Issue 65 dec jan 2016

THE GREAT SHARE OUT! p5 p5

HAMPER WINNER’S JOY DECEMBER-JANUARY, 2016

p20-21

Christmas message for all carers

p19

Chris’s extreme stroke journey

FREEBIE TIME! opening doorways . . .

broadening minds

p4

£2 MILLION GIVEAWAY! p7

p15

Ten life-saving meters to be won

2

All Together NOW!

What’s inside NEWS

p7

ACCESSIBLE LIVING

p9

YOUNG AT HEART UNITED UTILITIES

MOTORZONE

LETTERS/SIR BERT MASSIE

INDEPENDENT LIVING

p8 p10

p11

p12-13

p14

p15

THEATRE GUIDE

p16-17

HEALTHZONE

p19-25

GARDENING

p27

SPORT

p30-31

CONTACT BOARD BOOKS/ HOROSCOPES

PUZZLEZONE

YOUR 2016 STARS

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

p2-6

MORGAN FOUNDATION

COMPETITION

NEWS

December/January 2016

p18

p26

p28-29

p32

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. n If YOU can help, please contact us on

0151 230 0307

Editor: Tom Dowling email: news@alltogethernow.org.uk

Advertising/sponsorship 0151 230 0307

email: sales@alltogethernow.org.uk

Editorial Support: Gerry Corner IT Support: Ken Almond Website: Pharos Design www.alltogethernow.org.uk

NEXT EDITION

TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2016

All Together NOW! is published by All Together Now! Ltd, The Bradbury Centre, Youens Way, Liverpool L14 2EP Registered Charity No.1106387 Company No. 5096931

Students tackle hate crime

S

IXTH form students have been working on ways to combat hate crimes against people with learning disabilities.

They held weekly discussion forums involving police officers from the Stigma Team, members of the Crown Prosecution Service, court officials and victim support workers.

An eight-week project by pupils at Liverpool’s Sandfield Park was also aimed at raising awareness. The students created eye-catching awareness

posters, and visited Liverpool Magistrates court to see how the criminal justice systems deals with those accused of hate-crime.

Four of the young people presented their work and ideas at the Schools Parliament in Liverpool Town Hall, and later Councillor Emily Spurrell presented certificates of achievement to all those taking part in the course at a University of Liverpool ceremony.

Heidi Kenworthy, director of the university’s disabled

‘We suffer suffer prejudice on a daily basis . . .’

V

ERBAL abuse aimed at people with facial disfigurements is going massively underreported, say campaigners.

And a leading charity fears many victims are completely unaware that they are protected by the law.

New figures show a 25% increase in disability hate crime but the Changing Faces charity says the numbers hide the extent of the hostility directed at people with disfigurements.

The Equality Act defines a

student support group, Moving On With Life & Learning, said: “Statistics reveal the problem of hate-crime is an ever-present threat to the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens.

“Collective actions like this can begin to make a difference.

Along with Peer Advocates Changing Things Together, who led the project, we are committed to campaigning against injustice by putting people first; believing that things can change, and that a better world is possible.”

CAMPAIGNING: Dr Partridge

“severe disfigurement’ as a disability, and an offender who targets a victim because of a disfigurement would be committing a hate-crime.

Dr James Partridge, head of Changing Faces, which campaigns for people with facial disfigurement, said: “Figures from the British Crime Survey suggest only 24% of hate-crime is reported to police which is worrying enough, but only 3.6% of disability hate crime is reported.

“We applaud the efforts of

recent governments to focus attention on hate crime, and treat these offences with the seriousness they deserve.

“However, people with disfigurements experience prejudice and in many cases hate crime on a daily basis, and yet the current recording methods don’t capture this, recording it all under ‘disability’.

This give a distorted view of reality.” n Changing Faces: Tel. 0207 391 9270 n www.changingfaces.org.uk

Be a special Friend – see back page

Happier families

AN ASTOUNDING 72,000 families were helped with financial crises last year, thanks to the Family Fund.

Family breaks, sensory toys, kitchen appliances, tablets, clothing and furniture were just some of the things provided to those in need.

The Fund exists to give families on low incomes raising disabled and seriously ill children and young people the same opportunities as others.

A total of 2,551 families got help within 48 hours of asking, after finding themselves in an unexpected financial crisis.

Cheryl Ward, Family Fund group chief, said: “We believe that all families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people should have the same opportunities as others and these grants are a small way of helping to achieve that.” n Helpline: 01904 621115, www.familyfund.org.uk

Give us a break

MORE than half of local authorities have cut spending on short breaks for families with disabled children, new research has revealed.

Amanda Batten, member of the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign and chief executive of national charity Contact a Family, said: “The value of investing in short breaks is beyond doubt.

“They save the State tens of millions of pounds by supporting parent carers to look after their disabled children, and they give disabled children and young people opportunities that their peers take for granted.

“Short breaks must remain a priority for local authorities, but they need the necessary funding to protect this essential service. The reasons to invest in short breaks remain as strong today as ever, and we urge the Government to ensure the sustainability of short breaks for the future.” n EDCM, tel 020 7843 6082, www.edcm.org.uk

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

December/January 2016

NEWS

The 200-mile push for Steve

A TEAM of handbikers completed a five-day, 200-mile Hull-Manchester ride, raising funds for the cancer charity set up by the former St Helens rugby legend, Steve Prescott.

The nine-man team, which included wheelchair users and able-bodied members, all used manual or hybrid/electric Batec handbikes, which transform ordinary wheelchairs into hand-powered tricycles.

Organiser Jimmy Gittins, a former professional Rugby League player whose own career was ended by a lifethreatening neck injury, said: “It was a fitting tribute to Steve’s memory and the legacy of his fundraising work.” n The handbikes were supplied by Widnes-based Cyclone Mobility, tel 0800 1804850

A HUGE THANKS TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS A

VERY warm welcome to this bumper Christmas issue.

It’s another cracker – bursting with news and info that you will struggle to find elsewhere.

And it’s all FREE – thanks to the generous and ongoing financial support we receive from our partners, advertisers, grantmakers, and readers, whose personal donations make it all worth while.

Without this amazing support All Together NOW! just wouldn’t be around.

Times are hard. There’s no doubting that!

But we have a great FREE newspaper that is reaching – and helping – huge numbers of readers.

And as our circulation continues to grow and grow – unlike other papers, whose figures are at an all-time low – so, too, do our hopes of attracting new partners . . .

Here’s wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

All Together NOW!

3

Charity blasts council tax plan to pay for care

NATIONAL charity Sense expressed bitter disappointment over plans to let councils raise council tax for investment into social care.

Reacting to the Chancellor’s Spending Review, Richard Kramer, deputy chief executive of Sense, said: “We’re extremely disappointed by the lack of a long term vision for social care.

“The total that could potentially be raised by this ‘new power’ across the rest of parliament is under £2bn.

“This is insufficient to make any real difference to a social care system that is quickly spiraling into crisis.

“Social care is consigned to be the poor relation of public services at a time when it continues to face the biggest challenges with an unprecedented increase in demand for services by vulnerable and disabled people.

“The rationing of social care has a knock on effect and will result in further demands on the NHS, undoing the additional funding that has been announced today.”

Tax credit cheer

CONTACT a Family welcomed the Government’s U-turn on plans to cut tax credits.

The charity’s CEO, Amanda Batten, said: “This will be welcome news for around 150,000 working families with disabled children who were likely to be affected by this.

“Tax credits remain a vital lifeline for many families with disabled children who have a difficult job juggling work and caring responsibilities and who rely on tax credits to pay for basics like food and heating.”

Accessible housing

TOM DOWLING, editor

CHANCELLOR George Osborne announced a spending pledge of £400m for the creation of 8,000 new specialist homes for older and disabled people.

The demand for accessible and adaptable homes is set to rise exponentially over the next few decades, as an elderly population, and a sizeable 10% of the population who identify themselves as disabled, fuel demand for such properties.

The housing needs of disabled people have recently been brought into the spotlight by a series of damning reports on the state of the accessible housing market in the UK. (See Page 9)

Council Approved Contractor & Suppliers Covering The Northwest

Free Home Demonstrations

SALES, REPAIR & SERVICING OF ALL MOBILITY & DISABILITY PRODUCTS

Call Us On:

01744 602602 Also At:

0151 423 3738

4

All Together NOW!

NEWS

December/January 2016

Talking books celebrate 80th by going free

Carl’s death leads to landmark ruling

A LANDMARK judgment by the High Court has ruled that carers for patients without mental capacity should be consulted before a “do not resuscitate” order is put on their medical records.

The judgment found the decision to impose a Do Not Attempt CardioPulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) order on a 28-year-old man with cerebral palsy, without the knowledge of his family, was a violation of the Human Rights Act. Carl Winspear died after being admitted to Sunderland Royal Hospital with a chest infection.

Merry Varney from the Human Rights team at Leigh Day, who represented Carl’s mother, Elaine, said: “I hope the judgment prompts all those involved in making these decisions, and the authors of the current professional guidance, to revisit their policies and practices to ensure patients’ human rights are upheld.”

Jan Tregelles, chief executive of Mencap, said: “1,200 people with a learning disability are dying avoidably in the NHS every year.”

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

T

HE ever-expanding Talking Books service is now available free to anyone blind or partially sighted.

The nationwide audio book scheme is celebrating its 80th anniversary. And to the mark the occasion publishing giant Harper Collins has become the first to promised delivery of every new title to the RNIB library on the date of general publication.

Readers can access the audio books on CD or USB or as a digital download, so that they can listen to them how they choose, whether at home or on-the-go.

The service was launched in 1935 to help soldiers who had been blinded in the First World War and who were struggling to learn braille.

Today, almost 30,000 blind and

partially sighted adults and children use Talking Books and the RNIB library is the largest of its kind in Europe.

Anyone who is registered as blind or partially sighted can now borrow up to six Talking Books at any time, completely free-ofcharge. Previously, customers contributed an annual subscription of £50.

With more than 360,000 people registered blind or partially sighted in the UK, RNIB hopes thousands more will sign up to the service.

The RNIB Library also offers a range of fiction and non-fiction titles for adults and children in braille and giant print. n To find out more about the RNIB Library or to sign up for Talking Books call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk/library

Listen up!

STORY TIME: Talking Books came to life at an 80th birthday party

B

RITAIN will face a major new health crisis unless cuts in spending on hearing loss are reversed, charity chiefs are warning.

The effects of deafness on health and well-being have gone ignored for too long, they say.

Deafness is a major cause of depression, dementia, and life-threatening falls, yet hearing loss is the only area that has seen a decrease in medical research funding over the last decade.

Now Action on Hearing Loss is demanding a stop to NHS cuts to hearing aids.

And The Ear Foundation wants immediate improvements in treating adults aged over 65 with hearing loss.

Warning on hearing cuts

There are now 11 million people (one in six) in the UK living with hearing loss, according to the latest report from Action on Hearing Loss (formerly RNID), with the number expected to increase to one in five people (15.6 million) by 2035, due to the ageing population.

“Losing the ability to communicate through hearing loss is one of the least recognised public health issues of our time, storing up a crisis for our health service,” said Sue Archibald, chief executive of The Ear Foundation.

“With proper investment,

treatments for hearing loss and tinnitus could be available by 2020, and we believe we can find a cure within a generation.”

She added: “Many older adults who have hearing aids that are no longer effective are unaware they could be considered for the more advanced technology of a cochlear implant.”

Paul Breckell, AHL’s chief executive, said: “The Government needs to intervene now to stop the shocking cuts to hearing aids, which has happened in North Staffordshire already, which runs contrary to NHS clinical evidence as they keep people in work and avoid them being socially isolated.” nAHL Helpline: Tel. 0808 808 0123, Ear Foundation:

TV providers ‘need to up game’

MOST TV subscribers with hearing loss would switchservice providers if more on-demand content with subtitles was available elsewhere.

Paul Breckell, chief executive at Action on Hearing Loss, said: “There’s a clear, demonstrable business case here for service providers to up their game.

“There are 10 million people in the UK

living with hearing loss and it is about time we ended their digital exclusion.”

The charity say 83% of people with hearing loss have missed out on an ondemand programme, film or series altogether, due to a lack of subtitles.

Latest figures from the on-demand services regulator ATVOD show 80% of UK on-demand services had no subtitles.

The great share out!

I just can’t thank Park enough, says our lucky hamper winner

L

UCKY Betty Ellison could hardly believe it when she got a phone call to tell her that she had won our sensational Park Empire hamper competition, worth £553.

Almost 6,000 entries flooded in – the biggest ever response to our annual Christmas competition.

“I’m absolutely stunned,” she said on learning that she had won the hamper “A few days ago I had told a couple of my grandchildren that I had entered the competition and we fantasised about what we would do with all the food if I won.

All Together NOW!

December/January 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

“Now I feel as if I’ve won the Lottery – it’s just fantastic. And I can’t thank Park and All Together NOW! enough.”

For the past five years Betty, from Kensington, Liverpool, has been caring for her husband, Alf, who suffered a major stroke that left him without speech and paralysed down the right side of his body.

“I’m going to share the hamper between all my wonderful family and friends. We’ve got our sons, Paul, Mark, and daughter Lorraine plus a total of 14 grandchildren and great grandkids – and our friends – so there’ll be plenty of

fun deciding who gets what.”

Betty is a huge fan of All Together NOW! “It’s a diamond that has helped us through some very tough times,” she said. “There is so much information and news that we just wouldn’t know about.

And it’s free. It’s great that the health trusts are supporting the paper – it’s a

n Betty and Alf Ellison.

Picture: KEN ALMOND

lifeline to us and to tens of thousands of families across the region.”

Park Group’s chief executive Chris Houghton said: “We are delighted to hear that Betty and Alf have won. I’m certain they are going to enjoy all the goodies for a long time to come!”

Plan for a magical Christmas 2016

● 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

Helping you plan your perfect Christmas! the power behind the card

flexecash® is the pre-paid card platform which issues the Love2shop cards. This facility is provided by Park Card Services who are Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to issue electronic money. FRN: 900016.

Please send me a FREE PARK Christmas 2016 Catalogue

OTHP35W16

Please use Block Capitals

(Mrs/Miss/Ms/Mr):

(I am over 18)

FIRST NAME (in full):

SURNAME:

www.getpark.co.uk/atn

ADDRESS: POSTCODE: TEL (incl Area Code):

ORDER ONLINE TODAY REQUEST A CATALOGUE

MOBILE:

EMAIL:

DATE OF BIRTH: D D M M Y Y

Post to Park Christmas Savings, Valley Road, Birkenhead, CH41 7ED DATA PROTECTION: By placing an order with us and/or giving data to us 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 us 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 tick this box You should be aware that your account with Park is not a bank account or equivalent and that any pre-payments made to Park are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Your pre-payments are however held in an independent trust designed to improve protection of pre-payments made by you and agents in respect of orders. You can see full details of the trust on our website.

C P A CHRISTMAS improved security for savers

®We

are a founder member of the CPA which has developed a Code of Practice, which we must adhere to in

PREPAYMENT order to provide customers with the possible service and to improve ASSOCIATION best the protection of customers’ money.

Tel: 0800 130 0783 Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ParkChristmasSavings

5

6

All Together NOW!

NEWS

December/January 2016

Care home bosses ‘failing on dementia’

CARE HOME staff are not provided with the training they need to support adults with dementia, according to a new study.

Even specialist dementia care homes fail to provide training on the condition to their staff, an analysis of Care Quality Commission inspections show.

Care workers also missing out on vital training in safeguarding vulnerable adults and the legal requirements that aim to protect people who do not have the capacity to make decisions.

The research, by the UNISON union and Community Care, the online magazine for social care, found: n Training gaps were identified in 71% of homes told to improve by the CQC. Dementia, safeguarding and the Mental Capacity Act were the topics that fared worst. n Almost half (49%) of the homes told to improve by the CQC were breaching regulations that require them to ensure a suitably trained and supported workforce.

Catwalk campaign

FOUR disabled models are campaigning against the “blatant disablism” within the fashion industry.

They want the Government to punish the industry for its failure to meet its legal obligations under the Equality Act. The models – Gemma Flanagan, Elesha Turner, Chelsey Jay and Katie Knowles – are members of Models of Diversity (MoD). n Tel. 020 3715 8340 n www.modelsofdiversity.org

Disability champs

ELEVEN major international companies have promised to promote full inclusion of disabled workers. The businesses were the first to sign up to the newlycreated International Labour Organization’s Global Business & Disability Network Charter in a ceremony held at ILO headquarters in Geneva.

Accenture, AccorHotels, Adecco Group, AXA Group, Carrefour Group, Dow Chemical, Groupe Casino, L’Oréal, Orange, the Standard Bank Group, and Michelin have all pledged to a wide range of areas, from protecting staff with disabilities from any kind of discrimination to making company premises accessible to everyone.

Irton House Farm

HAPPY HO LID AWARD 2 AY 012!

A warm welcome is waiting for you at our superbly scenic, fully accessible self catering cottages in the Lake District.

www.irtonhousefarm.com 017687 76380

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

Eighty years of picture history

AN ONLINE library of thousands of pictures of people with disabilities from over the past 80 years is now up and running.

The picture library tells a story of disability issues in Britain from before the Second World War, with examples of how disabled people trained for work – as well as how Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother played a key role in changing attitudes towards disabled people.

There are also plans to recreate film reels and video, collecting oral histories from people who worked, trained and lived at the Queen Elizabeth Foundation for Disabled People in Surrey.

The Queen Mother was patron and visited the charity numerous times, her first and last visits being over 57 years apart. There are over 100 rare photographs of her visits in the archive. n www.qef.org.uk

MUDDY BUDDIES A

YOUNG woman with spina bifida and hydrocephalus has become the first female wheelchair-user in the UK to complete the Mud Runner Classic.

Sita Patel, 34, clocked up a time of 3hr 48m in the seven-mile event, raising funds and awareness for Shine, the charity supporting people with spina bifida and hydrocephalus – complex and life-threatening conditions which affect mobility, coordination, communication and development.

Sita, who works for the NHS and whose nickname is “Rims”, recruited a team of friends and hired an all-terrain wheelchair from Mountain Trike for the endurance event at Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire,.

Sita, from London, said: “I want to give back to Shine and help other people with spina bifida and hydrocephalus to get the same support and opportunities as me.

“It was tough and that deep mud nearly defeated us, but the Mountain Trike proved an essential piece of kit and I couldn’t have done without it and my incredible team members.

“It was great fun and I feel a huge sense of achievement to have completed the course.”

Sign up for your FREE e-newsletter – www.alltogethernow.org.uk

£300,000 grant is slammed

A DECISION to give nearly £300,000 of national lottery funding to Leonard Cheshire Disability to research disabled people’s history has been slammed by disabled activists.

LCD has been given £242,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund for its Rewind project – in addition to £53,000 it was handed last year in development funding – to use its archives to raise awareness about the history of disabled people.

Disabled consultant John Evans said: “I think it’s a crazy amount of money to give Leonard Cheshire, because they are not in a position to write about the history of disabled people other than the network of their residential homes.

“They don’t have any authority or expertise to be able to do it accurately.”

Dr Paul Darke, who worked for Leonard Cheshire as its national advocacy officer before resigning in 2000, also criticised the funding decision.

He said: “It is very disappointing that Leonard Cheshire have received such a large grant for a history of disabled people in the UK when they could so easily have funded such a project themselves about themselves; and in doing so they are quite likely to be taking the funding away from others.”

TAKE ME HOME!

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

All Together NOW!

December/January 2016

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,

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.

OUR BEST EVER YEAR!

committing over £30 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

Hello!

WE ARE now just over halfway through our current funding year and the Morgan Foundation has been very busy.

In what’s been a bumper year, we are on target to give our biggest ever total to charities and good causes.

So far in this financial year we have given or committed, nearly £1.8m to 38 different organisations.

Awards have ranged from a one-off donation of £5,000 towards the cost of a mobile unit for a group to hold meetings, to £80,000 (over three years) to pay for three play workers.

During the year we also provided SIX Smiley Buses and TWO Smiley Vans (including one to All Together NOW!) – and we have more buses on order.

We also have a few large-scale projects in the pipeline as well – watch this space and we will tell you more as soon as we can.

We pride ourselves on having an application process that is stringent, but always helpful and friendly.

Take a look at our website to find out more about our funding policy.

THE Morgan Foundation trustees are delighted to be supporting the Chances Project at n If you have a project or organisation that Croxteth Child Development Service with three years funding for the play workers posts. you think fits the bill, call us for an informal Karen Campbell, manager at CCDS, tells us that the grant was quite literally “a lifeline”. chat on 01829 782800.

It’s all smiles and miles down at the Harris Club

AT the latest Morgan Foundation Trustee meeting, awards totalling over £307,000 were granted.

Charities benefiting include:

n Burtonwood Sewing Group n Croxteth Child Development Services n Liverpool Homeless FC n The Neuromuscular Centre n The Oak Community Project n SAFE Regeneration n St Andrew’s Community Network

IT’S ALMOST nine years since The Harris Club for the Disabled (Speke) was awarded one of our first Smiley Buses.

Lovely to have news of their continuing activities and to know the bus is still much used, greatly appreciated and “making a difference”.

Club chairman Mr Whittle tells us: “I know that I keep on repeating the same thing, but we are deeply indebted to the trustees of the Morgan Foundation for allowing us the opportunity to provide an essential service for our membership. I am sure that this applies to many other organisations that have benefited from the generosity of the Foundation.”

www.morganfoundation.co.uk Tel 01829 782800

The Morgan Foundation

Please do get in touch!

WE LOVE to hear your stories of how funding from The Morgan Foundation has given your charity a new lease of life, or enabled more families to overcome hardship. It makes our job worthwhile!

Please get in touch via Facebook, Twitter, email, our website, or by phone on 01829 782800

@Morganfound

7

8

All Together NOW!

Carers hospital car park fight goes on

THE CAMPAIGN for free car parking for unpaid carers at hospital car parks goes on despite failed attempts by a North West MP to get a Bill through Parliament The Bill, put forward by Burnley Labour MP Julie Cooper, failed to win enough support in the House of Commons to progress to its next stage, making it almost impossible for it to become law.

But carers have been given new hope with the Department of Health updating its guidance on hospital parking charges to specifically include carers – for the very first time – as a group for which concessions, such as free or reduced charges or caps, should be available.

Chloe Wright, public affairs manager at Carers UK, said: “We urge MPs and carers alike to write to their local hospitals to see if, and how, they are implementing this new guidance.” n Carers UK: Tel. 0808 808 7777

Brain injury guides

TWO new guides to help people and families affected by brain injury were launched at The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT) conference in Manchester.

The BIRT Guide to Living - For Adults with Brain Injury provides practical help, while The Brain Injury Needs Indicator (BINI) assists with identifying the needs of people who have a suspected or diagnosed acquired brain injury and who may require adult social care and support. n BIRT: Tel. 01924 266344.

Costa bravo

COSTA Coffee has been voted the best restaurant/takeaway chain by disabled people and carers in a nationwide poll by the Business Disability Forum, which represents 300 major employers.

Other companies that came out on top in their respective categories were: n Supermarkets: Tesco n Banking/financial services: Nationwide n Utilities providers: British Gas n Telecommunications, internet & pay TV providers: Sky n Public transport: National Rail n Travel and car hire: Easyjet n Public services and government agencies: NHS n Insurance providers: Aviva

Visionaries

THE charity behind the UK’s first online visual impairment awareness training course has won a major award.

Christopher Grange Visual Rehabilitation Centre, based in Liverpool, scooped the prize at the 2015 Visionary Awards in Edinburgh.

The course, designed by the professional team of rehabilitation specialists, volunteers and service users, is for anyone who may come into contact with a person who is visually impaired.

Manager Mike Bailey said: “We have been blown away by the response.” n Contact: Tel. 0151 220 2525

NEWS

December/January 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

OUR BIG GIG GIVEAWAY O

B

ito Rick V TAGE: S N O ACK

NE of the world’s best tribute bands are back in action – and All Together NOW! has a stash of tickets to give away!

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, who first performed with the original band in 1987, and appeared on legendary album Tango in the Night album, will play top venues across the region in a 64-gig tour.

We have TWO pairs of tickets to give away for each show!

To stand a chance of winning tickets for the region’s gigs all you have to do is tell us the year Rumours of Fleetwood Mac

Win tickets for top tribute band

appeared with the original band.

Entries to: RFM Competition, All Together NOW! The Bradbury Centre, Youens Way, Liverpool L14 2EP. Or enter online at www.alltogethernow.org.uk Please indicate your preferred gig and include phone numbers and full address.

Also tell us where you picked up your copy of All Together NOW! – and what you think of the paper.

WE HAVE two pairs of tickets to be won for each of the following gigs:

Fri Jan 22: Crewe, Lyceum Theatre (deadline for entries Mon Jan 11) Tues Jan 26: Buxton Opera House (deadline for entries Mon Jan 18) Sat Jan 23: Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (deadline for entries Mon Jan 17) Fri Mar 5: Blackpool Winter Gardens (deadline for entries Mon Feb 22) Sat Mar 6: Salford Lowry (deadline for entries Mon Feb 22)

BOAT ACE’S £50K FLOAT!

WINNER: Geoff Holt, seated, with (from left) Justin Tomlinson (Minister for Disabled People), Clare Pelham, Anna Wilkinson, Andy Gilbert and Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou

P

ARALYSED yachtsman Geoff Holt scooped the prestigious Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs 2015, chosen personally by easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou.

Geoff, who broke his neck in a swimming accident in 1984, won the £50,000 prize for his company Wetwheels, which provides boating opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.

Ten years ago Geoff became the inaugural chairman of

national sailing charity RYA Sailability and in 2007 was the first paralysed person to sail single-handed around Great Britain.

Two years later he sailed – unassisted – across the Atlantic Ocean, and he is now planning to round the world voyage in 2017.

Geoff said: “Over the years I have witnessed thousands of disabled people of all ages enjoy our boats and services.

“It doesn’t matter if that is on a sail boat or a motor boat, it is

being on the water that makes the difference.”

Geoff was one of three finalists for the award, which is supported

by Leonard Cheshire Disability.

Runners up Andrew Gilbert (Gilbey Films) and Anna Wilkinson (More Rehab.com) receive £10,000 each.

Sir Stelios said: “We have three worthy winners that will be great role models for others to start their own business in the future.” n Wetwheels: Tel. 023 92 819 366, www.wetwheels.co.uk

Reach almost HALF A MILLION readers . . .

A good sing is just the thing!

SINGING is good for all of us – and especially so for children who have hearing impairments.

A new study has shown that regular weekly singing lessons over two school terms improved speech, language development reading skills of all children – those with full hearing and those with impaired hearing.

Professor Graham Welch who led the study at UCL (University College London) with Dr Debi Vickers, said: “These findings support the argument that hearing impaired children’s attention and auditory perception, as well as vocal behaviour, can be increased through musical skills and vocal competency.”

A voice for dementia

THE voices of people affected by dementia are being used in a unique musical composition to help spread awareness about the disease.

John McHugh, head of performing arts at Notre Dame Catholic College, Everton, said: “Hidden Voice is a music-with-film composition based on the speech patterns of people living with dementia and their families."

Former Liverpool Lord Mayor Councillor Erica Kemp and members of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra took part in a special Hidden Voice concert at St Barnabas Church, Penny Lane, Liverpool.

Julie Johnson, partner at Morecroft Solicitors who sponsored the event, said: “We see dementia in all its forms and how it can affect families and individuals.

Hidden voice is a superb initiative.” n Dementia Action Alliance, Jen Burgess 01925 572 239 TAKE ME HOME!

Cost-effective campaigning

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

n ALMOST HALF A MILLION READERS

December/January 2016

Call us 0151 230 0307

Easy access homes: this is how to do it!

H

But the new Bluebell Park development in Knowsley is putting plenty of smiles on the faces of residents.

And no wonder . . .

A bistro, games room, hair salon, and beautiful gardens are included in Knowsley Housing Trust’s flagship Extra Care development, which provides 122 one-and-two bedroom apartments for affordable rent to people over 55 with or without a current care need.

Bob Taylor, CEO of the First Ark Group, the parent body of KHT, said: “This type of supported living is very much the model for the future, helping to address some of the strain placed upon our hospitals and reduce public costs to the NHS and social care b KHT is currently working on its next Extra Care facility in Prescot -– The Watch Factory – which is being built with partners Iliad, Knowsley Council and Harbur Construction. n KHT, tel 0151 290 7000 n www.k-h-t.org.

How Vivark can help you

N

ORTH WEST-based Vivark has launched a new service, Vivark Care, to provide high quality and affordable independent living aids for people wanting to maintain an independent and active lifestyle.

With customers at the heart of its service offering, the equipment offered by Vivark Care has been carefully selected in order to provide costeffective solutions to everyday challenges faced by individuals and families – allowing them to stay in the comfort of their own home for longer.

The wide range of equipment includes walking frames, wheelchairs, scooters, stair lifts, accessories for safer bathing such as shower seats and bath lifts, as well as safety features for ease of access

9

n 90% PICK-UP AT SUPERMARKETS, HOSPITALS, GPs, HEALTH CENTRES

n 10,000 COPIES PICKED UP EVERY WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS

OMES with easy access for older people are hard to find.

All Together NOW!

New service makes life easier for all

into the home.

All items are competitively priced to offer better value for money when compared to high street alternatives.

Customers will have access to expert advice and will be able to seek guidance about potential future adaptations work.

The new service complements Vivark’s Care and Repair handyperson services, which offer additional assistance with fitting and installation of any of Vivark’s independent living equipment or adaptations works.

Tony Cahill, executive director at Vivark, said: “Home is where the heart

is and as a business operating with a social purpose Vivark felt it was important to use our expertise to help people in our local communities to stay at home rather than resort to stretched public services.

“Looking after a loved one or securing a property around your own health needs can be stressful; Vivark is reducing this by creating a simple-to-use service which can advise customers on what they need to live comfortably, and what’s more provide the necessary equipment and accessories at an affordable price.”

Part of the First Ark Group,Vivark Ltd has been providing services to customers across the North West for over ten years. n Vivark, 0151 290 7888 www.vivarkcare.co.uk email enquiries@vivark.co.uk

THE GOOD LIFE: From left, Professor Peter Roberts, First Ark chair; Bob Taylor, CEO; Lord Best; and Helen White, chair of Knowsley Housing Trust

All Together NOW!

10

YOUNG AT HEART

December/January 2016

Stay nifty after you hit fifty..

P

EOPLE in their 50s are more at risk of falling than they realise, a new survey has found.

Indeed, every age group between 50 and 79 significantly underestimated their chances of taking a tumble, a poll found., Evidence shows that a third of all people over 65 will fall each year, which equates to three million falls across the UK, costing the NHS more than £2.3 billion per year, or £4.6m a day.

However, falls are not an inevitable part of ageing and physiotherapy services can help prevent them.

The biggest risk factor for falling is having fallen already.

In the Saga Populus survey, people in their 50s demonstrated the biggest gap between perception and reality – only 7% of people thought they would fall in the next year, yet nearly double (13%) that number had done so in the previous 12 months.

Only 9% of 60-69 year-olds expected to fall, yet 15% had. While for 70-79 yearolds, 12% thought they would, but 17% had.

Sue Rees, from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: “We need to get past the idea that falls are an inevitable part of ageing. Many can be prevented by remaining active as we get older and doing simple exercises that are designed to improve strength and balance.

“Equally, however, these figures show why we must recognise that falls are not only suffered by frail older people and that it’s never too early to begin preventative work.

“Physiotherapists are experts in helping people to be active and avoid falls and it is important that the NHS provides access to prevention services for anyone deemed to be at risk.”

The CSP’s Falls Prevention Economic Model shows that physiotherapy and tailored physical exercise programmes could prevent 225,300 falls, saving the NHS £331 million every year.

Ann Hoskins, Deputy Director of Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England, said: “Being active at any age is important but particularly as we get older to strengthen muscles and increase stability to help prevent falls.”

A new falls prevention guide, Get Up and Go, a guide to staying steady, gives examples of exercises to improve strength and balance and tips on how people can fall-proof their home. n For a guide, call 020 7306 6666, or go to www.csp.org.uk/publications/get-goguide-staying-steady The CSP has also launched a ‘Get Up and Go’ video aimed at helping identify those at risk of falling. View it at www.csp.org.uk/timedupandgo.

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

Life is fragile, handle with care

Neil’s recipe for life

N

EIL McNeil has just celebrated his 104th birthday with the perfect present – boxes and boxes of Scott’s Porage Oats.

“It’s his secret to living a long and happy life,” says his daughter, Sheila, 71.

The former greyhound breeder and racer, pictured left, insists on a daily bowl of the traditional Scottish breakfast cereal, and will often request a second bowl as a midnight snack.

Sheila said: “His other passion has always been his greyhounds. He must have bred, raised and raced over 100 throughout the years and used to regularly travel to Ireland to buy or sell the dogs to train or win gold.”

Born in Paisley, Neil began his working life at his father’s coal business, before becoming the local bus driver at just 14.

Before the outbreak of the Second World

War, he moved to London with his brother and joined the Ministry of Defence.

He travelled across England throughout war, working in a variety of munitions factories. In one factory, he met Margaret and they were married on New Year’s Eve in 1942. Two years later Sheila was born.

The family moved back to Paisley in 1953, where Neil opened a local furniture shop.

Neil was also particularly passionate about antiques, and his collection attracted an international market, with many of his items sold to America.

Fiona Truesdale, manager at Bupa’s Elderslie care home, where Neil now lives, said: “ We’re all so proud of Neil.

“We think that some of the other residents may also now be keen to follow suit and try Neil’s favourite breakfast cereal!”

Let your home look after you O

NE out of every five people in their 60s are adapting their homes to grow old with them.

New research from Age UK Trading has found that a fifth of people aged 60 to 69 are making adjustments to their homes to make them suitable for their needs as they age.

Over a quarter of those who made changes believe thinking about the future is important in order to ensure they can stay in their homes for as long as possible.

The most popular adaptations include the installation of a level access shower or wet room (31%), while one in 10 had made doorways more accessible with ramps.

These changes have had a positive impact, with 37% saying they felt more confident since carrying out the work and one in four now worrying less about the possibility of risks.

However, one in 20 confessed to not wanting to

think about getting older, and around one in 5 said they would only think about adaptations to their home if they were advised to by their GP. A quarter of older people also say they would only consider making changes to their home if they had an accident that affected their physical ability.

In contrast, 33% of people aged 70 and over who had carried out adaptations, cited the fact that their home was no longer suitable for their needs as the reason behind the changes.

Of this age group, one in 10 had been advised to make changes by their GP, with the same number saying the adaptations had been done by their family in order to help them manage better. Nearly a third of over-70s had made the changes to make caring for a relative easier.

Hugh Forde, MD of Age UK Trading, said: “Whilst there is an emerging group of forward-thinking 60 year-olds, the reality is that these needs are only realised after an accident or a relative becoming ill.”

SENIOR MOMENTS . . . with FRANK HARRIS

MONEY MATTERS

You could save £300 every year

I

MAKE no apology for writing about a subject I aired a year ago – energy prices and contracts.

A survey has found that more than half the homes in Britain could be paying less money for their gas and electricity.

To find out if that applies to you visit a price comparison website such as uswitch.com or energyhelpline.co.uk.

There are others.

After entering your postcode and answering a few basic questions, you will be asked which supplier and what tariff you are on. This can be found on your latest bill. You will need to know your annual spend on each also.

You will then see a list of options, some are fixed tariffs, some variable. You will also see whether there is a contract period and if you leave early if a penalty applies.

You also need to know whether an exit penalty applies to your current tariff.

You will then be in possession of enough information to decide whether to change and if so to whom.

So, don’t delay, do it today.

You could save up to £300 a year.

A helpline for people computer is 0800 0930607 or 0800 0740745.

GORDON VINER FCA ACA

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

All Together NOW!

December/January 2016

Christmas is always an expensive time of year so the last thing hard-pressed households need is the added cost of repairing a frozen or burst water pipe.

Research from United Utilities has revealed that a third of North West families could not afford to fix a burst pipe this winter, while one in fifty people say they’d need to cancel Christmas.

In the North West the average cost for an emergency plumber is £120. It’s an added expense that few households can afford, which is why United Utilities is encouraging customers to take some simple precautions around the home to prevent a bleak midwinter.

Lagging your pipes, especially the ones in cold places such as the loft or garage, could make all the difference between a very Merry Christmas and a winter of financial woes.

Rose Francis, Winter Wise campaign manager said: “The thought of so many people suffering the stress of burst pipes over winter makes us shudder, especially when it can be avoided with a bit of planning.

“It’s really easy to protect your pipes, providing peace of mind and preventing an unexpected hole in your finances.”

Beat the freeze, by getting your home wrapped up!

With a bit of forward planning, you can avoid the expense and mess of frozen or burst pipes.

Here are four top tips:

1

Keep your pipes toasty by wrapping them in lagging.

Pay extra attention to the pipes in cold places such as the garage or loft.

2

Find your stop tap, just in case you get a burst pipe and need to switch the water off quickly. Hint: it’s usually under the sink.

3

Keep the central heating on low to prevent your pipes from freezing. Time it to come on if you’re away over Christmas.

4

Have the name of a plumber handy in case the worst happens. You can find your nearest qualified knight in shining overalls at www.watersafe.org.uk

For more advice on keeping pipes warm and freeze-free this winter visit unitedutilities.com/winterwise

Need a little ExtraCare?

We offer a range of free services to help customers who: • are older • have a disability • have a serious illness • have sight, hearing or learning difficulties

d fo r n a h

customers

sw ng m er o i t us ed s lp e rc n e o f h nd tra a A h x e ng

ith extra needs

wi th

he lp i

We also offer a free password scheme for all our customers.

A

ing lp e h

us or c df n ha

A

Our services include: • personal notification of water shut-offs • large print, Braille and talking bills

or customers with extra and f nee h g n ds ith extra needs elpi ers w m Ah o t

To find out more call 0345 672 2888.

If you have hearing or speech difficulties and use a textphone, please dial 18001 followed by the number you require.

11

12

All Together NOW!

December/January 2016

ADVERTORIAL

Explore Mobility Vehicles

We can help you Contact us NOW

Specialists in Wheelchair & Scooter Accessible Vehicles

WITH OVER 30 years experience dealing with wheelchair accessible vehicles, we at Explore Mobility Vehicles Limited understand the needs of the wheelchair user.

With over 30 years experience dealing with wheelchair accessible vehicles, Our aim is to provide the correct we at Explore Mobility Vehicles Limited understand the needs of the mobility solution, considering the wheelchair user. Our aim is to provide the correct mobility solution for you, needs of the driver, other passengers considering the needs of the driver, other passengers and any equipment and any equipment which may need to be stowed for the journey. which may need to be stowed for the journey.

Explore Mobility Vehicles Limited offer vehicles from all converters, enabling wheelchair users to remain in their chairs, while those who use mobility scooters can occupy a fixed seat.

Our constantly changing stock is prepared to a high standard and is supplied with a 12-month warranty, or the balance of the manufacturer’s warranty, whichever is greater.

This can be extended to 24 months should you prefer further peace of mind.

If the vehicles in our current stock do not perfectly meet your needs, contact us and we will offer advice and T:07747 897618 Paul guidance.

We aim to provide the best mobility T:07747 897617 John solution to suit all budgets.

E: info@exploremobility.co.uk Feel free to contact us to discuss your requirements. or visit us at n Paul, 07747 897618 n John, 07747 897617 www.exploremobility.co.uk n www.exploremobility.co.uk

0800 916 3028

Get into gear for Silverstone

N

EXT year’s Mobility Roadshow goes ahead at the Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire.

Organised by the charity Mobility Choice, the Roadshow is Europe’s leading consumerfocussed event for people living with restricted mobility.

Visitors will have the chance to test drive adapted and wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVS) around the iconic circuit.

In addition there will be the chance to see and compare a wide range of products for independent living such as wheelchairs, scooters, trikes, hoists, and ramps as well as access to information and expert advice.

There will also be exclusive access to the pit lane garages, with indoor exhibition space in the impressive Silverstone Wing.

www.alliedmobility.com

PEUGEOT PARTNER HORIZON ™

ADVANCE PAYMENT from only

Unique EasyLift™ ramp Easy-clean lowered floor

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

£1,195 * S model

Full original Peugeot seating throughout* Up to four seats plus wheelchair passenger Easy-use electric winch and parking sensors PLUS CD player, air conditioning and privacy glass.

VW CADDY MAXI VISTA > Five seats plus wheelchair passenger > Unique EasyFold™ ramp, folds flat when not in use > Easy-clean lowered floor > Full original Volkswagen seating throughout > Easy-use electric winch > Parking sensors

NEW MODEL

ADVANCE PAYMENT from only

£3,995

PEUGEOT EXPERT INDEPENDENCE > EasyFold™ ramp > Up to seven seats plus wheelchair passenger > Wide choice of seating layouts > Easy-use electric winch and parking sensors

ADVANCE PAYMENT from only

£3,195

Vehicle hire service also available on all cars

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

Silverstone provides excellent access with ample parking on hard-standing surfaces.

Ann Frye, chair of Mobility Choice, said: “In response to visitor feedback, we have chosen this magnificent venue with space to expand the range and choice of mobility products from around the world as well as giving visitors the opportunity to drive on the

famous race circuit.

“Maintaining the show’s focus on independent mobility for everyone, we are working again with NFE Group to deliver an event that we believe will enable anyone with mobility difficulties to find solutions to meet their individual needs.” n The three-day show takes place at the end of May (26-28)

December/January 2016

All Together NOW!

13

14

All Together NOW!

Don’t compare asbestos with processed meat

THE reports on the suspected dangers of processed meat including bacon, sausages and ham has been a cause of concern for many.

With some linking the risk of eating these foods to asbestos, as both have been classified as Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans), it’s crucial to point out that there is no direct link between the two and as a result they should not be compared.

People have a choice when it comes to eating processed meats, whereas many members of the public are inadvertently exposed to asbestos, and potentially as a result asbestos-related cancers such as mesothelioma.

The UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) provides asbestos awareness training nationwide to ensure that contractors are equipped to correctly handle asbestos in all forms.

Our members are delivering asbestos awareness training courses nationwide and a full list of approved asbestos training providers near you can be found on the UKATA website, www.ukata.org.uk or call us on 01246 824437.

Craig Evans, General Manager, UKATA

Heartfelt thanks

I WANT to thank All Together NOW! readers, who turned their unwanted stuff into life saving research for the British Heart Foundation’s Bag It. Beat It. campaign.

Thanks to the overwhelming support, BHF shops received an impressive 125,607 bags of quality items, helping reach our nationwide target of over one million bags!

Over 18,700 people die each year with cardiovascular disease in the North West, but with donations to Bag It. Beat It. campaign, the BHF will be able to fight harder to reduce this figure.

Caroline Jones, Area Manager at the British Heart Foundation

Don’t forget us

NEW research conducted by YouGov reveals only 7% of people in the UK are aware of the neurological condition Post Polio Syndrome (PPS).

Out of 2,034 people polled nationally, PPS achieved the lowest awareness rating by some distance when compared with other neurological conditions.

PPS affects an estimated 120,000 people in the UK, a figure believed to be similar to the number of people suffering from Parkinson’s and other serious neurological conditions.

Surely it is not too much to ask that PPS receives the same attention from the medical profession and the public?

If you are interested in getting involved or need our support please call us on 0800 043 1935, email at info@britishpolio.org.uk or visit the website at www.britishpolio.org.uk Ted Hill, CEO, The British Polio Fellowship

LETTERS TO: Editor, All Together NOW! The Bradbury Centre, Youens Way, Liverpool L14 2EP. email: news@alltogethernow.org.uk

December/January 2016

OPINION

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

Why All Together NOW! is good news Housing Housing IT IS the nature of this column to take a critical view of the world while most of this newspaper celebrates the lives of disabled people.

There is certainly need in the media for such positive news to be printed.

The last issue featured an exciting day out at Liverpool Airport enjoyed by severely disabled boys. It was organised by the Heswall Disabled Children’s Holiday Fund who organise an annual holiday with up to 30 boys with high care needs.

They arranged for the boys to not only visit the airport but to be taken in small aircraft for a flight over Liverpool and the Wirral.

I know they had a great time because I was there and even took a flight myself. If the people of

Merseyside had known that at one stage I was flying the plane myself they would have hidden under their beds! Happily, an experienced pilot was next to me ready to take over.

In the 1960s I was “one of the boys” and am now the patron of the Fund.

We told local media of this good news story but there was no coverage. Only All Together NOW! found room for this story, made possible by amazing volunteers who organise and run the holiday and the support of Aerobility, which provided three aircraft and pilots.

Ravenair and Liverpool Airport also contributed and their support was vital. A good news story you would know nothing about but for All Together NOW!

been weak too often . . .

SIR BERT MASSIE

We’ve had 20 years of a law that’s

SOUNDING OFF

Now make us strong

M

ANY disability organisations are celebrating 20 years of the Disability Discrimination Act, passed in 1995.

Most of its provisions were then included in the Equality Act 2010.

The DDA came about because of decades of campaigning by disabled people. Yet it was not universally welcomed by disabled people, who saw the new law as a pale imitation of the full civil rights legislation they sought.

They go further and argue that the DDA prevented more substantial legislation being introduced.

I, along with many others, was very involved with the drafting of the DDA and I later chaired the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) responsible for enforcing it.

I do not think the DDA blocked other legislation.

Stronger laws would not have been approved by Parliament but when the Act was passed it was far too weak. I was confident subsequent legislation would strengthen it and that is what happened.

The incoming Labour government of 1997 established the DRC and in 2005, on its advice, further strengthened the law. The DRC acquired a reputation for enforcing the law in the courts and for the first time disabled people asserted their rights.

But 20 years on the law seems increasingly weak.

The DRC was replaced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which has a much wider set of duties but has little more than the same money the DRC had. It does not support as many legal cases and it is increasingly difficult for disabled

people to assert rights through the courts.

Changes in employment tribunal rules make it much more costly to bring a case and many cannot afford to do so.

If there is no way to enforce the law it is the same as having no law.

At the DRC we knew if we lost a case because the law was weak there was a good chance the Government would legislate to improve it.

There can be no faith that the current Government would do so. Indeed, most of their policies on disability are designed to make life more difficult.

A case to be heard soon in the Court of Appeal concerns the space for wheelchair users on buses.

A lower court decided that these could be used by prams on a first come first served basis, thus preventing wheelchair users from travelling.

If the appeal is lost spaces on trains could be occupied by bikes or prams. This is a clear case for the law to be made clearer and stronger. I am increasingly of the view that we need a new DDA for the modern age. What think you?

n THE CHARITY Leonard Cheshire Disability has received Lottery funding to write a history of disability and disabled people.

Whatever the outcome it will disappoint many because one person’s truth is not everyone else’s. Indeed it is odd that a disability organisation that is not controlled by disabled people has been given the funds to write this history.

Bill will benefit the the ric richh

THE Government’s drive to diminish, if not destroy, the welfare state continues with the publication of its Housing Bill that is currently being considered by Parliament.

It is claimed that when it becomes law, it will promote home ownership.

Whether it does so remains to be seen but it will certainly make it more difficult for disabled people, most of whom are on low incomes, to rent social housing.

Housing associations will be required to extend the right to buy to their tenants who will qualify for large discounts.

The Government claims that for each home sold a new one for social housing will be built. This is the same argument we heard relating to the sales of council houses but most were not replaced.

The result will be an everdecreasing number of homes for people on low incomes to rent.

To add to the gloom the Government will require councils to sell higher value properties to the private buyers. This will apply mostly to areas like London where property values are high and will ensure more social cleansing of people on modest incomes from expensive areas.

Only the rich or commercial companies will be able to afford to buy these homes.

Companies based in overseas tax havens, so the owners can avoid paying tax, own many expensive homes in London. It means those homes once sold will never be available to tenants who need social housing.

Before the General Election the Government promised to reduce rents in social housing but the new Bill provides for households with an income of around £30,000 to have their rent increased so it is closer to the rent paid in the private sector.

This tardy new law coupled with the hated bedroom tax will make it increasingly difficult for disabled people to rent social housing.

The people who benefit most will be those with the financial resources to take advantage of the law’s provisions.

Clearly, we are not all in this together, as we are encouraged to believe.

INDEPENDENCE ZONE

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

December/January 2016

Brrr – this will warm you up!

TEN brilliant Comfort thermometers to be won

A

S TEMPERATURES plunge, it’s vital that older people and those who have difficulty moving about are kept warm in their homes.

Hypothermia is a silent killer and can strike suddenly.

But how do you know whether a room is really warm enough for an elderly or disabled relative or friend?

Electronic Temperature Instruments new digital thermometer could be the answer.

And we have TEN thermometers to give away.

Many cold-related illnesses are caused by a gradual drop in temperature over a sustained period of time.

As we get older, our bodies do not

respond as well to changes in temperature, which means that in a lot of cases we may not even realise the colder temperatures are damaging our health.

The Comfort thermometer’s easy to read colour-coded digital display alerts the user when the temperature has dropped to harmful levels.

Below 16°C a digital arrow points towards the blue area of the LCD indicating that the room temperature is too cold.

The unit also indicates when the temperature should be comfortable, or is too hot.

To win a Comfort thermometer just tell us the temperature that the unit indicates it is too cold.

Answers on a postcard, stating where you picked up your copy of All Together NOW! (and what you think of the paper) to: Comfort Competition, All Together NOW! The Brdabury Centre, Youens Way, Liverpool L14 2EP. You can also send in your entry online at competition@alltogethernow.org.uk. Please insert Comfort Competition in the subject line.

Deadline: Friday January 22.

n You can also buy Comfort thermometers (ordering code 810-135) for £8.50 each (ex-VAT) direct from www.etiltd.com

All Together NOW!

Working together for EVERYONE

15

ASSISTIVE technology, wheelchair services, a care and repair service, occupational therapists, sensory services, equipment recycling centre, a children’s team, and more – one independent living centre has it all under one roof.

Now the Centre for Independent Living, in Knowsley, Merseyside, has won top praise for the home adaptations service it provides for disabled people.

Care & Repair England – the charity set up to improve living conditions for older and disabled people – said the centre had a “pioneering” approach.

And they commended it particularly for demonstrating what can be achieved if organisations work together, pool budgets and co-locate staff.

Set up four years ago, the centre’s services also include an in-house disabled facilities grant team, Knowsley Housing Trust’s adaptations team.

They also have a variety of aids are on display which people can call in and try, including stair lifts, beds and lifeline alarms. n Knowsley Centre for Independent Living Centre, Brickfields, Huyton Business Park, Merseyside. Tel, 0151 244 4070

16

All Together NOW!

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

Tel: 0151 230 0307

BOX OFFICE SENSATION!

December/January 2016

Until Jan 9: The BFG. Bolton Octagon. Adaptation of the classic children’s book.

Audio Described, Fri Dec 4, 7pm. Signed, Fri Dec 11, 7pm.

Captioned, Thu Dec 17, 7pm.

Relaxed performance, Fri Jan 8, 11am & 7pm.

Until Jan 10: Cinderella. St Helens Theatre Royal.

Pantomime.

Until Jan 16: Pharoah ‘Cross The Mersey. Liverpool Royal Court.

Until Jan 23: Cinderella – The Panto with Soul. Mold Theatr Clwyd. Pantomime.

Audio Described, Sat Dec 19, 2pm.

Signed, Sat Jan 9, 2pm. Captioned, Mon Jan 4, 6pm. Relaxed performance, Mon Jan 4, 6pm.

Until Jan 23: Rapunzel.

Liverpool Everyman. Rock ‘n’ Roll pantomime. Signed, Thurs 7 Jan at 7pm, Audio Described, Thurs 14 Jan at 1.30pm & 7pm, Captioned, Sat 16 Jan at 1.30pm. Autism friendly/relaxed performance, Mon 18 Jan. Dec 4-Jan 3: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Blackpool Grand Theatre.

Pantomime.

Dec 5: Beyond The Barricade.

Southport Floral Hall. The greatest songs in musical theatre.

Dec 5: Glitz Blitz & 70s Hitz.

Manchester Palace Theatre.

Dec 5-6: Snow White. Salford Lowry.

Ballet.

Dec 5-13: Red Riding Hood.

St Helens Citadel. Pantomime style puppet show.

Dec 5-24: Sing-a-long Frozen.

Llandudno Venue Cymru. Join in with your favourite songs.

Dec 5-Jan 3: Cinderella.

Manchester Opera House.

Pantomime.

Dec 5-Jan 3: Peter Pan. Stoke Regent Theatre. Pantomime.

Dec 6: The Tommy Cooper Show. New Brighton Floral Pavilion. Tribute to Tommy Cooper.

Dec 7-Jan 2: Sleeping Beauty. Preston Charter Theatre. Pantomime.

Dec 7-Jan 16: The Haunting of Hill House. Liverpool Playhouse.

Dec 8: Josh Widdicombe. Salford Lowry. Stand-up comedy.

Dec 8-Jan 9: The Bodyguard.

Manchester Palace Theatre. Musical production of the film.

Dec 9: Christmas Memories.

Southport Floral Hall. Good oldfashioned festive fun.

Dec 9: Happy Mondays. Llandudno Venue Cymru.

Dec 9-Jan 3: Sleeping Beauty.

New Brighton Floral Pavilion.

Pantomime.

Dec 9-Jan 10: Hetty Feather. Salford Lowry. Jacqueline Wilson’s story brought to life on stage.

Dec 10: An Evening With Noel Fielding. Salford Lowry.

Stand-up comedy.

Dec 10-31: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Llandudno Venue Cymru. Pantomime.

Audio Described, Sun Dec 20, 5pm. Signed, Sat Dec 19, 2.15pm. Relaxed performance, Tue Dec 29, 1pm.

Dec 10-Jan 10: Mr Popper’s

www.alltogethe

BOX OFFICE NUMBERS

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.

Oh yes it is, Oh no it isn’t . . . compiled by ROBERT DAY

Penguins. Salford Lowry.

Dec 11-13: Robin Hood. Port Sunlight Gladstone Theatre.

Pantomime.

Dec 11-Jan 2: Aladdin.

Southport Floral Hall.

Pantomime.

Dec 11-Jan 9: Cinderella.

Rhyl Pavilion. Pantomime.

Dec 12: Alexander O’Neal. Salford Lowry. One of RnB’s most iconic names.

Dec 12-Jan 2: Moominland Midwinter. Sale Waterside Arts Centre. UK’s first-ever staged Moomin production.

Dec 12-Jan 3: Dick Whittington. Liverpool Empire.

Pantomime.

Dec 12-Jan 10: Aladdin.

Runcorn Brindley. Pantomime.

Signed, Mon Dec 28, 1pm & 5pm.

Relaxed performance, Mon Dec 28, 1pm.

Dec 12-Jan 24: Peter Pan. Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. Pantomime.

Dec 13: Christmas With Blake.

Runcorn Brindley. Christmas show featuring festive songs.

Dec 14-Jan 2: The Sound of Music.

Salford Lowry. One of the greatest musicals.

Dec 15: Fanfare for Christmas. Port Sunlight Gladstone Theatre. A magical mix of festive songs and music.

Dec 18: Take Phat & Christmas Party. Runcorn Brindley. Tribute to Take That.

Dec 18: The Grand Christmas Concert. Blackpool Grand Theatre.

Celebrate the festive season.

Dec 18-19: Santa’s Christmas Cracker. Runcorn Brindley. Interactive, song-filled show for families.

Dec 19-Jan 2: Cinderella. Llandudno Venue Cymru. Pantomime.

Dec 24: It’s A Wonderful Life.

Runcorn Brindley. The original film.

Jan 5-Jan 16: The Rocky Horror Show. Manchester Opera House.

Rock ‘n’ Roll musical.

Jan 7: The Simon And Garfunkel Story. Stoke Regent Theatre.

Jan 7-10: Jack and the Beanstalk. New Brighton Floral Pavilion. Pantomime.

Jan 7-10: Peter Pan. Port Sunlight Gladstone Theatre. Rock ‘n’ pop pantomime.

Jan 8: Giselle. Blackpool Grand Theatre. Ballet.

Jan 9: ABBA Mania. Liverpool Empire. Tribute to ABBA.

Promote your shows here . . .

R

Jan 9 Grand Jan 9 Salfo come Jan 1 Grand Jan 1 Jan 1 Save Venu of a b Jan 1 Empi Jan 1 Story Jan 1 Outs Stand Jan 1 Helen play.

Jan 1 Runc Jan 1 Sunlig The B Jan 1 Supe Tribut Jan 1 Train n Rol

45

ernow.org.uk

All Together NOW!

December/January 2016

Rebecca’s date with Aladdin

REBECCA LAKE stars in Aladdin at the Brindley

9: The Snow Maiden. Blackpool d Theatre. Ballet.

9-10: Alun Cochrane. rd Lowry. Stand-up edy.

10: The Nutcracker. Blackpool d Theatre. Ballet.

2: Hozier. Liverpool Empire.

12: Last Night A DJ ed My Life. Llandudno e Cymru. World Premiere brand new musical.

13: Circus of Horrors. Liverpool re.

13: The Simon And Garfunkel y. Manchester Palace Theatre.

14-15: Sarah Millican – ider. Llandudno Venue Cymru. d-up comedy.

15: And Then You Kissed Me. St ns Citadel. Award winning new

15: The ELO Experience. corn Brindley. Tribute to ELO. 15: The Mersey Beatles. Port ght Gladstone Theatre. Tribute to Beatles.

16: LogicalTramp – The Spirit of erTramp. Runcorn Brindley. te to SuperTramp.

16: Vampires Rock – The Ghost n. Blackpool Grand Theatre. Rock l show.

SPECTAULAR scenery, amazing special effects, and plenty to sing and laugh about – that’s what Aladdin is offering at another magical experience at the Brindley, Runcorn.

Eastenders star Dean Gaffney and multi-talented Craig Cowdroy head up the cast, which this year includes St Helens actress Rebecca Lake as the ‘Slave Of The Ring’ “I am very pleased to have been given such a great, loveable, fun character,” said Rebecca, 22, “and I am so thrilled to be back home, so friends and family can see me perform.”

Rebecca began her training at the age of three at the Elizabeth Hill School Of Dance in St Helens, and made her professional debut, aged 16, as Cinderella in Bolton Albert Hall’s pantomime.

While studying musical theatre at Pendleton College, she was offered the chance to travel with the English National Ballet as a lead dancer to perform a production of Swanning Around at the Royal Albert Hall in London and represent Great Britain at the World Expo in Shanghai.

In 2009 she sang with Robin Gibb, Lulu and other celebrity singers in aid of The Prince’s Trust.

The rising star has gone on to perform in many different pantomimes and graduated with an honorary degree in musical theatre at Blackpool School Of Performing Arts.

Performances run from Saturday Dec 12 until Sunday Jan 10.

Jan 17: Paul Carrack – Live in Concert. Llandudno Venue Cymru.

Jan 18-23: Thriller Live. Manchester Opera House. Tribute to Michael Jackson.

Jan 19-23: Last Night A DJ Saved My Life. Liverpool Empire. World Premiere of a brand new musical.

Jan 19-23: The Sound of Music.

Stoke Regent Theatre. A new production of the classic musical.

Jan 20-23: Move Over Moriarty. Sale Waterside Arts Centre. Comedy play.

Jan 20-Mar 5: Mary Poppins.

Manchester Palace Theatre. The magical story brought to the stage.

Jan 21-Feb 6: Two. Bolton Octagon. A play about people and the strength of the human spirit. Audio Described, Tue Feb 2, 7.30pm. Signed, Thu Jan 28, 7.30pm. Captioned, Thu Feb 4, 7.30pm.

Jan 22: The Tommy Cooper Show. Runcorn Brindley.

Tribute to Tommy Cooper.

Jan 23-24: Peppa Pig’s Surprise.

Llandudno Venue Cymru. Theatre show for pre-schoolers.

Jan 25-30: Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Liverpool Empire.

Based on the movie.

Jan 28: Jean Genie – The Best of

50,000 readers.

RAPUNZEL is getting audiences rockin’ in the aisles at the Liverpool Everyman.

So dig out your party pants, break out the glitter and wave your flashing wand as the legendary rock ‘n’ roll panto is back to shake, rattle and

David Bowie. Runcorn Brindley.

Tribute to David Bowie.

Jan 29: Brendan Cole – A Night To Remember. Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. A night of theatrical entertainment.

Jan 29-Mar 5: Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels. Liverpool Royal Court. Comedy play.

Jan 30: A Vision Of Elvis. St Helens Theatre Royal. Tribute to Elvis Presley.

Jan 30: On Tour With Elvis. Port Sunlight Gladstone Theatre. Tribute to Elvis.

Jan 30: Roxy Magic. St Helens Citadel. Tribute to Roxy Music.

Jan 30: The Drifters – The Innovation Tour. New Brighton Floral Pavilion.

Jan 30-Feb 13: Cats. Manchester Opera House. Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s musical.

Jan 31: The Big Band with Five Star Swing. Runcorn Brindley. The swing band are back.

Feb 1: Rebecca Ferguson.

Llandudno Venue Cymru.

Feb 1-6: Annie. Stoke Regent Theatre. A favourite family musical.

Feb 1-6: The Rocky Horror Show.

Liverpool Empire. Musical.

Feb 2-6: An Inspector Calls.

Wolverhampton Grand

17

roll the theatre’s rafters!

The cast includes double-act Adam Keast and Francis Tucker as well as LIPA graduate Stephanie Hockley as Rapunzel.

Marianne Benedict, Sam Haywood and Tom Connor also feature.

Theatre.

Feb 2-6: William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Liverpool Playhouse.

Feb 2-20: Shrek The Musical. Salford Lowry.

Are you brave enough to stay a night in this house?

IF YOU like nerve-tingling theatre, then book your seats now for the terrifying psychological thriller The Haunting of Hill House (Liverpool Playhouse, Mon 7 Dec-Sat 16 Jan).

No-one ever visits Hill House, especially not after dark.

When three strangers are invited to join the mysterious Dr Montague at the eerie house on the hill, not even their darkest dreams could have prepared them for what awaits.

As their stay unfolds, they are plagued by a series of inexplicable events that propel them to the very edge of their existence.

The cast includes Emily Bevan, Chipo Chung, Jane Guernier, Joseph May and Martin Turner.

The show runs from Thurs Dec 7 - Sat Jan 16.

TAKE ME HOME!

Call us NOW! . . . 0151 230 0307

18

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

December/January 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

Apples of their eyes

CARERS’ CENTRES

THE SIX lucky winners of our gardening competition to win a fabulous new Redini ‘Cuckoo’ dessert apple – perfect for for courtyards and small gardens – are:

Margaret Kelly, Milner Road, Aigburth, Liverpool. (Picked up her copy of All Together NOW! at Garston NHS Walk-In centre) Tom Winstanley, Overpool Road, Ellesmere Port (Countess of Chester Hospital) A Richards, Hazeldene Avenue, Wallasey, Wirral (Mill Lane GP, Wallesey) Miss Sophie Bowman, Landseer Avenue, Blackpool (Wilkinson’s, Blackpool) D Crabtree, Townley Street, Middleton, Manchester (Asda, Eastlands) P Morrell, Landside, Leigh, Lancs (email entry)

All together now . . .

THE Volunteer Service Liverpool is to merge with LCVS. LCVS chair Hilary Russell said: “We are delighted that, through the merger, we shall now be able to work more closely with the Volunteer Centre to promote, encourage and support volunteering activity across the city.”

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

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

All Together NOW!

December/January 2016

My stroke of good luck!

T

V and radio presenter Chris Tarrant has been speaking about the devastating impact of strokes.

Last year Chris, 69, suffered a stroke on a 14-hour flight from Bangkok to London when returning from filming for his Channel 5 TV series, Extreme Railways.

It left him without the use of an arm and a leg, but now he says he is as fit as a fiddle.

“I’m one of the lucky ones,” he said. “Three quarters of all stroke survivors temporarily or indefinitely lose one of their arms or hands.

“In my case the full arm and the leg went and I had to learn all over again how to use them.

“It sounds pathetic but I couldn’t even clean my teeth. I could see in the mirror that I had this bright white nose with toothpaste all over it.

“I couldn’t work out where my mouth was. I figured out this technique to hold the brush still and move my head up and down. It worked.”

BACK ON TRACK: Stroke survivor Chris Tarrant Speaking on Radio Merseyside’s Sean Style show, Chris said that he used to think that strokes just happened to a few very old people.

“I’ve since learned that strokes are incredibly common and that 80 per cent don’t need to happen.

“Mine didn’t need to happen.

When I asked my consultant why it happened he said ‘Excess, excess, excess … and then a bit of excess.’

“I’m a classic case. I thought I was indestructible.

“I thought it was cramp. I slipped

F

AMILIES with a history of the deadly meningococcal disease are being denied vaccines for their children – unless they go private.

ferocious he was given only a 5% chance of survival.

Tommy defied the odds, but was left with multiple amputations and will require lifelong support.

Julie, from Walsall, gave birth to Jorgie earlier this year but worries for the future of her daughter.

“My beautiful little Tommy is amazing,” Julie said. “Doctors say it’s a miracle he survived.

But what happened to Tommy still impacts on us now and will for life.

“I worry every day for Jorgie that the same thing might happen to her. Families like ours shouldn’t live with this cloud on the horizon and I urge the Government to show some compassion and make families with a history of meningitis a special case.”

n Meningitis Freephone helpline: Tel. 0808 80 10 388, www.MeningitisNow.org

%HQHƂWV you can get your teeth into… lth A hea for plan cash ryday ve the e the n a d d! pecte n u ex Nobody likes going to the dentist, but with a Medicash heath plan you can be sure that you’re covered for whatever may happen.

Enjoy comprehensive cover for your everyday healthcare needs including optical and dental costs, plus get access to a great range of EHQHƂWV including: · Personal Accident cover · Specialist consultations and diagnostic tests · Save £250a year with our exclusive member discounts.* As well as our individual and family cover we also offer a great variety of corporate schemes for all businesses, big or small.

fro rting m as l sta

s le a itt

The Men B vaccine became available on the NHS to all newborns from September 1 after a two-year campaign by the Meningitis Now charity.

The charity is calling for free vaccinations to be extended to all children in families where there has been a previous case of meningitis.

“A family who has faced this disease once deserves the right to protect their child as much as is medically possible from it striking again,” said charity chief Sue Davie, launching the next phase of its Beat it Now! campaign.

Meningococcal group B disease is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia, which kills

one in 10 victims and leaves at least a third of survivors with lifelong after-effects such as hearing loss, epilepsy, limb loss or learning difficulties Sue Davie added: “It is not too late to give them some peace of mind for their other children.

“We see every day the devastating impact of meningitis on individuals and families and we know the fear it leaves behind – a fear of meningitis striking again in the family.”

The charity has written to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and is also asking GPs to support the wider rollout of the vaccine.

The call has been welcomed

by Meningitis Now supporter Julie Tuckley, whose young son Tommy was the face of the original Beat it Now! campaign.

Tommy was struck down with meningitis aged five months in 2012. The disease was so

n Helpline: Tel. 0303 3033 100, www.stroke.org.uk

A NEW board game is helping to improve the care of stroke patients.

“The Stroke Game allows multidisciplinary teams to share and learn together, aiding communication and team work,” said Campbell Chalmers, chair of the Scottish Stroke Nurses Forum and Stroke Nurse Consultant NHS Lanarkshire, which helped develop the game.

To play the game between four and 12 players work in two teams and compete to answer a range of questions and scenarios about strokes.

The game, produced by Focus Games, has been designed to work in a wide range of health and social care settings including acute, primary care and community.

Games cost from £90 n www.StrokeGame.co.uk

o Up t £230 ck ba cash

‘Give families peace of mind’

a bit as I was getting onto plane, then had a bit of dinner and stuff and then I remember trying to stand up and my leg went underneath me and my arm went funny.

“Slowly the penny began to drop … maybe I was having a stroke. It was at that point that I was scared.

It was the longest night of my life. I just couldn’t wait to get down at Heathrow. There was a period when I was up there that I thought I was going to die.”

Chris has now become an ambassador of The Stroke Association.

“Before my stroke I had no idea that somebody in the UK has a stroke every three and a half minutes every day, and that one in three die, one in three become disabled, and that one in three survive totally without further problems – I’m one of the lucky ones. I am completely sorted.”

19

Care across the board

Cov er

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

.50 per week

Call 0800 011 2222 or visit www.medicash.org *Average saving as at 30.11.12.

20

All Together NOW!

December/January 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

in association with Healthy Liverpool

Calling all carers: please care about YOU, too

A

S A CARER, it can be easy to overlook your own health and wellbeing.

Our five-year mission . . .

DR NADIM FAZLANI

HEALTHY LIVERPOOL aims to ensure that by 2020 everyone in the city will be enjoying longer, healthier lives.

Health and city council chiefs are determined to create a future in which everyone receives consistent, highquality healthcare, wherever they live in the city; with care delivered in the home, in communities, and in excellent hospitals.

Dr Nadim Fazlani, chair NHS Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group, says: “I have been a practising GP for 25 years in Kensington, Liverpool and have seen first-hand the health challenges which the city faces.

“Health and care services in Liverpool are good but there is much more still to be done.

“We need to improve primary care, provide more support for people to manage their own care, invest more in illness prevention, provide more services in our communities and ensure we have the best hospital services in the country.

“Some families and communities have become almost accustomed to ill health and that their expectations are low. We must find ways to raise expectations so that Liverpool people are ambitious for their own health and for that of their families.

“The Healthy Liverpool programme is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform health and social care in Liverpool for the better. We want the people of Liverpool to play their part.”

That’s why NHS Liverpool is reminding carers that flu poses a serious risk to them and the person they care for, so they should get protected with a free flu jab this winter.

Dr Sandra Davies, Liverpool Director of Public Health, said: “Carers work hard to protect those in their care.

But last year only half of all carers took up the opportunity of a free flu jab.

“Flu can knock even the healthiest people off their feet for a couple of weeks, making it impossible for a carer to look after the person in their care.”

Dr Janet Bliss, local GP and CCG Long Term Conditions Lead, added: “People with health conditions such as severe asthma, diabetes, and chest and heart complaints are being encouraged to visit their local GP surgery now to have their flu jab, so we want to remind carers to book an appointment for themselves as well to get protected.

‘‘It’s not just about protecting the carer from getting flu, but also preventing them from passing the virus onto the vulnerable person they are caring for.

“Flu is a highly infectious disease which is easily spread from one person to another.

“Getting flu when you already have a long-term condition can lead to serious complications, and it can even be a killer.’’

Unlike other medication for long-term conditions, the flu jab is an annual one-off vaccine. It changes every year to fight the latest strains of flu, so even if you had a jab last winter you need another one to stay flu safe.

Dr Bliss continued: ‘‘The flu jab is completely safe and doesn’t carry the live flu virus so it can’t give you flu.

“So please take the time to look after yourself as well as your loved ones and get flu safe with a free jab at your local GP surgery.’’

Simply contact your GP to arrange a convenient appointment and get your jab.

It’s quick, safe and free for carers and those living with a long-term health condition.

DR SANDRA DAVIES

Help us help you

P

EOPLE IN Liverpool are being asked for their help to ease pressure on the NHS this winter by choosing, where appropriate, to self-care.

The best options

n NHS teams across Liverpool are backing the Examine your Options campaign, which aims to provide information so that you know where to go to in the first instance to get fast, expert advice when you need it; how to help yourself if you have a common illness or ailment; and to help ease the pressure on A&E and 999 services at the same time.

GP appointments and visits to A&E go up at this time of year, and one of the main causes is cold and flu which can often be treated by having a well-stocked medicine cabinet at home. n The campaign also reinforces the message These can be obtained from your local chemist, and, in that A&E and 999 services are for serious and many instances, your local life-threatening conditions such as supermarket. heart-attacks, strokes, serious accidents and The following is just a simple breathing conditions.

DR SIMON BOWERS: Prepare for winter checklist of the most likely items you might need. either self-treated or used another local n Thermometer – preferably the forehead Remember these should be kept out of service, such as their pharmacy for advice, type for children. sight and reach of children. for conditions such as colds and flu. ‘‘We also know that colder winter weather Keep some First Aid items as well, The home medicine kit: brings an increase in the number of heartsuch as: n Paracetamol/Aspirin Tablets attacks, strokes, and breathing problems. n Adhesive plasters.

Paracetamol and or Ibuprofen syrups – “We need to make sure that GP practices, n Assorted dressings and bandages – preferably sugar free for children ambulance staff and A&E teams are free to including elastic bandages. n Decongestants – for those with stuffy treat people with these serious and lifen Non-absorbent cotton wool. noses threatening conditions.’’ n Sharp scissors.

Indigestion remedies – e.g. antacid tablets or Dr Bowers added: “Illnesses such as colds Dr Simon Bowers, local GP and CCG vice liquids and flu are fairly self-limiting – you may feel chair, said: ‘‘GP practices, A&E and n Antiseptic solutions / creams – solutions unwell for a few days. Get plenty of rest, ambulances experience a surge in the are useful for cleaning minor cuts and drink plenty of fluids, and take painkillers number of patients they see each winter. grazes, but do read carefully as some such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.

“We know, for example, that one out of solutions need to be diluted in water before “As colds and flu are caused by viruses, every four people who go to A&E could have use. antibiotics will not help get rid of them.

For further information visit ...

www.healthyliverpool.nhs.uk

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

December/January 2016

in association with Healthy Liverpool

All Together NOW!

Pharmacists provide more than just a tonic

Your one stop shop for tip top advice

L

IVERPOOL residents are being encouraged to find out more about the range of services and support their local pharmacist can provide.

Services on offer include advice and medicines to treat common complaints such as backache, earache, stomach upsets, coughs and colds, flu and sore throats.

In recent years, pharmacies have expanded their role and now supply a wide range of NHS services including: minor ailments schemes; stop smoking counselling; emergency contraception and help for people to quit illegal drugs.

Pharmacists are trained to know when a referral to a doctor, nurse or a dentist is appropriate.

In some cases going to your pharmacist may save you an unnecessary trip to your GP. Important things to know: n 96% of the population can access a pharmacy within 20 minutes by walking or using public transport. n If you are exempt from prescription charges, a range of ailments can be treated free of charge.

Just call in and tell us your worries

n No appointment is necessary. n You can talk to your pharmacist in complete confidence, even about very personal symptoms. n Your local pharmacist does not charge for consultations.

If you are concerned about privacy, ask to use a private consultation room. n If you don’t pay for your prescriptions, you can get medication with the ‘Care at the Chemist’ scheme for many everyday illnesses, without having to go to your doctor first. n Pharmacists are experts in both adult and children’s health.

Dr Fiona Lemmens, GP partner at Aintree Park Group Practice in North Liverpool, Urgent Care Lead and Governing Body member for

Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “It is really important for the public to be aware of exactly what services are available at their high street pharmacy. We make 1.6 million visits to pharmacists every day, but research shows many patients are still unaware of the wide range of services their pharmacist can provide.

“Local pharmacists do so much more these days than just give out prescriptions; they are highly-qualified experts in the use of medicines to treat disease and have an in-depth knowledge about prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

“Pharmacists undertake five years of specialist training and have to work continuously to maintain their professional development.

“They have the time and expertise to help patients on a range of issues, including health checks for blood pressure and diabetes.

“They also offer free medicine check-ups, help patients stop smoking and provide new services such as chlamydia testing and even the flu jab.”

e-mail: healthy.liverpool@liverpoolccg.nhs.uk. Follow us on Twitter at: @healthylvpool

21

22

All Together NOW!

December/January 2016

MEDICAL NOTES

Night time hypos?

Tell your doctor

FOR PEOPLE with diabetes, it’s not just the days that can bring danger – it’s the nights as well.

And a new survey shows people suffering one of the most common complications – hypoglycaemia, or hypos – are failing to tell their doctors when they occur at night.

Hypos occur when blood sugar levels drop too low and can cause a pounding heart, trembling, hunger, difficulty concentrating and blurred vision when they happen during the day.

Symptoms of night-time hypos include waking up with a morning headache, night sweats and extreme tiredness, and they can be frightening for those on their own.

The research shows that one-third (32%) of people with diabetes failed to report night-time hypos to their doctor or nurse despite the impact they have on the lives of people living with the condition.

Of those who did report, the research shows that one-third felt more confident about managing their night-time hypos.

Almost half of people (47%) reported that their sleep had been affected by night-time hypos, and one quarter (25%) of people are scared of being alone when experiencing a night-time hypo.

Simon O’Neill, at Diabetes UK, said, “We encourage all people with diabetes to better manage their day and night-time hypos. It is very important to discuss hypos as part of the regular consultation with your doctor or nurse.” n Diabetes UK: Tel. 0345 123 2399

Cricket’s secret

SCIENTISTS have revealed the genes and proteins that help crickets to regrow amputated legs.

“The two-spotted cricket Gryllus bimaculatus has a remarkable regenerative capacity to restore a missing distal leg part,” say Hideyo Ohuchi, Tetsuya Bando and Yoshimasa Hamada and colleagues in their recent paper, published in the journal Development.

The scientists, at Japan’s Okayama University, used a special technique called RNA interference to help them with their findings.

It makes Sense

DEAFBLIND charity Sense has launched a new guide for healthcare staff to provide better support for people with both hearing and sight loss.

The It All Adds Up guide has been developed as part of a project funded by the Department of Health to raise awareness of dual sensory loss in older people.

About 250,000 people aged over 70 have dual sensory loss in the UK, a figure that is set to double by 2030.

People living with sight and hearing loss are more likely to suffer from a range of conditions including stroke, arthritis, heart disease and hypertension. n For a copy of the guide call 0300 330 9256; or download from: www.sense.org.uk/italladdsup

Robots taking place of carers HI TECH TALK SHOW: Steve

T

HE future of care for older adults may lie in the hands of robots, not people.

Next year there will be 16 million robots deployed specifically for care around the world, ranging from empathetic robots that provide company, to exoskeletons that provide strength assistance for everyday tasks.

Many of these state-of-the-art robots designed to help old people live active lifestyles while not having to sacrifice their independence were on show at the Active and Assisted Living Forum.

With one in five people due to be 60 by 2050, the crisis of an ageing population is arriving fast.

Putting people into care homes is one option, but an even better one is to help them to carry on living independently so that they can remain active members of society.

The race is now on to create the technological solutions that can help facilitate this, and many within the industry believe that robots could be play a major role in this.

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

It’s app-y days as Anne’s in town

THE Princess Royal found out how technology is improving the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities.

She was in on the launch of two new apps which provide an easy way for people to take medication and report how they are Barnard, the Princess and Robert Longley-Cook, head of Hft feeling.

As patron of learning disability charity, Hft, the Princess was attending the charity’s Personalised Technology conference at Anfield – home of Liverpool FC. Delegates heard about the Liverpool NHS-led Mi (More Independent) programme which is looking at self-care and the integration of health and social care in the city.

Two new tablet-based applications were launched: Lincus (developed by technology SME Rescon) – a self-reporting application, designed to help people communicate how they are feeling; and e-MAR: Hft’s electronic medication administration system.

The Princess Royal said: “There is no doubt that ROBOPOP: exciting future technology offers a huge for grandparents . . . amount in terms of the art of the possible but to make it work really well for people them an ideal solution for providing with mental health and support to sufferers of dementia or complex disabilities you mild cognitive impairment. need to understand exactly One third of people born in the UK where their needs are in today will get dementia in their order to tailor it.” lifetime. It is now a global problem The AAL Forum, in Ghent, Belgium, Steve Barnard, Hft’s that will eventually overshadow all showcased many of the newest hidirector of innovation, said: other health problems faced by tech solutions designed to make society, and so new and simple ways “People with learning independent living for the elderly a of making these people’s lives easier disabilities may have reality. additional health concerns will soon be needed.

One example was the AXO-SUIT that arise and might not Entrepreneur Geert Houben said: project, which is developing an recognise changes in their “We need to ensure that we have exoskeleton — a lightweight robot own health or may find it solutions in place to fight loneliness skeleton with small electric motors difficult to communicate and social isolation, as well as ways that can be mounted on the body — their symptoms. of giving people basic medical to complement the strengths of older “The use of technology in support without them having to leave people so they can continue to be this way requires a cultural their homes. mobile and live independently. shift in how people are “These are big issues facing older It fits the bill perfectly for those who traditionally supported.” people, but ones that our connected are mentally fit and capable of looking world and technology such as robots n Hft provides free support after themselves but who have lost and information to families and avatars can address.” some of their mobility.

Robots taking care of people might and carers of all people with Avatars — on-screen digital figures learning disabilities – seem like a distant reality, but the that can interact with people — were whether or not they’re truth is that these solutions will soon also a large focus of the event. Their become essential tools to help society supported by Hft – through ability to use emotional recognition deal with the demographic changes of the charity’s family support technology to interact with people in a line: 0808 801 0448. the 21st century. meaningful way in real time make

Motorised body suits are coming

Sign up for your FREE e-newsletter – www.alltogethernow.org.uk

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

All Together NOW!

December/January 2016

Be prepared

Let’s win this fight for life!

LUNG cancer is the second most common form of cancer after breast cancer in the UK, with 44,500 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed in 2012.

When diagnosed at its earliest stage, more than a third of people with lung cancer will survive the disease for five years or more, compared with around 5 in 100 of people when diagnosed at a later stage.

This makes early diagnosis so much more important.

Some of the common early signs of lung cancer include: n A bad cough which doesn’t go away for at least three weeks, or that changes and becomes more severe (especially if you are a smoker, or used to smoke). n Unexplained, persistent breathlessness. n A chest infection that won’t go away even when it has been treated with antibiotics. n Hoarseness, or swelling of the face and neck. n Coughing up phlegm with signs of blood in it. n Pain in the chest and/or shoulders when breathing or coughing. n Unexplained tiredness and weight loss.

If you do experience any of these symptoms, you should visit your doctor as soon as possible to get them checked and treated.

Olufemi Olajide, Project Support Manager for LCH, explains: “We want to inform people about how to spot the early signs and symptoms of lung cancer in order to give them the best possible chance of spotting the illness early, getting successful treatment and beating the disease.

“Liverpool’s lung cancer rate is higher than the national average but our teams are educating members of the public to try and improve this situation.

“Anyone can get lung cancer, not just smokers. A persistent cough lasting more than three weeks should be checked by your GP.” n For more information visit www.liverpoolcomunityhealth . nhs.uk Alternatively you can check out the Be Clear on Cancer campaign at: www.nhs.uk/beclear-on-cancer/lungcancer/home

23

AS THE cold, dark winter nights start drawing in, it’s time to start preparing for winter and how to prevent and manage minor illness.

Self-care

Self-care means keeping fit, healthy and active, as well as knowing how to take medicines, treat minor ailments and seek help when you need it.

If you have a long-term condition such as diabetes, COPD, arthritis or asthma, self-care is about understanding your condition and how to live with it. The focus is very much being on what you can do rather than what you can’t do.

Pharmacist

The big sleep out

COLD COMFORT: From left, Kelly Paterson, Scott Beeland, Gary Millar, Claire Sturgeon and Lisa Palmer

N

URSE Claire Sturgeon spent a night sleeping on the streets to raise awareness – and much-needed funds – for a Liverpool charity.

Claire was one of 200 people who braved the wintry weather to take part in the Sleep Outside challenge, organised by the Whitechapel Centre, which works with homeless people across the city.

Claire, who works as a Community Equipment Nurse Specialist at Liverpool Community Health (NHS) Trust, said: “Together with two of my colleagues at LCH, Lisa Palmer and Kelly

Paterson, we wanted to raise awareness about the numbers of homeless people in Liverpool.

“We slept in the grounds of Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas’s Church, near the Pier Head, making a shelter from cardboard boxes.

“It was really cold, especially in the early hours of the morning.

“The challenge gave us a very small but valuable insight to the lives of homeless people.”

Claire’s fundraising target was £150. So far she has raised more than £300.

In total, the Whitechapel Centre has raised about £19,000 and donations are still coming in.

Top marks for school nurses

LIVERPOOL school nurses have been showing off their new uniforms.

And they were given top marks by pupils and parents!

School nurses maintain and improve the health of children by holding regular drop-in sessions and one to one appointments where pupils can talk about any health concerns they may have.

Nurses also provide

immunisations, and deliver the Healthy Child Programme, which is a national Department of Health programme for all children.

Marie Williams, Service Manager for Children’s Services at Liverpool Community Health, said: “We are really proud to be rolling out the new school nurses’ uniform.

“After feedback from children, young people and their families we think it’s really important to be

visible in schools to help children identify us, access our services and help us to address any healthcare needs.

“We would like to welcome all of the new Community Staff Nurses, School Nurses and Specialist Community Public Health Nurses who have joined us over the last 12 months. Without them we would not be able to provide the service that we do in our community.

Every year millions of us visit our doctor with minor health problems that our local pharmacist could resolve.

It’s estimated that every year 50 million visits to doctors are made for minor ailments such as coughs, colds, mild eczema, skin conditions, bites, stings and allergies.

If you visit your local pharmacy instead you could save yourself time and trouble. Many pharmacies are open until late and at weekends and you don’t need to make an appointment, making them much more convenient than visiting your doctor.

Do I need a Flu vaccination?

Flu is extremely contagious and can affect any one. Those at greatest risk include children, people aged 65 and over, pregnant women, and those with some on-going health conditions such as severe asthma, chest or heart complaints and diabetes. Anyone who falls into one of these categories (or comes into regular contact with those who do) should consider a vaccination.

Walk-in Centres

You should visit your doctor or the Walk-in Centre if you have a minor injury or ailments such as sprains and strains, ear, nose, throat, eye or skin infections, stomach ache or burns and scalds. You do not need an appointment to visit a Walk-in Centre. They are run by a team of highly qualified nurse practitioners who have experience and expertise in treating minor injuries.

Accident and Emergency

Accident and Emergency departments should be used for genuine emergencies such as breathing difficulties, chest pain, suspected broken bones, accidents, overdoses and serious bleeding.

Using A&E for minor problems, or because you have no transport, puts other people’s lives at risk.

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

24

All Together NOW!

December/January 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

Young hit worst by stress at work

Beatrice Fraenkel chair, Mersey Care NHS

R

ETAILER John Lewis has partnered with Age UK for its Christmas adverts with a poignant timely reminder that one million older people go for a month without speaking to anyone.

I congratulate their ‘Man On The Moon’ adverts for raising awareness (and charitable funds) around the plight of loneliness, social isolation and sadness – but if you factor in people of all ages and health, that figure only scratches the surface.

We should acknowledge that while this is indeed a time of giving and celebration for many, it’s also a time of disappointment, sadness or ill-health for others, including some of those who use mental health, learning disability or addiction services like Mersey Care’s.

Loneliness and ill-health is no discerner of background, age or income.

So what can we do to help others, as well as keep ourselves well?

Be aware of things that affect our wellbeing.

Research shows that weather and daylight can affect mood due to the way the body responds to daylight, causing lethargy and symptoms of depression.

There are lots of ways to beat the blues – one is to keep as active as you can. Going outdoors in natural light especially at midday and on brighter days will help, or if you are indoors sit near windows.

Keep warm, as being cold makes you more depressed, so wear warm clothes and shoes and aim to keep your home warm.

Eat hot food – plenty of hot drinks and a healthy diet will boost your mood and give you more energy. If you have friends and family make an effort to keep in touch and accept any invitations to social events, even if you only go for a little while.

Mersey Care has a useful online resource at www.merseycare.nhs.uk/aboutus/news/stay-well-this-winter/ If your symptoms are so bad that you can’t live a normal life, see your GP for medical help. Talking treatments such as those offered by Talk Liverpool to people registered with a Liverpool GP may help – you can self refer by calling Talk Liverpool on 0151 228 2300 or online at www.talkliverpool.nhs.uk Thinking of others, then why not drop-in on a neighbour or someone who you haven’t seen for a while? Look up Age UK, Mind and NHS Choices for national campaigns and a framework of practical help and advice.

For 2016, Mersey Care is calling on people to back our ‘Big Brew’ campaign to coincide with ‘Blue Monday’ on 18 January, said to be the most depressing day of the year. Talking to one another – especially over a cuppa – is a fundamental part of us sharing the little things in life that can mean a lot . . . and that surely is a gift that costs us nothing!

W

ORRYING research shows that nearly one in every two people working in the North West knows a colleague who has quit due to stress.

And across the UK, younger workers are feeling the strain more than their older counterparts.

More than a third (42%) of those asked, said they would fear speaking to their employer about a mental health issue such as depression or stress, Of those in the region who have complained in the past of being stressed, 27% said their employer hadn’t done anything to help.

The survey of 3,000 people in work found that stress is a common problem in the workplace, with 70% of employees in the region saying they have felt stressed at work over the last 12 months and 46% saying they know a colleague who has given up their job as a result of stress.

The survey also revealed: n Across the UK, stress is more acute among younger employees (82% of 16-24 year olds compared to 68% of those aged 55-64), n Women (79%) are more likely to experience stress than men (71%). n Only 22% of people working in the North West think a colleague

should still come in to work if a colleague is suffering from stress; n Only 19% of employees have taken time off work with stress.

“In our experience stigma and a lack of effective management means most organisations treat illness rather than promote positive mental health,” said Alistair Dornan, of Capita Employee Benefits, who conducted the poll, “We are encouraging employers to take a pro-active approach.

“This includes the use of employee assistance programmes such as online support, and training to help senior staff spot the early signs of stress or depression.”

Take a course in chilling out

T

HE better you can bounce back from setbacks, the better you deal with life and relationships.

But how many people actually train their minds to strengthen their resilience in times of trouble?

The ability to hold your own under pressure is a skill you can learn and now the mindfulness not-for-profit organisation, The BeingWell, is urging people to do just that.

Dr Sherylin Thompson, The BeingWell director, says: “Building resilience to pressure is just being responsible.

“Ensuring you are aware of, and know how to manage, your individual pressure triggers and boiling points is essential to function at your best and as part of a group.”

Mindfulness trains the mind to focus on the present moment. This seemingly simple practice has been introduced in Parliament, the NHS and some top firms in the UK including Credit Suisse and KPMG. The BeingWell offers mindfulness courses in one-to-one and group settings – available to the general public as well as in the workplace.

An all-party parliamentary group inquiry report, Mindful Nation UK, launched in October 2015, recommends mindfulness programmes to combat stress and improve organisational effectiveness.

“Like what gym is to the body, mindfulness is to the mind. It builds strength, agility and flexibility.,” says Dr Thompson, “Mindfulness builds mind muscle to not only hold up against pressure but to think clearly through it.” *More information can be found at www.thebeingwell.org/mbsr

WISE WORDS: Dr Sherylin Thompson

HERE are some ways you can practice mindfulness without meditating to improve a sense of wellbeing even on the go.

1. Eat mindfully. Take a few minutes during the day to simply eat. Not multi-tasking lunch the computer or phone. Just absorb the taste and textures of the food.

Take in the smells.

2. Walk mindfully. Walking in familiar surroundings our minds can wander to unhelpful places.

Notice sights, sounds, smells, temperature.

3. Observe your breathing.

Paying attention to breathing can slow the cycle of repetitive thoughts and worries. Follow a full in breath with a full out breath.

Repeat this a few times.

The perfect tonic . . .

4. Practice mini pauses. Before opening an email, answering the phone, pushing the button in the lift… pause. Notice with full awareness the actions you are taking. This develops your ability to not react unthinkingly. – a valuable skill under pressure.

5. Listen with all of you. Open up fully to hear what someone is saying. Put on hold what you want to say.

6. Break the routine. Try a different coffee or tea in the morning, take a slightly different route to work, rearrange your desk.

‘Elderly people’s treatment disgrace’

AN expert in older people’s mental health has blasted the destruction of services specifically designed to meet the needs of the elderly.

Dr James Warner has joined international criticism of the UK’s decision to introduce ageless services.

“It is disgraceful that older people’s mental health services are being dismantled,” said Dr Warner, chair of the Old Age Psychiatry Faculty of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

He said elderly people “who have very complex physical, psychological and social needs, are not having those needs properly addressed.”

Now a new study has found that older people with mental illness have more unmet need if they are not cared for in specialist old age services.

There has been a growing trend in recent years for older people to be treated in “ageless” mental health services which serve everyone, whether they are 18 or 80.

The study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, adds to growing evidence that older people with mental illness are disadvantaged if they are cared for in ageless services.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has written to the Chief Executive of every Mental Health Trust calling for a halt to ageless services.

Dr Warner added: “Older people should have their care and treatment managed by professionals who have specific expertise in that area. This particularly applies to core services, such as community mental health teams and inpatient facilities.”

HALF A MILLION

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

All Together NOW!

December/January 2016

Cancer breakthrough

SCIENTISTS have come up with a new technique that could be used to destroy secondary breast cancer cells that have trafficked from the breast to other parts of the body.

A British team has found a way of linking a cancer-killing virus to a tumour-targeting antibody.

Iona Easthope, one of the team at the University of Oxford, said she was “excited” about the method which works “without affecting the healthy cells”.

Dr Max Crispin added: “We have dedicated this research article to Dr Chris Scanlan who started this project and sadly passed away after a short battle with cancer.”

One in five breast cancer cases result in fatal metastases, when breast cancer cells break away from the original tumour site and establish new tumours in bone, lung, liver or brain.

The charity Against Breast Cancer, which funded the research, says the new linker could pave the way for better, more targeted treatment methods for many types of cancer, including Stage IV secondary cancers that have spread throughout the body.

The research has been published in the scientific journal Molecular Immunology. n Against Breast Cancer, tel 01235 534211 www.againstbreastcancer.org.uk

MEDICAL NOTES

New treatment to make lives easier

Needle-free blood tests!

B

BREAST TEAM: Dr Max Crispin and Iona Easthope

LOOD tests carried out with needles could soon be a thing of the past.

In what’s being hailed as a major medical breakthrough, North-West scientists are perfecting a device that can analyse blood samples – without breaking the skin.

The new technique will dramatically reduce the risk of infection, as well as making tests less distressing for patients and their families.

Developed at Liverpool John Moores University, the system comprises a small wireless sensor which can identify signs of disease or abnormalities in the blood.

The prototype device uses electromagnetic waves to measure lactate and haemoglobin levels which are very important indicators of how sick a patient is.

The sensors then transmit their findings to Med eTrax, a mobile monitoring app, which makes it easy to analyse the results of any blood test and trends.

A built-in early warning system also alerts remote medical staff to any changes in a patient’s condition, and allows them to track progress in real-time, improving standards of care across the board.

BioSensors Ltd, working alongside the university, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Lucid Innovation Group, have entered the second phase of a development contract to produce the device, which is to be tested at Alder Hey.

Doctors failing to ease the pain

HEALTH charity Pain Concern has revealed how widespread frustration and dissatisfaction with GPs is stopping people in severe pain getting the help they need.

Pain Concern’s research shows how simple things like short consultation times and long waiting lists for pain management services combine with problems of communication to hamper good self-management of persistent pain – a condition which affects 1 in 5 of the UK population.

Heather Wallace, of Pain Concern, said: “We’ve known for a long time that selfmanagement can help people to control their pain when other options are limited but there is a real lack of understanding of how to apply self-management on both sides of the consulting room.” n Pain Concern Helpline: 0300 123 0789 (limited availability)

Activities to suit every mood

A RANGE of new services for people living with and beyond cancer is now available.

The Liverpool’s Sunflowers Cancer Support charity’s new services include papercrafts, counselling, yoga meditation, tai chi, hobby crafts, textile crafts, pilates (mat based & standing), singing, and complementary therapies (aromatherapy, massage, reiki).

Social activities such as quiz nights, pamper evenings and “owl therapy” are also on offer.

25

Chief executive Emma Squibb said: “We’ve worked hard to design a programme that has something for everyone, whether they want to make new friends, keep fit or just enjoy a bit of pampering.

“Our services are free and available to anyone living with cancer so we hope to see lots more people coming through out doors in the coming months.” n Sunflowers, tel 0151 726 8934

people are reading these pages . . .

GOOD news could be coming for people with chronic cystitis and overactive bladders.

A medication that’s now available on prescription means people could easily treat themselves at home rather than having to go to hospital clinics.

The liquid temporarily coats the lining of the bladder, known as the GAG layer, sealing over cracks and weaknesses to prevent urine seeping through to the deeper layers and causing inflammation.

As well as suffering terrible pain, people with overactive bladders can become almost housebound because of the frequency and urgency of the need to empty their bladder – sometimes 30 times a day.

Gepan® instill comes as a non-viscous liquid which is introduced to the bladder via a catheter.

Susannah Fraser, of the Cystitis and Overactive Bladder Foundation, said: “We are delighted that Gepan® instill has been approved for drug tariff enabling our members to obtain the product from their GP and use it in the comfort of their own home to suit them and take account of their lifestyle and commitments.” n Confidential Advice: Tel. 0121 702 0820.

Cheer for mums

FINDINGS from a pilot study show that screening pregnant women for group B Strep has resulted in an 80% reduction in potentially devastating infections in newborn babies.

“The results are really encouraging,” said consultant microbiologis Dr Gopal Rao, who launched the pilot at Northwick Park Hospital, in Brent, north-west London.

“National guidance currently advises that only mothers whose babies are deemed at risk of GBS should be given antibiotics at the time of delivery.

“Despite following national guidance, the maternity unit at Northwick Park, which serves a very diverse community, has historically seen higher than national average numbers of cases of GBS infection in newborns.

“We decided to offer screening to all mothers, using GBS-specific tests, and those women who are found to carry GBS are given antibiotics at the time of delivery.

“The results have shown that with screening we can improve the care we provide our mothers and their babies.

“GBS can kill and the results from this pilot will enable midwives to offer further reassurance to our mothers about the infection and safe treatment with antibiotics.”

Group B Strep is the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies and of meningitis in babies up to three months. n Group B Strep Support: Tel. 01444 TAKE ME HOME! 416 176. www.gbss.org.uk

tel 0151 230 0307

Books

26

All Together NOW!

Horror-free guide

HELP: Natalie with Eddie, left, and Lucas Cast Life – A Parent’s Guide to DDH by Natalie Trice, Amazon, £9.99

HERE’s a book to help parents of children suffering from Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH), a condition that occurs when the ball and socket of the hip joint do not fit snugly together.

It affects between one and three children in every thousand births.

Natalie’s son, Lucas, was diagnosed with DDH at four months and there was very little information or support – just horror stories and awful images.

Lucas is now six and facing yet more surgery.

Natalie passionately believes that there needs to be more awareness of DDH, which if left untreated, can lead to long term disability, hip replacements and life long pain.

Professor N M P Clarke, who wrote the foreword, said: “DDH is one of the most common congenital abnormalities and it is remarkable that there is so little information out there.

“This book is essential reading for the parents of children with the condition, as well as health professionals working with them, and I would love to see it in all clinics around the world.”

What to expect

Beauty Despite Cancer by Jennifer Young, Amazon, £14.99

A COMPREHENSIVE guide to what to expect when going through cancer treatment, covering all the questions you want to ask, and full of tips and advice about things that didn’t even cross your mind.

December/January 2016

ARIES March 21st - April 20th

time to make more time for family and domestic pursuits. The New Moon on the 10th could prompt you to take a short trip for business. In addition, you might be able to visit an old friend who lives near this destination. You’ll have to play the aggressor in a budding romance. A career opportunity may not be worth pursuing in the closing days of January.

The New Moon on the 11th gives you a chance to travel overseas. If you can’t get away, read a book or watch a movie set in an exotic locale. By the time Christmas arrives, you’ll be ready to spend some quality time with family. This will prove one of the most enjoyable holidays ever, with a variety of relatives coming together in the interest of peace and harmony. Neither a lender nor a borrower be in the early stages of 2016.

Mixing friendship with finance could result in disaster. An exciting travel opportunity might come your way in January and you’ll get a real buzz from an exotic destination with a spiritual connection.

SAGITTARIUS November 23rd December 21st

TAURUS April 21st - May 21st

There’s some great financial news on the way. You have a lot to celebrate. Ring out 2014 with your favourite person by your side.

New Year’s Eve will be extremely romantic.

Career concerns will occupy much of your time in the opening days of 2016. This is a wonderful time to apply for positions, go on job interviews and confer with authority figures about your future. The New Moon on the 10th is perfect for traveling overseas, enrolling in an advanced course of study or launching a writing project. An unexpected visitor could arrive in the middle of January adding some excitement to your life.

GEMINI May 22nd - June 21st

A friendship could turn to romance quite suddenly in early December. The New Moon on the 11th is wonderful for getting engaged, married, or having a commitment ceremony.

The Full Moon on the 25th ensures this will be one of the best Christmases in recent memory. Being able to showcase your expert knowledge will be challenging in the early days of 2016. It may be better to focus on doing a good job with daily responsibilities. Being a strong team player can pave the way for bigger and better opportunities. News of an engagement or marriage could reach your ears in January.

CANCER June 22nd - July 23rd

Early December is perfect for finding love.

The New Moon on the 11th will bring an exciting job offer. The Full Moon on Christmas Day prompts someone to make a selfless gesture on your behalf. Get a head start on your New Year’s Resolutions by launching a health programme at the end of December. 2016 will be a time of passion, creativity and romance. You might have to renounce a career opportunity for the sake of this relationship. Making a sacrifice could pay off handsomely on the 10th, when the New Moon favours a fresh start. A big bill could arrive towards the end of the month.

LEO July 24th - August 23rd

You’ll be filled with energy throughout early December helping you get into the festive Christmas spirit. The New Moon on the 11th is suffused with romance, while the Full Moon on the 25th marks one of the happiest Christmases in recent memory. Relationship matters and contract negotiations will characterise the opening days of 2016. Two heads are definitely better than one. Big changes are

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

RUSSELL GRANT CALLING . . .

occurring on the work front, resulting in some different responsibilities for you.

VIRGO August 24th - September 23rd

The New Moon on the 11th is perfect for sealing all sorts of deals and arrangements.

The second half of December finds you making merry with friends, neighbours and colleagues. Attend as many parties as possible. The Full Moon rises on the 25th giving Christmas a magical feeling you will never forget. Give careful thought to your health in the opening days of 2016. Keeping anxiety at bay should be your first priority.

The New Moon on the 10th could attract a romantic opportunity. As January draws to a close, you might have to spend a little more money on car repairs or technical equipment.

LIBRA September 24th - October 23rd

More money for luxuries becomes available in early December, making holiday shopping especially enjoyable. A generous relative will give you a family heirloom in mid-December, enhancing the seasons’ spirit even further.

The Full Moon falls on Christmas and it looks like you will be receiving some truly fabulous gifts. You will have to put your money where your mouth is in early 2016. Failing to make sacrifices could cause you to lose the support of influential friends, relatives and colleagues. Beware of getting in pointless arguments with relatives and neighbours during the second half of January.

SCORPIO October 24th - November 22nd

The New Moon on the 11th brings an unexpected source of income. An intense flirtation adds a welcome dash of spice to the second half of December.

Household matters will occupy most of your attention in early 2016. This is a wonderful

Trust your instincts, especially regarding romantic matters. The New Moon on the 11th may prompt you to change your look in some way. Practice moderation during midDecember, or you will be too tired to make the full round of holiday parties. You may have difficulty seeing eye to eye with an unrealistic relative in the opening days of 2016. The New Moon on the 10th could present a fresh money-making opportunity.

Your love life will heat up in the second half of January; it may be hard to resist the charms of a wild rebel. This isn’t the best time to get away.

CAPRICORN December 22nd - January 20th

You’re feeling pretty reckless in early December, but beware of pressing your luck.

The New Moon on the 11th affords a welcome opportunity to rest, relax and rejuvenat. Prepare to receive a lovely present that brings tears to your eyes.

Money matters will occupy your attention in the opening days of 2016. Don’t make promises you can’t deliver, especially during the first half of the month. An opportunity to expand your horizons through a trip or advanced course of learning is worth pursuing during the second half of the month.

AQUARIUS January 21st - February 19th

You’ll be able to strike a very good deal in the opening days of December. The New Moon on the 11th is ideal for launching a fundraiser for underprivileged members of your community. You’ll have a receptive audience for your ideas in early 2016. If you’ve ever wanted to work from home, this would be an ideal opportunity to propose such an arrangement. Your star power will steadily mount as the month draws to a close; take this opportunity to go on job interviews, auditions and first dates. Vow to listen more than you speak during these meetings. A close partnership will show signs of strain near the 24th.

PISCES February 20th - March 20th

The New Moon on the 11th brings an exciting opportunity. The Full Moon falls on Christmas Day, making it one of the most romantic holidays in recent memory. Keeping a low profile is strongly advised in the early days of 2016. Resist the urge to mix business with pleasure, particularly during the first half of the month. Traveling could be exciting during the second half of January.

You will breathe a sigh of relief when an unpleasant assignment comes to a close around the 24th. This will give you more time for social and artistic pursuits; career concerns will be less pressing as February approaches.

Be a FRIEND of All Together NOW! . . . back page

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

December/January 2016

All Together NOW!

WIN A DAHLIA DOSE OF COLOUR

D

AHLIAS are among the most vivid flowers of autumn and we have TEN sets of a colourful new collection – worth £18 each – to be won.

complete with full growing instructions, from late March, 2016.

To enter the competition, answer this question: How many Bishops are there in the Woolmans dahlia collection?

The Bishop series of dahlia Send your entry with your varieties from Woolmans name and address on a creates a divine addition to or sealed postcard any garden, with rich bronzyenvelope, stating where purple leaves contrasting with you picked up your copy of bright, semi-double blooms.

All Together NOW!, to There are six Bishops – or Dahlia Competition, All Archbishops – in the Together NOW!, The collection: Canterbury, cerise; Bradbury Centre, Youens Dover, pure white flushed Way, Liverpool, L14 2EP, to with pink; Leicester, mauve arrive by Friday, January BRIGHT BISHOPS – Canterbury, Oxford and Leicester from our prize collection with delicate white streaks; 18), or enter online at Llandaff, rich red, holder of 120cm (3-4ft), ideal for cutting – the more you cut www.alltogethernow.org.uk the RHS award of garden merit; Oxford, warm the more they will produce – and versatile enough n For the full range of Woolmans plants, orange-bronze; and York, pale yellow. to grow in borders or large patio pots. They flower go to www.woolmans.com Dahlias are half-hardy perennials growing to 90from July to October. They will be despatched,

Veg with the edge Our expert’s guide to new varieties for bigger, tastier crops

O

NE of the keenest garden pleasures of early winter is reviewing the year’s plant performances and trying to spot next year’s successes.

Plant breeders constantly produce new strains and vegetables which are improvements on older types, or so they intend.

Some innovations disappear without trace but thankfully others are genuine upgrades and replace the top dogs – or at least earn a cushion in the kennel.

Here are some delicious additions which I have grown for the first time this year and which have impressed me: CAULIFLOWER IGLOO, a quickmaturing variety with white heads which is suitable for successional

BEARING FRUIT: Tomato Sweet Aperitif and courgette Parthenon

sowing and also for growing as minicauliflowers if planted closely.

LEEK LANCASTER, a whopper with good flavour, only one bolter among 20 plants and for which outstanding frost-hardiness is claimed and, although there has been no frost at the time of writing, I have no reason to doubt it.

Many gardeners choose to plant over-wintering ONIONS such as RADAR but the new yellow variety TROY seems superior, producing shapely, uniform bulbs which are wellflavoured and disease-free.

TOMATO SWEET APERITIF is the latest in a line of tempting cherry types – the best yet, in my view, with a superb flavour balance combining sweetness and acidity.

Gardeners often complain that their

COURGETTES produce poor crops in dull summers. The reason is that sun is needed to open the flowers so that insects can pollinate them.

I had the same problem until a few years ago when I switched to the variety PARTHENON, which is selfpollinating, and have since enjoyed plentiful crops, whatever the weather.

Among the most welcome newcomers are varieties which break totally fresh ground, such as LIVINGSTONE, claimed to be the first autumn-cropping rhubarb for pulling from September to November.

I am growing a plant which, although too young to be harvested until next year, remains green and succulent-looking while my conventional rhubarb bed displays only brown, decayed leaves.

Livingstone is a British-bred strain which has had its summer dormancy eliminated.

Broad beans are traditionally grown to mature in early summer but they, too, look set for a shake-up with the increasing awareness that the variety LUZ DE OTONO can produce a worthwhile autumn crop from a July sowing, as I found this year, with pickings as late as November.

Broad bean Luz de Otono and courgette Parthenon are widely available through the main seed firms: onion Troy from Suttons and Mr Fothergill’s; Rhubarb Livingstone from Mr Fothergill’s; Cauliflower Igloo from Suttons and other sources; tomato Sweet Aperitif from Thompson & Morgan and Mr Fothergill; and Leek Lancaster from D.T. Brown.

Sign up for your FREE e-newsletter . . . www.alltogethernow.org.uk

27

CHECKLIST

FLOWERS: As soon as possible, finish planting tulips and any overdue spring bedding. Pinch off the dead flower heads of winter pansies and violas regularly to encourage more blooms. Transplant self-sown foxgloves into groups.

SHRUBS AND TREES: Brighten up north and east-facing walls and fences by planting hardy climbers such as winter jasmine, which produces masses of yellow, starshaped flowers, and ivy varieties with variegated gold and green leaves such as Sulphur Heart.

PATIOS: Move patio pots into the sunniest position and raise them on bricks or pot feet so they do not stand in puddles after winter rains.

LAWNS: Clean the mower, check nuts, bolts and wiring, have it serviced and sharpened if necessary, and wipe all metal surfaces with an oily rag.

PONDS: Remove leaves from the surface. Left to sink and rot, they use oxygen, which is needed by fish and other pond life.

VEGETABLES: Keep leeks earthed up. Support tall crops like brussels sprouts against winter gales.

HERBS: Pot up parsley and chives to grow on an indoor windowsill. Also pot up roots of mint in 22cm (9in) pots and keep them under glass to provide early shoots when they will be most appreciated early next spring.

GLASS: In the greenhouse or conservatory, water sparingly overwintering fuchsias and other exotics, keeping the compost just moist. Check for insect pests on the plants and squash or spray.

HOUSEPLANTS: Take care not to overwater but continue to feed varieties still to flower such as Christmas cactus. Make sure plants have enough light, but don’t leave them on a windowsill at night after the curtains are drawn or they will suffer in the chilly gap between glass and curtain.

TAKE ME HOME!

All Together NOW!

28

December/January 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.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

★ 9

10

★ 10

★ 11

5

11

12

★

14

15

17

18

13

13

16 19

20

21

20

22

23

24

★ 25

26

★ 28

★

28 27

29

★ 30

31

★

ACROSS

DOWN

1.

5.

9.

10.

11.

13.

15.

17.

19.

20.

21.

23.

24.

28.

29.

30.

31.

1.

2.

3.

4.

6.

7.

8.

12.

13.

14.

16.

18.

21.

22.

25.

26.

27.

Adorn (8) Wound mark (4) Violinist (7) Optic (anag.) (5) Adhere (5) Component part (6) West Country river (5) Wealthy (4) Tibetan ox (3) In this place (4) Honey-badger (5) Piercing cry (6) Spacious (5) American elk (5) Rhyme (7) Hyphen (4) Example (8)

Silly (4) Military trainee (5) Widow (arch.) (6) Rotate (4) Competent (7) Registrar (8) Guide (5) Eskimo canoe (5) Manufacturer (5) Took for granted (8) Rug (3) Inquisitive (7) Insurgent (5) Crop-destroying insect (6) Gourd (5) Scrutinise (4) Swelling on eyelid (4)

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: What is the traditional meaning of the naval term ‘splice the mainbrace’?

A Issue an extra rum ration B Secure the ship to a quay C Mend a frayed rope D Serve dinner in the wardroom

QUESTION 10 – for 10 points: Which part of an animal is known as the lights?

QUESTION 2 – for 2 points: How is the year 2000 portrayed in Roman numerals?

A DD B CC C LL D MM

QUESTION 11 – for 11 points: In which county is the headland known as Start Point?

QUESTION 3 – for 3 points: What is the shape of a baseball field?

A Square B Diamond C Circle D Quadrant

QUESTION 12 – for 12 points: As of 2014, who is the most expensive football player to have been bought by an English Premier League club?

QUESTION 4 – for 4 points: Which musical features the song Any Dream Will Do? A Cats B The Phantom of the Opera C Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat D Miss Saigon

A B C D

A B C D

QUESTION 7 – for 7 points: Which of the following makes pink gin pink?

A B C D

Brain Lungs Liver Kidneys

Lincolnshire Dorset Devon Kent

Angel di María Fernando Torres Mesut Ozil Carlos Tevez

QUESTION 13 – for 13 points: What is the assay mark for pure platinum?

Amaretto Cassis Tabasco Angostura

A B C D

Crown Lion Castle Orb

QUESTION 5 – for 5 points: With which rock group is Roger Taylor the drummer?

A The Rolling Stones B Jethro Tull C Led Zeppelin D Queen

QUESTION 8 – for 8 points: Which fairytale world appears in C.S. Lewis’s book The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe?

QUESTION 14 – for 14 points: The Great Pyramid of Cholula, the largest monument in the world, is in which country?

A B C D

A B C D

QUESTION 6 – for 6 points: A fletcher was employed in the manufacture of what?

A Barrels B Arrows C Bricks D Saddles

QUESTION 9 – for 9 points: Which Caribbean country was devastated by an earthquake in 2010?

QUESTION 15 – for 15 points: Georges Braque was a pioneer in which art movement?

A B C D

A B C D

Narnia Brobdignag Middle Earth Mordor

Haiti Martinique St Vincent Cuba

Mexico Indonesia Egypt Peru

Impressionism Dadaism Cubism Surrealism

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

4

A B C D

Rock musician Roger Taylor. See Question 5

SUDOKU

3

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

DIFFICULT

8 6

2

6

7 1 3 2 4 8 9 3 1 1 5 7 4 3 9 5 6 4 2 3 9 8 5 6 9 7 9 3

8

1 5 9 7 5 3 6 4 8 9 1 4 6 8 9 4 2 5 7 3 7 6 4 2

REACH 450,00 READERS

TAKE ME HOME!

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 19

14

21

10

16

3

19

22

17

18 24 11 23

21

11 13

14 16 18 8

ADVERTISE HERE 0151 230 0307

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

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.

1

2

MISSING LINK

1 []’–

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

/

1. the official language 287 872 542 144 272 582 719 262 421 864 833 178 283 716 312 637 422 122 623 214 892 621 473 526 315 262 422 148 376 739 153 773 912 376 832

Countries with English as

2. Charities 628 466 251 878 781 227 627 367 174 358 371 728 318 431 244 537 361 247 478 426 124 314 357 136 714 376 371 725 828 466 127 691 733 127 677

3. Thriller writers 426 135 364 641 367 684 915 172 937 713 733 374 251 367 798 412 784 871 266 261 369 531 326 127 696 125 478 247 162 253 261 528 491 734 247

4. Terms used in mathematics 778 273 176 681 254 327 213 722 846 612 334 846 617 372 368 243 168 584 754 228 466 163 342 614 366 387 914 976 836 873 174 178 287 228 466

5. Elton John hits 276 263 453 176 251 366 815 381 843 178 614 613 696 166 163 146 632 931 935 569 127 425 176 231 273 196 817 323 913 671 568 317 227 434 23

6. ones in the UK singles chart 358 471 843 123 285 371 254 331 742 427 318 253 184 281 222 217 742 314 475 716 274 718 431 765 546 417 866 371 642 423 515 225 766 178 336

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 20 types of sea creature.

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 14?

E

E

T

E

P

K

R

A

H

S

B

L

A

H

O M W H

E

I

D

A

S

E

S

R

I

P

K

L

U

C

R

C

A

E

E

L

L

E

O Q

S

R

U

R

B

C

I

A

L

Y

T

E

D

R

A

R

H

S

S

A

H

M P

D W B

S

U MAKE A DATE

P

R

J

E

O

T

P

E

O

L

L

A

C

L

L

S

S

E

O

FIRST

––––

BIRD

P

I

L

H

S

Y

P

U M

L

T

ORIENT

–––––––

LETTER

K

H

I

O

C

PACK

–––

R L S I F TRANSFORMER

SPECIAL

–––––

BILL

N

5

6

KILIM 1) An edible sea urchin found in New Zealand waters;

F

I

BAG

––––

D

S

––––

HOUSE

E

L

R

4

C

A W

L

3

Here is an unusual word with three definitions, only one of which is correct. Can you identify the right definition?

B

A

N

WORD WIZARD

2

A

O

SILVER

BOX

Artists with multiple number

1

Each pair of words has a missing word between them that acts as a link to both (e.g. FRONT – DOOR – MAT). The initial letters of the six answers (reading downwards) will spell out a means of transport.

CAPE

29

DIALLING CODES

CROSS CODE

All Together NOW!

December/January 2016

2) A fruit-eating mammal native to Central and South American tropical forests;

In which year did all three of these significant historical events take place?

1. Palestinian terrorists blow up three hijacked airliners in the Jordanian desert.

2. Edward Heath becomes British prime minister after the Conservative Party wins the general election.

3) A pileless woven rug traditionally made in the Middle East.

3. Leaders of East and West Germany meet officially for the first time since the Second World War.

Add the given letter to the first word to make a new word.

Clue: Summon up to make recall.

WAS IT? a) 1968; b) 1970; c) 1972; d) 1974; e) 1976.

_____ +R=R_____

ALL THE ANSWERS Pathwords shrimp; dolphin; mussel; octopus; lobster; whale; oyster; squid; crab; shark; whelk; plaice; limpet; eel; seahorse; barracuda; prawn; jellyfish; scallop; krill.

3 7 4 6 9 8 5 1 2

9 2 5 3 4 1 6 8 7

1 8 6 7 2 5 4 3 9

4 3 9 2 6 7 8 5 1

SUDOKU EASY

2 1 8 9 5 4 7 6 3

5 6 7 1 8 3 2 9 4

6 5 1 4 7 9 3 2 8

7 9 2 8 3 6 1 4 5

8 4 3 5 1 2 9 7 6

6 4 1 5 3 9 8 2 7

8 2 5 6 4 7 1 3 9

7 3 9 8 1 2 4 5 6

1 9 8 4 2 3 6 7 5

*

/

0 <

4 1

$

5

-

%

3

(

)

2

8

;

6

9

=

7

'

,

& + : .

CROSS CODE

4 7 2 9 6 5 3 1 8

5 6 3 7 8 1 2 9 4

SUDOKU DIFFICULT

9 1 6 3 7 4 5 8 2

2 8 7 1 5 6 9 4 3

3 5 4 2 9 8 7 6 1

8 18 13 23 24 3 10

8 3

9

1

2

2

8 19

14

8 9 1 18 19 16

3 5

7 9 16 14

6 4 2 1 21

KAKURO MEDIUM

11

7 9 6 22

1 2 5 3 11

8 9 17

4 9 8 21

Accumulator Quiz 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A; 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; D; 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; D; 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; C; 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; D; 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; B; 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; D; 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A; 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A; 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; B; 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; C; 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A; 13 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; D; 14 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A; 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; C. Starspot Crossword Across â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 Decorate; 5 Scar; 9 Fiddler; 10 Topic; 11 Stick; 13 Member; 15 Tamar; 17 Rich; 19 Yak; 20 Here; 21 Ratel; 23 Shriek; 24 Roomy; 28 Moose; 29 Couplet; 30 Dash; 31 Instance.

Down â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 Daft; 2 Cadet; 3 Relict; 4 Turn; 6 Capable; 7 Recorder; 8 Steer; 12 Kayak; 13 Maker; 14 Presumed; 16 Mat; 18 Curious; 21 Rebel; 22 Locust; 25 Melon; 26 Scan; 27 Stye.

Star Name: TONY BLAIR

Word Wizard No 3 is correct. A kilim is a Middle Eastern pileless rug.

Dialling Codes 1. Australia; Gibraltar; Zambia; United States Of America; Canada; Guyana; Ireland; Jamaica; Guernsey; Jersey; Bermuda.

2. National Trust; Barnardos; Shelter; Save The Children; Christian Aid; Help For Heroes; Salvation Army; Red Cross.

3. Ian Fleming; Dorothy L Sayers; Frederick Forsyth; Arthur Conan Doyle; Dan Brown; Alistair MacLean; Kathy Reichs.

4. square root; algebra; fraction; addition; percentage; multiplication; median; geometry; hypotenuse; pi; subtraction.

5. Crocodile Rock; Dont Let The Sun Go Down On Me; Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; Are You Ready For Love; Sacrifice.

6. Elvis; The Beatles; Cliff Richard; Take That; ABBA; Spice Girls; Oasis; The Rolling Stones; Michael Jackson; Queen.

Spot Check A = 6; B = 3; C = 5; D = 2; E = 1; F = 4.

Missing Link sand; lady; express; ice; guest; horn. Transport: sleigh.

Make a Date The year was 1970.

Transformer Evoke + R = Revoke.

30

All Together NOW!

SUBSCRIBE!

All Together NOW! is helping and inspiring tens of thousands of people whose lives are affected by disability.

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.

NAME

ADDRESS

Please send this coupon and a cheque payable to All Together NOW! to: Subscriptions Dept., All Together NOW! The Bradbury Centre, Youens Way, Liverpool L14 2EP — THANKS!

December/January 2016

WANT TO GIVE THIS A TRY?

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

THE GB Wheelchair Rugby squad have been busy promoting the sport in the capital.

But now they’re flexing their muscles at North West venues.

They have just put on a special demo at Chorlton’s Hough End Centre, and now they are throwing out an open invitation to anyone wanting to get involved in the sport to get to one of the following locations and see some real action: Jan 16-17: Fenton Manor Sports Complex, City Road, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.

Feb 6: Leigh Sports Village, Sale Way, Leigh.

Mar 5: Leigh Sports Village, Sale Way, Leigh.

Contact Jo Arnold: jo.arnold@gbwr.org.uk

JAMIE’S JOY

M

ERSEYSIDE’S Jamie Burdekin and Andy Lapthorne (Middlesex) won the quad doubles title at the Nottingham Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Tournament.

After an easy semi final victory against James Shaw (Nottingham) and South Africa’s Lucas Sithole (6-0, 6-2), Burdekin and Lapthorne went on to beat USA’s Bryan Barten and Brazil’s Ymanitu Silva 4-6, 7-5, (10-4).

However, there was also disappointment for Lapthorne, who lost a thrilling quad singles final against Sithole, and frustration for Britain’s other two top players, Gordon Reid (Helensburgh, Scotland) and Jordanne Whiley (Birmingham).

In a rematch of the British Open quad singles final in July, world No.4 Sithole came from 5-3 down to snatch the opening set and got the better of a thrilling finale to close out a 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 win and make it two titles from two visits to Nottingham this year.

Jordanne Whiley missed out on the chance to emulate Sithole’s achievement and add the Nottingham Indoor title to the British Open women’s singles title she won in July after her semi-final victory over fellow Brit Lucy Shuker 6-3, 6-2.

Whiley went down in the final to The Netherlands’ World No.9 Diede de de Groot, who started the tournament unseeded, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 to clinch her first ITF 1 Series singles title.

Whiley came from 2-0 down to lead for !

TAKE ME HOME the first time at 4-3 before reeling off the last two games of the opening set.

THAT WINNING FEELING: Jamie Burdekin, left, and Andy Lapthorne However, de Groot twice came from two games adrift herself in the second set and took the last three games to force the decider.

The 18-year-old, who had already beaten the world No.5 and world No.6 en route to the final, made what proved to be a decisive breakthrough to lead the final set 5-3.

Whiley saved three match points from 40-0 down to narrow the deficit, but it was not enough as de Groot converted her next match point for one last break of serve to seal the biggest singles success of her career.

Meanwhile, Reid lost out in a dramatic men’s single final to Nicolas Peifer (France), who came from 3-0 down to take the opening

Stay ahead of the game . . .

set before Reid raced the through the second set for the loss of just the second game.

However, Peifer built a 3-0 lead in the decider and went on to complete a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory.

The men’s doubles title went to Joachim Gerard (Belgium) and Stefan Olsson (Sweden), who beat French third seeds Frederic Cattaneo and Stephane Houdet 6-1, 6-1 in the last final of the tournament.

The Dutch pair Marjoleine Buis and Michaela Spaanstra got the upper hand in a thrilling conclusion to the women’s doubles final, beating Lucy Shuker (Fleet, Hampshire) and South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane 3-6, 6-4, (10-5) after a deciding match tie-break.

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

December/January 2016

Do prosthetics give an unfair advantage?

U

NLIKELY as it might sound, disabled athletes could actually have an unfair advantage over their able-bodied rivals in races.

And the results of research carried out in the UK could rule out any other Paralympian repeating Oscar Pistorius’s history-making appearance in the Olympic 400 metres of 2012.

The last two Olympic Games have had controversy attached to them regarding the role of prosthetic limbs used by athletes with a lower-limb amputation.

In 2008, South African Oscar Pistorius ran against able-bodied athletes and obtained an Olympic Qualification time in the 400m.

Then in 2012 he changed the way disability is viewed by the world by participating in both the Olympic and

University study suggests they do

Paralympic Games in the same year.

A team at Bournemouth University has been examining whether prosthetic technology used by lower-limb amputees has performance-enhancing qualities that would give them a head start in races.

Their study analysed the results of the men’s running events competed in at the London 2012 Paralympics Games by three different classifications of athlete with an amputation.

Hossein Hossani, a member of the research team, said their work showed that “the prosthesis’ spring-like design

Tee up time for deaf players

L

EADING deaf golfer Paul Waring is backing a new guide that aims to get more people like him involved in the sport.

The Deaf-Friendly Golf Guide offers support, advice and guidance to clubs, coaches and volunteers to include deaf people in golfing activities.

“This is a great idea,” said Waring, who took up golf at the age of 12 and has a scratch handicap.

“Deaf people can achieve the same as anyone else, but there are many challenges and anything which helps to break down the barriers is very helpful.

“Golf’s a great game for everyone to play, it’s fun and you meet lots of new people.”

Paul, from Felixstowe Ferry in Suffolk, has been profoundly deaf from birth and was encouraged by his father to take up the sport.

The 19-year-old has represented his county at every level, has been English Deaf Open Champion twice, European Deaf Open Men’s Champion, and finished third in the World Deaf Golf Championship.

He plays on the national amateur circuit and his recent Midland Youths’ title, claimed with a 72-hole total of two-under par, is his biggest win in mainstream golf to date.

To achieve his success Paul has had to overcome a range of challenges that are addressed in the new guide.

For example, he can’t hear the strike of

log on to . . .

Paul backs new guide for clubs

the ball and has to rely on the feel of the shot. Communication can also be difficult: “I don’t always understand what someone has said, so I hope people don’t think I am rude if I don’t reply correctly.”

The guide is the result of a partnership between England Golf, the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) and England Deaf Golf.

Rachel Perrin, the NDCS’s Head of Inclusive Activities, said: “Deafness should never be a reason for ruling out young people from sporting activities and so we are delighted to have developed this deaffriendly golf guide with England Golf.

“This guide shows that by incorporating the use of simple techniques such as visual aids, golf teachers and coaches can ensure deaf young people have the opportunity to take part in the same activities as their hearing friends and siblings, without feeling isolated or excluded.” n The guide is available at: www.englandgolf.org NDCS Freephone Helpline: Tel. 0808 800 8880 (voice and text), email helpline@ndcs.org.uk www.ndcs.org.uk

could propel an athlete in a way that is not quite like the able-bodied athletes.

“Ultimately, this study provides statistical evidence to propose that the number of prosthetic limbs used, the design of such limbs and the length of the event that they are used in has a significant impact on the results of such competitions at the Paralympic Games.

“As a result, this study reveals that the disability sport stakeholders should not just look at the prosthetics technology generally, they should also consider the type of event that they are being used in and the way athletes within these events are classified,” added Hossein.

“Furthermore, this study adds further weight to suggest that the use of such technology in able-bodied sport needs to be carefully considered in the future.”

All Together NOW!

31

At your Service

MOVES are also under way to get more injured Service personnel and veterans involved in golf – either playing or working in the industry.

The On Course Foundation, with support from England Golf, want to: n Encourage 200 injured, wounded and sick Service personnel and veterans to golf

by April 2017. n Create 45 work experience placements in the golf industry. n Find employment in the golf industry for 20 members of the Foundation. n Introduce 40 women to the game.

Jamie Blair, England Golf’s Disability Manager, said: “Golf can play a very important role in the recovery of service personnel and veterans and we are delighted to help spread this message and involve them in the sport and all it has to offer.” n On Course Foundation: Tel. 020 8334 2010, www.oncoursefoundation.com n English Golf: Tel. 01526 354500, www.englandgolf.org

ROLE MODEL: top deaf golfer Paul Waring

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

TAKE ME HOME!

32

All Together NOW!

2016 December/January 2016

www.alltogethernow.org.uk

So what do the stars have in store for YOU?

ARIES (Mar 21 - Apr 20)

You’ll be turning heads wherever you go.

Your ideas, your inspirations and your individualism help you stand out from the crowd as you create a potential packed atmosphere of opportunity around your world of work, your love life and your social circle. Travel could be a main theme of 2016. If you’re looking for work, you might decide to work for a company that is based overseas. Alternatively, you could move to a foreign country and immerse yourself in a new creed or culture.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

A desire to improve your prospects will prompt you to study. Adding to your qualifications could improve your chances of career success. It may take a long time to reach your goal, but be patient. If you keep your nose to the grindstone, the opportunities you seek will come your way. Money could be tight, but your chances of landing a loan, grant or scholarship will be good. If the pressure of studying becomes too stressful, channel your energy in a creative direction.

GEMINI (May 22 – Jun 21)

Creating the life you’ve always wanted has to be your primary mission in 2016.

Don’t settle for second best. Settling down with your soul mate and landing your dream job are within your power.

You will have to summon your courage and make some bold choices. Rather than maintaining a stultifying status quo, embrace your freedom and look for your ideal partner. Being with someone who seems to be your complete opposite will make life interesting.

CANCER (Jun 22 - Jul 23)

Watching what you eat and taking more exercise can keep you strong and healthy. Avoid going to extremes. A sensible, moderate lifestyle will yield good results and will be easier for you to keep up. It’s important to give yourself the occasional treat in 2016. If you don’t, it will be difficult to meet your responsibilities and satisfy your employer.

Invest in your health and happiness; they are your most precious possessions.

LEO (Jul 24 - Aug 23)

Developing your creative talent has to be a serious priority in 2016. Whether you’re a professional or a gifted amateur, it is important to devote time and attention to your work. People and activities that do not give you joy will fall by the wayside.

Time will become more precious than ever and you won’t want to waste it on meaningless relationships and empty pastimes Visit a country that has spiritual meaning for you. This trip could give you a new lease on life.

VIRGO (Aug 24 - Sep 23)

Profound changes seem set to make this an exciting and engaging year. Not all of your decisions and choices will sit well with stuffy conservatives, but don’t worry.

It’s better to fulfil your own desires than

RUSSELL GRANT gazes into his crystal ball

live up to other people’s expectations. If you’ve been thinking of moving, you may want to take a temporary property in 2016. This isn’t a good time to buy a house. Continue to save your money for property that is in good shape and has all the modern conveniences.

LIBRA (Sep 24 - Oct 23)

Spring could see you introducing a range of change into your life and lifestyle. You will sense a need to strike in a new direction. Trying to satisfy others will seem like an exercise in futility. Take this opportunity to move to a stimulating area, find rewarding work or explore new values and beliefs. Having more autonomy in your personal and professional lives will become increasingly important in 2016. Turn your back on convention and create the life that makes sense for you.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 - Nov 22)

2016 marks an end to a domestic routine that no longer serves your needs. You may move to a different area, buy your own home or sell a piece of property.

You’ll appreciate being with people who encourage you to look at life from all different perspectives. Explore your latent creative talents in 2016. Some of your most admirable attributes and aptitudes have lain dormant for far too long. This year will be your chance to dust them off and see what you can make of them.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 - Dec 21)

You may find yourself taking a leading role in 2016, but will you be happy with it?

You’re far more comfortable challenging people and calling them to account for the decisions they’ve taken that affect your home, your work or your community.

Once you have the opportunity to introduce your own ideas you will work long and hard for the good of all. Be

patient with your family and friends as they adjust to this transition. They want to support you and you will need them behind you.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 - Jan 20)

Some of the strength sapping negative notions and redundant relationships will have to go in 2016. You’ve never shied away from responsibility, but there’s a difference between doing jobs that make you feel virtuous and doing work out of a sense of guilt. Turn your back to the darkness and keep moving toward the light. Later in the year you will have to take on a challenging role. You’ll need to work hard, be energetic and enthusiastic.

An upbeat approach to work will fuel your success.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 - Feb 19)

Your social life will undergo some changes this year. You’ve always been popular and have never lacked for companionship. Although having lots of friends is fun, it can also be exhausting.

You may decide to tighten your social circle. Spend time with people who uplift and support you. Later in the year you will consider ending a relationship that has been making you miserable. Embrace your freedom and make more time for the activities you neglected for far too long.

PiISCES (Feb 20 - Mar 20)

Early in 2016 you will feel a growing need to break with bad habits and make a fresh and healthy new start. This may involve quitting drinking, leaving a toxic relationship or adopting better eating habits. The important thing is to treat yourself with the care and respect you deserve. Later in the year you will be far more assertive in close relationships. You will have a crystal clear understanding of what you want from life and the people with which you share your world.

F

OR THE past TEN years your FREE All Together NOW! newspaper has been helping hundreds of thousands of readers across the region.

But publishing newspapers is a hugely costly business . . .

To save money, more and more organisations are switching to the Internet.

But in doing so they are denying huge numbers of people from accessing what might be key news and information – especially the six out of ten disabled people (7million) who are not connected and a similar ratio of all older people.

We firmly believe that this is wrong and, with the tremendous on-going support of our sponsors, we are determined to continue providing you with this free charity newspaper.

But to keep the paper alive and kicking we need more help.

We are now appealing to our loyal and devoted readers to help us to carry on the good work by becoming a FRIEND All of Together NOW! A donation of £10 would mean a lot to us.

If you are a UK taxpayer we will be able to get £2.50 through the EDITOR TOM DOWLING Government’s Gift Aid scheme for every £10 donation.

Your donations could help ensure that All Together NOW is around for a long time to come.

You can either send us a cheque, text a donation on your mobile phone (DONATE ATNOW 88802), or commit to a regular monthly donation via the Charity Checkout link on our website www.alltogethernow.org.uk One other great way of helping the charity would be for readers in employment to try and persuade their organisations to get involved with All Together NOW! – either as an advertiser, partner or as a Corporate Friend!

All Together NOW! is a great newspaper.

Together we can secure its future – and make it even bigger and better for EVERYONE. Thank you.

TOM DOWLING, editor Tel 0151 230 0307 news@alltogethernow.org.uk www.alltogethernow.org.uk