Authority now says it will investigate how often mobility equipment was being damaged by airlines or airports across the UK. The CAA decision came following publicity about the case of disabled actor Athena Stevens, whose electric wheelchair – worth more than £25,000 – was badly damaged en-route from London to Glasgow.

Eight months on, she is still trying to secure the compensation.

Lord Chris Holmes, disability commissioner at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said UK

Councils head for high court

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IVERPOOL City Council is among four local authorities taking the Government to the High Court in a bid to secure additional funding for the cost of carrying out social care assessments for vulnerable adults.

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) assessment ensures that decisions made on behalf of people who lack mental capacity are being made in their best interests and do not inappropriately restrict their freedom.

The safeguards apply to people living in residential care or nursing care homes, and to those who are in hospital.

Local authorities have to decide whether any requests for changes to care are appropriate, and review the DoLS authorisation at least once a year.

A Supreme Court judgement in 2014 – known as the Cheshire West judgement – has led to many more people needing to be assessed as it widened the definition of the term to a larger group of adults.

It also highlighted that people who lack capacity regarding their care, but are deprived of their liberty, even if they do not resist it, have to have lawful authority from the DoLS scheme or from the Court of Protection.

A recent Law Commission impact assessment estimated that nationally around £400 million is needed to fund DoLS properly, but the Government has, to date, only provided a grant of £35 million shared among all local authorities.

Now the four authorities – Liverpool, Nottinghamshire County Council, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Shropshire Council – have launched a Judicial Review, calling for the judgement to be treated as a “new burden” and fully funded by the Government.

Speaking on behalf of Liverpool, Councillor Paul Brant, cabinet member for adult social care and health, said: “Ensuring that the care provided is safe, unrestrictive and provided with dignity is absolutely critical to the health and wellbeing of people with a complex range of needs, their families and carers.

“Councils need to have the capacity, time and money to ensure the rights and needs of people are protected and this additional financial burden has to be seen in the context of a 58% cut in Liverpool’s budget since 2010.

“This action is very much a last resort which we have been forced to take because Government has failed to heed our pleas for additional resources.”

airlines had a “moral responsibility” to stop hiding behind the Montreal Convention when they damage mobility equipment.

Efforts by the European Commission to introduce new regulations that include measures to allow disabled air passengers to receive full compensation for damaged wheelchairs were approved by MEPs in May 2014.

But the European Council has so far prevented it becoming law.

Lord Holmes said: “We are therefore calling on British air carriers to show leadership and proactively adopt this policy voluntarily to ensure that disabled people are offered full and, most importantly, timely compensation if their mobility devices are damaged by the carrier.”

Get on board with us, says Steve

STEVE McDERMOTT, a former chairman and trustee of the Everton In The Community charity, has joined up with All Together NOW! as editor for Legal Affairs, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Philanthropy.

Steve, a commercial and procurement lawyer for the Government Legal Department, said: “My organisation encourages its lawyers to lend their expertise to not-forprofits and charitable organisations from a pro-bono perspective, and I couldn't think of a better charity to help.”

Steve, who has a keen interest in both corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, intends to create a new and valuable legal section within the newspaper – and on our website.

His aim is to attract organisations and individuals with the same outlook to help All Together NOW! He said: “This is an absolutely fantastic charity and community newspaper that’s helping and informing hundreds of thousands of people.

“I am sure there are many businesses and individuals who would want to be associated with this innovative and award-winning work.”

CONTACT STEVE . . . info@alltogethernow.org.uk 0151 230 0307

Well said, Frank . . .

THE BBC’s disabled security correspondent spoke of his wish for a “normalisation of disability” in society.

Frank Gardner, who was giving the third annual Jack Ashley Memorial Lecture, said: “What I would like to see is the normalisation of disability, that people don’t look twice at somebody who’s blind or in a wheelchair… so they are 100% part of mainstream society.”

Gardner spoke about many of the daily experiences of discrimination that have frustrated him since he was shot by terrorists in Saudi Arabia 12 years ago.

Many of the problems he faced were due to the attitude of serviceproviders.

He said there were many areas where life could be made easier without too much difficulty.

He also spoke of his frustration at nondisabled people who use accessible toilets, and accessible parking bays.

He said that two things particularly helped him avoid falling into a “vortex of selfpity and despair”: the advice of a Navy psychiatrist, who told him to worry about the things he could still do and not those he would not be able to do anymore, and a letter from his bosses at BBC News which promised that his job would still be his when he was ready to return to work.

16

All Together NOW!

LETTERS

An appalling way to treat concert goers

I WAS appalled to read about Jade Jones’ experience at a Rihanna concert, where the British Paralympian was asked to leave the Old Trafford cricket ground venue early, as her wheelchair presented a health and safety risk.

This is disability discrimination, plain and simple, and I cannot condemn it enough.

The British Polio Fellowship campaigns tirelessly on this issue, as venues must be accessible for all.

Given this venue works with Level Playing Field, the advisory organisation for disabled sports fans, we would have expected better.

Disabled spectators pay the same price and should not have to leave early whilst others are allowed to enjoy the complete event.

Many BPF wheelchair users can identify with Jade’s story.

Many of the 120,000 people in the UK living with Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) use a wheelchair and poor accessibility and discrimination are reported far too often.

Sadly Jade’s experience is not an isolated incident and charities cannot afford to be complacent when it comes to action on access for all.

The world has not moved on as much as we like to think. That’s why we are supporting Purple Hound, a disability champion campaigning for greater accessibility.

n If you would like more information about The British Polio Fellowship or need our or support living with PPS, please contact us at www.britishpolio.org.uk or by calling 0800 043 1935.

Ted Hill, CEO, The British Polio Fellowship

That’s plane unfair

I BECAME disabled after two major spinal operations 20 years ago.

I now get around – slowly – on two walking canes. I now need my left knee replaced but was given the okay to go on holiday.

My wife booked a cruise and was told that we could fly from Manchester on Monarch Airlines and return on easyJet. I asked if we could have disabled seats near the toilet.

I have flown to Faro in Portugal and back 47 times with Monarch – the first three rows of seats were always ‘disabled’ seats.

But this time I was told that there were no disabled seats now. They told me that they were now sold as ‘extra legroom’ seats and if I wanted one I would have to pay.

This means that disabled people have to pay extra for their holiday. This has to be discrimination.

I refused to pay as it would have meant that I would have to pay for my wife’s seat as well. This also applied to the return journey on easyJet. Brian Seddon (email)

August/September 2016 OPINION

Time to restart this vital fund LAST year the Government abolished the Independent Living Fund on the grounds that it was “unsustainable” – which is the Government’s way of saying it costs too much.

We were told that the funds would be transferred to local authorities that would continue to provide the home support services that ILF grants enabled disabled people to enjoy.

Time has passed and guess what? Disabled people around the country are reporting that local authorities are withdrawing support services.

Disability Rights UK suggest that 120 local authorities simply absorbed the ILF funds into their social care budgets and did not allocate them

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

to support those disabled people previously supported by ILF. In Waltham Forest, east London, a freedom of information request by Inclusion London showed 53 out of 60 ex-ILF users have had their social care support cut since the ILF’s closure.

The new Government says it does not intend to follow so strictly the policy of austerity, of which George Osborne was so fond.

We shall see, but they must reverse the outrageous cuts in social care support that have been imposed on some of the people with the greatest care needs in the country.

A start would be to recreate the ILF and the support it gave disabled people.

BREXIT SOUNDING Our fight might just OFF be about SIR to start . . . BERT MASSIE

T

HE BATTLE has been fought, the tents dismantled, and the combatants returned home.

Those who, like me, voted to remain in the European Union are disappointed, and those who opposed Britain’s membership have raised their flags of victory.

The new Prime Minister has indicated that she accepts the verdict and will negotiate the UK’s exit.

During the contest, along with other activists, I signed a letter to The Times newspaper, drawing attention to the important role the European Union played in supporting the rights of disabled people.

For some years I spent a fair amount of time in Brussels fighting to make their policies more sensitive to the needs of disabled people.

From the early days of Britain’s membership, the EU took an interest in disability issues.

In the 1980s it created a Bureau in Favour of Disabled People. This funded a number of programmes that enabled disabled people from different countries to visit each other to learn of services in those countries and to promote the involvement of disabled people.

Although the UK had much to offer we were also able to learn and benefit from new ideas.

For example, when the UK was considering

how to make buses accessible to wheelchair users, we were considering using the United States model of high-floor buses fitted with lifts.

It soon became obvious that these were unsuitable for UK urban conditions.

The idea of low floor buses came from Germany. Now low floor accessible buses are used throughout Europe.

Although UK disability equality laws predated those of the EU, the EU did pass laws outlawing discrimination against older people and the UK then had to adopt these laws.

Rights for parents

In one respect the EU laws on disability improved our own legislation. The old Disability Rights Commission, which I chaired, had argued that friends and families of disabled people often faced discrimination because of their link with a disabled person.

For example, the employer of a parent of a disabled child might refuse to amend their work shifts to enable them to care for the child or to take them to hospital.

The EU introduced the concept of “disability by association” to cover such situations and this became part of UK law and such people now have the same rights as a disabled person.

The EU is also planning a new law on

It’s time to SPEAK UP

ONE consequence of the appointment of Theresa May as Prime Minister is likely to be a renewed determination to abolish the Human Rights Act and to replace it with a British Bill of Rights.

This poses significant danger for disabled people.

Human rights legislation has been used to promote social care for disabled people and to ensure that services do not drop beyond a certain level.

The European Convention of Human Rights was written after the Second World War and the UK signed it. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg enforces it.

Tony Blair’s decision to enshrine this in UK legislation, through the Human Rights Act, means it can be enforced in British courts, making it much more accessible to people in this country.

If this Act is abolished people seeking to assert their rights will need to use the European Court and this is outside the means and resources of most disabled people.

Rights that cannot be enforced are of limited use.

Human rights is not just about deporting alleged terrorists but are also about ensuring people’s basic human rights are protected and defended.

accessibility for disabled people and the UK could miss out on this when we leave the EU. It is also supporting programmes to promote the employment of disabled people as part of its 2010-2020 strategy. The UK should be part of this.

It is also becoming apparent that much of the medical research that could improve life for disabled people is now threatened.

The UK receives over £3 billion more research money from the EU than it pays in.

This will be lost and there is little prospect of the Government making up the loss.

Moreover, an increasing amount of research takes place in universities across different countries and some UK universities are already reporting that overseas universities are reluctant to enter into new contracts until they know the terms of Britain’s departure.

It is for the Government to negotiate Britain’s terms of exit and there is much detail to work through.

It is possible, perhaps likely, that the needs of disabled people will be overlooked or deliberately ignored.

It is therefore important that disabled people and their organisations make their voices heard so we can benefit from activities in the EU and they in turn can benefit from British contributions.

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E B THE

August/September 2016

A E D ST I

T E R SA

All Together NOW!

P M I S E H

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. . .

T LES

TS IN C E N CON ONDS! SEC

RA E F F EO N O L E OF S G N CYC ICE E RA W I D T S/S E R V D S. EE UC N D R O U PR T YO E E TO M

T N E G I Y L L P E A I N T E T H E R SIGN S C DE I I T C E R STH ISE E E A X E LIT Y ERC

EX UA E Q V ISE H I C S G I S R E H A • • P TIVE EX AINING • AC ETRY TR ISPL AY DTH D M I L M W E Y PAN US AND • S H C U DI • TO B L E R A A FOR L T T S C U E J ERF , AS WEL P S • AD I A. N G E D TO N E N I A R M E VIA ICIT Y AN AND STA N I K TH THE G SPAST G N OM E C R .

N T I Y S C IT L I REDU PROVING B MO OM E C .

N AS IM Y O T L I

C Y BIL C .

O W 0 M 5 E WW N 8 O 4 CL 0 Y 8 C .

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INDEPENDENT LIVING All Together NOW!

August/September 2016

www.alltogeth

AT THE DOUBLE: Carl Sargeant, Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn and Deeside, launches the new Wheelyboats

Free wills to help blind charity

NEW PARTNERSHIP: Solicitor John Howell, left, with Mike Bailey ONE of Liverpool’s oldest charities, Catholic Blind Institute, is to benefit from a new ‘free will’ service being offered by city solicitor John Howell.

The CBI charity comprises of Christopher Grange, which provides palliative, nursing and residential care to more than 100 adults; a rehabilitation centre for adults who are visually impaired; and St

Vincent’s, a specialist school for children with sensory impairment and other needs.

Mike Bailey, manager of Christopher Grange Rehabilitation Centre, said: “This is a fantastic gesture from John.

It is a great free service that will also benefit our charity.” n Contact John Howell, tel 0151 928 8597 or 07850 030 100

TORRENTIAL rain didn’t damped the enthusiasm at the 25th anniversary of Disability Awareness Day. Huge crowds again turned up at the tented village at Walton Hall Gardens.

MONEY MATTERS (and other things!)

FIRST, a little rant . . . I went to a hotel in Stratford for a few days and when I got to my room found it was for a disabled person, wide doors, grab rails and emergency pulls etc.

I felt guilty taking a room that would be of much more use to someone with a mobility problem, but the receptionist assured me that the room would not be required for the duration of my stay.

However I still felt uncomfortable, just as would had I parked in a disabled bay.

Was I right to feel this way or should I have just accepted the room?Any views?

Now to money . . . Some of you who like safety in their deposits may be thinking

. . . with GORDON VINER

of putting money in a Cash Isa. The returns are very poor, from just over 1% to about 2% if you tie it up for three years or so. Money in normal savings accounts are giving similar returns.

However, the first £1,000 of savings income this tax year is free of tax and it will be paid gross, just like Cash Isas.

If you are a basic tax payer you would need to have about £60,000 plus on deposit at say 1.5% to earn enough to pay tax, so do you really need to go to the trouble of putting £15,240 in a Cash Isa? For higher rate tax payers, it is the first £500 that’s tax free.

Gordon Viner FCA CTA

PICTURES: JONATHAN EELES

RIVER O

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August/September 2016

INDEPENDENT LIVING All Together NOW!

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Are YOU ready to wheel aboard?

THE Wheelyboat Trust, set up 30 years ago, has 173 boats across the UK.

CUMBRIA

Lake Windermere, Fell Foot Country Park.

Tel 015395 31273 Hawkshead Trout Fishery, Ambleside.

Tel 01539 436541 The Tranquil Otter, Carlisle. Tel 01228 576661

OF DREAMS! T

WO new wheelchair accessible boats are turning plenty of heads on the River Dee.

Fishermen and boat enthusiasts at Connahs Quay are determined to preserve and celebrate the rich maritime heritage of the area by making the river more accessible.

Last year they spent a large slice of a £192,000 grant from the Big Lottery’s Coastal Communities Fund to transform a disused sea cadets’ building into a new community centre.

Now they’ve dished out £70,000 on two Wheelyboats, designed and developed by The Wheelyboat Trust.

Reaching speeds of over 30mph, the Wheelyboats are available for school trips, photography groups, birdwatchers and any other interested individuals or groups.

Twenty-minute ‘taster’ trips and 90-minute trips upstream to Chester Weir – and individually tailored charters – are being offered by the Quay Watermen’s Association, who have named the boats Kathleen and May to commemorate the last

remaining British built wooden hull three masted top sail schooner built at Connahs Quay (now berthed in Liverpool).

Later in the year, trips downstream are planned into the estuary where passengers can experience the tranquillity of an internationally important bird reserve and re-live ancient battles as they cruise past Flint castle.

Jonathan Eeles, director of the Quay Watermen’s

Association, said: “The Wheelyboats were a natural choice for the Quay Watermen. Like us, they are innovative, inclusive and exciting!

“We want everybody to come and try the new boats. Get involved, rediscover your river!”

As the latest design of The Wheelyboat Trust’s seven boat models, the Coulam V20 is designed for use on inland and inshore waters, powered by a 90hp motor outboard (supplied by Suzuki GB) and can accommodate up to ten adults (eight on inshore waters), including six wheelchair users.

Andy Beadsley, director of The Wheelyboat Trust, said: “We are very excited about this project as The Wheelyboat Trust shares a common goal with the Quay Watermen’s Association to allow more people to enjoy taking part in waterborne activities.

“Our aim is to have as many Wheelyboats throughout the UK as possible.”

n Quay Watermen’s Association, Connah’s Quay. Tel 07747 066742

LANCASHIRE

Stocks Reservoir, Slaidburn.

Tel 01200 446602

CHESHIRE

Overwater Marina, Audlem.

Tel 01270 811454, 01270 812677 Westlow Mere, Congleton.

Tel 01260 270012

SHROPSHIRE

Dearnford Lake, Whitchurch.

Tel 01948 665914 Patshull Park, Pattingham.

Tel 01902 700774

STAFFORDSHIRE Blithfield Reservoir.

Tel 01283 840284 Rudyard Lake.

Tel 01538 306280

WALES ANGLESEY

Llyn Cefni, Llangefni.

Tel 01248 421238

CONWAY

Llyn Brenig, Cerrigydrudion.

Tel 01490 420463

FLINTSHIRE

Quay Watermen’s Association, Connah’s Quay. Tel 07747 066742

GWYNEDD

Llyn Trawsfynydd, Tel 01766 540400 Llyn y Dywarchen, Penygroes.

Tel 01248 670666 Maes y Clawdd, Bala. Tel 01678 530239

POWYS

Llyn Clywedog, Llanidloes.

Tel 01686 412644

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All Together NOW!

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 349 427 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 716971 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 n WIGAN. Tel 01942 776 070 n WINSFORD. Tel 01606 557550 n WREXHAM. Tel 01978 292065 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 709392 n WALSALL. Tel 01922 650781 n WEST BROMWICH: Sandwell. Tel 0121 553 1943 n WOLVERHAMPTON. Tel 01902 556021

August/September 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

A prize not to be sniffed at!

T

HE TEN lucky winners of our super competition to win a dazzling new collection of decorative onions are:

Mrs C Cooke, Richard Kelly Drive, Liverpooln (“I picked up my copy of All Together NOW! at ASDA Utting Avenue) Ivy Parry, Kent Grove, Failsworth, Manchester (Whythenshawe Hospital) Mr J Johnson, Overchurch Road, Upton, Wirral (Pasture Road Surgery, Moreton) Mrs A S Dutton, Blackley Close, Latchford, Warrington (Warrington market) Mrs Jean Crimmins, Dunluce Street, Walton, Liverpool (Breeze Hill Health Centre) by email: Mrs Gabrielle Graham, Hindsford Close, Brooklands Estate, Manchester Mrs E Huyton, Brandreth Drive, Parbold Helen Holdsworth, Plungington Road, Preston Kate Taylor, Endsleigh Road, Brighton le Sands, Liverpool John Carter, Cranborne Avenue, Warrington

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. Tel 0151 263 8366. Text 0151 260 4076 n MERSEYSIDE Coalition of Inclusive Living.

Tel 0151 260 4001 n NEUROSUPPORT Centre 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.

Textphone 01772 204 787 n RHYL Tel 01745 350665 n STOCKPORT: Disability 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

ORGANISATIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND n ACCRINGTON Tel 01254 233332 n BARROW Tel 01229 820698 n BIRMINGHAM Action for Blind Tel 0121 665 4200 n BLACKBURN Tel 0125 554143 n BLACKPOOL: N-Vision Tel 01253 362696 n BURY Tel 0161 763 7014 n BURNLEY Tel 01282 438507 n CARLISLE: Action for Blind People Tel 01228 595121 CHESHIRE & N WALES: Vision Support. Tel 01244 381515 n CUMBRIA (West) Tel 01946 592474 n CUMBRIA (Sth Lakeland) Tel 01539 726613 n GUIDE DOGS

Tel 0118 983 5555 n HENSHAW’S 0161 872 234 Tel 0151 708 7055 n LIVERPOOL: Bradbury Fields.Tel 0151 221 0888: Action for Bind Tel 0151 298 3222 n MANCHESTER: Action for Blind Tel 0161 787 9252 n PRESTON: Action for Blind People Tel 01772 320550 n OLDHAM Tel 0161 682 8019 n ROSSENDALE Tel 01706 873256 n SIGHTLINE (North West) Tel 0800 587 2252 n WIGAN Tel 01942 242891 n WIRRAL Tel 0151 652 8877

ORGANISATIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF n BIRMINGHAM Institute for Deaf Tel 0121 246 6101 n CHESHIRE Deaf Society Tel 01606 47831 n CUMBRIA Deaf Society Tel 01228 606434 n LANCASHIRE (EAST) Deaf Society Tel 01282 839180 n MANCHESTER Deaf Centre Tel 0161 273 3415 Genie Networks.

Tel 0161 941 4549.

Text 18001 0161 941 4549 n MERSEYSIDE Society for Deaf Tel 0151 228 0888 n ST HELENS: Deafness Resource Centre Tel 01744 23887 n WOLVERHAMPTON Centre for Deaf Tel 01902 420904 n N WALES Deaf Association, Tel 01492 542235

CARERS’ CENTRES

n ACCRINGTON Tel 01254 387 444 n BLACKBURN with DARWEN Tel 01254 688 www.bwdcarers.org n BLACKPOOL Blackpool Borough Council, Tel 01253 477 716 nCUMBRIA Carlisle.

Tel 01228 542 156 Penrith.

Tel 01768 890 280 Barrow-in-Furness.

Tel 01229 822 822 Kendal.

Tel 01539 732 927 Whitehaven, Tel 01946 592 223 n CHESHIRE Helpline: 0800 085 0307 n KNOWSLEY Tel 0151 549 1412 n LANCASTER Tel 01524 66475 nLIVERPOOL Tel 0151 705 2307 n MANCHESTER Tel 0161 835 2995 n MORECAMBE Tel 01524 833456 n PRESTON Tel 01772 200173 n RUNCORN Tel 01928 580182 n WIDNES Tel 0151 257 9673 n SALFORD Tel 0161 833 0217 n SEFTON Tel 0151 288 6060 n ST HELENS Tel 01744 675 615 n STOCKPORT Tel 0161 442 0442 n WARRINGTON Tel 01925 644 212 n WEST LANCS Tel 01695 711243 n WIGAN & LEIGH Tel 01942 683711 MIDLANDS n BIRMINGHAM Tel 0121 675 8000 n SOLIHULL Tel 0121 788 1143 n WALSALL Tel 01922 610 810 NORTH WALES n ANGLESEY Tel 01248 722828 n BANGOR Tel 01248 370 797 n CONWY Tel 01492 533714 n DENBIGHSHIRE: NEWCIS, Tel: 0845 603 3187 nDOLGELLAU Tel 01341 421167 n FLINTSHIRE: NEWCIS, Tel: 01352 751436 n WREXHAM CARERS SERVICE Tel: 0800 276 1070

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

August/September 2016

Martin’s new app is a sure fire winner

M

ARTIN ROBSON could not be happier – or should that be “appier”!

His favourite football team, Hull City, are back in the Premiership – and he’s loving a new app that helps him communicate with carers and healthcare professionals.

The My Health Guide, which Martin is showing off in our picture, above, is a new digital health app aimed at helping adults with learning disabilities.

It was inspired by Matthew’s Book, an iPad-based document created for Matthew Prosser, 35, who has profound learning disabilities, as well as epilepsy and cerebral palsy.

Three years ago Matthew’s parents, Tony and Trish, embarked on a project to record and encapsulate Matthew’s life history and care needs.

Tony said: “Over the years Matthew’s condition has deteriorated and, as a result, his care needs have shifted with time.

“Sometimes these changes are neither recorded correctly nor heeded and serious problems can arise.

“The catalyst came when we bought Matthew an electronic photo frame for his bedroom at the Barchester Castle Care Village where he stays during the week.

“It dawned on us that it would make sense to get all of the information about

All Together NOW!

21

Hearing aid that ‘defeats noise’

Matthew in one place such as an iPad or android device.

“Matthew’s Book is an ever evolving document that features five headings; ‘Get to know me’, ‘Growing up and becoming who I am’, ‘My care needs’, ‘Getting on with me’ and ‘important contacts’.

“It is everything you’d want to know about Matthew in one place and forms a single, digital point of access to all his needs.

“Despite his disabilities and lack of communication, Matthew has led a rich life full of experiences and love and we wanted to reflect that.

“He is a person, too. Sometimes that can be forgotten under a weight of paperwork.

“The fragmented nature of the NHS means that it can be difficult to effectively share up-to-date paperwork about people across different services.

‘Easy to read’

“This brings it all together in one, easy to read, document that features text, video clips and photographs. It gets rid of that ‘not my patient’ syndrome that can sometimes be prevalent.”

Trish, added: “We’re delighted Matthew’s Book has gone down so well and that it is the inspiration for the new My Health Guide app. We’ve done this for all of the Matthews who need to be heard.”

Leanne Dixon, one of two support

workers to provide Matthew with 15 hours of one to one care daily, said: “We were in tears when we watched it as it paints a far better picture of Matthew’s life and needs than any amount of paperwork could achieve.

“You build a strong emotional connection from the start with a document like this and I can see it providing benefits to many patients who are unable to communicate.”

Two hundred patients from Humber NHS Foundation Trust’s Learning Disability service took in a trial of the ‘My Health Guide’ app – which is now being developed by London-based company Maldaba.

Lorenzo Gordon, Maldaba’s co-founder, said: “The feedback has been amazing!

“There’s a real and growing recognition that it solves a genuine problem within the NHS.” n The app was showcased at a NHS event at Manchester. www.myhealthguideapp.com/news/malda ba-exhibit-my-health-guide-nhs-confed2016/ n A short movie about the app, downloadable from iTunes and Google Play Store, can be viewed here www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FtbeZvBJIw n www.myhealthguideapp.com

A REVOLUTIONARY hearing aid allows internet users to communicate directly with door bells, smoke detectors and baby alarms.

It also “conquers noisy environments”, is “easier on the brain”, and is set to make a big difference to the lives of people who suffer from hearing loss, say its makers.

Oticon, industry leaders in advanced audiology and hearing aid technology, says its new Oticon OpnTM overcomes challenges that today’s most advanced solutions have been unable to solve.

The Danish company’s president, Søren Nielsen, said: “With Opn we’re introducing new and groundbreaking technology to address real issues that affect those with hearing loss.”

Opn is also the first hearing aid that connects to and interacts with the internet. “With Opn we’ve taken a giant leap forward,” added Mr Nielsen.

“This will change people’s lives.” n Tel. 01698 283363, www.oticon.co.uk

Help at hand . . .

A NEW alarm worn round the neck or wrist calls three people at once in an emergency.

The wireless pendant transmits to their phones until one of them answers.

The amplicomms PowerTel 97 phone is being marketed as a good solution for those who live independently but want to feel safe in their own home.

For people with hearing and vision loss, the phone speaks the name of callers, has amplified calls and ring tone, and a large display with talking big buttons to guide you through the menu. n The phone costs £89.99 and is available from www.m2cshop.com. Tel: 0208 829 9130.

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All Together NOW!

August/September 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

Oh, what a night!

EDUCATION . . . TRAINING . . . JOBS . . . CAREERS . . . BUSINESS . . .

Looking for a way into film and TV?

THERE’S an exciting new opportunity for budding film and TV directors who might not always get the chance.

The National Film and Television School – in partnership with Channel 4 – is looking for applicants from diverse backgrounds for its Directing Fiction and Cinematography MA courses.

Funded places are particularly aimed at people with disabilities, and people from BAME (Back, Asian and minority ethnic communities) or socially disadvantaged backgrounds – groups under-represented in TV directing.

The new Channel 4 bursary scheme is available to fund at least three NFTS students a year, over five years.

According to a report by Directors UK, just 1.5% of UK television is made by a BAME director and just 3.5% of the UK television and film directing community is from a BAME background.

Ade Rawcliffe, Creative Diversity Manager at Channel 4, says: “As directors play such an important creative role, developing the careers of diverse directors who we hope will ultimately work on Channel 4 shows, is absolutely crucial for us.”

Nik Powell, NFTS Director, says: “It is extremely important that film and programme makers represent the society that they reflect and to this end we want our student population to be as diverse as possible.

“We need to hear from all voices and perspectives to ensure the viewing audience is fairly represented and Channel 4’s generous bursary scheme is an excellent way to ensure this takes place.”

The Channel 4 bursary scheme is open to eligible applicants who are accepted onto either the directing fiction or cinematography MA courses.

£2k student grants

FUNDED places on planning courses are up for grabs by students from diverse backgrounds or living with a disability.

Four high achieving students will receive £2,000 bursaries from the Royal Town Planning Institute Trust.

The bursaries are for the 2016-17 academic year and will be offered to undergraduate students already enrolled on an RTPI accredited planning course in the UK or Ireland.

Two of the bursaries will be available for students with a disability and two will be for students who are underrepresented in the planning profession, for example those from an ethnic minority.

Hi all!

As promised in the last edition, here’s a quick note from me – Lisa Simpson – letting you know what’s been going on with me and Lisa Simpson Inclusive Dance (LDSI) over the last couple of months . . .

The MAIN event was the amazing Merseyside Women of the Year awards.

What a fantastic event held at the Crown Plaza hotel, Liverpool.

There were some truly inspirational women among all the nominees – and there was plenty of tears and laughter.

As for me, I was hugely surprised and excited to actually WIN the Merseyside Women of the Year David M Robinson ‘Arts and Culture’ award, a truly humbling experience.

The day was finished off with an afterevent party at the Malmaison hotel on the Liverpool dock, where the celebratory drinks were flowing and a

great night was had by all!

Regarding my business affairs, there will be a Simpson Board translators course coming up in October, to be held at the MDI (Merseyside Dance Initiative) studio in Hope Street, Liverpool.

This is a free one-day course for people to learn how to use the Simpson Board in order for them to be able to translate dance moves.

There will then be a follow up event next February.

More details will be in the next edition. n Meanwhile, if you want to contact me, call LSID on 07814 232189.

BE BRAVE, BOSS!

CELEBRATION TIME: Lisa and other winners at the Merseyside Women of the Year awards

O

NE in two North West businesses are nervous of hiring a disabled person because they fear they will not be up to the job.

They also fear doing or saying something inappropriate, new research has found.

The findings were revealed in a survey of 1,000 businesses to coincide with the launch of an organisation dedicated to improving employment opportunities for disabled people Purple – a not-for-profit body – will work with both the business and the individual.

At the London Stock Exchange launch, autistic actor Jules Robertson encouraged businesses to “think outside the box and hire people who think differently” as part of their employment strategies.

The actor, who recently played Jason Haynes, a young man with Asperger’s in BBC TV’s Holby City, said: “Life can be hard for autistic people. We want to work, we need to work, but it’s really difficult to get a job despite the fact that our brains are unique.

“Autistic people have amazing talents: some are very good with figures; some have very high IQs. “They could add value to your business, and a job would help them value themselves.

“I can’t tell you how liberating it is to be finally earning a wage.

“Until recently my current account reminded me of all the girls I try to chat up – not showing the slightest interest.

“So it’s absolutely great to finally be able to tell my money where to go instead of wondering where it went. I encourage you to

out chairs (38%). And one in five employers said falling foul of discrimination law was a real concern.

The findings also revealed almost half of all employers expect disabilities to be disclosed on an applicant’s CV prior to interview, despite there being no legal obligation to do so.

The organisation’s chief executive, Mike Adams, said: “What this latest research tells us is that in fact it isn’t disability that’s the barrier to finding employment, but the worries and misconceptions of business owners themselves.

“This isn’t just a barrier for disabled people, but for many businesses missing out on valuable employee skills and talent, as well as powerful consumer opportunity.

“With Purple we are taking a new, brave and bold approach to the problem.”

PURPLE PATCH: Actor Jules Robertson, left, and Purple boss Mike Adams

think outside the box and hire people who think differently, and who think laterally,” added Jules.

“So be brave, take a gamble by employing us. You won’t regret it”.

Purple say that current barriers for business employing disabled workers include fears about using the incorrect terminology (32%) and not knowing whether they should help with things such as opening doors or pulling

HALF A MILLION READERS . . .

n Of the UK’s 11.5 million disabled people, only one in ten are currently in work, compared to eight in 10 of non-disabled people. n There are THREE MILLION unemployed people across the North West with a disability or long-term health issue. n Daily living costs are on average 25% higher than for non-disabled people and disabled people are twice as likely to live in poverty. n Contact Purple: Tel. 01245 392 300.

JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED!

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August/September 2016

All Together NOW!

REACHING PEOPLE OTHER NEWSPAPERS AREN’T! . . . HALF of our readers DON’T read any other LOCAL NEWSPAPER

‘

BRILLIANT – FULL OF HOPE, BEAUTIFULLY PRODUCED

. . . the ONLY paper that focuses on helping readers affected by age, ill health and disability

This is more than just a newspaper . . . It is the key that opens a thousand doors – Sir BERT MASSIE

Tel 0151 230 0307

sales@alltogethernow.org.uk www.alltogethernow.org.uk

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All Together NOW!

NUTRITION NOTES

The fatty benefits eating organic

ORGANIC milk and meat contain around 50% more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids than non-organic.

The nutritional differences also apply to organic dairy like butter, cream, cheese and yoghurt, says a report published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

The study, the largest reviews of its kind, was led by Newcastle University and an international team of experts.

Other key findings include: n Organic meat had slightly lower concentrations of two saturated fats linked to heart disease. n Organic milk and dairy contains 40% more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been linked to a range of health benefits including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and obesity, but evidence is mainly from animal studies. n Organic milk and dairy contains slightly higher concentrations of iron, Vitamin E and some carotenoids. n Organic milk contains less iodine than non-organic milk Helen Browning, chief executive of the Soil Association, said: “This research confirms what many people have always thought was true – what you feed farm animals and how you treat them affects the quality of the food.

“Organic farming methods require all organic farmers to adopt techniques that guarantee nutritionally different foods.

“Following research in 2014 we can now say for certain that organic farming makes organic food different.”

‘Nocturnal’ milk

SCIENTISTS have come up with new evidence to show that milk taken from cows at night can help you sleep better.

A team in South Korea showed that socalled “nocturnal milk” has a sedative effect – and also helps reduce anxiety.

Milk produced by cows during the night is higher in sleep-promoting ingredients such as tryptophan and melatonin than normal milk.

A German company is already producing nocturnal milk, in freeze-dried form, and selling it via pharmacies and the internet.

Korean scientists using rats and mice found that nocturnal milk – but not day milk – produced sedative and anxietyreducing effects.

The results of their experiments show “great promise” says the team from Sahmyook University in Seoul.

“These results suggest that nocturnal milk could be an effective natural aid for sleep-related disorders and a promising alternative for the treatment of anxiety disorders,” they added in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

August/September 2016

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Go on, enjoy all that great holiday food

D

ON’T get too stressed about calories while you’re on holiday – just make sure you return to your normal routine on your return.

“Holidays are for relaxing,” says nutrition expert Jyrki Virtanen.

“There’s no need to be too uptight about eating, just as long as you return to healthy eating routines after the holidays.

“Returning to everyday healthy eating habits is enough to bring the weight back to normal in a few weeks.

“The significance of a person’s diet is greater than that of exercise, although it doesn’t hurt to exercise, either,” says Jyrki, who is based at the University of Eastern Finland Staying well hydrated when it’s hot outside is also vital. We may not feel thirsty,

PICNIC PAMPER: Treat your family and their hearts with a colourful salad and tropical fruits

especially when spending time outdoors in windy places, such as by a lake or at sea.

The wind keeps our skin feeling cool despite the heat, and the feeling of thirst may remain absent even when we are dehydrated.

But dehydration causes nausea, tiredness and cramps, among other things.

For the elderly and children, dehydration

can be dangerous. “It’s important to drink, but preferably not just water,” said Jyrki.

“Large amounts of water can mess with our blood electrolyte levels. It’s a good idea to drink diluted juice or mild sports drinks, or to add a pinch of salt in our water.

“Watermelon, cucumber and strawberries are also good sources of liquid.”

And don’t forget the veg . . .

“Many salads with a bit of protein in them are a good meal alternative when it’s hot outside.

“But high protein meals are not necessarily the best alternatives on hot days. Protein-rich foods increase the body’s own heat production, possibly adding to the feeling of discomfort.

“Remember that in warm temperatures food goes bad really quickly. That’s something to keep in mind – especially on picnics.”

TIP TOP PICNIC

A heart!

PICNIC is a real pleasure on a warm summer’s day – but it’s not always a treat for your

It’s tempting to pack up those cheese snacks, crisps, biscuits and chocolate.

But they contain incredibly high amounts of saturated fat, salt and sugar and hardly any of the important nutrients you need to keep you and your heart healthy.

Now, Heart Research UK is advising that you don’t let overindulgence spoil your perfect family day out.

And they have come up with some simple healthy tips to create a picnic that’s as great to eat as it is good for your family’s heart health.

Leftover pasta or rice is excellent for a picnic – add chopped vegetables and chicken or tuna for protein.

Protein is essential for growth and repair of all cells and is particularly important for recovery after exercise which is great if you’re planning some family fun to accompany your delicious summer lunch.

Carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, celery, or peppers will add a crunch to your lunch. Serve with hummous

or a low-fat dip to keep it interesting.

Vegetables are packed with fibre for a healthy heart and digestive system as well as potassium for healthy blood pressure, not to mention a variety of other fantastic minerals and vitamins.

Take a colourful salad, keeping the salad dressing separate until you are ready to eat. Or why not mix things up with a tropical fruit salad?

Pack some low fat crème fraiche and a sprinkling of chopped nuts and this summery dish can double up as tasty dessert.

Wholemeal or wholegrain bread is best because of the fibre content, try a variety of bagels, baguettes, granary and pitta.

On hot days we all need to drink more water to stay hydrated. You can even add a few slices of fresh lemon, orange or cucumber or a sprig of mint leaves to your water for a more interesting flavour without all that extra sugar.

With so many tasty and nutritious choices, you don’t need to scrimp on flavour or variety to pack up a healthy picnic and keep everyone happy this summer.

Swap the sugar for more fat

KIDS need less sugar and more fat in their diets, according to top scientists who have published new guidelines for healthy eating for children.

The guidelines stress the need to help children to shift from burning carbohydrates as their primary energy source to healthy fats, including ones derived from whole milk products, olive oil, nut and seed oils, coconut oil and intramuscular fats in meat.

Robert Verkerk PhD, lead author of the Alliance for Natural Health International Food4Kids guidelines, said: “Children are suffering metabolic disease and tooth decay at ever younger ages.

“They’re victims of a now discredited, 30-year-old policy, based on no proper scientific evaluation, to banish even healthy fats from all our diets.”

The guidelines propose that children derive approximately 55% of their energy from healthy fats, 35% from carbohydrates and the remaining 10% from protein sources.

Dr Verkerk added: “It is the regular consumption of sugary snacks and drinks that’s doing so much damage, and pushing kids ever more quickly into metabolic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes.”

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August/September 2016

All Together NOW!

Games that give so much hope . . .

Come to our AGM

THERE’S a warm invitation to all readers to attend our Annual General Meeting on Thursday September 27 to find out more about the work of the Trust in communities across Liverpool and Sefton.

The event will be held between 4-7pm at the Trust’s Lecture Theatre, Babbage House, Liverpool Innovation Park, Digital Way, L7 9NJ. There will also be a ‘marketplace’ space, open from 4.00pm – 5.30pm, showcasing a range of community health services that the Trust provides, followed by a presentation and opportunity to ask any questions of the Board.

The event is free to attend, and drinks and refreshments will be provided. n To book a place, call 0151 295 3200 or email: LCH.Communications@liverpoolch.nhs.uk n You can follow the event highlights live via Twitter @NHSLiverpoolCH #LCHAGM or on the Trust’s facebook page.

STAR PERFORMERS

L

ALL TOGETHER NOW: The Social Inclusion team, winners of the Award for Community Impact

IVERPOOL Community Health staff were honoured for their hard work and commitment to patient care at the Trust’s annual Staff Awards ceremony.

More than 350 staff and guests attended the special red carpet evening at the city’s newly refurbished Rum Warehouse at the Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock.

This year‘s ceremony was themed ‘A Night with the Stars’ in recognition of exceptional role that NHS staff have played in making Merseyside a fantastic place to live because of the care they provide.

A total of 14 awards were presented during the night to exceptional NHS staff and teams.

The awards just keep rolling in . . .

25

Among those recognised were the Community Occupational Therapy Team, who were named ‘Team of the Year’ for their innovative work to reduce waiting lists.

Other notable winners included The Social Inclusion Team, who received an ‘Award for Community’ award for their successful engagement with BME communities to improve cancer screening attendance.

A nose for the job!

The School Nursing Service and Immunisation Team were also big winners on the evening, scooping two awards for their successful delivery of the new nasal flu vaccination for Year 1 & 2 students in primary schools across Liverpool and Sefton.

In addition, the Trust honoured 14 members of staff with the Trust’s Long Service Award, recognising their dedication in providing over 40 years of service to the NHS. Johanna Reilly, Chief Operating Officer, said: “The evening was all about celebrating the outstanding achievements of staff, and saying thank you to those who have gone above and beyond in their roles and made a real difference to patients.

“This year’s ceremony was themed ‘A Night with the Stars’ because the NHS is full of caring nurses, doctors, therapists, health advisors and many other support staff, who rarely receive any special recognition for their work, but are true stars in their communities.”

B

IG congratulations to the team at Liverpool’s City Walk-In Centre – named the ‘best student placement’

by Liverpool John Moore’s University (LJMU) School of Nursing & Allied Health.

The award recognised the significant impact the placement has on students learning experiences and development.

Nurses from LCH’s Community HIV Service also picked up two awards at the 18th National HIV Nursing Association Conference.

Pauline Jelliman, clinical lead for the service, received the Krattinger Rennison Charitable Trust Nursing Research Award in recognition of her research work into the condition.

A Clinical Practice Award was also presented to Specialist HIV Nurse Liz Foote for her role in the development of an innovative Virtual HIV Clinic for patients in Liverpool.

Jo Nash, Clinical Nurse Manager for City Walk-in Centre, and colleagues

ALMOST 1,000 competitors, including a number of LCH staff, battled it out for the top spots at the annual British Transplant Games, which was hosted in Liverpool at the end of July.

The Games demonstrate the benefits of transplants, encourage transplant patients to regain fitness, and increase public awareness of the need for more people to join the NHS Organ Donation Register.

In 2006, our very own Kathy Cross, from the Community Equipment Nurse Service, received a kidney transplant from her brother.

Kathy explains: “My transplant opened up a whole new world for me.

Since having it, I’ve been able to see things and do things I never thought I’d have the opportunity to.

“Before I had my transplant, I was going into hospital daily for dialysis and had no quality of life at all.

“Now I can climb a mountain, run a marathon and am able to enjoy every moment of life fully, and I am grateful every day.

“The British Transplant Games is a fantastic event, and I’m particularly excited that I had the chance to take part in this year’s Liverpool Games.

“Statistics show that in the city or town where the Games are held each year, the number of people signing up for the organ donation register dramatically increases.

“I really want to encourage members of the public to consider registering to become a donor if they haven’t already because it really does transform lives.” n To find out more, visit www.britishtransplant games.co.uk

To find out more, visit . . . www.liverpoolcommunityhealth.nhs.uk

All Together NOW!

26

MEDICAL NOTES

No excuses! You need PROPER sleep

W

ORK-related stress makes many of us lose sleep, and catching up on lost sleep is high on the agenda as the summer holidays approach.

Poor sleep can’t be turned into good overnight, but it pays to try, as good sleeping habits keep us going on holiday and at work.

“People tend to work very hard before the holidays, thinking that’s when they’ll have time to sleep, says expert Docent Henri Tuomilehto.

“Sadly, it doesn’t work that way. If you’ve slept poorly over a long period of time, your holidays will get spent on just recovering.”

Good sleeping habits and routines are the cornerstones of good sleep, he says.

Mr Tuomilehto specialises in the sleep of professional athletes, working with the Finnish football and ice hockey teams, the Finnish Olympic Committee, and the Finnish Ski Sport Foundation.

And he’s a member of the international committee preparing new treatment guidelines for obstructive sleep apnoea.

“Generally speaking, people sleep less than they think they do. Sleeping time is often sacrificed to evening-time household chores, TV watching and, most importantly, using our smart devices in bed. Sleep is something that shouldn’t be sacrificed.”

So, how do we make adjustments to our sleeping habits, and how do we to know if there’s a need to make them in the first place?

“A person who sleeps well is energetic,” added Mr Tuomilehto, from the University of Eastern Finland.

“If you feel like you could be more energetic, it’s a good idea to try sleeping one hour longer for a couple of weeks – that’s enough to tell if there’s a difference.

“Another important thing is to stop making excuses for your poor sleep, as the majority of the contributing factors can be impacted on.”

If, despite all efforts, you still don’t sleep well, it’s worthwhile to think about the possibility of a sleep disorder.

Will you be a pal?

THE Royal Voluntary Service is on the lookout for volunteers for a patients befriending service at Crewe’s Leighton Hospital.

RVS senior services assistant Helen Backs said: “The befriending service our volunteers provide has a huge impact on patients.

“Volunteers provide practical and emotional support and help older people stay active and independent.

“It’s also the simple things, such as companionship, that can make a positive difference to a patient’s journey.” n If you are interested in helping, contact Helen Backs on 07423 467609 / 01270 278091.

August/September 2016

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My fight for people with skin cancer GILLIAN Nuttall witnessed first hand the cruelty of skin cancer when her friend John Herron, 30, died of the disease.

Eight years on, she’s developed the UK’s leading melanoma charity and has just hosted her biggest fundraiser to date at Manchester’s Radisson Blu Hotel.

Ex-marketing manager Gillian, who last month was invited to have afternoon tea with the Queen following her ‘Pride in Oldham’ award, said: “We have had some amazing support over the years and this year is no different.”

The number of people diagnosed with malignant melanoma is five times higher than it was 40 years ago.

Across the country, the number of people admitted to hospital for skin cancer increased by

41% in five years. A Public Health England study found admissions for both non melanoma skin cancer and malignant melanoma rose “significantly” from 87,685 in 2007 to 123,808 in 2011.

The rise in popularity of sunbeds and sunlamps may have contributed to the increased rates.

Cancer Research UK states that more than 13,000 people are now being diagnosed with the disease every year, or 17 for every 100,000 people in Great Britain. In the mid 70s approximately 1,800 people were diagnosed with malignant melanoma each year, or just over three per 100,000 people. n Contact: Gillian Nuttall 07530 986477, gillian.nuttall@melanomauk.org.uk, www.melanomauk.org.uk

Curb the carbs

“AMAZING SUPPORT”: Gillian

Thousands transformed by new diet

A

FREE online course enabling people with type 2 diabetes to adopt a low carb diet is changing thousands of lives for the better.

More than 125,000 people across the world have signed up to the 10-week programme in its first six months, with huge numbers seeing an improvement in their condition.

The award-winning patient forum Diabetes.co.uk came up with the Low Carb Education Programme in response to growing medical evidence that type 2 diabetes can be reversed through diet and lifestyle changes.

Designed to be a healthy sustainable lifestyle intervention, rather than a quick fix “diet”, the online programme takes users through the theory and also provides a practical guide to implementing a low carb lifestyle.

The results of the programme so far have been impressive: n 74% of people who have completed the programme have seen an improvement in blood glucose levels. n 80% have lost weight (10% lost more than 20lbs/9kg) n On signing up, people are taking an average two medications. On finishing the programme one in five people come off medication altogether. n 78% are motivated to maintain the changes they have made. n 59% have an improved outlook on life. n 96% of people would recommend the course. n This is further supported with 66% of people saying their blood glucose levels after meals had improved. n www.diabetes.co.uk/lowcarb

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Dr Bennett receiving her Young Epilepsy award from Professor Helen Cross

How Sophie makes kids happier

I

MPROVING the mental health of children with epilepsy has earned a young doctor a top award from the Young Epilepsy charity.

Dr Sophie Bennett received the charity’s Discovery Award, which recognises significant research or breakthroughs that have led to new thinking or practice, which could make a life changing difference to children and young people with epilepsy and their families.

Dr Bennett, a clinical psychologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, recently published the only review of psychological treatments in children with long-term medical conditions (including epilepsy) to international acclaim.

Many families told Young Epilepsy that it

The perfect tonic . . .

was the first time they had been asked about their child’s emotional or behavioural problems and been offered support.

Dr Bennett said: “It feels amazing to be recognised with the Discovery Award. We know young people with epilepsy often have other difficulties apart from seizures.

“They may have problems with emotion or behaviour, and we hope to find treatments that work so that we can support them.”

Epilepsy is the most common neurological condition worldwide and affects 112,000 children and young people in the UK.

n Young Epilepsy Helpline. Tel. 01342 831342.

HALF A MILLION

August/September 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

Eye, eye . . . look what’s going on at Leighton THOUSANDS of people living in Cheshire are set to benefit from improved eye care facilities.

A two-storey extension to the Eye Care Centre at Crewe’s Leighton Hospital will see extra specialist staff taken on and allow the service to see more patients.

Over recent years the centre has seen an increase in demand and currently serves more than 50,000 patients a year.

Due to open for business in August, the joint venture between Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd will also improve patient experience.

Stephen Eaton, surgery and cancer manager at the Trust, said: “Eye services are facing increased demand due to an ageing population that require long-term care.

“The redesign of the Eye Care Centre is just one of the things that we, along with Novartis, are doing to ensure we can keep up with this demand and ensure that patients with serious eye conditions continue to access high quality services.” n Leighton Hospital’s Eye Care Centre provides general and specialty ophthalmology clinics that cover a wide range of eye diseases and visual problems.

A real life saver

EYE-CATCHING: The new centre at Leighton hospital

Now coffee’s more than a pick-me-up

C

27

MEDICAL NOTES

Better treatment on way for deaf patients

PEOPLE with hearing issues are being urged to tell their GP what support they need to help them communicate – whether it’s at the surgery of just phoning for an appointment.

National charity Action on Hearing Loss say the NHS England’s new Accessible Information Standard – which came into effect on July 31 – is a huge boost for people with hearing loss.

But the charity is appealing for patients to let staff know if they have problems when using the services.

Dr Roger Wicks of Action on Hearing Loss, said: “This Standard now means that the nine million people in England who are deaf or have hearing loss must be provided with the support they need to communicate when they visit the GP or other NHS services.

“We urge anyone who hasn’t had their needs recorded to use one of our free resources to contact their GP and make their needs known.”

The charity has created a template letter for patients to send to their GP practice manager or a card for patients to give to the receptionist the next time they’re at the surgery. n Action on Hearing Loss. Tel. 0808 808 0123.

Prostate shock

OFFEE can help stop liver cancer, a major new investigation has found.

It also lowers the risk of other liver conditions including cirrhosis and fibrosis, says the World Health Organisation.

The good news for caffeine lovers came after WHO looked at the entire body of current research and evidence – contained in over 1,000 studies.

It didn’t matter which way the coffee was prepared – filtered, instant and espresso – for the beneficial effects to kick in, said the British Liver Trust.

The study also found that a regular cup can slow the progression of liver disease in some patients.

The Trust is now calling for more clinical research relating to coffee and the liver.

“At last, liver physicians have found a lifestyle habit that is good for your liver,” said Professor Graeme Alexander, president of the British Association for the Study of the Liver.

But he added: “We have an epidemic of liver disease in the UK and the numbers affected are growing at an alarming rate.”

The charity stressed that although drinking coffee may offer some protection, the huge increase in liver-related mortality is largely a result of our lifestyle – as a nation we drink far too much alcohol and too many of us are overweight.

They say that the key messages for good liver health remain: n Keep to a healthy weight. n Cut your alcohol intake. n Know and take steps to avoid the risks for viral hepatitis. n www.loveyourliver.org.uk

All Together NOW!

CASH BOOST: Sean Doherty with freemason Trevor Koschalka, left, and Rory Steevenson

Helping hand for spinal injured

A

YOUNG scientist who broke his neck in a mountain bike accident has been handed a £65,000 grant to improve the lives of people with spinal cord injuries.

Sean Doherty, who has limited hand and arm function, is working on the NEUROMOD project that aims to develop “wearable electrical stimulation devices” to control bladder functions of spinal cord injured people.

Bladder and bowel function is treated as a top priority for patients who have suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury.

Although the inability to walk is often assumed to be the most challenging consequence of such an injury, the loss of control of bladder and bowel is often the most difficult to manage and can

have a persistent and detrimental effect on health, welfare and quality of life.

Rory Steevenson, director at INSPIRE Foundation, which fundraises for spinal cord research, said: “One of my biggest worries with our research programme is whether or not we can afford to run projects as we receive no government funding.

“The Masonic Charitable Foundation grant has covered the remaining cost of NEUROMOD and will guarantee it can continue to full term. This is the best possible news and we are so grateful.” n Inspire Foundation: Tel 01722 336262. n www.inspire-foundation.org.uk n Masonic Charitable Foundation: Tel.0800 035 60 90. n www.mcf.org.uk

people are reading these pages tel 0151 230 0307

A WORRYING one in four black men will get prostate cancer, says a charity aiming to reduce the numbers.

That’s double the risk of all men, according to Prostate Cancer UK which is helping combat the disease.

It’s the most common cancer among males and over 10,000 men are dying from it every year.

Community groups can book an awareness talk with Prostate Cancer UK. A visit can be arranged by one of the charity’s trained volunteers, who has a personal connection to prostate cancer.

A spokesman for Prostate Cancer UK said: “Early diagnosis can increase the chance of a successful outcome, so book a talk now and help inform your community. It could save a man’s life.” n Tel. 0141 314 0050.

The old country . . .

THE best country in which to grow old . . .

That’s the aim for Ireland after landing the biggest charity donation in its history.

A gift of over £100m has enabled a Global Brain Health Institute to be set up in Ireland and the US, to improve health and dementia care worldwide.

The cash, from The Atlantic Philanthropies charity, will be shared by Trinity College, Dublin, and the University of California, San Francisco.

Trinity College president Dr Patrick Prendergast said: “There is no doubt in my mind that this imaginative project will bring benefits to people around the world.”

Irish Prime Minister, Enda Kenny said: “The Government’s vision is to make Ireland the ‘best country in which to grow old’ and we are delighted to be part of this ambitious global initiative.”

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All Together NOW!

One advert TAKE ME HOME! goes a long, long way . . .

Tel: 0151 230 0307

BOX OFFICE SENSATION!

August/September 2016

Aug 5: Starman - The David Bowie Story. Floral Pavilion, 7.30pm.

Aug 8 -27; Dancing Queen. Blackpool Grand, 7.30pm. Mondays until Aug 22.

Aug 8-13: Save The Last Dance for Me. Venue Cymru, Feel-good musical set in the 60s.

Aug 9-30: The Chicago Blues Brothers. Blackpool Grand, 7.30pm. Tuesdays only.

Aug 11-13: The Secret Garden. Bolton Octagon, 7.30pm. New adaptation.

Aug 12-13: Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

Vesbim’s tribute act. Floral Pavilion, 7pm Aug 16-20: Little Shop of Horrors, Venue Cymru. Charming 50s musical, 7.30. Matinees Sep 17 & 20.

Aug 17: Karen Carpenter – Voice of the Heart. Blackpool Grand, 7.30pm.

Tribute show.

Aug 18-20: If The Shoe Fits. Floral Pavilion, 8pm Aug 18: Forever in Blue Jeans.

Blackpool Grand, 7.30pm.

Aug 19-27: Sunny Afternoon.

Manchester Opera House, 7.30pm.

Matinees Aug 20, Aug 25, Aug 27.

Captivating musical about The Kinks.

Aug 25-27: Grease. Theatre Royal, St Helens, 7pm Aug 26-29: Octagon Pleasure Beach.

Bolton Octagon. Free family activities.

Aug 26: The Simon and Garfunkel Story. Floral Pavilion, 7.30pm Aug 27: Solid Gold 70s. Floral Pavilion, 8pm Aug 27: The Ken Dodd Happiness Show, Venue Cymru, 7pm Aug 28: That’ll Be The Day, Venue Cymru, 7.30pm.

Aug 29-Sep 3: Sister Act, Manchester Palace. Smash hit musical.

Aug 31: Karen Carpenter – Voice of the Heart. Blackpool Grand, 7.30pm.

Tribute show.

Sep 1: Forever in Blue Jeans.

Blackpool Grand, 7.30pm.

Sep 1-4: Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience, The Lowry, 7pm.

Sep 2-3: Dinosaur Zoo. Manchester Opera House. Dinosaurs as you’ve never seen them before!

Sep 3: Ultimate Eagles. Floral Pavilion, 8pm Sep 3: The Roy Orbison Story, Venue Cymru, 7.30pm Sep 5-10: Cats. Regent Theatre, Stoke, 7.30pm.

Sep 5-10: The Shawshank Redemption. The Lowry, 7.30pm.

Matinees Sep 7/10. AUDIO DESCRIBED Sep 10, 2pm Sep 6-10: Jekyll and Hyde. Blackpool Grand, 7.30pm.

Sep 7-9: A Good Clean Heart, Theatr Clwyd, 7.45pm. Bilingual play about two brothers who are reunited.

Sep 8: One Night of Elvis – Lee Memphis King. Manchester Palace.

Tribute show.

Sep 8-10: Legally Blonde The Musical.

Floral Pavilion, 7.30pm Sep 9: One Night of Queen, Manchester Palace. Tribute act.

Sep 10: T-Rextasy. Manchester Opera House, 7.30pm. Tribute band.

Sep 10: Jane McDonald. Manchester Palace.

Sep 8-Oct 15: Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. Bolton Octagon. AUDIO DESCRIBED Tue Sep 20. BSL, Thu Sep 29. CAPTIONED Thu Oct 6.

Sep 11: Sue Perkins Live! In Spectacles. The Lowry, 7.30pm Sep 12: An Evening with Dame Joan Collins: Unscripted. The Lowry, 7.30pm Sep 12-17: Chicago The Musical, Liverpool Empire, 7.30pm.

Sep 19-Oct 1: Blood Brothers, Liverpool Empire, 7.30pm. Willy Russell’s captivating Liverpool musical about twins separated at birth.

Sep 13: That’ll Be The Day. Grand

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

BOX OFFICE CONTACTS BLACKPOOL Grand Theatre: 01253 290190.

BOLTON Octagon: 01204 520661.

LIVERPOOL Empire: 08444 999 999.

Everyman & Playhouse: 0151 709 4776.

Royal Court: 0870 787 1866.

LLANDUDNO Venue Cymru: 01492 872000.

MOLD: Theatr Clwyd: 0845 3303565.

MANCHESTER Opera House: 0870 401 9000.

Palace Theatre: 0870 401 3000.

SALFORD The Lowry: 0843 208 6000.

NEW BRIGHTON Floral Pavillion: 0151 666 0000.

PORT SUNLIGHT: Gladstone Theatre: 0151 643 8757.

PRESTON: Charter Theatre: 0845 344 2012.

RHYL: Pavilion Theatre: 01745 330 000.

RUNCORN The Brindley: 0151 907 8360.

SALE: Waterside Arts Centre: 0161 912 5616.

STOKE: Regent Theatre: 0844 871 7627.

SOUTHPORT: Floral Hall: 0844 847 2380.

ST HELENS: Theatre Royal: 01744 756000.

Citadel: 01744 735436.

WOLVERHAMPTON Grand Theatre: 01902 429212.

FRINGE BENEFITS

Theatre, Wolverhampton, 7.30pm Sep 13-17: Once A Catholic. The Brindley, 7.30pm. Comedy.

Sep 14: The Illegal Eagles, Venue Cymru, 7.30pm Sep 14-17: Be My Baby, Theatr Clwyd, 7.30. Musical set in the 60s.

Sep 15: Turandot. The Brindley, 7pm.

Live screening for Sydney Opera House.

Sep 15: Ray Quinn - No Man’s Land Tour 2016. Floral Pavilion, 7.30pm Sep 15: Bowie Experience. Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, 7.30pm Sep 16: Jack The Ripper – The Real Truth, The Brindley, 7.30pm.

Sep 16: G4: Back for Good Tour, Venue Cymru, 7.30pm Sep 16-17: Mark Thomas: The Red Shed. Liverpool Everyman, 7.30pm.

Sep 17: Starman – The David Bowie Story. Theatre Royal, St Helens, 7.30pm Sep 17: Jonathan Pie Live.

The Brindley, 7.30pm. Spoof news reporter Jonathan Pie and his brutally honest views on the world of politics.

Sep 17: Classic Rock USA. Floral Pavilion, 7.30pm Sep 18: An Intimate Evening with Justin Hayward. Floral Pavilion, 7.30pm Sep 18: Buddy Holly’s Winter Dance Party. The Brindley, 7.30pm.

Sep 21: The Rubettes, The Brindley, 7.30pm.

Sep 21-24: Her Benny. Floral Pavilion, 7.30pm. Matinees Sep 21, Sep 24 Sep 22-24: Tony’s Last Tape, Liverpool Everyman, 7.30pm. The struggle of a man who realises that maybe it is time to withdraw from the fight, to let others take

over, but just doesn’t quite know how.

Sep 22-Oct 15: Insignificance, Theatr Clwyd. Darkly funny play about fame, the universe and looking to the stars.

Sep 22: Billy and Wally’s Comedians & Pop Legends Show. The Brindley, 7pm.

Sep 23: A Vision of Elvis, The Brindley, 7.30pm. Rob Kingsley in the spotlight.

Sep 24: Lennon Through A Glass Onion. Theatr Clwyd, 7.30pm. Daniel Taylor with 31 of Lennon’s hits.

Sep 24: The Floyd Effect, The Brindley, 8pm. Tribute act.

Sep 24: An Intimate Evening with Justin Hayward. Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, 7.30pm Sep 25: The Shindig, The Brindley, 7pm. Musical based on a concert held aboard a cruise liner near St Kilda.

Sep 25: G4 ‘Back for Good’. Floral Pavilion, 7.30pm Sep 26: Moon River and Me – An Evening with Jimmy Osmond & His Band. Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, 7.30pm Sep 27-Oct 1: Giselle. Manchester Palace, 7.30pm.

Sep 27-Oct 1: The Shawshank Redemption. Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, 7.30pm.

Sep 27: Noah Stewart ‘In Love Again’ UK Tour 2016. Floral Pavilion, 7.30pm Sep 28: An Evening of Dirty Dancing, The Brindley, 7.30pm Sep 29: The Johnny Cash Roadshow, The Brindley, 7.30pm.

Sep 29: Bowie Experience. Manchester Opera House, 7.30pm.

Oct 1: The Hollies. The Lowry, 7.30pm

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

August/September 2016

The leg that got away

All Together NOW!

A GUNSHOT wound on a New Year’s Eve a few years ago in Thailand left Swedish musical theatre artist Nils Bergstrand without a leg.

Now making his Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut, Nils tells the story of the leg that got away in a brand new one-man cabaret, featuring original songs and accompanied by personal and intimate storytelling.

The focus of the show is very much on how, through life’s adversities, it is essential to focus on what makes you happy.

“Although scary things may happen in this world, we all have the power within us to make life positive, loving and fun,” says Nils.

While in Edinburgh Nils is planning to visit rehabilitation centres in Scotland and to work with local disability charities. n The One Legged Man Show, Spotlites, Venue 278, 22-26 George Street, Edinburgh. Aug 4-28, 3.15pm Tel 0131 240 2784 www.spotlites.co.uk EVERYONE seems to want their independence right now – but be very careful what you wish for, says comic Laurence Clark!

In his new show, Independence, Laurence spins his tales of adolescence, love and Harry Potter, discovering he doesn’t have to be Superman and do everything.

But life sometimes throws up the unexpected when you depend on someone else to fasten your jeans for you!

Lawrence, from Liverpool, was awarded Shortlist magazine’s Funniest New Comedian, regularly performs with the comedy collective Abnormally Funny People, and was a finalist in the Amused Moose Edinburgh Laughter Awards. n Laurence Clark: Independence. Assembly George Square, Edinburgh Fringe, Aug 2-28 (not Aug 16), 7pm. BSL signed on August. Tel 0131 623 3030 n Laurence’s other confirmed gigs: Sept 15: The Arc, Stockton-On-Tees.

Nov 25-26: Dadafest @ Unity Theatre, Liverpool. BSL signed & audio described.

Feb 3 2017: The Citadel, St Helens. n www.laurenceclark.co.uk

‘My one-eyed life’

DON’T BLAME US!

A

WARD winning comic Lost Voice Guy is planning to use his unique style of humour to entertain and educate audiences at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

In his new show, Disability For Dunces: Volume Two, the comedian, who cannot talk and uses an iPad to tell his jokes, will shine a light on the general public’s view of disability – and shatter some of the perceptions that they may have.

Lost Voice Guy – real name Lee Ridley from Newcastleupon-Tyne – often gets asked if he’s as clever as Stephen Hawking; if he really needs all that benefit money; if he really can’t talk at all; and if he can have relationships.

And that’s usually just minutes after he has met the person asking him.

Lost Voice Guy, 35, lost his speech as a baby due to cerebral palsy.

He said: “I’m not sure why people get so awkward around disabled people but they definitely do!

“I’m often getting asked if I really can talk after my gigs, because obviously pretending to be disabled for the sake

of entertainment is perfectly acceptable. Some people even ask if I can have sex . . . as an opening question!

“For the record, I definitely can. All of these questions are embarrassing for both of us. When I was asked some of them for the first time I was speechless.

“Thanks to the current government and some of the media, many people just see disabled people as being stupid or as a burden to the country.

“Believe it or not, we’re not all benefit cheats and, yes, we are allowed a sense of humour as well.

“It’s almost as if we’re normal human beings. It is the people who portray this evil image of us and those who choose to believe it that are the problem.

“There may be a serious message behind it, but my show pokes fun at the awkwardness that exists and let’s everyone have a laugh about it.” n Disability For Dunces: Volume Two, The Stand Comedy Club Five, Aug 5-28 (not Mondays), 1.15pm.

Tel 0131 558 9005 or at www.outstandingtickets.com n Watch a clip from the show at https://youtu.be/MbnKrWXgB4w

GEORGIE Morrell talks about losing her sight for her debut one-woman show, A Poke In the Eye. Employing wit, charm, sounds and illustration, Georgie tells the story of how she went blind but now she can see . . . literally!

Recounting stories of doctors, sexual fantasies, binge drinking, (sometime all at the same time) and family dramas, Georgie tells what it is like to face inevitable blindness with her very own brand of humour.

Being disabled is her excuse to do exactly what she wants, say what she wants, and live her “one eyed life” as she wants. n A Poke in the Eye, Just the Tonic, The Cave, Just the Spare Room. Aug 4-28. Tel 0131 556 5375 www.justthetonic.com

Down’s love

THE world premiere of a new play that explores the issues surrounding love and disability takes to the stage at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Down’s With Love tells the story of Beth, a young girl who has Down’s Syndrome.

She lives a very independent life, has her routines and lives simply but happily. She is helped by a new support worker, Tracy, and they soon strike up a friendship.

On a Friday night, she goes to the pub to watch Mark, a local singer. Beth has fallen in love with him but then Mark meets Tracy and falls for her.

The play has been written around the performers and especially with Abi Brydon, the central actor. n Downs With Love, August 8-12, Venue 132, Edinburgh Elim, Morningside Road, 7.30pm.

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Books

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All Together NOW!

Joy our disabled twins bring to us

Two For Joy: The True Story of One Family’s Journey to Happiness with Severely Disabled Twins, by James Melville-Ross. John Blake Publishing, £7.99

A FATHER’S inspiring account of how he and his wife came to terms with bringing up severely disabled twins.

The story begins when the twins, Thomas and Alice, are born barely half way through pregnancy.

Weighing just 1.5lb, James was told that the twins had just a 20% chance of surviving. The devastating confirmation came from doctors a year later that their twins would be severely disabled.

After the initial anger at the dispassionate diagnosis came the sheer hard work: the sleepless nights, the hospital dashes, the curious stares and unwelcome comments. After working through this, as well as coping with multiple brain and heart operations and many near death experiences, medical marvels Thomas and Alice continue to bring untold joy to their lives.

James shares a candid and humorous view of what it is like to be a father to such extraordinary children; the funny experiences they have had along the way, as well as his disastrous early attempts at parenthood.

Taking a weight off your mind

The Weighted Blanket Guide by Eileen Parker and Cara Koscinski, £10.99

FIRM pressure on the body for an extended period can calm the mind.

Research has found that deep pressure touch stimulation releases serotonin, a chemical in the brain that works as a neurotransmitter in the regulation of mood, sleep and sensory perception.

Weighted blankets mimic this and have a calming and soothing effect.

Based on the latest research, this book offers clear information for anyone considering using a weighted blanket to help with sensory processing disorder, autism, sleep disorders, fibromyalgia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and more.

Sections include: n What a weighted blanket is and how it works. n An exploration of deep pressure and how weight on the body affects the mind. n Effectiveness of weighted blankets. n Advice on how to select an appropriate weighted blanket or create your own.

August/September 2016

ARIES March 21st - April 20th

will become available during the first half of the month. Launching a fitness regime in midAugust will bring great results. Physical activity will give you an attractive glow that’s hard to resist. The Lunar Eclipse on the 18th brings an end to a set of heavy responsibilities. Devote the final days of August to things that make life meaningful. A financial shortage warns against taking risks during the second part of September. Be as resourceful as possible. A Lunar Eclipse on the 16th makes you yearn for fun. It may be necessary to cut back your hours at work to recover from burnout. Fortunately, there will be a round of parties at the end of the month.

The beginning of August will be highly romantic.

This is a wonderful time to embark on a love affair, get engaged or exchange wedding vows.

A Lunar Eclipse on the 18th will mark the end of a group project. Resist the urge to discuss controversial subjects like religion, politics and race during the second half of August. A Solar Eclipse on September 1 will bring a health matter to your attention. You will have to change your daily routine for the sake of your body. Stop burning the candle at both ends.

The Lunar Eclipse on the 16th will bring an end to a period of obscurity. At long last, you can be more vocal about your true feelings. Spending more time on your personal life is strongly advised during the second half of September.

SAGITTARIUS November 23rd - December 21st

TAURUS April 21st - May 21st

Your home life will be a great source of joy in the opening days of August. Avoid playing mind games with a potential partner during the first half of the month; it’s better to take a straightforward approach. The Lunar Eclipse on the 18th brings an end to a stressful career matter. This will give you an opportunity to operate independently. A former lover may try to tempt you back into a relationship at the end of July. Be wary about giving your heart to this manipulator. The Lunar Eclipse on September 16 will prompt you to break away from a restrictive relationship. This will put a crimp in your finances, but you can’t put a price on independence.

GEMINI May 22nd - June 21st

Your gift with words will be at its strongest in early August, but home life could get stressful.

An intimate partnership will experience growing pains at the end of August. The two of you will have to make some compromises. You might have to revise some stubborn opinions and rigid rules. The Solar Eclipse on September 1 prompts you to make some big domestic changes. You’re no longer willing to endure a relative’s bad behaviour. Your love life will undergo a dramatic improvement during the first half of the month. Turn to your romantic partner when your courage starts to falter.

They’ll be happy to supply the support you need to make a fresh start. You might have to dip into savings in late September.

CANCER June 22nd - July 23rd

An unexpected windfall will give you more money for luxuries in early August. Your gift for leadership will earn fame and acclaim during the second half of August. Don’t be surprised if you’re given an award or bonus. A Lunar Eclipse on the 18th will bring an end to a business alliance, allowing you a greater measure of freedom. Heavy responsibilities will keep you busy as August turns to September.

Home life will become much more rewarding during the first half of September. If you’ve been longing to move, this would be a great time to look for a new place. Your family will help you recover from a disappointment. You could meet someone special at the end of September. This is a great time to pursue a business or romantic partnership.

LEO July 24th - August 23rd

It will be easy to find love, money and adventure in the early days of August. Take risks and be bold; it’s time to realise your full potential. The Lunar Eclipse on the 18th will allow you to put your ego aside and learn something new. A respected expert will take you under their wing, provided you treat them with the

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

RUSSELL GRANT CALLING . . .

proper respect. The Solar Eclipse on September 1 urges you to take a second look at your values. Instead of pursuing wealth and status, you should focus on doing what you love. The Lunar Eclipse on September 16 allows you to break free of a restrictive financial arrangement. Although this will mean less income, this turn of events will allow you to become more self sufficient.

VIRGO August 24th - September 23rd

You’ll have a welcome opportunity to rest, relax and recuperate in the opening days of August.

A Lunar Eclipse on the 18th could bring a satisfactory end to a work assignment. This will give you more time for a fitness programme.

Splash out on some fashionable clothes and luxury products towards the end of the month.

You’re long overdue for some pampering. The Solar Eclipse on September 1 will prompt you to make big changes to your personal life.

Pursuing your dream job will be a welcome diversion during the first half of September. You have an opportunity to dramatically improve your financial situation.

LIBRA September 24th - October 23rd

Expanding your social network should be your first priority at the beginning of August. If you’re looking for love, you could find it with a wild rebellious type this August. A Lunar Eclipse on the 18th helps you bring a creative project to its successful conclusion. You can win fame and acclaim from this work. Moneymaking opportunities will increase by the end of the month. A Solar Eclipse on September 1 prompts you to take more time for solitary pursuits. You’re very impressionable. Being surrounded by persuasive people can undermine your ability to make healthy decisions. Get some distance from people who don’t have your best interests at heart.

SCORPIO October 24th - November 22nd

Your professional prospects are excellent at the beginning of August. More money for luxuries

An exciting opportunity to travel for pleasure will arrive in early August. Opportunities related to education, publishing and travel are worth exploring. The Lunar Eclipse on the 18th brings an end to a group creative project. Use this achievement as a springboard to bigger and better assignments. A Solar Eclipse on September 1 causes you to embark on a brand new career path. Changing direction will be challenging but rewarding. The Lunar Eclipse on the 16th will put pressure on your home life.

Your social life will pick up considerably during the second half of September. Making new friends can advance both your personal and professional prospects. You’ll face stiff competition with a moneymaking opportunity at the end of the month.

CAPRICORN December 22nd - January 20th

A passionate love affair will make early August an exciting time. The Lunar Eclipse on the 18th brings an end to a professional role. This will give you an opportunity to venture into a different field. Opportunities involving publishing, travel and education are all worth exploring. The Solar Eclipse on September 1 will prompt you to change your priorities.

Instead of focusing on superficial matters like work, status and money, you’ll turn your attention inward. Adopting a spiritual practice is a strong possibility. The Lunar Eclipse on the 16th could put an end to defeatist attitudes.

AQUARIUS January 21st - February 19th

A romantic relationship will be a profound source of pleasure in early August. Money will be rather tight during the first half of the month.

Your first priority will be to pay bills as quickly as possible. A Lunar Eclipse on the 19th will bring an end to a period of obscurity. Take this opportunity to make bold proposals and share exciting ideas. Thinking outside of the box could put you on a whole new path. A Solar Eclipse on September 1 will prompt you to let down your defences with a trustworthy partner.

In the past, you insisted on retaining your independence. A Lunar Eclipse on the 16th will bring an end to a source of income. Stay calm.

PISCES February 20th - March 20th

At the beginning of August, you’ll have an exciting opportunity to embark on your dream career. You have to take a calculated risk if you aim to move ahead. The middle of August is a good time for all financial negotiations because your perceptive powers of persuasion are peculiarly potent. The Lunar Eclipse on the 18th . The Solar Eclipse September 1 marks a turning point in a close relationship. Assuming a more dominant role is critical to the health of this union. Continually denying yourself of such simple pleasures can make you angry and resentful. A Lunar Eclipse on the 16th will prompt you to be more outspoken.

HALF A MILLION PEOPLE ARE READING THESE PAGES

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

August/September 2016

All Together NOW!

TOP GARDEN GUIDES UP FOR GRABS

H

ERE’S a box of gardening tricks anyone can learn – and we have eight, worth £20 each, as prizes in this super competition.

The Big Box for Small Gardens, published by Dorling Kindersley in an attractive potting shed cover, contains four books specially for new or inexperienced gardeners – first-time homeowners, retirement down-sizers or citydwellers – looking to grow their own gardens.

Each of the four titles, in 24cm x 18cm (9.5in x 7.5in) format, contains 160 pages of straightforward, step-by-step advice and clear, colourful illustrations to guide gardeners through each stage of a garden’s development from design to keeping plants healthy.

The books are: n Planting a Small Garden, covering design, planning, planting and maintenance. n Containers for Patios, on choosing the right

CHECKLIST

pots and contrasting plants, and keeping them healthy. n Vegetables in a Small Garden, with basic guidance and ideas for crops in raised beds and tubs. n Easy Pruning, which demystifies trimming techniques and adds ideas for topiary and climbers.

To enter the competition, answer this question: How many books are in The Big Box for Small Gardens?

Send your entry with your name and address on a postcard or sealed envelope, stating where you picked up your copy of All Together NOW!, to Big Box Competition, All Together NOW!, The Bradbury Centre, Youens Way, Liverpool L14 2EP, to arrive by Friday September 23, or enter online at www.alltogethernow.org.uk n For the full range of Dorling Kindersley’s gardening books visit www.dk.com.

It has to be asters W

HATEVER conditions the summer brings, asters defy it with dazzling, weatherproof colours.

On showery days, their cheerful hues of purple, mauve, red, yellow and pink catch each rare ray of sunshine, enticing bees and butterflies to check them over for pollen. When it is hot and dry, provided the plants are well established, they bloom just as brilliantly.

This explosion of colour from August to October is produced not by some rare and expensive bulb or root but by nothing more spectacular than a standard packet of seeds.

Modern forms of the old cottage-garden favourite are larger, with double flowers and unusual versions. Dozens of plants can be grown from a packet of seeds costing a couple of pounds.

There are basically two kinds of aster grown in most gardens – annuals which flower late in summer from seed sown that spring, and perennials, including Michaelmas daisies, which are among the finest plants for the herbaceous border.

Some of these can be grown from seed but are usually bought as rooted plants – or provided as

pieces of root by another gardener who has divided plants because they have grown too big.

Worldwide, there are 250 species of aster that originate in varying conditions, from dry mountainside to most woodland, throughout the northern hemisphere and particularly from North America.

All need plenty of sunshine and fertile soil. Annual asters are sown in spring.

Some of the best varieties: n Milady and Spider Chrysanthemum, both pictured in mixed selections. n Starlight Rose, a deep rose-pink double packed with slim petals on compact, early and freeflowering plants. n Duchess Mixed, cream, purple, red and pink

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DAZZLING: Weatherproof asters Spider, left, and Milady Chrysanthemum

blooms like incurved chrysanthemums on 60cm (2ft) stems.

Some of the best perennials are: n Aster alpinus, which grows only 25cm (10in) tall but spreads to 45cm (18in) wide, smothering itself in 5cm (2in) violet flowers. It is ideal for the front of a border and likes well-drained soil. The variety Dark Beauty has deep purple flowers. n Aster amellus King George, an erect plant reaching 45cm (18in) and producing masses of stunning, cornflower-blue blooms. Of the many fine amellus varieties, Nocturne has purple flower heads. n Aster x frikartii, a similar height and also with several fine varieties to its name. These include Moench, with long-lasting lavender-blue flowers.

Two of the best-known hardy species are the tall Aster novae-angliae , the New England aster, 1.5m (5ft) high with rich purple blooms, and Aster noviibelgii – the genuine Michaelmas daisy - 30cm (1ft) shorter with lavender blue flowers.

Perennial asters should have their roots divided and young sections from the edge of the clump replanted, in spring every third year.

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FLOWERS: In August, take cuttings of pelargoniums (bedding geraniums) from shoots that have not flowered, cutting beneath a leaf node and removing all but the top two or three leaves. Pot them in gritty compost in a shady place such as a north-facing windowsill. Plant autumn flowering bulbs such as colchicum and autumn crocus.

SHRUBS AND TREES: Clip hedges and topiary, removing all new growth unless it is needed to fill gaps or add height. Take 15cm (6in) cuttings of lavender in August from stems that have not flowered. Trim them below a leaf-joint, strip off all leaves except four to six at the top. Make a V-trench in a shady spot and insert the cuttings to two-thirds of their length. In heavy soil, fill the trench first with a gritty mixture such as cuttings compost.

PATIOS: Spend a few minutes every day deadheading container flowers.

Make sure the compost does not dry out and give a liquid feed once a week.

LAWNS: Raise the mower blades – grass can take weeks to recover if sheared too short in hot weather.

PONDS: Remove dying blooms and leaves of water lilies and other plants. If allowed to rot, they will use up oxygen needed by fish.

VEGETABLES: Keep gathering courgettes and beans as soon as they are big enough. The more you pick, the more the plants will produce. By midAugust, sow spring cabbages and finish planting leeks for cropping early next year.

FRUIT: Peg down strawberry runners to produce new plants. Fix them into small pots of compost buried up to their rims in the ground. This makes the young plants easy to plant out with little disturbance to their roots.

GREENHOUSE: Water tomatoes regularly. Splitting and blossom-end rot are caused by irregular watering.

HOUSEPLANTS: Plant hyacinth bulbs in pots to bloom indoors in winter.

All Together NOW!

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August/September 2016

The Accumulator Quiz

STARSPOT CROSSWORD Can you find the celebrity name hidden in this Starspot Crossword? Complete the crossword in the normal way then make a note of the letters contained in all the squares which are marked with shaded stars. These letters will make an anagram of the name you are looking for.

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21

6

10 11

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8

★ 12

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25

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ACROSS

DOWN

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Offer of marriage (8) Specialist (6) Drop of rain (4) Move quickly (3) Tagged (anag.) (6) Fragrant (8) Planet (6) Large wasp (6) Cab (6) Time to come (6) Scent spray (8) Macaw (6) Bath (3) Large boat (4) Opportunity (6) Saviour (8)

Each question has four possible answers and is worth from one to 15 points. Circle your chosen answers and keep a record of your points total. Maximum total points 120.

QUESTION 1 – for 1 point: Which English king had a spaniel named after him?

QUESTION 10 – for 10 points: With which art movement is Roy Lichtenstein associated?

A B C D

A B C D

Long sword (6) Healing liquid (6) Sequence (6) Linear extent (6) Arachnid (6) Become ice (6) Haste (4) Mend socks (4) Board game (4) Egg (4) Common sense (inf.) (4) Row (4) Indifference (6) Season (6) Substance (6) Prohibit (6) Thin paper (6) Purify (6)

Charles II William IV Henry VIII George III

QUESTION 11 – for 11 points: Which of the following is one-tenth of a nautical mile?

A B C D

A B C D

The Goodies The Two Ronnies Monty Python’s Flying Circus Fawlty Towers

QUESTION 3 – for 3 points: What is the unit for measuring the height of a horse?

QUESTION 4 – for 4 points: Who was Bob Cratchit’s son in A Christmas Carol?

A B C D

Little Jack Horner Tiny Tim Little Willie Tom Thumb

QUESTION 5 – for 5 points: What is a chukka?

A B C D

QUESTION 6 – for 6 points: In 2014 actress Gillian Anderson was widely acclaimed for her London performance in the role of Blanche DuBois in which Tennessee Williams play?

A B C D

The Glass Menagerie A Streetcar Named Desire Cat on a Hot Tin Roof The Night of the Iguana

Actress Gillian Anderson. See Question 6

Pointless Only Connect The Chase Countdown

QUESTION 7 – for 7 points: The Galilean moons, named in honour of Galileo, are moons orbiting which planet?

QUESTION 13 – for 13 points: A crossed-out triangle on laundry labels means what?

A B C D

A B C D

Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn

A B C D

Do not bleach Do not spin dry Do not boil Dry clean only

QUESTION 14 – for 14 points: Which city stands on the ruins of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan?

A B C D

Netherlands Great Britain Australia Germany

Caracas Veracruz Mexico City San Salvador

QUESTION 9 – for 9 points: What is studied by a herpetologist?

QUESTION 15 – for 15 points: Which architect designed London’s Crystal Palace?

A B C D

A B C D

Reptiles Fish Butterflies and moths Bees

William Burges John Nash John Soane Joseph Paxton

KAKURO

THERE is just one simple rule in Sudoku. Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9, and so must each 3 x 3 box. This is a logic puzzle, and you should not have to guess.

EASY

3 9 4 1 7 8 4 3 2 9 6 8 5 9 1 8 3 1 2 6 5 6 5

A B C D

QUESTION 8 – for 8 points: Which country won the Olympic men’s hockey gold medal in 2012?

A period of play in polo An early Roman catapult An Indian feast A nightclub doorman

A chain A cable A pole A knot

QUESTION 12 – for 12 points: Actor Bradley Walsh is the regular questionmaster and host on which TV game show?

Finger Hand Foot Leg

SUDOKU

9 6 7

Surrealism Super-Realism Pop Art Neo-Expressionism

QUESTION 2 – for 2 points: Which TV comedy series featured a sketch about a dead Norwegian Blue parrot?

A B C D

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DIFFICULT

2 4 1 9 3

4

5 2

1 8

3 1

5 6 5 9

7 8 3

1 5 7 2 4 6 5 6 9 9 1 8 3 8 7 2

REACH 500,000 READERS

FILL in the blank squares in the grid with numbers so that each horizontal or vertical line adds up to the total given in the box either to the left or above it.

Horizontal totals are given in the top right corners of the shaded boxes; vertical totals in the bottom left corners.

You can use the numbers 1 to 9, but may not use the same number more than once in any run. The number may be used again, however, in the same row or column but as part of another run.

MEDIUM 17

14

11

12

21

16

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27 17 7

20 16

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Telephone dialling pads combine several letters on one key. Here we have encoded several sets of words or items by using numbers rather than letters. Then we have divided them into groups of three characters and run all the names one after another to make your task a little more difficult. Can you crack the codes?

EACH number in our Cross Code grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. You have three letters in the control grid to start you off.

Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters should go in the missing squares.

As you get the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and control grid. Check off the alphabetical list of letters as you identify them.

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1 []â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

2 ABC

3 DEF

4 GHI

5 JKL

6 MNO

7 PQRS

8 TUV

9 WXYZ

Spaces and any punctuation marks are represented by 1.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

2. classic horror films 779 246 172 732 617 658 374 347 818 431 942 537 162 614 255 693 361 843 135 917 673 627 917 122 291 843 139 672 478 184 317 446 464 125 436

3. Shakespeare plays 843 182 646 416 318 431 747 391 585 487 122 372 712 962 354 631 271 968 154 531 481 267 465 268 716 327 873 136 716 327 873 184 318 367 378

4. classic TV comedy shows 843 184 227 163 134 253 911 255 611 255 611 527 816 318 431 786 637 194 631 665 913 665 712 631 467 737 132 958 918 693 771 346 637 523 437

5. Winter Olympics venues 727 253 861 762 441 725 815 253 124 891 727 767 615 455 342 663 712 523 788 455 317 816 674 891 826 268 837 147 366 253 162 426 612 254 279

6. hit records of the 1960s 466 318 427 284 667 122 291 568 314 382 929 183 578 271 968 641 447 514 616 691 439 158 331 255 167 166 844 641 414 681 968 122 231 585 438

PATHWORDS

SPOT CHECK

Starting from the central shaded letter, move one letter at a time (up, down, right or left, but not diagonally) to find 17 things powered by batteries.

Can you place the six dominoes (right) into the grid below in such a way that the number of spots in all four rows across and all four rows down totals 9?

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Each pair of words has a missing word between them that acts as a link to both (e.g. FRONT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DOOR â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MAT). The initial letters of the six answers (reading downwards) will spell out a unit of liquid measurement.

computer parts and

1. accessories 539 262 731 666 486 714 273 137 483 163 667 917 842 517 746 837 176 883 717 732 537 173 783 714 727 442 712 273 166 873 193 222 617 226 637

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TOKAY 1) A Maori priest, a wise man with healing powers; 2) A gecko, native to the Malay archipelago and southeast Asia; 3) A feathered headdress worn by Aztec warriors, to which an additional plume was added for each enemy soldier slain.

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33

DIALLING CODES

CROSS CODE

All Together NOW!

August/September 2016

A

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R E M D H TRANSFORMER

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MAKE A DATE In which year did all three of these significant historical events take place?

1. After almost 30 years of fighting, Apache leader Geronimo surrenders with his last band of warriors to General Nelson Miles.

2. Karl Benz patents the first petrol-driven motor car.

3. The first Canadian Pacific passenger train leaves Montreal for Port Moody on the Pacific coast.

Add the given letter to the first word to make a new word.

Clue: You can bury most of the trainee

WAS IT? a) 1878; b) 1882; c) 1886; d) 1890; e) 1894.

_____ +N=_____N

ALL THE ANSWERS Pathwords: phone; watch; digital camera; remote control; laptop; torch; tablet; calculator; smoke alarm; car; drill; fan; razor; radio; keyboard; toothbrush; pacemaker.

5 6 2 4 3 9 8 1 7

9 7 8 5 6 1 3 2 4

1 3 4 2 7 8 5 9 6

8 2 6 7 1 5 9 4 3

SUDOKU EASY

3 9 1 8 2 4 7 6 5

7 4 5 3 9 6 1 8 2

6 8 7 1 4 3 2 5 9

2 5 9 6 8 7 4 3 1

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Accumulator Quiz 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A; 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; C; 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; B; 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; B; 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A; 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; B; 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; C; 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; D; 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A; 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; C; 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; B; 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; C; 13 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A; 14 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; C; 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; D. Starspot Crossword Across â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 Proposal; 8 Expert; 9 Spot; 10 Run; 11 Gadget; 12 Redolent; 15 Uranus; 16 Hornet; 20 Hansom; 24 Future; 27 Atomiser; 28 Parrot; 29 Tub; 30 Ship; 31 Chance; 32 Redeemer.

Down â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2 Rapier; 3 Potion; 4 Series; 5 Length; 6 Spider; 7 Freeze; 12 Rush; 13 Darn; 14 Ludo; 17 Ovum; 18 Nous; 19 Tier; 21 Apathy; 22 Spring; 23 Matter; 24 Forbid; 25 Tissue; 26 Refine.

Star Name: PAULA RADCLIFFE

Word Wizard No 2 is correct. A tokay is a gecko.

Dialling Codes 1. keyboard; monitor; hard drive; memory stick; printer; router; speaker; server; graphics card; mouse; webcam; scanner.

2. Psycho; Scream; Poltergeist; The Wicker Man; Halloween; The Fly; Rosemaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Baby; The Exorcist; The Shining; Alien.

3. The Taming Of The Shrew; Julius Caesar; Cymbeline; As You Like It; Coriolanus; Measure For Measure; The Tempest.

4. The Vicar Of Dibley; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Allo â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Allo!; Last Of The Summer Wine; Only Fools And Horses; Fawlty Towers; Dinnerladies.

5. Sarajevo; Sochi; Salt Lake City; Sapporo; Lillehammer; Albertville; St Moritz; Vancouver; Grenoble; Nagano; Calgary.

6. Good Vibrations; Baby Love; Getaway; Telstar; Young Girl; Go Now; Hey Jude; All Or Nothing; I Got You Babe; Juliet.

Spot Check A = 1; B = 6; C = 3; D = 2; E = 4; F = 5.

Missing Link guide; apple; lime; load; olive; new.

Unit of measurement: gallon.

Make a Date The year was 1886.

Transformer Inter + N = Intern

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But the charity needs to find ways to balance the books.

You can help in a big way by becoming one of our loyal subscribers. For a suggested £15 donation (more, if you can afford it!) we will send you the next SIX editions.

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August/September 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

THE GREATEST S GOAL-GETTERS: From left, Sean Highdale, Michael Barker, and Ollie Nugent who are among the GB football squad bound for Rio

TAND BY for the biggest ever overseas broadcast in Channel 4 and Paralympic history – including The Last Leg live from Rio every evening.

A Channel 4 spokeswoman said: “We’re delivering the most comprehensive and innovative coverage of the Games ever.

“We will be showing more hours of live sport online and on television than we did in 2012. “ But as good as the coverage is certainly going to be, almost half of the sports will not be screened live on television, after the host city scrapped plans to pay for an expansion of its coverage.

The Rio organising committee has decided not to provide the funding needed to increase the number of Paralympic sports that were covered live at London 2012, because it could not afford the extra expense.

This means that the Olympic Broadcasting Services will provide live TV feeds for just 13 of the 22 sports, so there will not be live coverage of some of the biggest British names from London 2012.

Channel 4 has no say over which events are covered live, and has

instead pledged to provide its own camera teams “at the finish line” to at least “capture British medal wins and the reaction of athletes after their events”.

The sports that OBS will not cover live are goalball, triathlon, rowing, canoeing, sailing, shooting and archery, as well as road

Channel 4 set to provide ‘best ever coverage’

cycling, although track cycling will be covered.

There will also be no live pictures from the marathons, which means no coverage of one of the stars of the ParalympicsGB team, David Weir.

Stay ahead of the Games . . .

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

August/September 2016

All Together NOW!

Andy strides out in the style of a true champion

F

ORMER Royal Marine Andy Grant has set a new 10k world record for below-the-knee amputees.

Andy, 28, completed his amazing run in just 37m 17s – only 11 minutes slower than the current able-bodied 10k record, held by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.

“I am now officially the fastest man on one leg,” said Andy, from Walton, Liverpool.

The event took place at Liverpool Harriers’ track and was attended by family and friends as well as some famous faces including former Liverpool FC star Jamie Carragher.

“It was a really special night,” said Andy, who last year won gold medals (400m and 1500m) and a bronze (4x100m relay) at the Invictus Games.

Andy had his right leg amputated after suffering horrific injuries while serving in Afghanistan.

Apart from overcoming lots of personal challenges, Andy is also patron of a charity that uses sport, to tackle social exclusion by getting unemployed people back into work.

He said: “The School of Hard Knocks is about changing lives through sport, working as a team and overcoming life’s hurdles.

“So for me to break the world record wearing the SOHK vest, surrounded by my friends and family, was the perfect night.”

bring up his two younger sisters.

At 17, he decided after a year of A levels, that he needed a different challenge and was drawn into the Royal Marines by a single TV advert.

After completing the Royal Marine Commando training, he earned his coveted green beret and served in Iraq and Afghanistan for nearly seven years, before being medically discharged after serious injuries in Afghanistan.

He spent two weeks in an induced coma, and 18 months in and out of hospital before eventually deciding to have his leg amputated.

His next challenge is the Marathon des Sables, the toughest foot race in the world, which he will take part in 2018.

SHOW ON EARTH! Mountaineer

A brilliant motivational speaker, and a friend of Prince Harry, Andy has climbed some of the highest mountains in Europe and abseiled down the Shard in London – setbacks don’t hold him back Aged just 12, Andy lost his mum to leukaemia, leaving him to help his dad

n SOHK Tel 0203 714 0127 n www.schoolofhardknocks.org.uk/

Top marks, Mark!

T

ABLE TENNIS champion Mark Allen picked up another two gold medals at the European Heart and Lung Transplant Games in Finland.

Mark, communications officer at Halton council, says: “Winning medals at the European Games just goes to show that you don’t have to let your health problems get in the way of living life to the full.

“I’m a walking demonstration of just how important and amazing organ donation is.”

Mark, 44, benefitted from a double lung transplant 11 years ago and has only 23% lung capacity.

Mark was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was nine months old, causing mucus to develop in the lungs.

Already challenged with limited lung capacity, he fell ill with pneumonia while working as an English teacher in Korea in 2002.

Complications left him in a life or death situation, needing a double lung transplant.

“It’s tough, but I don’t let this hold me back,” he adds. “Sport has always been an important part of my lifestyle and I keep as active as my lungs will allow.”

And there will be no live feed from the equestrian events. n Nearly three-quarters of the broadcaster’s presenters, reporters and pundits will be disabled and more than 15%t of its Rio production team will be disabled people.

The Last Leg, featuring comedian Adam

Hills and journalist and presenter Alex Brooker, will be filmed live every night during the games in front of a studio audience at the Rio Olympic Park.

Other disabled presenters will include Breaking Bad actor R J Mitte, broadcaster and campaigner Sophie Morgan and retired

Paralympian Ade Adepitan, with reporters including retired Paralympians Steve Brown, Martine Wright, Steve Rose, Sophia Warner, Danny Crates, Giles Long, Liz Johnson and Peter Norfolk.

All coverage will be available with subtitles, and a signed and audio described version of

the opening and closing ceremonies will be broadcast simultaneously on 4seven, with audio described and signed editions of The Last Leg available each evening on 4seven soon after the live broadcast. n The Games take place from September 7-18.

. . . www.alltogethernow.org.uk

35

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Y

This is more than just a newspaper . . .

It is the key that opens a thousand doors All Together NOW!

August/September 2016

How YOU can help to keep this paper alive and kicking

OUR FREE All Together NOW! charity paper is celebrating its ELEVENTH anniversary – and here’s your chance to help keep it alive and kicking for years to come.

Funded entirely through advertising, partnerships and grants, and donations, the multi award-winning newspaper is helping and informing hundreds of thousands of people affected by ill health and disability – and is unique in the UK. But publishing and distributing newspapers is a hugely costly business.

To save money, more and more organisations are ditching their print information and switching to the Internet.

But huge numbers of disabled and older people people do not use the Internet.

Not only are we are determined to

continue making this newspaper freely available, we also aim to increase its circulation.

But to do so, we need YOUR help.

We are now appealing to businesses, charities and readers to help us to carry on the good work by becoming a

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

— Sir BERT MASSIE, Britain’s leading disability campaigner

FRIEND of All Together NOW! If you are a UK taxpayer we will be able to get £2.50 from the Government for every gift of £10. So if you are able to donate £20, then the charity would get an extra fiver!

You can text a donation from your

mobile phone (DONATE ATNOW to 88802), or commit to a regular monthly donation via the Charity Checkout link at www.alltogethernow.org.uk Sir Bert Massie, Liverpool’s former chairman of the Disability Rights Commission, is one of the paper’s biggest fans.

He says: “All Together NOW! is more than just a newspaper. It is the key that opens a thousand doors.”

With your help we can secure the paper’s future – and make it bigger, better and open even more doors.

And that has to be good for EVERYONE.

Thank you!

Tom Dowling, editor All Together NOW! The Bradbury Centre, Youens Way, Liverpool L14 2EP Tel 0151 230 0307 news@alltogethernow.org.uk