Wayne McCarthy and Jane Andrews with their winners medals

Sixteen skiers, with a learning disability and from the Bromley based Special Olympics GB South East Skiing squad had a successful time in Pila, Italy at the Special Olympics GB National Alpine Skiing Championships.  The team came home with 8 Gold, 4 Silver and 5 Bronze medals .  Jane Andrews from Southborough and Biggin Hill’s Wayne McCarthy were the stars winning 3 Gold medals each and were undefeated in the 3 competitions in which they took part.  Hannah Dempsey and Ayesha Franks also struck Gold and three others won 2 medals each: Corinna Beckett, Mark Cullen and Andrew Martineau, also from Biggin Hill.  Lissadell Lynch also came away with a medal. These 16 were part of a delegation of 73 skiers with learning disabilities and 59 coaches and volunteers.

The Special Olympics GB’s National Alpine Ski Championships were held in Pila, Italy, 15-22 January 2012. The team was joined by five time Olympic skier, eight-time British Champion and BBC TV presenter Graham Bell (Ski Sunday and High Altitude), please click here to watch video footage from the BBC. To download the full article, please click here

Open Meetings are a place to:

·       Share information and experiences

·       Keep up-to-date with things the Government are doing that affect us

·       Work together to speak up for our rights

X by X will be discussing:

·       The  proposed improvements to Market Square, High Street North and East Street in Bromley Town Centre

·       The Welfare Reform Bill

Bromley Experts by Experience is a user led group run by and for people who are Deaf, disabled, or have learning disabilities/difficulties, mental health survivors and carers. If you are not yet a member, and would like to join, membership forms will be available.

To let  X by X know about your access needs in advance please contact ellen@xbyxbromley.com or phone 0844 3304578

The latest issue of the Bulletin is now available. Please click here to view

There are also links there to previous issues, should you require any further information

Enjoy.

The three “areas of focus” for the Draft Strategy are:

- Improving the emotional health of all children and young people;

- Improving the life chances of children in care;

- Improving the transition of young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to adult services.

Some of you may have already responded to the consultation as the deadline for doing so is 20^th January. However, it is really important that the Borough gets as much parental input as possible so please come along if you can.

Please email  WendyWarne@burgessautistictrust.org.uk or telephone 020 8464 2897 to reserve a place

You can find out more about the Children’s Strategy by visiting www.childrenstrust.bromleypartnerships.org.

The article on Bromley Mencap’s Award features in today’s Guardian Society supplement and can be found here

All the winners appear in today’s Guardian newspaper and can be found on-line here

 For the full Press Release click here

Date: 9th December 2011

Time: 11am – 3pm (Sign in from 10:30am)

Location: Council Chamber, Civic Centre, 1 Stockwell Close, Bromley, BR1 3UH

Bromley Experts by Experience (X by X) is a user-led organisation which aims to speak up for the rights of Deaf and disabled people and carers and to increase awareness about disability equality and the social model of disability. X by X provides peer information, support and training. Speakers at the launch include Richard Watts, Disabled People’s Organisations National Ambassador, and Geraldine O’Hallaran from regional Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation, Inclusion London.

The launch will be useful for people who want to find out more about X by X and for anyone interested in user led organisations and their role within the future of personalisation.

Details of how to book a place can be found here

Membership to this organisation is free and all Deaf and disabled people and carers living or working or studying in the London Borough of Bromley can join as a member by filling in the form here.

The latest issue of the Bulletin is now available. If you can’t wait another minute to read it, then go to the blue bar above, click on “About”, then “Bulletin” and you’ll see the link to open the November / December 2011 Bulletin.

There are also links there to previous issues, should you require any further information

Enjoy.

The artwork is now on the Mencap Art Spider website and be found here.  Do take a look – you’ll be impressed!

We’ve been shortlisted for the Carers, Families and Communities Award in the Service Delivery category for our Mutual Carers Service.

Our Mutual Carers Service provides a range of support for older parents/carers and their adult sons and daughters with learning disabilities to enable them to continue living together independently in their own homes.

The full Awards Shortlist appears in the Guardian and can be found here.

Our competition is Manchester City Council and Hertfordshire County Council, so we are particularly pleased to have our scheme recognised.

The winners will be announced at an Awards Evening in London on November 22^nd.

There are also links there to previous issues.

Enjoy.