! y a S r u O g difficulties
with learnin le p o e p r fo d n a y b Run
Issue 9  July/August 2010
At last, a job I love! Jonathan Ssetumba, gym assistant Page 10 Scott Watkin
Page 13 Erica Award
My tips for getting a place of your own
Your chance to apply for up to ÂŁ3,000
Page 16 Be my mate Looking for love and friendship
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Competition winner
Our Say Ad Feb 2010 vers 3 .indd 1
23/02/2010 13:01:23
Congratulations to the People’s Committee at One Step Ahead in Swindon – the winners of the holiday competition in OurSay issue 8. One of their members will be off on a JollyDays supported holiday to Disneyland Paris. They will stay in a top hotel for 3 nights with free meals.
And they have a 2 day pass for both Disney parks. Their winning entry said: I would like to go on a JollyDays holiday because... It would be a wonderful experience to always remember. It would be a break away from normal life and a great chance to meet new people, with the thrill of the rides and the wind in your hair.
OurSay July/August 2010
In this issue
3
5 Comment Success in a job depends on the right support
6 News Conference in Berlin Football training with Peter Crouch Protesters win R-word victory Thinking green Understanding the new Government Swimming the Mencap mile
10 Watkin’s World A place of your own may not be easy, but it can be done
Cooking up a storm Learning cooking skills in another country page 20
12 At the movies Robin Hood misses the target
13 The Erica Award Cash prize for people who make a difference
14 Working out Jonathan Ssetumba loves his new job
16 Be my mate Friendship and romance
17 DJs say ‘I do’
The Outsiders 10-piece band from Leeds page 24
Two music lovers get married
18 Meet the Ambassador Hilda Turner speaks up for people with learning difficulties
22 Get your eyes tested Campaign for the support we need
26 A helping hand … Technology to the rescue?
30 Weightwatchers! Janice and Joe are getting there
31 Summer puzzle Find the hidden words
Twisting Ducks Theatre company that wants to change the way people think page 28 July/August 2010 OurSay
Do you want to buy your own home? More than 500 people have bought a home through our Shared Ownership programme, SOLD. Talk to us about buying your own home. These people did. For more information visit www.advancehousing.org.uk email homeownership@advanceuk.org or phone us on 01993 709221
Comment The team this issue Joe Mellone Editor
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Job success depends on support we get There has been a lot happening over the last few weeks. We now have a new government.
Darren Kemp Deputy Editor Janice Andrews Supported by Janet Snell
OurSay –proud sponsors of the LD forum www.LDforum.net OurSay uses FS Me typeface, designed by people with learning disabilities
oursay@oakfields.org Phone 01394 387330 www.oursay.info ISSN 1756-9613 (Print) Production: editionperiodicals.co.uk Valuing People clipart from Inspired Services OurSay is printed by The College Hill Press for Oakfields Publishing, 2 Beulah Villas, Melton Road, Melton IP12 1NZ
So we can expect some changes. They say they want to get more people off benefits and into work. If that is going to happen for people with learning difficulties there will need to be more support. On page 14 we hear from Jonathan Ssetumba who has a job he loves that has changed his life. This could happen for more people. But only if they get a chance to talk things over so they can find the right sort of work. I know how hard it is to find something when you have never gone out to work. You just don’t know where to start. And if you are sent along to a job that’s not right for you, it sets you up to fail. But with the right support people can make a success of their lives and be happy. That is the message we need to give to the new government.
Joe Mellone, Editor oursay@oakfields.org July/August 2010 OurSay
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News
Pete reports from a global gathering!
Germany’s capital city, Berlin
More than 2000 people from all over the world – including 800 people with learning difficulties – have been meeting in Germany. They were attending the 2010 Inclusion International conference in Berlin. The event happens every 4 years and is a great chance for people with learning difficulties to get together and share their experiences – good and bad.
Mixing it up on the pitch England player Peter Crouch kicked off a training session for members of the Unified Football Team. Unified Football aims to break down barriers between people with learning difficulties and those without. It does this by bringing everyone together on the same team. Crouch plays for Spurs and the club is a Special Olympics global football ambassador. They are supporting the Unified Football programme. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said: “People with learning disabilities and people who haven’t got learning disabilities all coming together -- it’s the best way for them to learn.” The British Unified Football Team went to Istanbul in Turkey in April to play in a tournament with 14 other European Countries.
This time the theme was ‘rights’. Peter Bennett (pictured above) was there on behalf of OurSay. Read his report of what happened in the next issue. OurSay July/August 2010
Peter Crouch with Unified footballers
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Paul has a go in a Ferrari 355
An experience to remember Paul Clifton from Ash Lea School in Nottinghamshire won the OurSay ride in a racing car competition.
He went along to Silverstone race track, tried out some cars, and then had lunch. Afterwards he said: “What a fantastic day. The best bit was going so fast. We were A pit stop for Paul overtaking people at more than 120 mph. The cars were very loud, but I like noise.” Paul said he saw nearly 100 Ferraris! “My dad liked the older ones best. But I like the newer ones. “Thank you OurSay for a great competition!”
MAKING A SPLASH
Wacky TV personality Johnny Ball gets ready for a dip with competitive swimmer Lucy Chenery. Lucy is 15 and has a learning difficulty. She is in training at her local pool in Aylesbury for the Mencap Mile Swim in July. This will be held at Dorney Lake near Windsor which is going to be used for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. The lake is not usually open for public use. So the Mencap swim is a chance for non-Olympic swimmers to try it out. Find out more from www.mencap.org.uk/mencapmile
July/August 2010 OurSay
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News
Bellyache
Matthew Thomas likes gardening. Plants are grown in recycled yoghurt pots in home-made compost
Speakup Rotherham have made a new DVD about cancer. It’s called Bellyache and it was supported by funding from the government. The DVD says stomach cancer is quite common. It helps people to look out for the early signs. ■■ See www.speakup.org.uk
Are you sun‑smart?
The charity Cancer Research UK is worried about the number of people who are dying of skin cancer. The message from their SunSmart campaign is: Make sure you do not get sunburnt this summer.
Thinking green A group home in Farnborough, Hampshire, has started a Green Champions scheme. The 9 people who live there have pledged to do more to look after the environment. Residents of Hillingdon House, who are supported by the Regard Partnership, are going to do things like recycling and making sure the TV is not left on standby at bedtime.
Here some of their tips to help you: 9Stay 9 in the shade when you can 9Cover 9 up with a hat and T-shirt 9Use 9 sun cream that is at least Factor 30 9If 9 a mole changes how it looks, get it checked by a doctor. OurSay July/August 2010
Peter Chamberlain switches off lights that don’t need to be on
Tracy Broadhead: ‘I want to grow flowers to put in my room’
9 Confused about the Coalition? If you are still trying to work out what happened after the election, Inspired Services have done an Easy Read booklet about it. ■■ You can find it at http://tinyurl. com/ER-Government
Protesters win R‑word victory People with learning difficulties protested about Vinnie Jones using the word “retard” on Big Brother. They had a demo outside Ofcom, the organisation that deals with complaints about television. Officials agreed it was wrong for Vinny Jones to tell Davina McCall she was “walking like a retard”. One protestor was Wild Bunch member Jackie Ryan who said: “The word retard isn’t funny. It puts disabled people down.”
East London arts organisation Heart n Soul had a big party. It was to celebrate the MBE awards for its director Mark Williams and founder artist Pino Frumiento in the Queen’s New Years Honours. Lots of people came to the party and here is Lizze Emeh singing.
The protest was organised by the organisations Respond and Elfrida Society which support people with learning difficulties. They said that hate crime begins with abuse and words like “retard”. People are backing a campaign called ‘Spread the Word to End the Word’ to make people think about the words they use. ■■ See www.r-word.org July/August 2010 OurSay
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Scott Says © CONNIE G. BARWICK/ABOUT.COM
Home sweet home Scott Watkin says moving into a place of your own can give you more independence. It may not be easy. But if you really want to make it happen, you can … My wife Stephany and I used to live in a group home, but we wanted a place of our own. At first we were told: “You will need lots of money.” So we started saving. We wanted to rent privately. So we saved up a deposit of £1,000. The next thing was to find somewhere. We went to an estate agent and they showed us some places. We moved into a flat that seemed OK at first. But the neighbours were elderly and we didn’t fit in. OurSay July/August 2010
So we moved to another flat. But it was a rough area and Steph was threatened. We had to move again. But at last we found the 2 bedroom cottage where we live now. We are very happy there. The neighbours are friendly and we like to chat to them. So my advice to people who want to live independently is: Start by making a plan and list all the things you need to do.
11 Think about: ?? Do you want to rent somewhere privately?
You will need skills to live independently. Like:
?? Do you want to go through a housing association? ?? Or could shared ownership be possible for you? Make sure you are OK with living alone. And if not, find someone to share with. Ask someone like a support worker or an advocate to help you think all this through. Start saving. There are schemes to help with this. And don’t rush into things.
✔✔ Budgeting and paying bills. ✔✔ Making sure you can keep the place clean and tidy. ✔✔ Getting out into the community and not being stuck indoors. Some people will need support with this. But if you do it all in a step-by-step way you can get there. If I can do it, you can too... If living independently is what you want, go for it!
Look for somewhere that feels right. And walk around the area in the day, and in the evening, to find out what it is really like. July/August 2010 OurSay
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This Hood is no good At the movies with Darren Kemp
Robin Hood (12A)
I was really looking forward to this film. But what a disappointment! Ages ago I watched Robin Hood on TV. And I saw Kevin Costner in Prince of Thieves. And Errol Flynn was in an old black and white film of Robin Hood. All of them were better than this one! It was too long. And very confusing. It kept jumping between France and England. I literally lost the plot!
SCORE Don’t miss it Don’t forget to tell your friends Don’t get too excited Don’t bother OurSay July/August 2010
Everything happened very fast. But somehow the film still seemed to drag. For me, the yawn count was quite high. And a couple of times I nearly fell asleep. I usually like Russell Crowe (he plays Robin Hood). I enjoyed watching him in Gladiator, but not in this. There were some good battle scenes, if you like that kind of thing. But they were very violent. The film was about what happened before the Robin Hood story we know. But does that mean they might make Robin Hood 2? I hope not. I won’t be going to see it if they do. And I won’t be wasting my money buying this on DVD either.
Award
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Have you made a difference to the lives of other people? Or do you know a person with learning difficulties or autism who has? If the answer to either question is yes, you might want to hear more about the £3,000 Erica Award. Support provider Dimensions has set up the award in memory of Erica Morton who died last year aged 45. She was one of the first people with learning difficulties to become a member of the Dimensions Board. David Wolverson, the chief executive of Dimensions, said: “Erica helped to shape our organisation. She was always the first to challenge jargon and ask the question: ‘What about the people we support?’ “We have come up with the idea of this award as a way of remembering her.” To apply for the award say, in no more than 500 words, what you (or the person you are nominating) have done to help other people live the life they choose.
Erica was a special person
For example, the money could be used on something like a trip abroad to meet advocacy groups or a visit to the European Parliament or attending a foreign conference. Written, DVD or video entries will be accepted. To enter contact:
Rachael Amesbury, Dimensions se 1st Floor, Churchill Hou 6–8 Meetinghouse Lane Sheffield S1 2DP The closing date is October 15 2010
Please also say how you would use up to £3,000 to build on that work. July/August 2010 OurSay
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Me and my job
Working out Jonathan Ssetumba is 23 and he has a paid job at a gym in Merton, South London. Last year he won the prize for best Member Care Assistant after the other staff voted for him.
I love working here. The people are brilliant. Everybody gets on well and we have a laugh. I like them and they like me. They know I have what I have and they are cool about it. They treat me just like they would any other person. But they also ask how I am.
I look forward to coming to work
I’m down to do 10 hours a week. And then I do overtime up to 16 hours. I can’t work more than that or I would lose benefits.
My job is to look after the gym members
OurSay July/August 2010
15 The best thing about working here is being busy. When you don’t have a job you wake up and think: ‘Great – I can go out and do stuff.’ But that soon wears off and you get bored. It’s better to have something to do and be around people. The social side here is good. I know all the gym members by their first name. When we were raising money for charity I got the most! I’ve had other jobs, but they didn’t work out. As well as learning disabilities I have epilepsy and Sickle Cell anaemia. When I worked in a clothes shop the manager said: “move a bit faster!” But I told him: “this is the best I can do”. That would never happen here. They are more supportive. It’s good to earn my own money and be able to have swimming lessons and use the gym. But best of all is the confidence I’ve gained and the friends I’ve made.
This is Sharon Clark from Merton Employment Team. She comes along every month to check how I’m doing.
‘He is one of the hardest working people in the club’ Jonathan’s manager July/August 2010 OurSay
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Be my mate
Friendship Hello. My name is Irina and I live with 4 friends in Essex. I am 24 years old. I go to college on Tuesdays and Fridays. I also go to work experience on Mondays.
Hi, my name is Rebecca. I am 26. I like to make cards and write letters. I listen to music. I enjoy watching the soaps like Coronation Street and Neighbours.
I enjoy going out shopping. I go to the village on my own. I can go on the bus by myself.
I like to be independent. I like listening to my music in my bedroom. I have lots of friends at college and I talk to them on the phone. And I write letters and make cards to send people. I go to Gateway social club. I am looking for friendship. Will you write to me? OurSay July/August 2010
I love going to drama club. I can sing and dance. And make as much noise as I want to!
OurSay 2 Beulah Villas Melton Road, Melton, Sufffolk IP12 1NZ If you would like to get in touch please write or email oursay@btinternet.com We will send your letter on. Don’t forget to say who you want to contact!
Romance Two music lovers who DJ together were married in May
In their free time they DJ together at discos in Stroud and Avening. At the wedding, Tracey wore a full length pale pink dress and a short jacket.
Robert Lewis and Tracey Price from Gloucester were wed at Stroud Register Office.
She had two bridesmaids, Kathryn Goldsmith and Sally Wimperis.
The couple first met many years ago as they are both supported by staff from Hft. They started going out together after Rob moved into supported living. Rob and Tracey used to meet once a week at HIP hockey sessions (Hockey Inclusion Project). They found out they both loved music and enjoyed being DJs at Hft’s
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DJs say I do
discos. Both have lived in Gloucester for over 20 years.
The best man was Andrew Arnison. After the reception the couple went on honeymoon in Devon. As a married couple, Tracey and Rob say they plan to “stick together in whatever we do in life”. And they say they would like to set up a DJ business together.
The couple both go to Stroud College. On Saturdays Rob works at McDonalds. Tracey volunteers at Help the Aged twice a week. July/August 2010 OurSay
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People
OurSay’s Janice Andrews meets Hilda Turner, who has a new role as …
The Ambassador An ambassador is someone who speaks up for other people.
The county council in Suffolk asked Hilda to be an ambassador for local people with learning difficulties. Hilda used to be the co-chair of the partnership board. But now she is going to use her new role to campaign for people’s rights.
I have the mobile phone number of the chair of the partnership board. He says call any time. And he listens to me!
One person told me they were unhappy with where they lived and I got them moved. They are happy now!” I am also chair of ACE, which is Suffolk People First
“My job is to go round and see that ordinary people’s voices get heard,” said Hilda. “There are some out there who are afraid to speak up. I will find out about people’s problems. Then I will go back to the partnership board and get something done about it. OurSay July/August 2010
19 “I tell people: ‘Don’t be afraid any more. People like me and my back-up team are there for you’. I want to be a champion fighting for people who have been wronged. That’s what being an ambassador is all about!”
Elvis is my hero – when I am not in the office people can put their suggestions in my ‘ask Elvis’ box
Hilda told Janice: ‘I am proud of what I’ve done. But I still want to do more!’
This is Chewy. He is one of the supporters who helps me to help others get what they want
I tell people: ‘don’t be afraid any more. There are people like me and my back-up team there for you’ July/August 2010 OurSay
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Cooking
What’s the big IDEA? The IDEA project stands for Inventing Dishes European Art The Idea project has been bringing together people with learning difficulties from The UK
Cyprus
Spain
Germany
They meet up in each other’s countries to share ideas and swop skills – like cooking. There is going to be an accessible cookery book with some of the recipes from the project. The people who took part from this country were all supported by Hft across Surrey. Some of them are doing a food hygiene course so they can get a paid job. In May they opened a new cafe in Sutton. IDEA has been part funded by the European Lifelong Learning Project and The Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All. OurSay July/August 2010
Back home in Kingston, Louise Monks peels potatoes to make a cottage pie
21 ,, Christos Kompos %% Natalie Francis and !! Jackie O’Neil each try their hand at making a German dish called “Kartoffelkloesse” (potato dumplings). They stayed in Germany for 4 days.
Caroline went to Northern Spain. Here she is making biscuits
John Diamond (left) and Steve Close try their hand at macaroni cheese
July/August 2010 OurSay
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Health
see
Can you what they mean? The charity SeeAbility has launched a campaign to get more people with learning difficulties to go and have their eyes tested. This is because they are more at risk from losing their sight than other people. Half the people who lose their sight don’t need to. SeeAbility’s eye 2 eye scheme helps people with learning difficulties get the support they need. The first ever National Eye Health Week took place from June 14-20.
MAVIS’S STORY Mavis is in her 50s. The staff who support her said she was “challenging”. They gave her pills to calm her down. They said she was a “messy eater” as she could not keep her food on a fork. Mavis got upset about this and stopped eating. But when she had an eye test it was found she had glaucoma. This is how things looked to Mavis. People call it “tunnel vision”. She could not see things. That is why she spilt her food and got angry. If she had not gone for the eye test, Mavis could have gone blind.
OurSay July/August 2010
23 There are lots of other people like Mavis who have a problem seeing things.
If you want to This person can’t see the dog as they have macular degeneration
find out more there are some Easy Read factsheets on the
This is what things look like if you have a cataract
website www. lookupinfo. org
Here is what the world looks like if you have diabetic retinopathy
July/August 2010 OurSay
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Music
The Outsiders The Outsiders are a 10-piece band from Yorkshire. They did their first show in March.
Derek and Danny on vocals
One person said: “I did not see the Sex Pistols at the 100 Club but at least I got to see the first performance by the Outsiders.” The Outsiders are part of the Let Rip music project. The money comes from The Learning Revolution Transformation Fund and Connect in the North. The band rehearse in The Old Chapel Studio in Leeds. That’s where the Kaiser Chiefs used to practise. OurSay July/August 2010
Leanne, Andy and Graham
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Doing a soundcheck
US THINGS O M A F R E H T O HIRE … FROM YORKS
shire Terriers rk o Y g in d d Yorkshire Pu
The Outsiders perform on stage
To find out more about …
… go to www.bis.gov.uk/ learningrevolution July/August 2010 OurSay
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What’s new?
Could you do with a helping hand? For some people this is already possible...
Anyone who has ever lost their keys knows what a nuisance it is
Wouldn’t it be great if you could just touch a button and your front door would open for you. But it would stay shut for people you didn’t want to come in.
Here are Ian Chatt and Margaret Wilson using a finger print lock to get into their home
More and more people with learning difficulties are using new technology to make their lives easier. Some call it assistive technology because it assists you. And some people call it personalised technology as it can be made to suit your personal needs.
Some people call it assistive technology because it assists you OurSay July/August 2010
27 All the people pictured here are supported by Hft. The organisation had a conference about assistive technology and invited their patron, Princess Anne, to speak.
This is Johnny Hullet using his curtain opener. He says it gives him more independence to open his own curtains instead of having a carer do it for him.
Jonathan Towell has this special box for his tablets. It helps him make sure he takes the right tablets at the right time on the right day.
She said she thought it was great that new inventions were enabling people with learning difficulties to have more control over their lives. But she also said it was important not to lose “the human touch” and that people will always need people in their lives.
Steve Barnard from Hft shows Princess Anne around a ‘Smart House’ full of the latest inventions for making life easier for people with learning difficulties. July/August 2010 OurSay
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On stage
Flying high Intro – duck – tion There are 9 people in the theatre company Twisting Ducks. They want to change the way everyone thinks about people with learning difficulties.
Issue based drama is what we do
OurSay July/August 2010
We are about changing lives through theatre, showing how it could be
Alison in What’s Up Doc? It’s a musical about health
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We show the community the challenges people face Samena: “Our past made us what we are today” We wrote What’s Up Doc from our own, and other people’s, experience of the NHS
The musical follows 5 adults trying to access health services
“We are talking rights for learning disability”
July/August 2010 OurSay
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Keeping well
Joe Mellone and Janice Andrews are...
The Weightwatchers! That makes me want to keep trying. I am cutting out junk food. And I am taking more exercise. Sometimes I get off the bus a stop early and walk the rest of the way.
Joe and Janice want to give you an update about how they are getting on trying to live a more healthy life
Janice and Joe both used to weigh 20 stone. But then they said “enough is enough!” They each hope they can lose 7 stone. Joe says: “Every time I go to the doctor’s surgery to get weighed I have lost a bit more. I have lost nearly 4 stone in 5 months. They tell me I’m doing really well and that they are proud of me. OurSay July/August 2010
Janice says: “I’ve lost a stone and a half since Christmas. And I’m 5 stone less than when I first started. My top tip is, try having your meal on a side plate instead of a big plate. It makes you eat less. But you feel as if you are getting a platefull! And if you feel hungry, have a drink of water. It helps fill you up a bit.” Joe and Janice both say: “It’s not easy, but we are getting there.”
Word search
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Summer puzzler Can you find the hidden words? They all have a holiday theme. The answers are at the bottom of the page S
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SANDCASTLE • SUNGLASSES • DECKCHAIR • SUNSHINE • SUNBATHE • ICECREAM • PICNIC • BUCKET • BEACH • SPADE • SWIM • PIER
Answers
July/August 2010 OurSay
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