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Disability News Issue 35 Spring 2012

New Wellbeing Centre in

Twickenham Hosepipe Ban Exemption

for Blue Badge Users

Your Stories—Emma

Shekerdemian

Twickenham Town Centre Changes

2

Photos and pictures: Front cover, main image: Twickenham King Street, from oldphotos.com

Front page, bottom right image: Garden hose by Jarlhelm

Page 3: RFU photo from Getty images

Richmond AID Welcome | Contents

Contents

Hosepipe Ban Exemption,

Twickenham Wellbeing Centre,

Travel Support Card 3

Twickenham Town Centre

Changes 4

Your Stories: Emma, RISE and

Tennis Coaching 5

Clarendon Youth Opportunities,

Children’s access service at

Richmond AID, Employment

Support Allowance update 6

Tax Credit Changes, For Sale 7

Our Services 8

Welcome to the Spring Edition of Disability News! We have lots of news and updates in this edition, but firstly we would like to thank the wonderful Year Nine pupils of Gumley House School in Isleworth who worked on a youth philanthropy project and chose Richmond AID as their charity. The students worked hard, joined by our staff and volunteers, and created a presentation about all the work of Richmond AID, and this presentation was chosen as the winner out of six final contenders. Because of this success, Richmond AID was awarded an incredibly generous grant of £3000. Our thanks and support goes to Gumley House School for this great project, and especially to Amalia Martinez-Botas, Josie Chadband, Gariella Kitto, Lara Goodhand and Olivia Cardose. Projects like this are a brilliant way of getting people involved in the charity sector at a young age and give the students an opportunity to develop and demonstrate their research, presentation and organisational skills.

Thanks to Gumley House School!

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Thames Water Hosepipe Ban: Concessions for Blue Badge users

We have now learnt that, locally, Blue Badge users will be exempt from the hosepipe ban. This is for Thames Water users only, though other providers might have their own exemptions. Here is what Thames Water says: ‘The following will be exempted from the [hosepipe ban] restriction: Watering a garden attached to a domestic dwelling, or watering plants on domestic premises using a hosepipe, by people with severe mobility problems who hold a current Blue Badge as issued by their local authority.’

Twickenham Wellbeing Centre

Age UK Richmond have opened a new Wellbeing Centre for Richmond Borough residents. It offers lots of activities for the over 50s and is already a lively local drop-in venue for the community.

There are over 25 activities each week, including computer courses, exercise classes, yoga, pilates, art classes, discussion groups and outings to interesting places as well as providing a friendly place to meet friends or just drop in for a coffee or tea and a chat. There are also affordable services such as chiropody, hairdressing, therapy and beauty treatments. Sandra Morrison, the Chief Executive at Age UK Richmond said, "We are extremely proud of the Centre and would urge all residents to come and take a look at this new resource."

Contact them now or drop in to see what’s happening in the heart of Twickenham and what activities might interest you.

Address: Twickenham Wellbeing Centre Arragon Road, Twickenham, TW1 3NH. Tel: 020 8538 9254

New Travel Support Card for People with Hidden Disabilities

Transport for London (TfL) have now launched a travel support card for people with hidden disabilities. This card is designed to make it easier to get help from staff. A person with a hidden disability can write personal information on the card, and showing the card should alert staff that they may need extra support.

For copies of the card contact London Travel Information on 0843 222 1234.

You can download and print out a travel support card from this page: www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/travel-support-card-printable.pdf Help with how to use it is here: www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/using-a-travel-support-card.pdf

Hosepipe Ban Exemption | New Twickenham Centre | Travel Support Card

‘We aim to make later life fulfilling and enjoyable for everyone’

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Twickenham Town Centre Changes

Twickenham Town Centre Changes

Redeveloping Twickenham Town Centre and the riverside has been an issue for many years. Now, the council has developed a Twickenham Area Action Plan that shows how Twickenham will develop over the next 15 years. There is general agreement that Twickenham is in need of a facelift, and the plan’s aim is to improve retail, leisure and community areas and address traffic problems.

We have been busily going through the plans to ensure that issues of access and inclusion are addressed, preventing any negative impact on the ability of disabled people to visit the town centre.

We have talked to many people about the plans and the three key concerns are:

maintaining centralised bus stops

sufficient on-street parking

the importance of public seating

One of the major concerns has been the proposal to move bus stops on certain routes away from King Street to Cross Deep and London Road. Many disabled people who

use public transport in the borough rely on this easy interchange between bus routes. A much longer interchange distance will worsen access for people with a range of mobility impairments. There may be some rethinking now on this.

For many disabled people who struggle with public transport, their car is their passport to freedom. So the availability of on-street parking is crucial. Holly Road Car Park may seem close to King Street and all its facilities if you are fully able, but if you have mobility impairment the distance is simply too far to go to the shops and back. Improving the access route from Holly Road Car Park to King Street will help many people, but the creation of shared-use loading/disabled parking bays in Queen’s Road, just off King Street, is a key opportunity to provide access. We will be urging the council to ensure that disabled parking is kept on the riverside so people are able to enjoy this picturesque spot.

Another key issue is seating. It’s all very well having an improved ‘public realm’ or ‘civic space’ – whatever we want to call it – but people with mobility impairments or health conditions need to be able to sit down. We think that the ‘civic’ advantages of this outweigh concerns about anti-social behaviour every time. Seating is a crucial part of any town area being truly accessible.

We are anxious that references to access are very vague in the Twickenham Area Action Plan and we will continue to urge the council to incorporate as many changes as possible. Please let us know how you feel about the Twickenham Plan and access issues in and around Twickenham. Ring us, email us, visit us, or even use our new forum on the website to share your views.

The Equalities Impact Assessment carried out by the council says that “access to a choice of transport should be made as easy as possible for all users, including those with disabilities. Disabled people will particularly benefit from the policies that improve the accessibility of public transport and the pedestrian environment.”

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Your Stories: Emma, RISE and Tennis Coaching

Our Stories: Emma

Throughout Emma Shekerdemian’s life she has always had a passion for tennis. She has been playing for over 20 years and gained the American coaching qualification when she was living in South Carolina. Emma returns to America every summer to help out at a Wheelchair Tennis Tournament.

Emma volunteered with Richmond AID for 4 years and helped many of our clients. She currently volunteers for the Princess Alice Hospice. She has supported and volunteered with the Epilepsy Society for over 18 years and last year won a very special award – the Order of Mercy - for her dedicated service.

Emma hopes to improve her independence by gaining full-time work and so she joined Richmond AID’s Employment Project. It was here that she met Jamie Cutler, who

suggested she get involved with RISE (Richmond Inclusive Sport & Exercise). RISE is a disability initiative run by the council which aims to highlight all the inclusive and disability-specific sports available locally. Jamie and Emma went to see Lizzy Walne who runs RISE, to discuss ways that she could get involved.

As a result of this, Emma has now assisted disabled children with an assortment of sports activities. After this, she spoke to Lizzy about what other opportunities there may be to help out one of their sports coaches on a more regular basis. This would help to boost her confidence and to make some more connections in this area. Lizzy and Jamie worked to link Emma up with local tennis coach Philip Lamb.

Emma now works with Philip 1-2 days a week, helping to run tennis coaching sessions. She has been working with Phillip for about three months and is “really enjoying it!” Philip is becoming something of a mentor and is helping her grow in confidence. Future plans include working in sports coaching, aiming to gain the English LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) coaching qualification, and to pursue her passion for coaching wheelchair tennis.

Emma was diagnosed with epilepsy around the age of 20 and after losing her job as a deputy manager of an off-licence has struggled to gain employment as a result of her disability. In the past, she started a business as a tennis coach, but after having an epileptic seizure during a lesson, she lost her initial clients and crucially, her confidence too.

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Clarendon Ongoing Youth Opportunities 2012-2014

The Clarendon Ongoing Youth Opportunities scheme, supported by Aiming High, is open to young people with learning disabilities and associated Special Educational Needs (SEN), aged 8-17+, living in or connected to Richmond. The aim of this scheme is to provide opportunities for making and meeting friends, socialising, developing self-confidence and independence all in a safe setting, whilst also giving valuable respite for carers.

There are 75 activities per year and there is a variety of activities catering for as many tastes as possible. The underlying values of the scheme are that those who attend should feel welcomed and welcoming. Opportunities are also created where young (and not so young) people both with and without a learning disability can gain valuable volunteering and early work experience through this medium.

The scheme offers internationally recognised volunteering awards such as V50 and VImpact. The Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE) level 3 is also available to interested young people (worth 70 points at UCAS).

For more information, please contact Thomas Hillman on: Tel: 020 8979 1165 Mobile: 07910 757 032 Email: [email protected]

Children’s ‘access’ Service Comes to Richmond AID

For those unfamiliar with the ‘access’ service, our Information and Advice Coordinator for Children and Families, Lena Vantol explains:

The ‘access’ service provides information and advice to parent carers and family members of children under 18 years with additional needs.

The website, www.accessinfoservice.com, has lots of useful information and is frequently updated. There is also a newsletter which covers lots of subjects including activities for children and young people, workshops for parents, local news on support services and national news.

‘access’ has moved to a new home with Richmond AID and has in the past been provided organisations including the Three Wings Trust (a charity supporting children with additional needs and disabilities) and others. I have worked with them for almost six years, providing support for parent carers and running the access service.

Now I am based with Richmond AID, and can support you with information and advice on specialised activities, education, short breaks, health services, local authority services, support for parent carers and children, plus much more. I look forward to working with you in the future!

Employment Support Allowance

New rules for ESA come in from 30th April. Entitlement to contribution-based ESA for people placed in the work related activity group will be limited to 365 days. The clock for the 365 days time limit will include any time spent on contributory ESA before 30

th April

(unless in the support group), so many people will find that their benefit will stop at this point. Letters have been sent out to tell people about the changes.

The new rules also apply to contributory ESA for young people who were able to claim under special rules. There will be no more new claims allowed for contributory ESA (youth) from 30

th April. Do check if a backdated

claim can be made

Those in the support group for ESA can keep their contributory ESA including those in this group who already get contributory ESA (youth) when the change comes in. People who lose their contributory ESA may qualify for income-related ESA but this is subject to savings and rules around working partners.

Contact Jobcentre Plus (0845 604 3719) to make a claim.

Clarendon Youth Activities | Children’s access

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Tax Credit Changes | For Sale / Donation

Tax Credit Changes from April 2012

A lot of information was given in the news recently about reductions and changes to tax credits from 6

th April 2012, mainly affecting

families— some who will be facing a big drop in the amount they get.

HMRC wrote to 280,000 households last November telling them that from 6

th April there

would be new rules for couples with children, who will now need to work a minimum of 24 hours a week rather than 16 hours. There are some exemptions though. Working tax credit will have stopped for these couples unless they contacted the HMRC tax credits helpline to tell them that they fall within one of the groups who are exempt from the new rule. HMRC failed to tell these claimants that they must contact them by 6 April if one of those exceptions applies to them. Also the letter was sent out before the new exemption for carers was agreed.

Couples can still qualify for working tax credit by one working at least 16 hours a week if:

One of you gets carers allowance (or is entitled to carers allowance but it cannot be paid because another benefit is already being paid)

You qualify for the disability element of working tax credit

The other member of the couple is incapacitated, a hospital in-patient, in prison or age 60 or over

It is really important that you contact HMRC/tax credits helpline urgently to tell them that you come within one of the above exempt groups to get your tax credits back. HMRC do not have information about who qualifies for these exemptions. You can contact the HMRC's tax credit advice line on 0345 300 3900. If you want to know if you qualify for tax credits you may want to try this link HMRC Tax Credit Calculator.

Also new from April 2012 is the exception for a couple in which one of the partners receives carer’s allowance to allow them to claim the childcare element of working tax credit. This applies if the partner is not getting carers allowance and works at least 16 hours a week.

Digital TV Switchover

If you still need some help and advice, contact the Digital UK helpline on 08456 50 50 50 by the 18th of May or visit www.digitaluk.co.uk.

Thanks RFU!

We would like to extend our thanks to the Rugby Football Union for providing the gift of four free tickets to the England v. Wales match on 25 February, for four wheelchair users and companions. Richmond AID were very happy to donate these tickets as gifts to four of our service users. One of the lucky rugby fans told us, “It all worked like a dream (except the result!!) Brilliant seats. I only wish we could have run on to the pitch to help the boys out in the dying seconds. Thanks for all your help in making this possible.”

We receive regular updates from the RFU and display up-to-date information at our centre in Teddington—come visit us to find out more!

For Sale

Second-hand Shoprider mobility scooter in very good condition (rarely used). Includes manual, battery charger and storage cover. Can be dismantled for transport in boot of a car. Price: £395.00 or nearest offer. Call: 020 8977 0736.

Acorn stairlift, as-new condition. Length approximately 10-14 stairs. The stairlift is in Princes Road, Teddington. New price £3500, for sale now at £1800 or nearest offer. Contact: Mrs Woods on 020 8943 1855.

Autochair scooter and wheelchair hoist for sale: this is designed for easy loading of wheelchairs and scooters into boots of vehicles. It is designed to fit most estates, people carriers and some 4x4s. It lifts electric wheelchairs and scooters and has removable lifting when not in use.

For sale at £500. 14 months old. Contact Steve Clark on 020 8893 7208 or 07968 769 386.

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ADVICE SERVICE One-to-one advice and

support for all disabled people, carers and professionals on subjects including housing, benefits, aids and adaptations, local services and more. Our team of disabled volunteers support people by talking through options, form-filling, researching queries and much more. As well as seeing people face-to-face and on the phone, we answer queries via email and SMS.

BENEFITS SERVICE Face-to-face and

telephone/email help from our expert advisors with form filling and advice on all aspects of benefit claims, from Housing Benefit to Disability Living Allowance.

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES We support

families with disabled children and ensure they are claiming all the benefits they are entitled to, and have information about services and activities.

CARERS BENEFITS ADVICE We help carers

find out more about what help and support is available to them and how to access it. We give advice on what benefits are available and help them fill out any forms related to disability and income-based benefits.

SPADE GARDENING We provide a garden

service to disabled and older people in Richmond Borough. This popular project is staffed by a team of volunteers.

VOLUNTEERING We have many volunteering

opportunities, from advice to gardening to administrative roles and more. Excellent training is given for volunteers with tailored, accessible support.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND

YOUTH CONSULTATION Richmond AID

helps disabled people to get their voice heard. We have a range of opportunities for disabled people and carers to feed into shaping local services as well as the services of Richmond AID.

EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT AND

BUSINESS SERVICES We help disabled

people into work, training or education. We have a weekly job club and give one-to-one advice and support. We work with businesses and employers such as Richmond Housing Partnership, Kew Gardens and NHS Richmond and provide toolkits and training for employers.

STRATEGIC LEAD FOR PHYSICAL AND

SENSORY DISABILITY We are funded by the

borough to provide support and information to voluntary agencies also working with people who have a physical or sensory impairment. We share information about current local and national priorities and changes and meet with a network of disability organisations. We advocate for this sector via a range of local, national and regional forums.

Other Formats: Disability News is available in a larger format or on tape. Please contact the

Advice Service on 020 8831 6070 or text 07894 215 835.

Disclaimer: Although Richmond AID checks all information carefully, it cannot accept legal

liability for any inaccuracy or omission. Richmond AID does not recommend any product nor do the views expressed in Disability News necessarily represent the views of the organisation.

OUR SERVICES