ACTION NOT DISABILITY
Why give to one charity when you can support 4 with every donation you make.
Action not Disability is a group of 4 charities working together to look after families and young people who have to manage disability in some way.
Education, housing, work and care support in all walks of life from 5 wonderful charities.
If you want to make a real difference AND is a good home for your donation
Regaining Independence
In August 2009, when Amber was just 19 and studying
psychology at Southampton
University,
she sustained a severe brain injury caused by multiple
strokes. This resulted in significant
communication,
physical,
cognitive, emotional, social and educational/vocational
difficulties.
Amber came to QEF Neuro Rehabilitation Services in February 2010 confined to a wheelchair, had severe expressive dysphasia and required assistance with most activities. She made substantial progress through a variety of intensive therapies and can now walk without a walking aid and uses public transport with distant support.
Amber has also moved into an independent living unit where, with support, she is responsible for completing her personal care routine, planning and preparing meals, shopping and domestic tasks.
Amber
has worked hard towards developing her communication skills and
reading ability and her comprehension
of
written information is improving rapidly. She has difficulty
in comprehending complex written information but has
focused on developing her literacy and numeracy.
Although
Amber is unlikely to return to her former studies, she is striving
towards further education and work
experience.
She has shown great courage, ambition and motivation in
dealing with her stroke and subsequent difficulties.
Continued
hard work and enthusiasm has resulted in active participation
within the activities of daily living and she
is a
role model for other young stroke survivors.
For more information visit www.qef.org.uk
A home-from-home for our injured troops and
families
Shareen’s Story
On October 1st 2011, Nick Franklin bid his wife Shareen and baby
son Jenson farewell
as he set off for his first tour of duty
inAfghanistan.
Shareen recalls, “It was awful. I was unable to face a final
goodbye. From then on, my phone was always fully charged and at my
side, night and day,” says Shareen. “Each of our conversations
finished with, ‘you do realise how much I love you,
don’t
you?’”.
On November 1st 2011, Nick had been on patrol when he stepped
on an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast blew his
lower left leg off, broke his right hand and severely damaged his
right leg.
Days after Nick was injured, he was flown to the UK. Initially
Shareen was forced to stay in the hospital wing at Queen Elizabeth
Hospital in Birmingham which could not accommodate their son
Jenson. “I was being forced to choose between
my husband and my son,” she says.
“When I was told a room was available at the SSAFA Norton House, it
was such a relief.
Nick’s first words when he opened his eyes were: “where’s Jenson?”
Having Jenson around, playing with him and making him laugh has
helped Nick so much,” says Shareen. Staying at SSAFA Norton House
allowed the family to be together
every day at time when they needed to be most.
The SSAFA Norton Home’s in Surrey near to the Defence Medical
Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court, Surrey, and near to
Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Selly Oak, Birmingham, enable injured
Service personnel and their families to be together. They
stay
there for free and for as long as they need to. SSAFA Norton
Home staff are also on hand to support the
families.
“Just being able to talk to someone at the end of the day who can
relate to you helps so much. Sometimes I came back after a bad day,
when Nick had been down, in pain or snappy, and usually there would
be someone around who could reassure me
everything was normal,” says Shareen.
The donations we receive help to pay for the running and
maintenance costs of our two homes-from-home. It costs SSAFA Forces
Help £60 for a family of three to stay there for one night at a
SSAFA Norton House. Every year, more than 500
family members, including injured Service personnel, stay for free
at our SSAFA Norton Homes, some for as long as five
weeks.
For more information on how your gifts help to support SSAFA Forces
Help’ vital work and especially our Armed Forces community in times
of real need, please visit www.ssafa.org.uk
Wendy and Colin's Story
Livability
was raising funds early this year in our Plan for Living appeal in
order to install wheelchair accessible showers
and
accessible kitchens. There is more to these simple adaptations than
the simple practical aspects of installing kitchens or refitting
bathrooms.
The effect these adaptations can have on disabled people’s lives is astounding.
Residents
of Dolphin Court Wendy and Colin were one of the first to have a
converted bathroom. Here they tell us their
story
before and after having a wheelchair accessible shower.
Colin
and Wendy have known each other for many years and seven years ago
Colin decided to move to Dolphin Court as he
knew
Wendy enjoys living there. Four years ago they were married and
have been living together in Dolphin Court’s double flat ever
since. They are both enjoying married life in their flat but they
found it very frustrating that they had to use a communal bathroom.
Every morning there was a bottleneck of residents who wanted to
shower before leaving the home. Therefore residents had to wait
their turn and then have to hurry so the next person can
shower.
Now
they have a wheelchair accessible shower in their flatlet it means
they have a lot more independence and freedom.
They said ‘Finally we feel like a married couple with our own, proper bathroom. We have much better privacy for both of us!’ This is a powerful testimony to how relatively simple adaptations can have life-changing impact.
From
our Plan for Living appeal we raised almost £52,000. This is enough
funds to refit eleven bathrooms or four kitchens
which
form part of our most pressing projects across eight residential
homes up and down the country from which up to 50 residents will
benefit.
Treloar's a School and College that provides education therapies anc care for around 200 students.
A Unique blend of education therapies and care whilst constantly working to deliver as much independance training as possible.
Sports , educational achievements, arts and fun all part of the magic environment where young people with complex disabilities learn to take control of their lives, set goals and plan for their future.
Founded by Sir William Treloar a former Lord Mayor of London and still working to the founding principles of helping young people with disabilities to be as independant as possible