Children in Need

Tonight is BBC Children in Need ... and our dog Honey is joining in the fun ...:)

The money raised from this worthwhile charity funds lots of very special projects which help young people achieve in their lives :):)

British Red Cross

I went for a cuppa and a chat to my local carers drop in and the leader had organised for us to have an informative talk from a lady from our local Red Cross Centre.
Well I for one just saw the Red Cross as helping in emergencies abroad,things that are highlighted in the news,but we were all pleasantly surprised to hear about the help for families in Cris's in the UK.
It is usually for a six week period,a volunteer can come into the home and help with a weekly shop ,or visit someone who may have lost their confidence after a hospital stay,or stay with a relative for a couple of hours to give respite for the carer.
There can only be a weekly visit,not every day, and not for regular personal care, these are still the responsibility of social services.
Below is a link to the Red Cross website if you would like more information.

                                                          http://www.redcross.org.uk
                                                        

Dates for your Diary

I have some dates for your diaries !!
Disabled Living organise events across the country aimed at children with disabilities.
Exhibitors of equipment and disability aides gather to show their wares, it is great because you can see new ideas and technology for practical aides.
You can get more information for your particular needs by visiting the website www.kidzupnorth.co.uk
The event is free.

Kidzupnorth is at Reebok Stadium Bolton on Thusday 29th November 2012 9.30 - 4.30pm

Kidzinthemiddle is at Ricoh Arena in Coventry Thursday 21st March 2013

Kidzsouth is at Rivermead Leisure Complex in Reading Thursday 13th June 2013

Kidzscotland is at Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh on Thursday 11th September 2014

Hope you will be able to attend one of the venues and find the events useful.

Transport to school

Over the past couple of weeks I have been asked on a few occassions ,"My Transport for my disabled child to school has been stopped "!!!!
The first time I heard something was a friend whose son is 17 years of age had been told that from his 19th birthday untill he left school they would have to pay for transport ???
Then last week at my local carers drop in, the team leader asked me if I`d heard anything because she had a mum who was distraught about her daughter having to pay for transport to school and she was 17 years old ???
Well on talking to my friend it seems the goal posts have changed, and children in special education are having to pay for school transport from the age of 16 years .... she is so stressed and upset .They live 7 miles from the school and it will cost the family £40 per day for a taxi with an escort ... my friend doesn`t drive and her son is totally unable to make his own way on public transport.
Is this only happening in Cheshire ??? or is it country wide??
And the best bit is the parents have been notified during the summer hols ,and with effect from the September start of term ... how calous !!! But there has been no general meetings to consult families at all !!Surely that isn`t right ??

The Best Of Men

If you didn`t watch the drama last night "The Best Of Men " on BBC 2 , try and catch it on iplayer,It was absolutely fabulous.
It started in 1944 in a spinal unit within a hospital named "Stoke Manderville ".
It took you on a journey of how people were treated with mobility problems  or who were  paralysed from spinal injury and the transformation from one doctor and his contraversal methods to some of the physiotherapy we use today, and of course  the birth of the paralympics in 1948.
What a fitting start to the build up for the paralympics ,I`m sure we are in for some fantastic sport in the next few weeks :)

Carers meetings

I have for many years been a frequent visitor to our Carers support group where the main office is six miles away from where I live, not a problem as such but means it is an effort to go and maybe result in only going now and then as I did.But just by pure chance I happened to find out that there is a "Drop- in" session once a week in the village where I live,so now regularly on a Tuesday morning I am a familiar face and getting to know other regular faces and having a chat over coffee and as the saying goes "a problem shared is a problem halfed ".It is so important to have contact with other carers for support to each other and a means of finding out information about services available to you as a carer and for those you care for whether it be financial in the form of benefits or provision of equipment for mobility or around the home.
Below are links to websites that help carers :

http://www.wired.me.uk/

http://www.carers.org/

As one door closes another door opens

Well what a two weeks it has been.I`m not a big sports fan and wasn`t that bothered about the olympics when it started two weeks ago ... but was taken along with the flow and really enjoyed all that I watched on T.V .Our athletes did us proud with 65 medals and 3rd in the league table, well done to all who participated and I now look forward to the start of the Paraolympics :)