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The Get Involved GroupMonthly Round-Up December 2016
Welcome to the GIG’s December Monthly Round-Up Newsletter!
The Get Involved Group (GIG) is user-led group which aims to ensure disabled peoples’ voices are heard when services are planned and changed in Brighton and Hove. We
identify issues and help plan the solutions.
Next GIG meetings:
BSUH Patient / Service User Disability Group Meeting
When: Wednesday 11 JanuaryTime: 2:30pm – 4:30pm
Where: Possability Place, 14 Windlesham Avenue, BN1 3AH
The BSUH Patient / Service User Disability Group meets to discuss access at the hospital sites, with the aim of finding solutions to access issues while the hospital undergoes redevelopment.
We would love to hear your views and suggestions, as well as any feedback you have from personal experience of accessing the sites.
Open Space meeting / Consultation on the Green Paper
When: Wednesday 18 JanuaryTime: 2pm – 5pm
Where: Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AF
At our January meet-up, we will be
seeking views on what it will take to
transform employment prospects for
disabled people and people with long-term
health conditions.
The government’s Green Paper marks the
start of that action and a far-reaching
national debate, asking: ‘What will it take
to transform the employment prospects of
disabled people and people with long-term
health conditions?’
Please RSVP with Lilly for both events on 01273 208 934 or at [email protected] if you would like to attend, and let us know if you have any
access or dietary requirements.
Refreshments will be provided, but please do bring some of your own to share if you’re feeling extra
generous!
GIG and J2E Festive Party!
Our festive party this year will take place at a new venue in Kemptown. There will be nibbles, (non-alcoholic) drinks and games and a chance to celebrate together all the great work that has happened over the year, as well as upcoming dates for the diary!
When: Friday 16th December 2-5pm Where: Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, Brighton BN2 1RL
It would be lovely if you could all join us (friends and family welcome too!). It would be lovely if you could join us. You’re more than welcome to stay the whole afternoon or just drop in for a cuppa, some party snacks and a chat, plus there will be some games during the afternoon. Feel free to bring some snacks and nibbles too!
Please let us know if you'd like to come so that we can make sure there’s enough space and food/drink. Please also let us know about any food allergies or dietary requirements you have, and if you plan to bring anything along or would be interested in helping out on the day. You can…
Text: 07624 80 05 00
Call: 01273 208 934 and leave a message with a colleague, or
Email: [email protected]
GIG volunteers
The Get Involved Group continues to be very busy this month and have been supported by our fantastic team of volunteers and Go-To People.
Interested in volunteering with us? The roles at the GIG involve anything and everything, including:
- Administrative support – gaining new skills within an office setting. No past experience is necessary!
- Research and collating of data on disability issues, and tackling problems such as access, discrimination and awareness raising
- Informal access audit reviews of venues and buildings
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- Providing case studies on how your health condition or impairment affects you- Communications, including collating information for our newsletter, writing blog
posts, keeping people informed through Facebook and Twitter- Anything you think would support the GIG in their day-to-day work!
If you would like to volunteer with us for a few hours a week, let Lilly know on 01273 208 934 or at [email protected]
Possability People’s new website has launched!
We are very pleased that the new Possability People website is now up and running. It will of course grow over time, so if you can’t find something you expected to see, please let us know so we can keep improving it. It’s at www.possabilitypeople.org.uk. Our old Fed site will be disappearing but (fingers crossed and technology willing) you should be redirected to the new site’s equivalent pages if you try and follow old links.
For the time being, the GIG blog will stay in the same place. And you can reach it from here: http://www.possabilitypeople.org.uk/how-we-can-help/business-services/get-involved-group/
People of Possability
We are very pleased to launch our new film, People of Possability. It follows the stories of some of our volunteers, service users and staff. It’s worth a watch: see it here http://www.possabilitypeople.org.uk/2016/12/03/peopleofpossability/
New LGBTQ Urgent Need Advocacy Service
Come along and find out more about the new LGBTQ Urgent Need Advocacy Service. Meet the team and hear what they have been doing so far and their plans for the future of this unique service. All welcome!
When: Wednesday 18th January, 4pm - 6pm
Where: Brighthelm, North Road, Brighton BN1 1YD
Light refreshments available. For more information call 01273 234 839 or email [email protected]
Brighton Pulse is here from Brighton and Hove Healthwatch!
Healthwatch present the launch of their new online feedback centre – Brighton Pulse – which provides an easy way to share feedback on health and social care services in Brighton & Hove.
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Users simply select the service they used from the comprehensive lists provided and then give an assessment and make comments. All feedback is used to monitor the performance of services and identify areas that need improvement.
Visit www.brightonpulse.org
Neighbourhood Care is Expanding!
The Neighbourhood Care Scheme are expanding their services into Moulsecoomb, Bevendean and Hollingdean. They offer a good neighbour befriending scheme that supports older people, people with physical disabilities and carers by recruiting local volunteers to support them with a social visit, getting out & about or help with small tasks to reduce loneliness and isolation, increase wellbeing and to make new friends.
If you know of anyone who you think might benefit from befriending services and would like to make a referral, or would just like to learn more about what they do, please get in touch.
Call: 01273 775 888, Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.bh-impetus.org/projects/neighbourhood-care-scheme
Carers Centre Comedy Caravan- Christmas Stand Up Special
The very best of Brighton’s stand-up comedians come together for an evening of festive frolics in aid of The Carers Centre for Brighton & Hove’s ‘Carers Caravan’, to offer short breaks to unpaid carers right across the city. Join our MC Joe McCarthy for a night of Christmas capers with acts from Joe Wilkinson, Phil Jerrod, Sam Savage, Dan Fardell, Phil Lucas, Julie Oliver, Joe Foster, Adam Race, Rob Dumbrell.
Where: Komedia, 44-47 Gardener Street, Brighton, BN1 1UNWhen: Wednesday 14th December 2016, 7.30pm – 10.30pm
Contact details: Tickets are available from the Komedia Box Office: 0845 293 8480 https://www.komedia.co.uk/brighton/christmas-season/carers-centre-comedy-caravan-christmas-stand-special/
Keeping warm and well this Winter
Warm Home Discount Scheme: https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/overview
This winter, certain people may qualify for a £140 discount on their energy bills. This scheme can vary depending on who supplies your energy – see the link about for more information.
Cold Weather Payment: https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment/overview
For people receiving certain benefits, you can get a payment of £25 if the temperature is 0 0°C or below for 7 days.
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Winter Fuel Payment: https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/overview
If you were born on our before 5 July 1952 you qualify for this payment, which is between £100 and £300, depending on your circumstances. You may receive the payment automatically, if you have received the payment before or are already claiming other benefits. If not, you can make a claim by phone on 08459 15 15 15.Cancer projects to support people in the city
Albion in the Community’s health team is working on two citywide cancer projects to improve the access to information and activity support.
Speak Up Against Cancer aims to increase awareness, knowledge and confidence about the signs and symptoms of cancer, encourage people to see their GP early, increase awareness of and number of people attending NHS Cancer Screening Programmes and work with other organisations in the city to raise knowledge and awareness of cancer.
There is a team of fully trained, local volunteers with an experience of cancer, who believe that the power of lived experience is extremely powerful and are keen to hear from other local people whose cancer was caught early and successfully treated. They are developing a range of materials to be accessible to everyone.
For more information please get in touch with project lead, Sue Brown [email protected] or 01273 878261 or 07880 195516.
Brighter Outlook is a free specialist physical activity programme in the city, to help people living with and beyond cancer to get and stay active. The team of coaches provide personalised 1-2-1 advice and can help you access groups and activities throughout Brighton and Hove. Anyone with an experience of cancer in the last five years can self-refer to the project.
Brighter Outlook is a pilot physical activity project for adults who are living with and after cancer, funded by the local NHS. It provides support and advice from a friendly, specialist team of coaches. Research has shown that staying active offers many health benefits both through and after treatment. These can include reducing fatigue, improving bone health and lowering risk of relapse.
Brighter Outlook is open for self-referral and is free to access, offering access to safe, fun and effective groups across the city. They can provide tailored training and information on the benefits of physical activity in cancer for healthcare professionals including brief advice training from Macmillan Cancer Support. They also provide interactive talks and information sessions for patients, support groups, community groups and organisations.
For more information visit www.brighteroutlook.org.uk or call Siobhan Meaker/Angie Steel on 01273 668591 or email [email protected]
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Red Cross – Get ready for winter in Brighton & Hove
http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Preparing-for-disasters/How-to-prepare-for-emergencies/Ready-for-winter
The Red Cross provide information and support for people who are vulnerable during periods of very cold weather. Anyone can call on behalf of themselves or someone else, and emergency support from Red Cross volunteers may be available, including (this information is taken from the Red Cross website):
Provision of blankets, hot drinks, torches Welfare checks to make sure a person is safe, warm and well Emergency food shopping Collection of medication Other feasible requests which support a vulnerable person during periods of very
cold weather
Call 0800 028 0831, open weekdays 9am-5pm with an answer machine out of hours which includes emergency contacts.
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The GIG wants to hear from you for the monthly round-up newsletter!- Are you having issues accessing health services? - Have you been visiting a new group or attend meetings that you think
other disabled people would be interested in?- Would you like to raise awareness of your own health condition?- Do you have a question you’d like to ask other disabled people?- Are there any topics you’d like to see as the theme of a GIG meeting?
Then give the GIG team a shout out and we’ll include your views and thoughts in our newsletter and at our meetings. Call 01273 20 89 34, email [email protected] or visit www.getinvolvedgroup.wordpress.com
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