Newsletter - January 2010 - Issue 15
Welcome to Disability Backup's Newsletter; please scroll down to see all the notices.
Our next Forum Meeting is on: Thursday 21st January 2010
Where?
City Edge, 125 Mare Street, Hackney, E5 3DL
What?
Hackney Housing Strategy Consultation
John Hall, from Housing and Regeneration will give a short presentation on the housing strategy, followed by questions and answers.
Disability Sports
Tamsin Fudge from London Sports Forum for Disabled People and Tom Smith, Disability Sports Officer, 2012 Olympic and Paralympics' Games Unit will be talking to us about getting into Sport.
For more information or to arrange transport please contact Catherine on 020 7275 0088 ext 209.
Focus Groups
Service First Centre
To continue our work with Hackney's Service First Centre, we have been invited to have a site visit of the building before it opens.
The visit will be on Tuesday 19th January at 2pm
Places are limited to 8 people so please contact Catherine to book your place.
Feedback from the Last Focus Group
Mike Sofianos gave us an update on some changes that have been made since Disability Backup's involvement in the Service First Centre. Some of these are:
- Having a wheelchair available in the building should someone need it
- Allowing motorised scooters into the building
- Having 'do not cycle' signs and enforcement at the front of the building
- Having disability parking bays
- Having a 'changing places' toilet
Feedback from Focus Groups
Hackney Museum
In the summer 2010 Hackney Museum will be having a sensory exhibit, developed jointly with Disability Backup.
We are looking for Disability Backup members who have a sensory impairment to help by either giving us case studies or volunteering with the museum to help set the exhibit up.
Interested? Please contact Catherine for more information.
Hackney Homes
Some Disability Backup members have joined Hackney Homes's disability group. This group meets to discuss Hackney Homes and disability related issues. If you would like to join this group please contact Mariarosa Frasca on 020 8356 6133.
Their next meeting is Wed 27/1/10 from 11.30-1.30pm.
Mobile Repairs Service
What is it?
The Mobile Repair Service is an organisation who has been in Hackney for over 20 years. This Project is aimed at assisting older (over 55) and disabled people, it is a household repairs service (and a number of other services). Funded by Hackney Council.
What can it offer you?
We can offer reliable and trusted service with trained people. All jobs are subject to assessment. Some of our services are FREE and others charged at the subsidised rate starting at £3.50 per half hour.
We can offer quick fix and home maintenance work like:
- changing light bulbs in inaccessible places
- putting up curtains or taking them down
- putting up a picture or maybe a clock
- the erection of flat pack furniture
- put up or move cupboards
- security to doors and windows, and repairs to them too
- plumbing, heating and electrical tasks
- for over 75's, and others at risk, we have Health and Safety checks too
- access to gardens, not gardening, but making them accessible for a person to use
We offer a wide range of services, not all listed above. Please contact Gill Jackson for more information:
Gill Jackson Hackney Outreach Worker
020 7561 4978
outreach@mobilerepairservice.org.uk
Disability Hate Crime
At our last Forum Meeting, Cindy Fayenfumni from the Crown Prosecution Service came to discuss Disability Hate Crime. Please read the minutes for more information.
The Crown Prosecution Service think that it is really important to report any type of crime that you are experiencing for example:
- harassment or negative behaviour, relating your disability or otherwise
- theft of blue badges and freedom passes
Each ward in Hackney has a Safer Neighbourhood Team which patrol the ward. Any resident can contact these teams to tell them their experiences of crime, as well as receiving home safety checks. See the next section for contact details.
Safer Neighbourhood Teams
You can call your local team about concerns that you have about your area, to ask about the safety of your house, to share information about local area and your experiences of crime.
In an emergency you should dial 999, for all other calls to the Metropolitan Police Service please dial 0300 123 1212.
Hackney LINk is starting a Adult Social Care Group
This group will try and improve Home Care service in Hackney.
Catherine is the chair of this group and will feedback all information to Disability Backup members.
If you have a problem or story about receiving Home Care Services in Hackney, please contact Catherine.
If you are a member of Hackney LINk and interested in joining this group please call Rushena on 020 8510 1974 or email
rushena@hackneylink.org.uk
Would you be interested in playing Wheelchair Tennis?
We are trying to gather interest in Wheelchair Tennis Club, if this would be something you would like to try please let us know!
Consultations
We sent out many different consultation and questionnaires over Christmas and New Year.
Thank you for taking the time to complete them, it really helps to get disabled people's views heard within services.
You can complete any of our consultations over the phone with Catherine, simply call 020 7275 0088 ext 209.
Disability Backup joins Facebook!
For those who use the internet, you can join us on Facebook!
Our page has dates and information about next meetings.
Find us on
www.facebook.com and search for Disability Backup Group.
Polite reminder for Professionals: Please note that the Forum Meetings and Focus groups are for disabled people to air their views. Those representing organisations are asked not to attend the Forum unless disabled themselves or having been invited first. Please contact Catherine to give your views on any topic raised.
All outcomes of the Forums will be made available on the website and newsletter! Many thanks!
Contact us
Disability Backup
Hackney Family Backup
The Print House
18 Ashwin Street
London
E8 3DL
Phone: 020 7275 0088
Fax: 020 7241 0088
Text: 07593 508 288
Text Phone: 18001 020 7275 0088
Email: catherine@hfbu.org.uk
Registered Charity No: 1017015 - Company Registration No: 2422896