You can find Bromley Mencap’s response to the consultation on short breaks here
Latest news from Bromley Mencap
Scroll down for earlier items
New parent & toddler group opens
There’s a new Parent and Toddler group for children with additional needs and/or disabilities just opening in the Borough
The Salvation Army in Bromley will be facilitating this new group.
The first session commences on 14th September at 12.30 pm to 14.30 pm at The Salvation Army, Ethelbert Road, Bromley, Kent The cost of the session is £1.50 per family.
If you would like further information or have any queries regarding this group please call the co-ordinator, Rae Edwards on 07802 820469. Rae will be pleased to help you.
London Zoo’s Special Children’s Days – next weekend
London Zoo is opening its doors on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September 2011 for their annual Special Children’s Days uniquely designed for children with special needs and their families. Specialist facilities and helpers will be on hand, as well as free talks throughout the day with British Sign Language interpreters and unique ‘Touch Tours’.
Continue reading ‘London Zoo’s Special Children’s Days – next weekend’ »
Disability Voice Bromley – open meeting
Open Meeting on Future Development in Bromley
Date: 1st September 2011
Time: 1.30pm – 3.30pm
Place: Large meeting room, Community House, South Street, Bromley, BR1 1RH
The meeting has representatives from Cathedral PLC talking about the redevelopment of the south end of Bromley High Street and the Westmoreland Road car park as well as Gill Slater, Planner with Bromley Council, talking about the draft Core Strategy document, which sets out the general direction of future planning in the Borough. Click here to see the full document:
Details of how to book a place are here.
Hate crime debate
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on learning disabilities, in conjunction with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on disability, will be discussing the issue of disability hate crime on 14 September, 2011, from 5-6pm. The meeting will take place at the Lords Committee Room 4a at the Houses of Parliament.
If you are interested in coming along to this debate, please contact Peter Hand at Mencap as this is a RSVP event only.
Help wanted
Here are three opportunities to make your views heard, or to help with valuable research
Low Review – Call for Evidence
Call for Participants into a Dissertation Study on Wheelchair Access on London Underground
Research Opportunity
The future funding of care and support
Following the recommendations of the Dilnot Commission, which looked at the future funding of care and support, Mencap has produced a full and detailed briefing which you can download and read.
The ‘R’ word campaign
Mencap are currently campaigning to raise awareness about the unacceptable use of offensive words like “retard” or “spaz” towards disabled people. They want as many people to support the campaign as possible. For more details contact Mark Grainger. You can also sign the R word pledge by going to the website.
Cuts to welfare support for disabled children
The Government has announced plans for a substantial cut to welfare support for disabled children under the Universal Credit. The new system will result in many of these children losing up to £1400 per year (£27 per week) compared to the current system – by the time a disabled child reaches 16, this could cost a family £22,000. In total the Government estimates that 100,000 disabled children would lose out under this change.
Please sign the petition – it only takes a couple of minutes of your time, and think of the effect it could have.
On the buses – day of action
Transport for All has joined forces with Age UK London and Greater London Forum for Older People to make using buses safer.
A day of action on September 6th will see older and disabled people gathering at bus stops across London and travelling to Westminster to question senior transport figures. The event ends at 3pm and will include a free lunch and tea.
If you would like to attend the Day of Action, please register your interest by 16th August. Email Lianna Etkind at Transport for All or phone 020 7737 2339.
A councillor with a learning disability
OK – it’s not in Bromley, but Selby in Yorkshire has a town councillor with a learning disability, a man called Gavin Harding. David Congdon, Mencap’s head of campaigns and policy, took part in a BBC Radio York discussion about Gavin. The link takes you to BBC iPlayer and you can hear David’s interview is an hour and 47 minutes into the programme.
Who knows. Selby today, Bromley tomorrow?
Bromley’s short break services
Bromley Council has issued 3 documents about their short break services consultation. Short breaks are offered by Bromley to support disabled children, disabled young people and their families and carers.
Documents to download:
(Please note the age range in the questionnaire for our Buddy Scheme should say 14 to 18)
The consultation is aimed at parents and carers of disabled children and young people. The consultation period runs from 18th July until 9th September and we would encourage you to complete the questionnaire and submit comments on the statement as this will help to improve services and local provision. Responses should be submitted to:
Jane Ching, Lead Disabled Children’s Social Work and Short Break Services
Specialist Support & Disability Services
Kingfisher House
21 – 23 Elmfield Road
Bromley
BR1 1LT
Email: Jane Ching
If you do submit a response, or have any comments please could you send them to Malcolm Wood (tel: 020 8466 0790). This will help to inform Bromley Mencap’s own response to the consultation.
Bromley police sign up to “Stand by me”
Actress Kellie Shirley joined representatives from Mencap, Bromley Police and Bromley Sparks in the High Street today, 23 June 2011, as Bromley’s Police became the first to sign up to Mencap’s ‘Stand by me’ police promise, showing their commitment to ending hate crime against people with a learning disability.
See the full story here
Support Mencap’s “Stand by me” campaign
Learning Disability Week – Stand by Me
This year Learning Disability Week runs from 20th June.
The theme this year is “Stand By Me” which is a campaign to eliminate disability hate crime. It’s appalling that people are bullied, assaulted, and worse just because they have a disability. There have been a number of shocking cases in the news over the last months, and it’s time it ended.
You can do your bit – click the more link to find out how …
Continue reading ‘Learning Disability Week – Stand by Me’ »
Getting a life that matters – a great success
The free conference aimed at disabled young people and their families that took place on 11 June 2011 at Nash College in Bromley has proved a great success.
Over 80 people attended, including young disabled people with complex needs and their families and carers. They were able to obtain key information and support on issues such as accessing higher education, employment and housing and how to manage their own care and development through Personal Budgets and support planning.
Continue reading ‘Getting a life that matters – a great success’ »
Carers information day
Tomorrow we’ll be at the United Reformed Church in Widmore Road from 10 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon. Why/ Because there’s a carers information day there.
If you’re a carer and you have questions then come along and talk to us. We’re quite friendly, really, and we don’t bite – much! And we’ll do whatever we can to answer your questions and help you out.
Look forward to seeing you there
BBC Panorama programme
Following the recent BBC Panorama investigation into the abuse at Winterbourne View Hospital, the Learning Disability Coalition have created an E-action, calling MPs to ensure that the human rights of people with a learning disability are at the heart of the forthcoming social care white paper.
You can help with this campaign by signing the electronic petition. It only takes a couple of minutes, but think what an effect it could have.
Today’s the day
Today we launch this new website. To tell the truth, it’s been up for a few weeks as we tinkered with it and added the content, but the May-June Bulletin exposes the site to the world for the first time.
We hope you like it.
This home page is a blog, and will change – often. It contains the latest news from Bromley Mencap and if you scroll down, you’ll see previous news posts.
The menu bar across the top will direct you to the places you need to go, and the most important button at the top left will attempt to alleviate you of some cash to help us keep doing what we do.
2 New Consultations from Bromley Council
Bromley Council want your views on changes to Children & Family Centres and to Bromley Youth Centres.
Documents for Children & Family Centres consultation are here. Get your comments back by 17th June 2011.
Documents for Youth Centres are here. Comments needed by 24th June 2011.
Responses from the consultations will be considered at a meeting of the Children & Young People Policy Development & Scrutiny Committee on 28 July 2011, 7pm, at the Civic Centre.
If you do send in a response, please send a copy to Malcolm Wood who will be submitting a response on behalf of Bromley Mencap.
