Issue50

TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!

THE PAPER WITH A HEALTHY OUTLOOK ON LIFE!

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AUGUST_SEPTEMBER, 2013

TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!opening doors . . . broadening minds

ROBO PETS!ROBO PETS!—— tthheeyy’’rree

hheellppiinnggppeeooppllee wwiitthh

ddeemmeennttiiaa

GOVERNMENT’S NEW

12 CROCUS PACKS TO BE WON

TTHHEE DDAAYY SSIIRRPPAAUULL TTOOPPPPLLEEDDUUSS OONN GGOOOOGGLLEE

JOBS’ INITIATIVE

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ONE OF THE LARGEST DISABILITYEXHIBITIONS IN THE UK

ANNOUNCEMENT!

TURN TO PAGE 13

ISSUE SPECIAL5050TTHH

£553 HAMPER£553 HAMPER

WIN! WIN! WIN!

centre insert

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THE PAPER WITH A HEALTHY OUTLOOK ON LIFE!

p13

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‘ We should all support thisbrilliant charity newspaper’

— Bob Bryant BEM, health campaigner

2 All Together NOW! August/September 2013 www.alltogethernow.org.uk

What’s inside

Who to contactEditor: Tom Dowlingemail:[email protected]

Advertising/sponsorshipChris Groves

email:[email protected]

IT Support: Ken AlmondWebsite: Pharos Design

NEXT EDITION:Tuesday 1 October 2013

All Together NOW! is published by All Together Now! Ltd, The Bradbury Centre, Youens Way, Liverpool L14 2EPRegistered Charity No.1106387

n All Together NOW! is aregistered charity set up toprovide a tip top news servicefor anyone whose life isaffected by disability,long-term health condtions orage.n The charity – theonly one of itskind in the UK –relies entirely onsupport from its sponsors,advertisers, subscriptions anddonations.n If YOU can help, pleasecontact us on

NEWS p2-4

WIN A HAMPER p5

FAMILY PAGE p6

THE MORGAN FOUNDATION p7

LIVERPOOL COMMUNITY HEALTH p9

GETTING ON p10

INDEPENDENT LIVING p12

MERSEYTRAVEL p14

MOTORZONE p15-17

OPINION: SIR BERT MASSIE P18

HEALTHZONE p19-21

SKILLZONE p22-23

HOROSCOPES P24

GARDENING p25

THEATRE GUIDE p26-27

PUZZLEZONE p28-29

CONTACT BOARD p30

SPORTZONE p31-32

ANEW and excitingone-stop websitethat helps people

find – and buy – the rightequipment to retain theirindependence got a bigthumbs up from visitorsto this year’s DisabilityAwareness Day.

“We are doing this becausewe believe we can make adifference to a marketplacefor independent living that isnot great at the moment,”says Really Useful Stuff CEOKay Allen OBE.

“We believe we canstimulate some healthycompetition amongstsuppliers, helping to improvechoice and price. The site willbe accessible and mobile-enabled – so you can shopon the move,” Kay adds.

The website also takes thepain out of e-commerce forcharities, suppliers anddisabled entrepreneurs.

It gives them control andsupport to add their goodsand services into a new and

innovative marketplace forproducts to make living easier– that’s growing fast.

However, Really Useful Stuffis not an advice site nor is itall about medical equipment.

Kay says: “The websitestrives to create an onlinecommunity where people canshare tips and productreviews. It’s about findingproducts that are welldesigned and look great.

“We need to empowerdisabled people asconsumers and improveproduct choice and price.There is a real need to getbetter product choice out intothe marketplace.

“It’s also about givingsomething back. ReallyUseful Stuff is powered by theinnovative Xperedon charityfundraising platform and 1%of every purchase is donatedto charity.”

James Caan, one of theentrepreneurs on BBC TVDragons Den, said: “ReallyUseful Stuff’s website is justwhat the independent livingmarket needs.

“Now people can see forthemselves, quickly andeasily, all in one place, whatproducts are available fromwhat suppliers at what price.”

nwww.reallyusefulstuff.co

NEW COMPANY PROFILE: reallyusefulstuff.co

n KAY Allen OBE has served as aCommissioner both on the DisabilityRights Commission and the Equalityand Human Rights Commission.n Kay chaired the scrutiny panel forthe Sayce review of Access to Work.n She also held senior positions forB&Q, BSKYB and Royal Mail – andlaunched a retail range for B&Q calledDaily Living Made Easier.

One-stop site forOne-stop site forall YOUR needs!all YOUR needs!

BRITAIN’S Paralaymians anddisabled and deaf artists arereturning to to celebrate NationalParalympic Day – Saturday,September 7– almost one yearsince the London Games ended.

The event, at London’s QueenElizabeth Olympic Park, will featurethe Mayor of London’s LibertyFestival, the annual festival of deafand disabled artists.

Among highlights will be “TheLimbless Knight”, an aerialperformance from award-winningtheatre company, Graeae.

Andrea Begley, who recentlytriumphed on the BBC TV seriesThe Voice, will be singing, andthere will be street theatre, outdoordance, mass choreography, visualarts, live music, film and food!

The Mayor of London, BorisJohnson, said: “This free event willbe a fitting finale to anotheroutstanding summer of sport,culture and entertainment in thismagnificent new park.”

nwww.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/events/2013/6/disability-sport

On your marks forParalympian Day

Anne’s a diamond

Autism and OAPs

TV AND radiopresenter AnneDiamond hasgiven her supportto a nationalcharity whichempowerslimbless militarypersonnel.

BLESMA - TheLimbless Veteranswas formed in the years followingthe First World War and became anational charity in 1932.

Anne said: “They deserve everyounce of our support.”n Tel: 020 8590 1124, www.blesma.org

RESEARCH is urgently required ifthe long-term health and supportneeds of elderly people with autismare to be understood and met, theUK’s leading autism charity warns.

Autism is under-diagnosed in theelderly and the National AutisticSociety has found that less thanhalf (41%) of English localauthorities have a diagnosticpathway in place for adults, despiteit being an obligation following the2009 Autism Act.

NAS boss Mark Lever said: “Thereis still a tendency to think of autismas a condition that just affectschildren, when there are olderpeople with autism in all ourcommunities who need oursupport.

“Too many older adults withautism are missing out ondiagnosis and too many are stillwaiting to be assessed. This mustchange.”

3www.alltogethernow.org.uk August/September 2013 All Together NOW!

NEWS

Are YOU up for the

Get snapping

THE RACE is on to find some very“horsey” people wanting to take part ina very special Grand National atAintree’s world-famous racecourse - aspantomime horses!

The Grandest Charity National isbeing staged to help hard-hit charitiesraise some vital funds.

Organisers LCVS/United Way is alsohoping to set a world record with themost pantomime horses in a race.

There will be prizes on offer for thebest dressed team and a £500 charityprize for the team that wins the mostraces.

Over 2,000 people are expected toattend the free event on SundaySeptember 15 (1pm-5pm)Entry for a team of four costs £350. Closing date for entries is FridaySeptember 6.n Contact 0151 227 5177n www.lcvs.org.uk

A TEAM of novice mountain walkersput on their boots and scaled MountSnowdon, raising more than £40,000for the Macmillan cancer charity.

“It was really tough going in places,”said Diane Jones, who was diagnosedwith breast cancer two years ago, “butit was made much easier by having thecompany of some truly remarkablewomen!”n www.justgiving.com/Diane-Jones007n www.life-climb.co.uk

CALLING all you snappers! On TheMove, the annual DisabledPhotographers Society competition,has just been launched and organiserswant entries that depict travel andleisure.

The opportunities to be creative arevast – and the prize fund, too, is biggerthan ever. Each of three categorywinners will gain a Merlin Annual Passfor a disabled person and carer,offering entry to top UK attractionssuch as the London Eye, LEGOLANDWindsor and Madame Tussauds; abundle of Calumet photographicaccessories and £150 cash.

The three age categories are under12, 12-18 and over 18 years.

Closing date, October 31. n Contact 01344 750 400 n www.disabledphotographers.co.uk

Panto National?

50th ISSUE SPECIAL

AVERY warm welcome to our 50thissue! When we launched ourFREE charity paper in 2005 few

people really believed that we wouldstill be battling on eight years later!

Well, we are – and we now have almostHALF A MILLION readers!

But there’s no denying how tough it hasbeen to get this far – especially when somany paid-for newspapers are folding, due todeclining circulation figures.

We are bucking the trend in grand style.More and more hospitals and health centresare asking for extra copies for their staff,patients and visitors.

We’re convinced we could DOUBLE ourreadership to ONE MILLION very quickly– if we had the resources.

That’s our dream . . . Now, though, I am just so extremely

thankful to our loyal partners and sponsors.

They recognise the vital social contributionAll Together NOW! is making - and know thattheir messages are reaching vast numbers ofpeople, many of whom can’t get the kind ofnews and information contained inAll Together NOW! elsewhere.

I hope you all enjoy this very special issue.We’re back in the autumn – Tuesday

October 2 to be precise!

Tom Dowling, editor

THANKS to the hundreds of readerswho completed our Mental Healthsurvey.

The response was overwhelming! We are currently putting a bid

together to see if we can attract somefunding to launch a new MentalHealth section in All Together NOW!

Watch this space . . .

EVERYONE at All Together NOW! loves The Beatles. So we didn’t mind too much when a video of Sir Paul

McCartney’s Brazilian concert overtook us at the top ofthe Google search engine list!

The YouTube clip of Paul singing the Sixties’ classicAll Together Now went viral.

But, luckily for us, it was only temporary and we’re nowback to where we once belonged!

Meanwhile, Sir Paul has just returned to his oldstomping ground at LIPA, the Liverpool School forPerforming Arts – and catching up with his older brother,Mike, who is a massive fan of our charity paper.

The day Sir Paul’s singingtoppled us on Google . . .

MIKE McCARTNEY

TTOOGGEETTHHEERRWWEE CCAANN

NUMBER ONE: All Together NOW!is now back where it once belonged– at the top of the Google charts!

Summit specialISSUE SPECIAL5050TTHH

centre insert

DDOO SSOOMMUUCCHH MMOORREE


340,000 people – two-thirds of All Together NOW! readers – DO NOTread any other disability or health publication — The Murray‘

Hate crime changes

NEWS

Mental health shock

Be creative and wina £6k travel grant

MIND, the mental health charity,reports a 50% increase in calls to theirnational helpline service within thepast year – including a 30% increase incalls relating to suicide.

In 2012/13 there were 1,546 calls frompeople who hadexperienced suicidalthoughts, had takensteps to end their ownlife, or had concernsabout a loved one.

TV presenter AnnaWilliamson, Mind’snew ambassador, hasbattled severe anxietyand panic attacks for many years. Shesaid: “Since I first shared my ownexperiences, I’ve heard from so manyothers in the same position.

It’s easy to forget you’re not alone,that actually one in four peopleexperience a mental health problemevery year.”n The Mindinfoline: 0300 123 3393.

ANXIETY: Anna

50th ISSUE SPECIAL

DO YOU help older people in creativeand performing arts, either via an artsgroup, health authority or careprovider?

If so, then this could be your chance tosee other parts of the world - and learnnew ways of involving more olderpeople in the arts.

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trustis awarding another 10 TravellingFellowships in their 2014 Arts and OlderPeople / Creative Ageing category, andthe application process is now open.

Medical and care practitioners, artists,community workers and volunteersworking with older people are just someexamples of people who are beingencouraged to apply.

Successful applicants will receive anaverage Fellowship grant of £6,000,covering travel, food, accommodationand insurance for approximately sixweeks overseas.Deadline for applications: September 24.n Tel. 020 7799 1660, www.wcmt.org.uk

Gizza job, wecan do that!

PRIME Minister DavidCameron has urgedBritain’s employers to take

on more disabled workers.Speaking at the UK’s first Disability

Employment Conference, the PMsaid: “I’m always talking about Britaincompeting and succeeding in thisgreat global race. But what hope dowe have in this global race if we loseout on the talent and skills of one-fifthof our population?

“What hope do we have as acountry if a fifth of our people areexcluded from mainstream society?”

The conference, attended by morethan 300 bosses and linked via theInternet to six panels of employers incities across the country, launched atwo-year campaign to helpbusinesses to become more “disabilityconfident”.

It comes as new research showsthat more disabled jobseekers citeemployers’ attitudes (42%) as abarrier to work than transportdifficulties (37%).

Mr Cameron added: “We need tobreak the myth about the complexitiesof employing disabled people, or toput it more simply – to give employersconfidence.

“That is why we are launching this“Disability Confident” campaign.”

Minister for Disabled People andWirral West MP Esther McVey said:“This is the start of a campaign foremployers to better recognise theconsiderable talents disabled peoplehave to offer and challenge some ofthe preconceptions around employingdisabled people.

“We’ve already helped boostemployment opportunities for disabledpeople through our schemes and weare committed to doing everything possibleto help disabled people into mainstreamwork.”

There are 6.9 million disabled people ofworking age in Great Britain. In the past 10years the employment rate for disabledpeople has increased by 4% from 42.2% to46.3%.

Among the measures to help businessesthe Government plan to host a series of

regional Business Breakfasts – funded fromthe £350m budget for support for people withdisabilities and health conditions. Other plansinclude:n A £500k two-year advertising campaigntargeting employers’ and workforce attitudes;n Supporting disabled people and mediaorganisations to increasemedia.representation and portrayal ofdisabled people in mainstream programmes.

n Providing opportunities, through theAccess to Work programme, for employers toengage disabled people on work experience,traineeship and supported internships.n Provide advice and support for employersthrough the newwebsite: www.gov.uk/dwp/disabilityconfident

SKILLZONE: p23TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!

DISABLED activists reactedangrily to the Government’sdisability jobs conference,writes JOHN PRING

Neil Barnfather, who hasstarted 19 companies –seven of which havebecome multi-nationals –and is now chief executiveof the web hosting firmeHosting, with 10,000employees, said: “Themessage from the last year isthat you can be aParalympian and throw adiscus or roll round a track, oryou can be a welfare cheat.”

He said that the effortsbig businesses weremaking to employ disabledpeople were “pathetic”.

Simon Stevens, adisabled entrepreneur,said: “It is just patronisingwaffle. This could have been1993. It hasn’t changed.Disability employment hasn’tchanged.”

Other campaigners tookover the Government’s#disabilityconfident Twitterhashtag.

Lisa Egan tweeted: “I usedto be #disabilityconfident.Now I read in the paper everyday that I’m a waste of taxpayer’s money. That crushesconfidence.”

Dr Sarah Campbelltweeted: “I was inspiring anda role model, got awards forit. The illness progressedmore. Now called scrounger.”

LEADING campaigner fordisabled people – andAll Together NOW! coumnist– Sir Bert Massie is to lead anew Labour Party-backedtaskforce looking at ways tobreak the link betweendisability and poverty.

Sir Bert, who recentlyreceived an honoroarydoctorate from LiverpoolUniversity for his work fordisabled peope, said: “Evenin an age of limited resourcesthere are more humane andbetter ways of supportingdisabled people than thisGovernment’s unprecedentedassault which has leftmillions of disabled peoplefacing greater poverty.

“I welcome thedetermination of the Labour

Party to seek ways ofenabling disabled citizens toplay a full role in society andto provide the support tobring this about. The reportof the taskforce will suggestways forward.”

SOUNDING OFF: p18n THE number of disabledpeople in “absolute” povertyrose by 100,000 during thecoalition’s second year inoffice.

In 2010-11, there were 3.6million disabled people inabsolute poverty. By 2011-12,this had risen to 3.7 million.

DWP defines disabilitypoverty as an individualliving in low income in afamily where at least onemember is disabled.

It’s all justpatronisingwaffle, sayactivistsg

Bosses urgedto employ moredisabled staff

LAW changes could make it easier forprosecutors to bring disability hatecrime charges to court – and for judgesto impose harsher sentences.

The Law Commission has suggestednew sentencing guidelines on the use ofsection 146, and for any hate crimeelement to be recorded on theoffender’s criminal record and thePolice National Computer.

It also suggests that crimes such asassault or criminal damage that arecurrently prosecuted as “aggravated”offences – with higher maximumsentences – on the grounds of race orreligious hate could be extended tohostility on the grounds of disability,sexual orientation or transgenderidentity.

The commission also want to extendlaws on publication of material intendedto stir up hatred against people on thegrounds of their race, religion or sexualorientation.

Sir Bert’s poverty challenge

SIR BERT,seated,received anHonoraryDegree ofDoctorate ofLaws fromSir HowardNewby, Vice-Chancellorof theUniversity ofLiverpool.Sir Bert wasappointed asan OBE in1984, a CBEin 2000, andknighted in2007


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ALL you have to do to stand a chanceof winning your dream hamper isanswer these two questions:1) How long has Park been operating?2) How many people are currentlybudgeting for Christmas with Park?

The first correct entry drawn out ofthe hat on Friday, November 8, willwin the hamper.

Send your answers on the back of apostcard – telling us where youpicked up your copy ofAll Together NOW! AND what youthink of the paper – to: Park HamperCompetition All Together NOW!The Bradbury Centre, Youens Way,Liverpool L14 2EP.

You can also enter online atwww.alltogethernow.org.uk

ENTER NOW!

RULES: By entering the competition you confirm thatyou understand and agree that the information youprovide will be held on a Park Group database andthat it will be shared by all companies within the ParkGroup. A full list of those companies is available bywriting to the Data Controller, Park Group Plc, ValleyRoad, Birkenhead, CH41 7ED. Park Group plc shallbe the data controller for the purposes of the DataProtection Act 1998. The information you provide willbe used by Park Group and any necessary thirdparties to provide you with the goods and servicesyou request. Companies within the Park Group maywish to contact you for customer care purposes or tokeep you informed about the latest offers,promotions, prize draws, and competitions, usingpost, telephone, e-mail, SMS and any otherappropriate means, including new technology. If youwish to be contacted via email or SMS, pleaseprovide us with your e-mail address and/or yourmobile telephone number as appropriate.If you donot wish to be contacted by any member of the ParkGroup for marketing purposes, please indicate thison your entry. The winning entry must agree tohaving a photograph taken for promotional purposes.

WE MAY be in the middle ofthe best summer for years– but the countdown to

Christmas has already started!And for one very lucky

All Together NOW! reader it’s going to bethe best Christmas they’ve had for ages!

We’ve teamed up again with one of ourkey sponsors, Park, to give you a fantasticchance to win their top-of-the-rangeChristmas hamper.

The Empire hamper is worth £553.50– and it will be all yours if you win oursuper competition.

This monster hamper contains a hugerange of Christmas food and drink goodiesto keep even the biggest family fed overthe festive period.

It’s filled with top brandconfectionery, desserts, soft drinks, beers,wines, spirits, pasta, soups, vegetables,freezer foods and the finest quality meat.

And, as an extra gift, you will also get aChristmas table decoration – perfect foryour Christmas table.

For more than 45 years Park has beenproviding top quality hampers for hundredsof thousands of customers across thecountry.

More than 400,000 people from allover the UK are currently budgeting for

Christmas with Park.Park CEO Chris Houghton said:“We are delighted to offer readers

another chance to win our top-of-the-rangeChristmas hamper. It’s a fantastic hamper– the perfect Christmas prize for anyfamily.

“Our previous competitions inAll Together NOW! have all beenextremely popular. We are confident thatthis one will attract even more interest.”

So get your entries in now!n For more information aboutbudgeting for Christmas with Park,

go to: www.getpark.co.uk

WIN this £553 hamper!WIN this £553 hamper!

Your chance to makeit a Christmas you’llremember forever!



FAMILIESFAMILIES

Sight LossSudden, progressive or long term loss of sight can be very traumatic to the person as well asto family and friends.

Visual impairment may combine with other disabilities/mobility problems or bereavement andloss of independence.

Sightline's main beneficiary group are individuals (and their families) that have experienced asudden or progressive sight loss and are experiencing difficulties in their daily living.

We can help to alleviate these difficulties by signposting service users to the appropriateservices and support groups.

Supporting you and your familyWe provide essential emotional support to people at the onset and progression of loss of sight.The Sightline service is staffed by visually impaired Volunteers, including our Co-ordinator.

We offer the following servicesz Emotional support/listening service. Volunteers will offer a listening ear and befriending

service dealing with a range of enquiries from individuals coming to terms with their sight loss/visual impairment volunteers are trained in listening skills and abide by BACP guidelines.

z Practical signposting/referral service. Sightline will build on its comprehensive directory of services that have been checked for suitability by our Charity to signpost and refer enquiries we receive based on issues that arise during telephone helpline calls. Sightline aims to be a link to specialist services for those facing the trauma of sight loss.

z The Service operates every evening, including weekends, from 6pm to 10pm.

z Who can call? Everyone including carers, family, friends of those affected.

z Every call is treated with confidentiality and respect.

SIGHTLINEVISIONNorthwest

Carers stressedto the limitMILLIONS of family carers are

putting their health at risk –simply because they don’t

know what support is available tothem.

Findings from surveys conducted in theNorth West and across the countryreveals that nine out of 10 carers feltstressed as a result of their caring roles.

More than half have experienceddepression, and had difficulties in theirrelationships with partners and friends.

The findings, from the report PreparedTo Care?, show that support is not beingmade available to new carers with oftendevastating consequences.

Helen Clarke, manager of Carers Week,a consortium of national charities, said:“The impact of caring for a loved one orfriend is an issue that we cannot ignore.

“Every day across the country, 6,000

people take on new caring responsibilitiesand too often they face the challenges ofcaring without support.

Becoming a carer can happen overnightand without information and guidance,carers can be left feeling isolated andalone.

“The figures clearly show that carersaren’t being offered support and if theyare, it can often be wrong or not the fullinformation.

“The consequences are huge, so it’svital that GPs, health and social careprofessionals and the Government all playa role to ensure that carers are offeredthe support they deserve from day one.”

Charlotte Argyle, Carers Supportmanager at Macmillan Cancer Support,added: “This research shows how

unsupported carers really are in the UK.These shocking figures highlight how thecurrent system of identifying andsignposting carers to support is failing.

“Carers want to look after their family orfriends with cancer – but it is often at theexpense of their own mental and physicalhealth.

“It is time to tackle the caring crisis, andensure carers are identified and given theinformation and support they need fromday one”

The findings of the North West surveyare backed up by a report from leadingdisability charity, Vitalise.

Chris Simmonds, the charity's chiefexecutive, said: "Clearly more needs tobe done to reach out to this army ofinvisible carers across the UK."n There are around 6.5 million carersin the UK.

CARERS CENTRES - p30

YOUNG disabled music fans aredemanding better treatment atrock festivals – and have

taken their case to Parliament. The live music industry is out of tune

with young disabled people, MPs weretold by members of Trailblazers, theyoung section of the Muscular DystrophyGroup.

Their Access All Areas? reporthighlights the barriers they face buyingtickets, locating adequate seating andaccessing facilities at venues.

Trailblazers members have been askedto leave venues before events were overto avoid disrupting other members of theaudience.

Others say that ticketing websites arefailing to offer an option to bookaccessible tickets online, which oftenmeans they face lengthy periods on holdon premium-rate telephone lines.

A survey found more than three-quarters of respondents believe thatbooking tickets for a live music event putsthem at a “substantial disadvantage” incomparison with non-disabled people,with 94% saying that last-minute ticketingwebsites do not cater for disabled people.

Nine in 10 said that more inclusiveseating designs would make “a bigdifference”.

Trailblazers want music venues to signup to the best practice charter drawn upby the accessible live music campaignAttitude is Everythingn Tel. 020 7383 7979.n www.attitudeiseverything.org.uk

FFeessttiivvaallss oouutt ooff ttuunnee!!

NO SUCH problems for young rockers atCoventry-based Hereward College.

The college teamed up with organisers ofthe Godiva Festival 2013 to offer carebreaks to young people with disabilities.

Alice Davey, college developmentmanager, said: “We believe we are the firstand only respite care provider in thecountry to offer this type of break.”

Millions don’tknow whereto go for help

www.morganfoundation.co.uk Tel. 01829 782800


www.morganfoundation.co.uk Tel. 01829 782800

HERE at the MorganFoundation we want tohelp organisations

who share our philosophy– Making aDifference.

Over the past decade wehave helped hundreds oforganisations across theregion, committing over£10 million.

This year we will be givingaway a whopping£1.5 MILLION to goodcauses.

Created in 2001 by

businessman Steve MorganOBE, founder and chairmanof Redrow plc, chairman ofthe Bridgemere Group ofCompanies andWolverhampton WanderersFC, the Morgan Foundationsupports charities acrossNorth Wales, Merseyside,West Cheshire and NorthShropshire.

Our aim is to providefunding for small tomedium-sized organisationswho are addressing specificneeds in these regions.

We are particularly keen tosupport those who havealready begun to make animpact, but need a helpinghand to expand their workand increase theireffectiveness.

We focus our help mainlyon those who work directlywith children and familiesbut we recognise that manywider issues may also affecttheir welfare, so we areinterested in any projectwhich contributes to thequality of life in our region.

How we can help . . .

Carry on camping!Carry on camping!

SEVEN-year-old Finlay called in to theChildren Today office and gave staff areal treat – showing off his newpowered wheelchair, supplied using theproceeds of last year’s MorganFoundation Charity Golf Day andAuction.

Thanks to this very specialised chair,Finlay, who has cerebral palsy, isenjoying a more independent lifestyle.

Finlay’s parents said: “Finlay thinkshis new wheels are fantastic. Thepowerchair allows him to move aroundschool and in the communityindependently.

“As a parent you want to watch yourchild grow and become moreindependent and the powerchair giveshim the mobility that he needs.

“Finlay can now make his owndecisions about where he wants to bewithout having to rely on someone elseto take him there.

“We are very grateful for the supportgiven to Finlay by Children Today andthe Morgan Foundation.”n www.childrentoday.org.uk

WE LOVE to hear your stories ofhow funding from The MorganFoundation has given your charity anew lease of life, or enabled morefamilies to overcome hardship.It makes our job worthwhile!

n Please get in touch via Facebook,Twitter (@MorganFound), email, ourwebsite, or phone us on01829 782800.

ONE OF the manyinspiring stories fromlast year’s Morgan

Foundation EntrepreneurAwards was how for morethan 30 years a group ofdedicated volunteers havebeen providing free or low-cost holidays fordisadvantaged children.

The Longmynd AdventureCamp, set in the beautiful southShropshire hills, gets no regularGovernment or local authorityfunding and yet has managed todo so much to help childrenexperience the countryside– often for the first time in theirlives.

Children can sleep undercanvas or in a dormitory andtake part in a wide range ofactivities including canoeing,orienteering, a visit to a Victorianworking farm, BBQ, and all kindsof sports.

It’s no wonder they scoopedtwo of our prestigious awards –Longmynd won the BestEntrepreneurial Charity categoryand volunteer Kim March wasrecognised for his sterling work atthe camp.

Since then we have been workingwith the charity to help even morechildren enjoy the adventure of thisunique holiday camp.

Among them was a group ofchildren from the OLLY club fromthe Liverpool-based FamiliesFighting for Justice charity.

A spokesman for the OLLY groupsaid: “We had a fantastic time eventhough it rained every day!

“Some of the children had never

even been out of Liverpool before.“Many thanks to Kim March and

his team for being so generous withtheir time and facilities – and forhelping change the lives of thosewho visit the camp.”

This summer, children from TeamOasis (Liverpool) and Women’sEnterprising Breakthrough(Birkenhead) will be visiting thecamp.

(We are always on the lookout tosponsor other deserving groups)

n For more information aboutLongmynd Adventure Camp visitwww.longmyndcamp.org.uk/contact.php

Fun time, Finlay!

COUNTRYSIDE ADVENTURE:Children from the OLLY clubat the Longmynd camp


My MoneyMy WellbeingMy Home

the experience to care,the knowledge to help

Supportingbankingfamiliesandretireeswithlife’schallenges

Supportingcurrent and formerbankworkersand their families with life’s Challenges

Supportingcurrent and formerbankworkersand their families with life’s challenges

the experience to care,

We help with information, advice and financial support.Find out more, visit www.bwcharity.org.ukor call our FREE helpline: 0800 0234 834

the knowledge to help

My Home My Wellbeing My Money

We work in partnership with some of the UK’s leadingcharities to provide the banking community with support

To find out more, visit . . . www.liverpoolcommunityhealth.nhs.uk

LIVERPOOL Community HealthNHS Trust wants more people tojoin the NHS Organ DonorRegister.

Among staff members championingthe message is James Brown, headof communications, who donated akidney to his identical twin earlier thisyear, and Jeanette Pilsbury, head ofadult services, who underwent a life-saving liver transplant for her mum.

James said: “Being able to helpsave my brother’s life meant somuch, but it was the support of mycolleague Jeanette that really helpedme through my experience.

“There were so many physical andemotional effects of going through thetransplant process that I didn’texpect, and Jeanette was there tolisten and reassure me that it was allvery normal.”

Jeanette added: “It’s an incrediblething to give the gift of life back tosomeone who has been told theyhave just months left to live, and Iwould definitely encourage others toconsider registering to become adonor too.

“Being a live donor is a uniqueexperience and is hugely rewarding,but there is limited support after theoperation and recovery.

“We now want to see what can bedone locally to create a supportnetwork so that potential donors andthose who have donated, havepeople that they can talk to and sharetheir experiences with, whounderstand what they have beenthrough.”

Around 10,000 people are currentlywaiting for a transplant operation inthe UK, and at least three die everyday because not enough organs areavailable. n To find out more aboutbecoming a blood or organ donorcall the NHS Donor Line on 0300123 23 23 or text ‘SAVE’ to 62323.You can also register at:www.transplantweek.co.uk

LIFESAVER: James, left, donateda kidney to his identical twin, Tim

The Over-50s step to itYOU ARE never too old for exercise –as the Over-50 Athletes clearlydemonstrated at the annual Liveabilitysport day!

Councillor Gerard Woodhouse, MayoralLead for Older People in Liverpool, said:“We know that over 160,000 Liverpoolresidents are between 50 and 90 years ofage – and that this number is set toincrease dramatically in the next fewyears, so helping to keep people activeand healthy later in life really is anincreasingly important priority for healthservices.”

Liveability is an NHS nurse-led servicethat provides instructor-led exerciseclasses and gym sessions to helppromote health and independenceamong older people. It also provideshome assessments to help reduce therisk of falls and social isolation.

During the event, Christine Flanagan,from South Liverpool Homes,presented a cheque for £500 to theFifty Plus Charity, which closelysupports the service.n Liveability, tel 0151 234 1660.

GOOD SPORTS: Cllr Gerard Woodhouse, ChristineFlanagan (South Liverpool Homes), and DianneSingleton, Service lead for Liveability

What a service!AMINI army of young wheelchair-

users gave Liverpool’s LordMayor the runaround on the

basketball court.The Lord Mayor, Cllr Gary Millar, was

helping to launch the city’s Children’sWheelchair In A Day scheme at Lifehouse,home of Liverpool’s Wheelchair Service.

He said: “This new service will make a realdifference to disabled youngsters throughoutLiverpool.

“It was an incredibly inspiring and action-packed day, and I think a great deal of funwas had by all.”

Under the scheme, young wheelchair userswill now be able to be assessed for, andprovided with, a wheelchair to fit their specificclinical needs – all on the same day.

The event gave children a chance to takepart in a wide range of creative arts andactivity sessions including wheelchairbasketball – with coaching from theGreenbank Sports Academy and the VikingsWheelchair Basketball Club – and wheelchairfootball, with support from the LFCFoundation.

Helen Lockett, Director of Operations andExecutive Nurse for Liverpool CommunityHealth NHS Trust, said: “Thisis a fantastic new initiativewhich will totally transform theway wheelchairs are providedto children and young people.”

Christine McGhee, servicemanager for LiverpoolWheelchair Service, added:

“I also want to add mythanks to each of our eventsponsors, Sunrise Medical,Invacare, Specialised OrthoticServices (SOS), RMS andConsolar for supporting thisevent and helping to makeit such a success.” n Liverpool WheelchairService also launcheda competition invitingchildren fromspecial schoolsacross the city to designthem a new mascot or logofor the service. The winnerwill be announced at theTrust’s AGM on September19 at Aintree Racecourse.

... { ... {ANNUAL GENERAL M E E T I N G

OFFICIALOPENING&

19 SEPTEMBER 2013 Baylis Suite, Liverpool Innovation Park,Digital Way, Liverpool, L7 9NJ

12-1PM Registration and Marketplace1PM-3.30PM AGM4.30-6.00PM Official Opening

Our Annual General Meeting will provide you withan opportunity to meet a number of our services tosee the outstanding work they have achieved overthe last year. We will also present our Annual Reportand Financial Accounts for 2012/13.

The AGM will be followed by the Official Opening ofthe Trusts’ new head office at Innovation Park.

To book your place (and advise of any specialrequirements) contact LCH Communications Team,[email protected] or0151 295 3131. @Liverpoolch #LCHAGM

SLAM DUNK: Liverpool Lord Mayor Councillor Gary Millar wins a few face-saving points

How YOUcan bea lifesaver



GETTING ON . . . Life is fragile, handle with care . . .

. . . helpsto solvesome oftheproblemsfaced byolderpeople

WISE WINNIEWISE WINNIE

SENIOR MOMENTS . . . with FRANK HARRIS

QI value a close friendship with alady of my own age, which is 84.We are both widows and for

years I have considered her to be mybest friend.

In the last 12 months her health hasdeteriorated and I seem to have taken onthe role of chauffeur, driving her to theshops, the doctor, the hospital, thechiropodist, her hairdresser, her dentistand her solicitor as well as moreenjoyable jaunts to garden centres or theseaside.

She loves shopping and I usually end upcarrying most of the parcels.

I started doing this because she has norelatives living close by, but I’m afraid it isgetting too much for me, both mentallyand physically.

Parking is difficult at some of the placeswe need to go to and I find this worryingand stressful, especially when she tellsme what I should be doing!

She insists on giving me petrol moneyand is so grateful for what I do for her, butthe annoying thing is that she turns downoffers of lifts from other people becauseshe says she prefers to be taken by me.

Does this look like being the end of abeautiful friendship? I am not proud ofmyself, but enough is enough.

ASomething needs to be donehere, or yes, it will be the end ofwhat was a good relationship.

Your friend has become far toodependent on you because you havealways been there for her. Things mustchange.

Cut down the number of times you actas chauffeur to your friend by pleadinganother important engagementsometimes.

Point out to her that she has otherfriends quite willing to drive her to anappointment when you are not available.Failing that she could occasionally call ataxi as other people do.

Some hospitals run a car/ambulanceservice for patients who warrant it.

The present situation makes heavydemands on a lady of your age and youhave done well to accommodate her sofar.

Your friend shows thoughtfulness inpaying for your petrol so let’s hope shesoon realises she has been expecting abit too much and learns to turn to othersas well as yourself.

I’M DELIGHTED by the newsthat older people whomanage to stay active feel

years younger.A survey carried out among

visitors to the 50+ Show – aseries of exhibitions for the activeover-50s – found that those intheir 80s willing and able to keepin trim feel almost 20 yearsyounger than their actual age.

And their minds felt nearly 30years younger!

Active people in their 70s saidtheir bodies felt nearly 15 yearsyounger than their actual age,while their minds felt over 23 yearsyounger.

Now in my mid-70s, I generallyfeel better now than I did when Ihit the big Six-0. Leaving my 50sbehind, I truly believed it would bedownhill all the way for me.

The trouble is, the less you do,

the less you feel like doing. Ithought it was just the way I wasbut now believe a lot of my aches,pains, stiffness, lethargy and lowspirits (I could go on!) were downto a sedentary lifestyle.

It was when a pal suggested I tryyoga for my back problems thatmy life started to change. I thoughtyoga was for hippies but, partlyout of desperation, agreed to giveit a try.

My friend said if you’re going todo it, you’ve got to give it a properchance. At first I was unconvincedbut stuck with it and am I glad Idid. The pain, the stiffness and mybad posture all improved. After awhile, I took up swimming for thefirst time in years.

I even started playing bowls after

giving it up due to those nigglingback problems. On top of that Ialso do tai chi lessons (and there’ssomething I never thought I’dsay!).

There will be people out therewho will say “that’s fine for you,but I can’t possibly manage it”.And you may be right, but I startedoff very slowly and built up little bylittle. You have to be prettydetermined but as far as I’mconcerned it’s absolutely worthputting in the time and effort.

Of course, the sooner you getactive, the better. The survey alsorevealed that active people in their60s had bodies that felt nearly 12years younger than their real age,while their minds felt almost 20years younger.

So it seems tthere’s a lot of truthin the old adage that you are onlyas old as you feel!

Top up your Vitamin D Make time for exerciseHERE comes the sun – and theNational Osteoporosis Societyis taking the opportunity toremind us to boost our vitaminD levels. But take care – toomuch sun causes problems!

EXPOSURE to sunlight everyday between 11am and 3pmfrom May until September willincrease Vitamin D and help tokeep bones healthy

You should try to get 10minutes of sun exposure to yourbare skin, once or twice a day(depending on skin type), withoutsunscreen and taking care not toburn.

Our bodies cannot produceVitamin D even if you are sitting

by a window or in a conservatoryon a sunny day. You must beoutside. But take care not toburn.

Only a small proportion ofvitamin D comes from the foodwe eat, but it is still important toinclude vitamin D rich foods inyour diet, such as oily fish andeggs. Many margarines,breakfast cereals and dairyalternatives are fortified, but docheck the label.

If you are over 65, not exposedto much sun (e.g. housebound orcover-up for cultural reasons) ora pregnant or breast-feedingwoman, you should considertaking a daily, 10 micrograms(400IU), vitamin D supplement.

80 is now the new 60!

by TED CLINTON

MONEY MATTERSDO YOU have a largeexpense coming upsoon? Another creditcard you may like is theAmerican ExpressPlatinum Cash Back.

There is no fee andyou will receive 5%cash back for the first£2,000 spend (£100) inthe first three months.After that there will becash back available atup to 1.25% dependingon your spend. It alsoincludes purchaseprotection insurance.www.americanexpress.com/ukGordon Viner FCA [email protected]

REGULAR exercise can strengthen our body ‘clock’ and help itstay synchronised as we grow older, according to a new study.

In mammals, the clock, or suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), islocated deep in the brain and regulates the circadian rhythmsby expressing different proteins and hormones.

As we age, the circadian rhythms of the body clock oftenbecome less synchronised which can result in poor sleeppatterns, weakened immune function and general cognitivedecline.

Researchers at the University of Glasgow were able to seehow important circadian rhythms are by “resetting” the internalbody clock of mice through advancing their light/dark cycle byeight hours. Young mice were able to quickly adapt to the newschedule whereas older mice struggled more.

However, when the older mice were given access to a runningwheel, they showed stronger activity in the SCN andsynchronised more quickly compared to those older micewithout a wheel.

Professor Stephany Biello said: “Our study demonstrates thatexercise has implications for the health of older people.”

THE cost of buying aretirement income hasjumped by 29% in justthree years.

In 2009 a £5,000income would havecost a man £118,000and a woman £133,500.

Today, based onunisex annuity rates,the cost is £152,800.

Tom McPhail, head ofpensions at HargreavesLansdown, said: “Manypeople’s expectationsof their retirementincomes will be basedon historicalexperiences – wherethey exist at all. Far toomany are stilldisengaged right up tothe point of retirement.

“It is vital that peopleshop around for thebest possible terms,seeking out anenhanced annuitywhere they can.”

Alarm bellson pensions


A helping hand for customers with extra needs

with

extra needs

A helping hand for customers with extra needsA helpinghand for cus

tomerswith extra needs

A helping hand for customers

We offer a range of free services to help customers who:

Our services include:

We also offer a free password scheme for all our customers.

Need a little ExtraCare?

To find out more call 0845 746 1100. If you have hearing or speech difficulties and use a textphone, please dial 18001 followed by the number you require.

Beat the bogus caller

Home or away – keep all doors

the door

0845 746 2200

03/13/SD/5631

United Utilities is calling on all customers to protect themselves from doorstep criminals.

Statistics show that around 20 bogus caller crimes are committed every day in the UK, but this might only be 10% of the total that actually take place as victims often feel too embarrassed to report it to the police.

Bogus callers will often call at your door claiming there is an issue with the water and they need to check your taps; they will use this as an opportunity to trick themselves into your home claiming to be from United Utilities or ‘the water board’. Once inside, they will distract you while they or an accomplice help themselves to money and valuables.

Genuine United Utilities’ employees always carry an ID card and are happy to show this to you. They will never put pressure on you to enter your home and will be happy for you to phone United Utilities to check their identity. And our employees won’t refer to ‘the water board’ as this hasn’t existed for more than 30 years!

Bogus callers can be very persuasive, but our advice is to never feel under pressure to let someone into your home.

to bogus callers!

To help you, we operate a ‘password protection’ scheme. Joining our password scheme is easy.

It takes just one call to 0845 746 1100. We simply need your details and your choice of password. Then, whenever someone claiming to be from United Utilities calls at your home, you can ask them for your password. Only a genuine visitor from United Utilities will know what it is. It’s a simple deterrent that really does work and will give you the confidence to turn people away from your door.

Most gas, electricity and telephone companies will operate a similar scheme – see a recent bill for further details and contact numbers.


NDEPENDENT LIVING

FORMER Everton and Walesfootballing legend NevilleSouthall and Minister for

Disabled People Esther McVeywere among the record numberswho flocked to the annual NorthWest’s Disability AwarenessDay.

More than 28,000 visitors turned upfor the event, held at a sun-drenchedWalton Hall Gardens, Warrington.

The day was the finale of a week-long programme of activities thathelped to raise awareness aboutdisability.

Brian Cronin, chief executive of

Your Housing Group, who sponsoredthe show, said: “This fantastic eventis not only a wonderful day out but aunique opportunity to showcase theachievements and talents of disabledpeople.

“It also offered Your Housing Groupthe chance to show the work we aredoing across the group on welfarereform.”

Dave Thompson, founder and DADco-ordinator, said: “It is an honour tobe part of a team that continues tomake a difference to the lives of tensof thousands of visitors to DADWarrington.

“Our work is now being recognised

all over the country – and muchfurther afield.

“This year there were also DADevents taking place in India and inCameroon! That shows that we reallyhave gone international!”

Dave and the team are alreadyplanning next year’s event, which willbe held on Sunday, July 13.

He wouldn’t elaborate, but he haspromised something very special fornext year. Watch this space . . .

.n DAD helpline: 01925 240064,www.disabilityawarenessday.org.uk

BEST DAD EVER!BEST DAD EVER!

BANGINGTHE DRUM. . . fordisability.Visitors gotplenty ofinfo andhad plentyof fun atthis year’sDisabilityAwarenessDay

50th ISSUE SPECIAL

Does YOUR community group need

FREESUPPORT

We are here to help!

Hints, tips and health checks on day-to-dayrunning of your project/groupWe also offer:n Advice on funding opportunities and initial biddevelopmentn Free desk space/computer and internet access foremerging groups without incomen Daily email information bulletins and networkingn Company and charity administrationn Preparation of governing documents

Contact us NOW for an appointmentor to organise an outreach session!

Telephone: 0151 707 0566 or Email:[email protected] www.merseysidenetworkforchange.org

You can find us: next door to & above Oxfam,4th Floor, 35 Bold Street Liverpool L1 4DN



MERSEYTRAVEL

0871 200 22 33Calls costs 10p per minute fromland lines, mobiles may vary

Merseytravel is making sure that Public Transport on Merseyside is easy for everyone to use

We care about the accessibility of our buildings, vehicles and information. All of our staff are trainedto be courteous and considerate, particularly when our customers have special requirements.

Whether it be automatic door openers in our head office, availability of textphones for main points of contact, or producing timetables in large print, we want to make public transport easier for everyone to use.

Among our services and facilities are:

with disabilities

developed in partnership with our local authorities and bus companies

Textphone users can dial 18001 then 0871 200 22 33 for a text relay assisted call

DISABILITY minister Esther McVeyheard how Merseytravel is helpingpeople with learning disabilities

get to grips with new digital skillsduring a special day out on the river.

Members and volunteers from MencapLiverpool – Merseytravel’s corporate charityfor 2013 – turned out in force for the event,using their digital expertise to plan the dayout at the Merseytravel ICT suite in MannIsland before boarding the world famousMersey Ferry for a trip to the U-Boat Story atWoodside.

The attraction houses one of only foursurviving World War Two U-Boats.

Wirral West MP Esther McVey said:

“It was really interesting to meet with staff,volunteers and members from MencapLiverpool to see first-hand their work inmaking local services more accessible.

“We are committed to supporting disabledpeople fulfil their potential – whether throughthe improvements we are making to our railservices or making sure our schemes areaccessible to disabled people.

“We have also just launched a two-yearcampaign to harness the drive of the privatesector to support more disabled people intowork because they should have the samechoice of jobs, in every sector and at everylevel, as everyone else.”

Merseylearn, the learning project within

Merseytravel, has been working with MencapLiverpool to help develop digital skills andhelp people who have a learning disability toaccess transport services. The project issupported by Unionlearn, the learning andskills arm of the TUC.

Cllr Liam Robinson, Merseytravel chairman,said:“As an organisation we support onespecific charity each year, so this is a greatopportunity to link our visitor attractions, ourpassion for learning and our support forMencap Liverpool together to make a reallyspecial day.

“Digital skills are increasingly important foreveryone, so with our partners in Unionlearn,UK Online and Go-On, we are actively

working to help people in our community getonline.

“Merseytravel aims to have a fully inclusivetransport system. It is important that we workwith marginalised groups to give the widestpossible access to all modes of transportacross Merseyside.”

Mencap Liverpool career coach JanDonnelly added: “It’s been a fantastic day foreveryone involved – we’ve brushed up on ourdigital skills as well as getting the chance toenjoy such a unique experience.”n Merseytravel owns and operates thefamous Mersey Ferries, the U-Boat Story,Spaceport, the Mersey Tunnel Tour, andthe Beatles Story.

GOINGDIGITAL:DisabilityministerEstherMcVey andCllr GordonFriel withvisitors fromMencapLiverpoolandMerseylearnofficers

NEW fully accessibletoilets have beeninstalled at 15 stations onthe Northern and Wirrallines.

Funding of £800,000from the Department forTransport’s Access for AllMid-Tier Fund has led tothe improved stationfacilities at:BebingtonBirkenhead ParkBromboroughCressingtonEastham RakeFazakerleyGreen LaneLeasoweManor RoadMoretonOld RoanSt MichaelsSeaforth & LitherlandSpital Town Green.

Toilet facilities are alsobeing provided atFreshfield and Orrell Parkstations in line with otherimprovements.

Ferry crossthe Mersey– the newdigital way

New loo-kstations

SPACEPORTWINNERS– Page 30

50th ISSUE SPECIAL

www.alltogethernow.org.uk August/September 2013 All Together NOW! 15

PLANS to make it easier toprosecute those whodrive under the influence

of drugs have beenannounced.

“Drug driving is a menace whichdevastates families and ruinslives,” said Roads Minister StephenHammond.

“That is why we are proposing totake a zero tolerance approachwith those who drive under theinfluence of illegal drugs andsending a clear message that thisbehaviour will not be tolerated.”

The proposals will also apply todrivers using some prescribeddrugs.

“We know that the vast majority of

people who use these drugs aredoing so responsibly and safelyand that is why our approach doesnot unduly penalise drivers whohave taken properly prescribedmedicines,” said Mr Hammond.

“Together, these proposals willmake our roads safer for everyoneby making it easier for the police totackle those who drive after takingillegal drugs and clarifying theposition for those who takemedication.”

RAC technical director DavidBizley said: “We welcome the moveto bring increasing levels of clarityto driving on illegal drugs andprescription medication, somethingthat is very much needed.

“We all know that driving underthe influence of drugs is extremelydangerous and wrecks lives – but itis also a growing problem,particularly among young motorists.

“Motorists will be happy to seethe Government taking a lead onthis and ensuring peopleunderstand their position – andwhat happens if they step over theline.”

n WANT to express your views?The consultation closes onSeptember 17.www.gov.uk/government/consultations/drug-driving-proposed-regulationsPublic enquiries: 0300 330 3000.

A ZERO tolerance approach is beingproposed for the following eightcontrolled drugs which are known toimpair driving:CannabisMDMA (Ecstasy)CocaineKetamineBenzoylecgonine (primary metaboliteof cocaine)MethamphetamineLysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM -heroin and diamorphine)

THE Government also proposes toset limits for eight controlled drugsthat have recognised and widespreadmedical uses but which can alsoaffect a patient’s ability to drive.ClonazepamDiazepamFlunitrazepamLorazepamMethadoneMorphineOxazepamTemazepam

The consultation is seeking viewson what a suitable limit might be foramphetamine.

ZERO TOLERANCE

Major crackdownon drug-driving


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THE Disabled Persons Transport AdvisoryCommittee (DPTAC) is to be retainedfollowing a consultation on its future.

Norman Baker. Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State for Transport, announcedthat, having considered responses to thepublic consultation on options for replacingDPTAC, that the committe will be retained.

Dai Powell, chair of DPTAC, said: “Thisnews is very welcome – it will be welcomedby disabled people, DPTAC members pastand present. We want now to re-establishand re-fresh our working links with thetransport sector, disabled people andGovernment.

“A huge amount has been achieved inrecent years; there is much more to do.”

Since its establishment in 1985 DPTAC hasplayed a key role in helping make thetransport system more accessible foreveryone.

A NEW easy-read version of key adviceand information about the Motability CarScheme is now available to help peoplewith learning difficulties.

Delia Ray, head of marketing, MotabilityOperations, said: “Easy-read publicationsoffer a more helpful stepping stone to enablepeople with learning difficulties or othercognitive impairments to find out more.”

The new guide is available to downloadfrom motability.co.uk

IT SEEMS we are fast becoming anation of distracted drivers with three-quarters of motorists admitting to

taking their eyes off the road ahead.Three out of four road users (76%) have

become distracted while driving – puttingthemselves and those around them in danger.

Over half of those surveyed (54%) admittedto changing music while driving, 47% per eat,47% drink, and a further one in six (16%)send texts from a mobile phone.

Six per cent admitted to using apps on asmartphone or tablet, updating theirFacebook status or tweeting.

The research, by comparison site MoneySupermarket.com, alsofound that motorists, as well as distracting themselves, are easilydistracted by others.

Over a third of people (35%) admitted to being distracted bychildren or other passengers and one in five (20%) said a good-looking person made them take their eyes off the road.

Kevin Pratt, car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket.com,said: “We all lead busy lives and find ourselves trying to multi-task,even when driving. But motorists need to be vigilant as taking your

eyes off the road for only a second could have disastrousconsequences for yourself and other motorists and pedestrians.

“Using a mobile phone to text, call or tweet when behind the

wheel is not only very dangerous but also illegal.” The company also found the total number of actual

driving convictions declared on insurance quotationswas 2,724,948 (or 19.3%). Ten per cent of thosewere for using a mobile phone while driving.

Male drivers were three times more likely to getcaught using their phone behind the wheel thanwomen.

Those aged 30-39 had the highest conviction ratefor mobile phone use at 1.63 per thousand, closelyfollowed by 25 to 29-year-olds with a rate of 1.57per thousand.

Those aged 17-19 and then 50 and over are morecautious and least likely to use a mobile phone whiledriving.

Drivers in south and mid Scotland are most guiltyof this offence, registering a rate of 2.1 and 2.0 perthousand respectively.

Meanwhile, those in the South West of Englandare least likely to get caught, with only 0.71 perthousand registering a conviction.

Mr Pratt added: “If you are caught driving whileusing a mobile phone you run the risk of not onlyreceiving a £60 fine and three penalty points on yourlicence, but it is also likely to increase yourinsurance premium by a substantial sum.

“Our analysis shows convicted drivers can expect their insurancepremiums to increase by 20% or £92 a year on average.”

DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION!Three quarters of motoristsadmit to being distractedbehind the wheel – andone in 10 of all drivingconvictions is for using amobile phone on the move

SAVED!

LOG ON

THIS year’s Mobility Roadshow rolledinto Telford and was a resoundingsuccess.

For the first time in the show’s 30-year history, test drives took place onpublic roads around the venue,offering visitors a more authenticdriving experience.

“We were very excited to be hostingour 30th anniversary Roadshow atTelford,” said Jacqui Jones, executivedirector of Mobility Choice, the charitythat organises the event.

“We had three excellent years atPeterborough Arena, a fine venue forthe show, but it was time to move onagain to give visitors from other partsof the country the chance of easieraccess to the event.”

TOP GEAR AT TELFORD ROADSHOW


THIS newspaper is just brilliant –the best ever tonic to helpdisabled people and anyoneaffected by ill health.”

So says Bob Bryant, one of theregion’s biggest health campaigners whosits on Halton’s new ClinicalCommissioning Group.

“Everyone of us should be supportingAll Together NOW! It’s bringing togetherso many people of all ages, abilities andbackgrounds – and it’s free!”

Bob, 66, has had his fair share of healthproblems and knows what it’s like tobounce back from adversity.

A seizure at the age of 32 stopped him inhis tracks, but he went on to set up thenation’s biggest support group of its kindfor people affected by stroke – and hasjust been recognised in the Queen’sHonours List for doing so.

Bob’s efforts in running Halton’s Let’sGo club has led to him receiving theBritish Empire Medal.

‘

WE’RE GOINGWE’RE GOING PLACES FASTPLACES FAST

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO IS HELPING TO KEEP THIS FREE CHARITY PAPER ALIVE AND KICKING!

CAROLYN Jassi, our recentEurostar competitionwinner, is such a big fan of

All Together NOW! that she tookcopies to Paris – “to show theFrench what this wonderfulcharity newspaper is doing tomake life better for everyone!

“I’m always singing the praisesof All Together NOW! – thenwishing I hadn’t because it’s apleasure I’d rather keep all tomyself,” says Carolyn, fromOrmskirk.

“As you can see, we visited theEiffel Tower. It was brilliant. Thetourists loved it – almost as muchas All Together NOW! ”

ISSUE SPECIAL5050TTHH

www.alltogethernow.org.uk All Together NOW!

‘ We should all supportthis brilliant newspaper’

GET ANGET ANEIFFELEIFFELOF THISOF THIS

50TH ISSUE SPECIAL

50, AND BETTER THAN EVER!

What our supporters say . . . MAYOR’S SEAL OF APPROVAL: All Together NOW! editor Tom Dowling,seated, and son Dan with Liverpool’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Gary Millar

“All Together NOW! is a terrific newspaperthat’s helping so many people.

It is a fantastic brand, trusted by itsever-growing army of readers, and, apartfrom the all the help and inspiration it givesto families affected by disability, it is alsoraising significant general awareness aboutthe everyday issues that disabled peopleand those in poor health face in the UK.”— Esther McVey, Minister for Disabled People

“We are delightedwith the hugeprogressAll Together NOW!has made. We knowfrom the number of telephone calls wereceive from people who have read thepaper that distribution is on the increaseand is reaching the right audience.” SteveMorgan, chairman, The Morgan Foundation

“We are very impressed with howAll Together NOW! is getting our healthmessages to people across the region.The paper is having a tremendouslypositive impact on people’s wellbeing,especially those affected by disabilityand age, and we are delighted tocontinue our partnership.”James Brown, Head of CommunicationsLiverpool Community Health (NHS) Trust

“All Together NOW! hashelped us to reachsome of the 5,000people from thebanking sector in theNorth West who have tocope with multiple issues like work/lifebalance, financial problems, dealing with

caring and health issues. The paper ismaking a terrific social contribution.”Fred Payne, CEO, Bank Workers Charity

“All Together NOW! is making a hugelyimportant social contribution to peopleaffected by health issues and deserves tobe supported. There is nothing else like itin the country and we know how valuableit is for many of our customers. We areproud to be associated with the paper.”Chris Houghton, CEO, Park Group plc

“THE North West isfortunate to have such adistinctive and FREEnewspaper inAll Together NOW!”Dave Scanlan, Liverpool Community College

“All TogetherNOW! is afabulous exampleof how sheerwillpower and a reluctance to give in cancreate and maintain a specialistpublication. All Together NOW!’s successis remarkable.O2 North West Media Awards

We reach almost HALF A MILLION readers . . . Call us – 0151 230 0307 [email protected] www.alltogethernow.org.uk

TERRIFIC PAPER,FANTASTIC BRAND,– DISABILITY MINISTER

August/September 2013 All Together NOW!

Together, we cando so much more

50TH ISSUE SPECIAL

TER THAN EVER!WHY we lovethis paper!

22001122Winner – Best Magazine(North West) How Do mediaawardsCommended – NicheNewspaper of the Year,National Newspaper AwardsFinalist - Best small charityMaking Best SocialContribution, MorganFoundation EntrepreneurAwardsFinalist -– Best Publication,UK Public SectorCommunication Awards

22001111 Finalist – Best Magazine,How Do North West MediaAwards

22001100Finalist – Barclays TradingPlaces Awards.“All Together NOW! shoneas an outstanding businessthat has thrived despite whatseemed like impossibleodds.”Finalist – Best Magazine,How Do North West MediaAwards

22000099Highly Commended – Best

Editorial Team, 02 North WestMedia AwardsFinalist – Best Magazine,How Do North West MediaAwardsHighly Commended –Against All Odds, MorganFoundation EntrepreneurAwards

22000088Finalist – Best Magazine,How Do North West MediaAwardsFinalist – Against All Odds,

Morgan FoundationEntrepreneur Awards

22000077Best Media – Halton PositiveAbout Disability Awards

22000066Winner – Getting TheMessage Across, NationalInformation Forum

22000055Winner – Best Media, WirralChallenge Awards Winner – Best Media, NorthWest Positive Action Awards

The story so far . . .r NOW! editor Tom Dowling,

Mayor, Councillor Gary Millar

I HAVE been acarer for myhusband for the past seven years

and this newspaper makes me realise I amnot alone – there are thousands of us andthere is help available. I would rather readthis than the nationals.Mrs K Cummins, Wirral

I LOVE All Together NOW!because it brings awareness of allkinds of disabilities to the public

attention. If the general public get tounderstand that people with a physical ormental health need are just as you or I theworld would be a much happier place tobe. Elizabeth Worgan (by email)

All Together NOW! is great, has apositive emphasis, and is packedwith information and health and

disability news.Pete Hughes, Buckingham Avenue, Chester.

I LOVE All Together NOW! It’s auniquely different paper aimed ateveryone.

Ruth Worthington, Sandringham Grange,Prestwich, Manchester

I THINK All Together NOW! isfantastic! I wouldn’t have knownabout the Odeon’s autism-friendly

screenings without it. It’s a very valuablesource of information – thank you verymuch! Maria Webster (by email)

All Together NOW! is the best andthe most informative and livelynewspaper I have ever read. I am a

carer and also not in very good health.This amazing newspaper has helped mecontact various services andorganisations I didn’t even know existed!Mrs Hazel Sutcliffe, Anfield Road, NewMoston, Manchester

THANKS for the best paper everfor the “forgotten people”. Mrs PAtkinson, Ainsdale Close, Bebington

I LOVE All Together NOW! for itsfun and positive approach to life!Well-written, up to date and

exudes positivity from every angle.Sarah Laycock, Fleet, Hants

I’VE just read All Together NOW!for the first time. I look after my90 year- old mother and have

found many useful tips that will enhanceher life. I feel isolated sometimes and sofelt much encouraged that there is apublication that understands the needs ofcarers. Christine Siddle (email)

I PICKED up my copy in ASDAQueens Drive, Liverpool. It readsas good as any daily ‘normal’

newspaper. After seeing such a variety ofarticles I had to check it was free and thatwe hadn’t accidentally stolen it from thestore! I look forward to reading the nextissue! Victoria Bennett (email)

I LOVE the All Together NOW!website. I work for Age UK,teaching older people how to use

computers. I’m always on the lookout forwebsites and forums that offer advice andsupport for the people who I teach andwww.alltogethernow.org.uk ticks all theboxes. Bill Tasker, Age UK Knowsley [email protected] www.alltogethernow.org.uk

August/September 2013 All Together NOW!

MORE than 100,000 patients andvisitors at hospitals and healthcentres are now learning about

health issues in All Together NOW!The multi award-winning charity paper

is available in more than 50 hospitalsand health centres across the region.

The feedback from Merseyside istremendously positive. Aintree andFazakerley Hospitals circulate 5,000copies across their various sites;Arrowe Park hospitals have asked formore of our pick-up boxes; and we’regetting plenty of praise, too, fromacross Manchester.

“The combination of good news,useful information and fun articles &competitions is absolutely ideal forpatients waiting for their appointments,staff on their breaks and visitors

waiting to collect their relatives,” saysJoe Paxton, Media & CommunicationsManager, Wythenshawe Hospital.

“All Together NOW! is a very effectiveway of communicating our messages.Every copy of every issue is quicklysnapped up, which just shows howpopular the paper is. I am sure that itwill continue to go from strength tostrength.”

SUE SPECIAL

All Together NOW! www.alltogethernow.org.uk

LIVERPOOLASDA Breck Road; Hunts Cross; Smithdown Road; Utting AvenueSAINSBURYS East Prescot Road;WooltonTESCO Deysbrook Lane; ParkRoadAge Concern, Sir Thomas Street;Aintree & Fazakerley Hospital; AlderHey Hospital; Anglican Cathedral;Bradbury Fields, Youens Way,Dovecot; Breeze Hill Health Centre;Broadgreen Hospital; ChristopherGrange, Youens Way; DaVinciMobility, Gilmoss; Everton HealthCentre; Mere Lane Health Centre;FACT, Wood Street; GreenbankSports Academy; Hugh BairdCollege; Kuumbai Centre; Lifehouse,Summers Road; Linda McCartneyHospital; Liverpool AssociationDisabled, Upper Baker Street;Liverpool Echo, Old Hall Street;Liverpool Community College –Bankfield; Hardman Street; ClarenceStreet; Vauxhall Road; Duke Street;Learning Exchange, Roscoe Street;Maritime Museum; Merseytravel,Mann Island; Merseyside SocietyDeaf People; Merseycare NHS Trust;Millstead Primary School, Old MillLane, Wavertree; Neurosupport,Norton Street; Picton Road HealthCentre; Ropewalks GP Surgery;Royal Hospital; Dental Hospital;Shopmobility, Liverpool One; SpekeHall; Speke Health Centre, SouthParade; South Liverpool NHS,Church Rd; Walk-In Centre, CharlotteSt; The Walton Centre; Women’sHospital; World Museum; Yew TreeHealth Centre

KNOWSLEY & ST HELENSASDA Huyton LaneHuyton Independent Living Centre,Brickfields; Whiston Hospital;Peasley Cross Hospital; St HelensHospital; ASDA St Helens; NHSWalk-In/Millenium Centre; St HelensCVS; Shopmobility, St Helens; PRTCCarer’s Centre; St Helens Council; StHelens College; Age Concern StHelens, Victoria Park, City Road; AgeConcern Knowsley, Griffiths Road,Huyton; Knowsley Libraries;Knowsley Disability Concern,Tarbock Road, Huyton;

SEFTONSefton Libraries; Sefton OPERA,Stanley Road, Bootle; Sefton CarersCentre, South Road, Waterloo; LadyGreen Nurseries Ltd, Ince Blundell

WARRINGTONASDA BirchwoodSAINSBURY’S Church StreetWarrington Hospital; WarringtonDisability Partnership, BeaufortStreet; Warrington Market; TheGateway

SOUTHPORTASDA SouthportSAINSBURY’S SouthportSouthport Hospital; Spinal Unit;Mornington Road Resource Centre;Dobbies; Range; Ainsdale HeathCentre; Sandpipers; SouthportVisiter, Tulketh Street; SouthportCollege; Southport CommunityService, Scarisbrick Avenue

ORMSKIRKOrmskirk Hospital, off Wigan Road

SKELMERSDALEASDA Skelmersdale

FORMBYTESCO Formby

HALTONASDA Runcorn Halton Lea Shopping City; HaltonHospital; Direct Link Widnes; NHSWalk-In, Caudwell Road; RivendellGarden Centre; Widnes WeeklyNews, Robert Street; RuncornCarer’s Centre, Church Street.

WIRRALASDA Birkenhead; BromboroughTESCO Bidston Moss; HeswallSAINSBURY’S Prenton; Upton; Arrowe Park Hospital; BirkenheadCentral Libraries; WIREDBirkenhead, St John Street; WIREDLiscard Crescent, Wallasey; MentalHealth Unit, Oxton; Floral Pavilion;Studio 42, Seabank Road, Wallasey;Wallasey Town Hall; Victoria CentralHealth Centre; Victoria Central Walk-In Centre; Moreton Health Centre;Wirral Met College; WirralWheelchair Centre; Wirral CountryPark; Clatterbridge Hospital;Clatterbridge Oncology Centre; NessGardens; Wirral Autistic Society,Bromborough Pool; Eastham HealthCentre; Age Concern Wirral.

ELLESMERE PORTASDA Ellesmere PortSAINSBURY’S Cheshire OaksBurleydam Garden Centre; BoatMuseum; Ellesmere Port Hospital;DICE Shopmobility; Links HealthyLiving Centre, Civic Way; EllesmerePort Library; Neston Live @ Home;

CHESTERDIAL Shopmbility, Chester; UptonGolf Club; Countess of Chester;Bowmere Hospital; ChesterChronicle;

CHESHIREAltrincham Shopmobility; BridgemereGarden Centre;Minshull’s GardenCentre, Crewe; Crewe Chronicle;Cheshire Academy of Sport, Crewe;Springfield School, Crewe; MidCheshire College, Hartford; CheshireCarer’s Centre, London Road,Northwich; ShopmobilityNorthwich;The Wingate Centre,Nantwich; Wilmslow Shopmobility;Neuro Muscular Centre, Winsford;

GREATER MANCHESTERASDA Hulme; Eastlands;Harpurhey; Wythenshawe;StockportTESCO GortonSAINSBURY’S SalfordBASIC, New Eccles Rd; Museum ofScience & Industry; ManchesterTown Hall; Wythenshawe Forum;Wythenshawe Hospital; Assist UK;Breakthrough; Manchester College;Manchester Libraries; ScootaMart/Shopmobility; Trafford Libraries;Tameside Libraries; WilmslowLibraries

WIGANShopmobility; Wigan LibraryServices; Wigan & Leigh College;Oakfield College, Hindley Green;

PRESTON & FYLDESAINSBURY’S Preston;PenworthamDobbies, Preston; Wilkinsons,Blackpool; Preston Market; St AnnesLibrary

LANCASHIREBADDAG Shopmobility; BlackburnCentral Library; Bolton Library;Bolton Shopmobility; Bury Library;Burnley Library; Chorley & Sth RibbleShopmobility; Fleetwood Library;Hyndburn Library; RawtenstallLibrary; Ribble Valley Library;Rochdale Libraries; RochdaleShopmobility

CARLISLECarlisle Shopmobility; The SandsCentre; Kendal Shopmobility;

NORTH WALESTaran Disability Forum, Llangefni,Anglesey; Tan -y- Maen, BlaenauFfestiniog Flints Disability Forum,Earl Road, Mold; Daniel OwenCentre, Mold; North Wales WeeklyNews, Vale Road, LlandudnoJunction; CIL De Gwynedd,Porthmadog; Rhyl Shopmobility;Wrexham Disability;

PICK UP YOURPICK UP YOURFREE COPY!FREE COPY!

DO YOU WANT TO BE ONE OF OUR STOCKISTS? CALL 0151 230 0307

CURRENT PARTNERSBank Workers Charity;Liverpool CommunityCollege;Liverpool Community Health(NHS) Trust;Merseytravel;The Morgan Foundation;Park Group;United Utilities

EARLIER PARTNERSLiverpool Primary CareTrust;NHS North West;Sellafield

DONATIONS RECEIVEDSINCE LAUNCHING IN

2005Big Lottery (Awards for All);Community Foundation ofManchester;Community Foundation ofMerseyside;Duchy of LancasterBenevolent Fund;E L Rathbone CT;John Moores Foundation;John Lewis Foundation;Liverpool Chamber ofCommerce;Lloyds TSB Foundation;Merseyside DisabilityFederation: European SocialRisk Fund;Merseyside ExpandingHorizons;National Information Forum;National Union ofJournalists;NeighbourhoodRegeneration Grants –Liverpool; Halton;Knowsley; Sefton; StHelens; Wirral.North West RegionalDevelopment Agency;Peel Holdings;Rainford Trust;Ravensdale Trust;Rowan Charitable Trust;Sir Cliff Richard CharitableTrust.A BIG THANKS, too, to allour loyal advertisers – andfor the donations that wehave received over theyears from readers,including some fantasticanonymous support.Without all this, togetherwith All Together NOW!would simply not exist.

— TOM DOWLINGeditor and coordinator

How YOURfavouritecharitypaperis funded

50TH ISSUE SPECIAL

17August/September 2013 All Together NOW! hernow.org.uk

Pratt, car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket.com,We all lead busy lives and find ourselves trying to multi-task,hen driving. But motorists need to be vigilant as taking your

eyes off the road for only a second could have disastrousconsequences for yourself and other motorists and pedestrians.

“Using a mobile phone to text, call or tweet when behind the

wheel is not only very dangerous but also illegal.” The company also found the total number of actual

driving convictions declared on insurance quotationswas 2,724,948 (or 19.3%). Ten per cent of thosewere for using a mobile phone while driving.

Male drivers were three times more likely to getcaught using their phone behind the wheel thanwomen.

Those aged 30-39 had the highest conviction ratefor mobile phone use at 1.63 per thousand, closelyfollowed by 25 to 29-year-olds with a rate of 1.57per thousand.

Those aged 17-19 and then 50 and over are morecautious and least likely to use a mobile phone whiledriving.

Drivers in south and mid Scotland are most guiltyof this offence, registering a rate of 2.1 and 2.0 perthousand respectively.

Meanwhile, those in the South West of Englandare least likely to get caught, with only 0.71 perthousand registering a conviction.

Mr Pratt added: “If you are caught driving whileusing a mobile phone you run the risk of not onlyreceiving a £60 fine and three penalty points on yourlicence, but it is also likely to increase yourinsurance premium by a substantial sum.

“Our analysis shows convicted drivers can expect their insurancepremiums to increase by 20% or £92 a year on average.”

O DISTRACTION!THIS year’s Mobility Roadshow rolledinto Telford and was a resoundingsuccess.

For the first time in the show’s 30-year history, test drives took place onpublic roads around the venue,offering visitors a more authenticdriving experience.

“We were very excited to be hostingour 30th anniversary Roadshow atTelford,” said Jacqui Jones, executivedirector of Mobility Choice, the charitythat organises the event.

“We had three excellent years atPeterborough Arena, a fine venue forthe show, but it was time to move onagain to give visitors from other partsof the country the chance of easieraccess to the event.”

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At Accessible Vehicles we pride ourselves in offeringtruly different service. From low cost pre-owned modelsto helping you realise your dream bespoke vehicle,we’re here to listen and offer advice every step of theway. With access to a huge range of vehicles to suityour individual budget and requirements our aim is tomake the buying experience as enjoyable as possible.

At our new showroom in Southport we’re always happyto welcome you where you can try out our range of vehicles or just come in for a tea or coffee and afriendly no hassle chat.

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REACH 450,000READERS

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450,000 readers and GROWING FAST!

More deaf news, please

Polio: Help at hand

READERS’ LETTERS . . . OPINION . . . COMMENT . . .

SOUNDINGOFF! with

Sir BERT MASSIE

‘

BRITISH Polio Month is underway and aspart of the campaign to raise awarenessof Polio and Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) Iurge readers to contact The British PolioFellowship should they find themselveswith nowhere to turn and in need of oursupport.

More than 120,000 people in the UKsuffer from PPS and despite affectingaround as many people as Parkinson’sdisease, this devastating neurologicalcondition can be missed or misdiagnosedby GPs, leaving those with PPS feelingforgotten.

The British Polio Fellowship is here tohelp. Our website survey is researchingGPs knowledge of Polio and PPS, whileour Medical Alert Card, Map of Medicineand other online resources provide themedical community and patients alikewith the tools and support they need.

With a large population from countrieswhere Polio is still prevalent, those in theAsian Community living with Polio andPPS in the UK also need our assistance,together with their families, carers andhealth professionals. Our aid and adviceis always just a call or a click away.

Readers can call us on 0800 018 0586,Email us at [email protected] orvisit www.britishpolio.org.ukTed Hill, CEO The British Polio Fellowship

PARALYMPIAN James Crisp

I HAVE read your newspaper only for thesecond time as it is difficult to obtain inthe Preston area.

I find the content is very good, but Ihave been disappointed that there isvery little about deafness in the paper.

Deafness is a hidden disability and cancause problems with communication andacceptance.

I am disabled and deaf and I find this adouble barrier for getting people toaccept me. I also know this is a feelingthat many deaf people share.

I am hoping you will raise this in yournext issue and ensure more deaf relatedissues are in All Together NOW!Trevor Watson, Preston

EDITOR’S REPLY: Great to hear that youlike All Together NOW! which isavailable in Sainsbury’s in Preston andPenwortham, and Dobbies GardenCentre, Blackpool Road, Preston. We’dbe delighted to get the paper into moresupermarkets and hospitals in the regionso any help readers can give us will bevery much appreciated.

Regarding our coverage of deaf issues,we feel your comment is slightly unfair.We are very much aware of the isolationthat deafness causes and thedisadvantages that deaf peoplecontinually face. I think as you becomeregular reader you will see that we try tohelp all people with wide-rangingdisabilities and health issues.

THE Government hasbegun a two-yearcampaign to persuadeemployers to take ondisabled people.

Such campaigns arewelcome but do not replacethe need for the Governmentto talk practical action.

We need to ensure disabledpeople have the skills for themodern job market but theGovernment is consideringclosing some of theresidential course thatdisabled people can attend infavour of cheaper less

adequate courses. There have been many

attempts to persuadeemployers of the value ofdisabled people but changeonly started to happen whenthe 1995 DisabilityDiscrimination Act waspassed, making it unlawful foremployers to discriminate,and employment tribunals andthe courts could be used toenforce the law.

But in future access tojustice will be more difficultbecause it will be impossibleto get legal aid for Tribunal

cases. The Equality andHuman Rights Commission,which used to fund somecases, has had its powers cutso we cannot turn to it.

At least the message theGovernment is trying toproject shows disabled peoplein a positive light. That is apleasant change from claimsthat disabled people onbenefits are scroungers whowill not look for work.

Recognising thatemployers have a role toplay is a move in the rightdirection.

WHEN the Equality and HumanRights Commission (EHRC)replaced the Disability RightsCommission in 2007, legislationrequired it to have a DisabilityCommittee on which at least halfthe members were disabled.

An independent review this yearrecommended that the DisabilityCommittee should be retained until2017.

However, the EHRC has decided not torenew the committee but to establishinstead a new “strategic group” toconsult with disabled people.

Once the statutory basis of theDisability Committee is allowed to lapseit will be simple for the EHRC to abolishthe ‘strategic group’.

The decision to abolish the DisabilityCommittee cannot be taken by theEHRC and will be made by theEqualities Minister, Maria Miller. But theCommission have written to herrecommending she abolish it eventhough they give no compelling reasonto do so.

If the ERHC cannot serve disabledpeople has the time come to abolish it sowe can drop the pretence that disabledpeople are supported by a commission?

If 20% of the ERHC’s budget wasgiven to an organisation of disabledpeople it would be able to do more toprotect disabled people fromdiscrimination than the ERHC does.

If the ERHC is to continue it mustjustify its existence. At the moment itsresources could be better used.

Action is now needed on jobs Do you callDo you callthis equality?this equality?

ALTHOUGH the Governmentconsulted widely on thePersonal Independence

Payment, which replaces DisabilityLiving Allowance (DLA), a strangething happened when the new lawswere being finalised.

Previously, claimants who could walk amaximum of 50 metres were entitled tothe higher mobility rate of DLA, whichqualified them to use Motability scheme.

But under PIP rules the distance hasbeen reduced to just 20 metres – or toabout the length of two buses.

When disability campaigners rightlycomplained about this sleight of hand theGovernment replied that it was not achange but a “clarification”.

It is a clarification that could cost manydisabled people their mobility because itmakes it more difficult to achieve the 12points needed for the enhanced rate ofPIP.

The only people entitled to useMotability are those who qualify for thehigher rate of the Mobility Component ofDLA.

As DLA is phased out in favour of PIP,entitlement to use Motability will belimited to those who qualify for theenhanced rate of the mobility componentof PIP.

The Government argues that PIP ismore focused to those who need it most.But this is just another way of saying theypropose to ensure that hundreds ofthousands of people who qualify for DLAwill not qualify for PIP and Motability.There might be people who will beentitled to PIP but who would not havereceived DLA.

For those with physical impairmentsthe distance they are able to walk is acritical criterion.

DLA was based loosely on 50 metres.This is the same distance used inplanning accessible environments. It wastherefore a surprise when theGovernment dropped the distance for PIPto 20 metres thus increasing the numberof people who would fail to qualify.

Disabled people reacted strongly andpointed out that in none of theconsultation documents had the

Government said they intended to dropthe walking distance to 20 metres andthat the Government are obliged toconsult.

A legal case was started to force theGovernment to consult but before it washeard in court the Government changedits position and has issued a consultationon the 20/50 metres issue. Unfortunately,rather than the three months normallyallowed for such consultation, thisconsultation will last only six weeksmaking it difficult for many people torespond in time.

The Government have said that theconsultation is being undertaken with anopen mind. There must, however, besome suspicion that it is an attempt to getaround the legal challenge. Whatever theGovernment’s motivation it is anopportunity for disabled people to makethe case once againthat PIP should begranted to all thoseunable to walk 50metres; 20 metres isfar too short.


Walking the walk?

Talking thetalk – but nowonder we’resuspicious

50th ISSUE SPECIAL


The stats addup for statinsSTATINS not only help save lives

but are great value for money too,even in lower risk patients,

according to a new study.The cholesterol-lowering drugs are widely

prescribed to people who have had heartattacks or strokes.

They can also help prevent these eventsoccurring in people who have not previouslydeveloped cardiovascular disease.

Some critics have urged caution in usingstatins in people who are otherwise healthyand have questioned whether it is worth theexpense.

However, clear health and financialadvantages are shown by the latest studyfrom the Robertson Centre for Biostatistics atthe University of Glasgow.

Dr Alex McConnachie said: “Treatingrelatively healthy, middle-aged men withstatins reduced the number of hospitaladmissions due to heart disease and stroke,leading to better quality of life for the men inthe study, and saving money for the NHS.

“Treatment of even younger people at lowerrisk of future heart disease is likely to be cost-effective too.”

The study, published in the European HeartJournal, used NHS statistics to follow 6,595men from the west of Scotland who wereaged 45-64 years at the start of the study andhad high levels of cholesterol but no history ofa heart attack.

Half were given the drug pravastatin overfive years and all the men were followed upfor at least 15 years.

This is the first time the cost-effectiveness of

statins has been assessed in this way. Theresults showed that for every 1,000 patientswho received a 40mg dose of the drug once aday for five years, the NHS saved £710,000,after taking into account the cost of the drugand safety monitoring.

There were also 163 fewer admissionssaving 1,836 days in hospital, with feweradmissions for heart attacks, stroke andcoronary operations and a 43% reduction inheart failure admissions to hospital, all over a15 year period.

Dr Andrew Walker, Health Economist at theRobertson Centre, said: “The results from thisstudy are clear: treatment with a statin inmiddle age saves lives and frees up NHSbeds for other patients.”n The NHS estimates that statins save 7,000lives in the UK annually.

SCIENTISTS have shown thatVivaldi’s The Four Seasons concertocan boost your brain power.

The uplifting first movement isparticularly capable of improvingattention and memory, according toNorthumbria University researchers.

In an experiment a group of 14young adults were given a mentalconcentration task to perform, firstin silence and then listening to eachof the four movements from TheFour Seasons while their brainactivity was measured.

The results showed thatparticipants responded correctlyfaster when listening to theinspirational Spring concerto, whichalso caused an increased emotionalresponse.

Psychologist Dr Leigh Riby said:“The Spring movement had anexaggerated effect on the area ofthe brain that’s important foremotional processing.

“This experiment shows thatcognitive capacity is enhancedwhen pleasant and arousing stimuliare introduced.”

Roll over Beethoven– it’s Vivaldi’s turn!

Light refreshments will be availablefrom 5.30pm and there is access forpeople with disabilities.

To confirm your attendance(for seating purposes) or for

further details please call0151 471 2336.

Date:25 September 2013

Time:6.00pm to 7.00pm

Venue:Liverpool Town HallHigh Street, Liverpool

L2 3SW

COME along to hear about Mersey Care’s progress and performance over the last year, as wellas our exciting plans for the future as a provider of mental health and learning disability servicesfor the people of Liverpool, Sefton and Kirkby.

You are invited to join us at our annual generalmeeting, once again being held in the flagship 18thcentury building that is Liverpool Town Hall.

Our 2012- 2013 Annual Report willbe available and depicts theimportance of listening.

27.103 Merseycares AD 2013.indd 1 23/07/2013 13:52

THE UK is underprepared for thebenefits it could get

from leading the way inregenerative medicine,say top politicians.

Regenerative medicineinvolves replacing orregenerating cells, tissues ororgans in the human body, inorder to restore or establishnormal function.

The House of Lords Scienceand Technology Committeereport, RegenerativeMedicine, delivers a starkwarning that while the NHSmakes the UK a potentiallyattractive place forinternational investment inregenerative medicine,problems in our regulatoryarrangements and a lack ofco-ordinated leadership onthe issue is holding back thechance to deliverimprovements to the quality ofpeople’s lives and generatesignificant economic benefitsfor the UK.

The Committee points toresearch that indicates thereis likely to be a £44bn to£54bn NHS funding gap by2022 and that management ofchronic disease accounts foraround 75% of all UK healthcosts.

The report highlights thatregenerative medicine has thepotential to provide innovativetreatments for a wide range ofchronic diseases such asdiabetes and heart disease,and says that investment insuch treatments could be amajor benefit to the UK publicpurse as well as providinghealth benefits.

Committee chairman LordKrebs said: “Regenerative

medicine has the potential tobe good for public health andthe health of the UK economybut we must take steps nowto ensure we realise thatpotential.

“In the NHS the UK has astrong resource for ensuringwe are an attractive place todevelop innovativeregenerative treatments andwe have real expertise inresearch in this area.

“However, in order to benefitfrom that, we need the HealthResearch Authority to up thepace of its review of theregulatory environment toensure that we are not placingoverly onerous burdens onresearch in this area.

“We are calling on theGovernment to appoint anindependent chair to overseeregenerative medicine policyin the NHS.

“We need leadership andinvestment now to ensure thatthis opportunity is notmissed.”

‘We’re missingout again . . .’

‘UK ought tobe leadingway in cellregeneration’


The perfect tonic . . . almost HALF A MILLION

Beatrice Fraenkelchair, Mersey Care NHS

3D CELL MAP

CONGRATULATIONS to Gill Pass whohas scooped a national award forproviding support to people with cancer.

Gill, a volunteer at her local MacmillanCancer Unit in Crewe, Cheshire, waspresented with the Deborah Hutton Award ata ceremony with her fellow volunteers.

Julie Pieczarka, manager at the LeightonHospital-based centre, said: “I am delightedfor Gill that all of her hard work anddedication has been acknowledged with thisaward.”

“There are a number of differentvolunteering opportunities available withinthe unit, all of which will make a differenceto those affected by cancer.”n Contact Julie on 01270 273603 or [email protected] HONOUR: Gill (centre) receives her award from Julie Pieczarka (far right)

Thanks a lot, Gill

AN EXCITING new 3Dmapping system of humancells could lead the way to

better treatments of wide-rangingdiseases – including cancer.

The first 3D disease map ofmitochondrial proteins – miniaturemachines that come together to formenergy-producing “batteries” in thebody – has been created by DrRhiannon Lloyd and Dr JohnMcGeehan, of the University ofPortsmouth, have created

Their map will allow doctors andresearchers to make better diagnosesand develop better treatments ofpatients affected by mitochondrialdisease.

It also opens the possibility ofscientists one day being able to buildpatient-specific maps identifyingprecisely what is happening atmolecular level.

Dr Lloyd said: “Our bodies containmany thousand miniature energy-producing ‘batteries’ known asmitochondria.

“Defective mitochondria areassociated with a range of serioushuman diseases, including cancer.

“The UK Government has recentlybacked the use of three-parent IVFtechnologies to help those parentswho are carriers to have healthychildren, but research is urgentlyrequired to identify how thesediseases occur in the first place.

“This 3D map paves the way for scientistsand drug developers to be given for the firsttime a window to what is happening atmolecular level in some diseases.”

Mitochondria have their own DNA whichcontains the genetic information to make vitalenergy-producing proteins and it is smalldefects, or mutations, in this DNA which cancause disease.

Despite the continuing discovery of moreand more of these mutations, it remainsfundamentally difficult to tell which ones areimportant in disease.

Dr Lloyd and Dr McGeehan have developeda strategy to visualise these mutations in 3Dinside the mitochondrial proteins, allowingthem to predict each mutation’s importance ina wide-range of diseases.

Dr McGeehan said: “Almost 100 mutationsassociated with diseases were analysed in 3Dand categorised based on their location withinthe mitochondrial proteins.

“We created a comprehensive 3D map thatled to the significant discovery of a newcategory of disease-associated mutation.

“Current available tools for predicting

disease are extremely useful but often givecontradictory information when applied tomitochondrial mutations, falling short of theHoly Grail of telling clinicians how likely andhow severe mitochondrial diseases will befrom the results of a straightforward genetictest.”

This new strategy is now being implementedin the University of Portsmouth’s neuro-oncology group (LINK) to predict theimportance of mitochondrial mutations foundin brain tumours, particularly in patients withGliblastoma multiforme.

n LEFT: Dr Rhiannon Lloydstudying brain tumour cells

n BELOW LEFT: The firstcomprehensive 3D map ofmitochondrial mutations(coloured spheres) associatedwith a wide range of humandiseases: neuropathies (yellow),myopathies (blue), cancers(red) and blood disorders (cyan)

n BELOW: Brain scan of aGlioblastma multiforme patient,the most common andaggressive malignant primarybrain tumour in humans

SOME TIMES it can be the littlethings that make all thedifference to the way people

perceive how they are welcomed ortreated.

The NHS and wider community owes ahuge gratitude to the army of volunteers athospitals and facilities across the countrywho provide information, assistance andsupport to patients in a variety of roles,sharing their skills and passion for meetingand greeting people.

I, too, was delighted to meet many ofMersey Care’s volunteers during nationalVolunteers Week this summer, whenactress and singer Claire Sweeney wasable to join our celebration of volunteeringto present some awards to them.

One of the points made at the event wasthat age is no bar to becoming a volunteer– everyone has a skill to offer.

For those starting out on their educationor careers the chance to make acontribution to mental health recovery atthe “sharp end” can provide that volunteerwith valuable insights into the world of workand other ways of living.

The older members can and do pass onexperiences and understanding which onlytime can provide.

One of the wonderful things aboutvolunteering is that a person can give oftheir time, energy and expertise knowingthey are valued and wanted for themselves.

There is something very important to all ofus in the knowledge that we are wantedand needed and have something to give...volunteering is a wonderful way to give andreceive at any time of life.

In fact, volunteering for Mersey Care wasdescribed to me by one volunteer as thenew form of Botox. That’s great for theolder volunteers but perhaps not quite thesame for the 18-year-old volunteer I met!

THE NHS celebrated anothermilestone with its recent 65thanniversary.

It’s good to look back at what has beenachieved during those years and right thatwe also use it as a time to evaluate whatwe do now and how we provide care in thefuture.

As I write, my own trust is undergoing avisit by the Trust Development Agency’steam of clinicians and managers to see forthemselves the quality of services weprovide.

It is part of a thorough process toscrutinise our application to become afoundation trust, which will then pave theway for the election for our council ofgovernors.

If you would like to keep up to date withthis and other matters, I now have a Twitteraccount @BFraenkel if anyone wants tofollow me.


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MEDICAL NOTES

Sleep well . . .

‘Pop drinks as badas crack cocaine’

Easing the pressure

ROBOTIC pets are helping toimprove the quality of life forpeople with dementia.

Research has already shown that interactionwith animals can have a beneficial effect onolder adults, increasing their social behaviourand decreasing feelings of loneliness.

But pets and care homes often just do notmix.

Now, though, things could soon start tochange with the introduction of a specialbreed of robotic pets.

Researchers at Northumbria University andfrom Australia and Germany have found thatinteracting with a therapeutic robotcompanion made people with mid- to late-stage dementia less anxious and also had apositive influence on their quality of life.

A pilot study investigated the effect ofinteracting with PARO – a robotic harp seal –

compared with participation in a readinggroup.

PARO is fitted with artificial intelligencesoftware and tactile sensors that allow it torespond to touch and sound. It can showemotions such as surprise, happiness andanger, can learn its own name and learns torespond to words that its owner usesfrequently.

Eighteen people, living in a residential agedcare facility in Queensland, Australia, playedwith PARO for five weeks and also joined in acontrol reading group activity for the sameperiod.

Reduced anxietyFollowing both trial periods the impact was

assessed, using recognised clinical dementiameasurements, for how the activities hadinfluenced the participants’ quality of life,tendency to wander, level of apathy, levels of

depression and anxiety ratings. The findingsindicated that the robots had a positive,clinically meaningful influence on quality oflife, increased levels of pleasure and alsoreduced displays of anxiety.

Prof Glenda Cook, Professor of Nursing atNorthumbria University, said: “Our studyprovides important preliminary support for theidea that robots may present a supplement toactivities currently in use and could enhancethe life of older adults as therapeuticcompanions and, in particular, for those withmoderate or severe cognitive impairment.

“There is a need for further research, with alarger sample size, and an argument forinvesting in interventions such as PAROrobots which may reduce dementia-relatedbehaviours that make the provision of carechallenging as well as costly due to increaseduse of staff resources and pharmaceuticaltreatment.”

CHILLINGOUT:ProfessorGlenda Cooktaking timeout to strokeone of therobotic petsthat couldbecome a bighelp topeople withdementia

GOOD news for Britain’s seven millionadults with overactive bladders.

The new daily pill - mirabegron - thatimproves the storage capacity of thebladder and reduces the number of tripsto the toilet has now been finallyendorsed by the National Institute forHealth and Care Excellence (NICE).

Specialist nurse Suzanne Ryder, fromManchester Royal Infirmary, said:“Mirabegron offers an effective treatmentoption without some of the morebothersome side effects.”

It is expected that the pill will begenerally available nationwide withinthree months.

The pill hasbeen available insome parts of thecountry sinceFebruary.


A LARGE-SCALE international study into the geneticcause of the fatal motor neurone disease has been setup.

Researchers aim to collect, examine and compare DNAprofiles from 15,000 patients with the disease as well as from20,000 healthy volunteers – an unprecedented number ofstudies.

Motor neurone disease is also known as amyotrophic lateralsclerosis (ALS), and Lou Gehrig’s disease in the US.

Professor Leonard van den Berg, leading the study at the ALSCenter in The Netherlands, said: “In its design, project MinE iscurrently the largest genetic study in the world looking at ALS.

“Through this study, we want to find concrete perspectives fortreating this condition, for which the outcome at the moment isinevitably death.

“There is no medicine for ALS yet and this study may help findpossible angles of approach for developing a treatment.”

MORE than a quarter of people in care are diabetic – butstaff responsible for their welfare have very littleknowledge of the condition.

Now a new “passport” – from two leading diabetes charities – willprovide carers in residential homes with vital information abouttheir needs.

“There are high numbers of people with diabetes in residentialcare, especially the elderly and people with learning disabilities,”said Jenny Hirst, chair of the InDependent Diabetes Trust.

“Through no fault of their own, many care homes have very littleaccess to the training necessary to manage diabetes.”

The Trust has joined forces with the Institute of Diabetes forOlder People (IDOP) and the English Community Care Associationto produce the passport.n Free samples of the ‘Passport for Diabetes in Care Settings’are available by contacting IDDT at:[email protected] or calling 01604 622837.

Motor neurone hope Diabetes help for care staff

FIZZY drinks are as damaging as crackcocaine when it comes to your teeth.

That’s the conclusion of a new studywhich discovered that a woman in her30s who drank two litres of diet fizzydrinks daily for three to five yearssuffereed tooth decay remarkably similarto that experienced by a 51-year-oldhabitual crack cocaine user and a29-year-old methamphetamine addict.

Dr Nigel Carter, head of the BritishDental Health Foundation, said: “The keypart of this research is the fact thedamage was caused by frequentconsumption of fizzy drinks. This isexactly the message the Foundationtries to make the public aware of.

“Cutting down on how often you havesugary foods and drinks is one of ourkey messages, and this researchhighlights the possible damage notfollowing this rule can cause.

“Every time we eat or drink anythingsugary, teeth are under attack for up toone hour.”

SLEEP expert Dr Craig Hudson isencouraging people to take simple stepsto ensure quality sleep is not sacrificedthis summer.

He says: “Good quality sleep isessential for health and wellbeing, as away to beat stress, maintain a healthyweight and boost the immune system.”

Here are his top tips for a bettersummer night’s sleep:n Keep hydrated during the day.Invest in a lighter duvet to ensure theoptimum body temperature ismaintained.n Keep to your usual bedtime - stayingup later will confuse your body’s naturalsleep patternn Have a cool bath or shower beforebed.n Sleep in 100 per cent natural cottonsheets to maintain a cool sleepingenvironmentn Use blackout curtains or blinds to keeprooms dark.

— they’re helping— they’re helpingpeople with dementiapeople with dementia

ROBO PETS!

All Together NOW! August/September 2013 www.alltogethernow.org.uk22

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CHESTER universitystudent PhilipThebridge is going

places fast!The 21-year-old tourism and

marketing student has justbeen presented with anoutstanding achievementaward for the work he didwhile on a placement withdisabled holidays specialistEnable Holidays.

“I’d definitely like a career inaccessible travel,” said Philip.“I have cerebral palsy and Ifeel that everyone, regardlessof disability, should be able totravel and do everything non-disabled people can do.”

Philip, from Sutton Coldfield,is especially passionate aboutreaching places that wereonce considered too ‘off track’for disabled tourists. EnableHolidays managing director

Lynne Kirby said: “Philip setout his stall from the outsetand quickly became a popularmember of the team.

“Then to cap it all, heproduced a feasibility studythat was absolutely first class– and one which will definitelybe used as we begin to add anew range of adventure-styleholidays to our programme ofover 200 holidays for disabledpeople.’’

Natalie strikes back

Phil’s route to work

OUTSTANDING: Philip

EMPLOYERS’ attitudestowards disability are thebiggest barrier in theworkplace for disabledpeople, says Christiandisability charity Livability.

The charity’s Let Me Worksurvey, in association withand nfpSynergy, revealedthat 62% of those askedhighlighted employers’attitudes as the main issue –and just 1% thought that adisabled person’s ability todo a job could proveproblematic.

The findings also showedthat almost half of thosetaking part in the surveyclaimed they had neverworked with anyone with adisability.

Current employmentstatistics show that disabledpeople are far less likely tobe in a job than non-disabledpeople.

Bad attitudes

Schoolstories

BACK in 1990 doctorstold NataliePreston’s parents

that she would neveragain walk, talk or situpright.

Natalie had been born withcerebral palsy and medics toldSally and Lawrence to “expectnothing” from their child.

Well, Natalie has just provedthem all wrong!

Now 24, she has gained adegree in animation at theUniversity of CentralLancashire.

She said: “To be written offby experts at a young agewas tough but to come here,study something I love andlive independently has beenfantastic.

“The course and the otherstudents have been absolutelyamazing. I’ve loved everyminute of my time here andwould encourage anybodyinterested in studying to cometo UCLan. I’m even thinking ofdoing a Masters before tryingto forge a career in theanimation industry.”

Throughout the course theDisney film fanatic enjoyedturning her creative ideas intoon-screen animations.

For her final year project shecreated a three-minute film foryoungsters involving acarousel ride, a rocket and analien.

And her next goal?“Creating my own animated

television series for pre-schoolchildren!”

ANIMATOR: Natalie Preston at her work station

THE MEMORIES ofdisabled people’sexperiences of school lifeare being filmed for a newproject that highlights 100years of “special”education.

The Alliance for InclusiveEducation (ALLFIE) hasrecorded the schoolmemories of 50 disabledpeople from acrossEngland for the How WasSchool? project.

There are already about250 interview clips on theHow Was School?website, with a quarter ofthem on film. This willeventually rise to about400 clips.

ALLFIE hopes thearchive will help schoolsand colleges bringdebates on citizenship,equality and diversity tolife.

Tara Flood, ALLFIE’schief executive, said:“There is a wealth ofexperience that until nowhad been pretty muchinvisible.

“It is a very timelyreminder for politiciansand policy-makers of howmuch progress has beenmade for the inclusion ofdisabled people inmainstream education.”

The British Librarysupported the project. n Tel. 020 7737 6030.n www.allfie.org.uk


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GREATPAPER,GREATBRAND

THIS NEWSPAPER ISMAKINGA HUGELYIMPORTANTSOCIALCONTRIBUTION

ESTHER McVEY,MINISTER FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

STEVE MORGAN, CHAIRMAN,THE MORGANFOUNDATION


‘

‘YOUNG disabled people can now

get help to find sustainablepaid work through new

Supported Internship andTraineeship programmes.

Specialised employment-focused study programmes areaimed at young people aged 16to 24 with complex learningdifficulties and disabilities.

They will help trainees learn fromexpert career coaches while doingreal jobs for a minimum of six monthsand be offered through furthereducation colleges by the Department forEducation.

Employers will also receive support fromthe coaches, increasing their confidence ofworking with disabled young people andhelping them to understand the businesscase for employing a diverse workforce.

The new mainstream Traineeshipsprogramme will give 16 to 24 year olds theworkplace experience and job skills thatemployers require and will be open todisabled young people with less complexneeds.

Speaking at the UK’s first NationalDisability Employment ConferenceBusiness Secretary Vince Cable said:

“Disabled people have a lot to offer Britishbusinesses but often their potential islargely untapped.

“If their employment rate matched that ofthe rest of the population, an extra twomillion people would be working.

“The Internship and Traineeshipsprogramme will help create a fairer societyby putting young people with disabilities onmeaningful career paths and giveemployers the opportunity to see what theycan offer.”

DISABLED people will also getmore support to gain the skillsand experience they need to

get a job under changes to theGovernment’s specialistdisability employment scheme,Access To Work.

Disabled people ontraineeships, supportedinternships, work trials and work

academies will for the first timeget additional help through the

Access to Work scheme. Minister for Disabled People Esther

McVey said: “Young disabled peopletell me how difficult it can be to get ajob without experience.

“We’re opening up Access to Work todo just that.”

Recent changes also mean thatbusinesses with up to 49 employeeswill save up to £2,300 per employeewho uses the fund by no longerpaying a contribution towards theextra costs faced by disabled peoplein work.

Disabled jobseekers who want to setup their own business through theNew Enterprise Allowance are alsoeligible for Access to Work funding.

ANEW website links

employers with localorganisations that can help to

improve their business by recruitingand retraining people with disabilities.Government-backed Access Ability has

been set up by Work Choice and Accessto Work – the Government’s disability

employability programmes.www.accessability.info

LOSING your sight andfinding yourselfunemployed would be

enough to shatteranyone’s confidence.

But Michaela Scott foughther way back and has justgraduated with a first classhonours degree – and a job.

The Merseyside mum-of-twofrom Southport was 29 andworking as a tax advisor whenshe was diagnosed with opticneuritis, which resulted in thepartial loss of her vision.

Faced with the prospect ofno job and a mortgagehanging over her head,Michaela, now 42, wasdetermined to fight back. Shestarted to learn Braille andvolunteered for the charitySightline Vision North West,

the helpline for visuallyimpaired people.

“I was a mess for the firstcouple of years,” saidMichaela. “Losing my sightbrought up so manychallenges. It was a verydifficult time but I just felt that Ihad to get on with it and let mylife take a different path.”

After having children,Michaela decided she wanteda career in social work andreturned to education.

“I’d been volunteering for anumber of years with Sightlineand I felt that my empathy andexperience could be put togood use.

“I’m very passionate aboutmaking sure that people getthe right support because ofmy own personal

circumstances and I wanted todo something to help.

“I enrolled at Edge HillUniversity on the BA (Hons)Social Work degree and I’venever looked back.”

Michaela impressed bossesat Lancashire County Councilon her work placement somuch that she has since beenoffered a job in the ActiveIntervention and SafeguardingTeam for Adult Services.

“It hasn’t been an easy roadfor me, but I’ve had lots ofsupport and some great tutorsby my side to encourage me.

“Losing my sight taught meyou just have to make the bestof what’s out there, use theresources available to you andstay positive. That way you willachieve what you want in life.”

Great Scott!

PROUD MUM: Michaela Scott

New help is on theway for jobseekers

Michaela fights back after losing her sight


Holiday Breaks in the Lakesnear Keswick

Self catering apartments for 2-6 people.Specially designed with the wheelchairin mind. No steps. Beautiful views in a

superb location. Friendly owners inresidence. Open all year.

IRTON HOUSE FARM

For a colour brochure

Tel: 01768 776380www.disabled-holiday.net

email: [email protected] now!

Until Sep 1: Time Travellers Exhbition, Spaceport,Seacombe, Wirral. A must for Dr Who fans.Amazing exhibits including a replica TARDIS,Cybermen, a Sontaran, K9 and ever-terrifying lifesize Daleks, along with a new monster-makingstation.Until Sep 4: Fit For Action! Imperial War Museum,Manchester. Loads of events designed to get youready for service, including fencing, wheelchairballroom dancing and assault coursesUntil Aug 31: Reaseheath Maize Maze.Reaseheath, Cheshire.Aug 8-Sept 14: Mold Gold Cape Exhibition.Wrexham County Borough Museum. The finestpiece of gold craftsmanship known from prehistoricEurope returns to the area, courtesy of the BritishMuseum. From Aug 10: Distant Voices: from Iceland toViking Wirral. TheGrosvenor Museum,Chester.Until Aug 11: StreetOrgan Festival. NationalWaterways Museum,Ellesmere Port. A realflavour of the streets ofdays gone by.Aug 10: Clitheroe FoodFestival. Over 100producers will take centre stage – and all fromLancashire.Aug 10-11: Clash of Knights! Beeston Castle.Medieval combat tournament with someparticipation events. Aug 10-11: Lowther Show. Lowther, Penrith.Traditional country fair. Aug 11: Viking Sunday. Tatton Park, Knutsford,Cheshire. Experience life as a Viking. Aug 11: Backward Running. Heaton Park,Manchester.Aug 17-18: Classic, Vintage and Sports CarSpectacular. Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire. Aug 25: Croxteth Park, Liverpool. Alt Valley Music,Culture and Food Festival.Aug 26: Teddy Bear’s Party! Bury TransportMuseum. Join the party at Bury TransportMuseum. Every child accompanied by their cuddlyfriend travels for free!Aug 26: Cilcain Show & Mountain Race. TheWaen, Cilcain, near Mold. Let your teddiesparachute from the church tower. Sep 1: Trans Lancs Vehicle Rally. Heaton Park,Manchester.

day tripper ARIES March 21st - April 20thDon’t let a mother figure pressure youto conform in the opening days ofAugust. Working from home or catchingup with repairs and renovations aroundand about the house will help you on acreative level, but don’t let a loved onepush you into buying things you can’tafford. Your impressive work ethic willput you in the spotlight in the earlydays of September. Don’t let adifference of opinion affect arelationship with a friend. Look toaccept more responsibility towards theend of the month.

TAURUS April 21st - May 21stFamily relations will be strained at thebeginning of August. Your relativeswon’t approve of an intimate friendship,and it feels like you’re being torn in two.The days surrounding the 21st willdraw fame and acclaim. An intenseromance will be a welcome diversionas August turns to September. Yourpowers of attraction will be very strongthroughout mid-September. A groupproject will come to fruition near the19th, and your contributions will besingled out for favourable attention.Signing a contract is well starredtoward the end of September.

GEMINI May 22nd - June 21stSave as much money as you can foran upcoming challenge. A familymember will also need your help solook out for those signs. Working fromhome can take some pressure off in thefinal week of August. The first days ofSeptember bring a great opportunity toovercome a stubborn fear once and forall. Exciting news for your family willarrive on or around the 5th; throw a bigparty to celebrate, but don’t let pushyrelatives interfere - this is your party,not theirs.

CANCER June 22nd - July 23rdTry to be frugal during the early days ofAugust, as money will be tight. Abusiness or romantic partner’sspending habits may be part of theproblem. Things are likely to improveby the end of the month due to youractions. A romantic relationship reachesan exciting turning point near the 21st.Wonderful news about a project that isclose to your heart arrives in the firstdays of September. Let a loved onelead you into unfamiliar waters in mid-September. You won’t be disappointed.

LEO July 24th - August 23rdIn the first half of the month you shouldlisten more than you speak. Resist theurge to dramatically change yourappearance. An intimate relationshipwill give you great pleasure in theclosing days of August. Your financialpicture will improve greatly in thebeginning of September. Trust yourinstincts regarding your health. Visitinga homeopath or trying a holistic therapywill yield impressive results. As anadded bonus, your sex drive will returnwith a vengeance!

VIRGOAugust 24th - September 23rdA power struggle over money erupts inearly August. A relative may betray asecret on the - it will be difficult toforgive this transgression. Fortunately,you’ll get a welcome distraction in thesecond half of the month, when you getfame and acclaim for a job well done.The early days of September are idealfor updating your look in some way.The 19th marks a beautiful turningpoint in a romantic relationship,heralded by a beautiful conversation. Atthe end of the month, your expertisewill be recognised.

LIBRASeptember 24th - October 23rdDon’t forget your personal obligations;make time for your best friend or lover.But make certain not to reveal toomuch personal information to a newacquaintance. You will have anopportunity to make a dream come true- take the risk. Venturing into unfamiliarground will be very exhilarating. Trustyour instincts regarding a domesticmatter in the opening days ofSeptember. There’s lots to get excitedabout so prepare yourself for a fewsurprises!

SCORPIO October 24th - November 22ndResist the urge to contradict an expert

as August gets under way. Giveyourself time to rest, relax, andrejuvenate at mid-month. Sneaking offto some secluded beauty spot willrecharge your batteries. It could alsoput you on the path to love. A glowingtestimonial or recommendation willopen doors for you in the first days ofSeptember. A relative will ask for yourhonest opinion at mid-month. Be astactful as possible, as this familymember is a lot more sensitive thanthey let on. A passionate romance willheat up toward the end of the month.

SAGITTARIUSNovember 23rd - December 21st

Resist the urge to move quickly in anintimate relationship at the beginning ofAugust. The chance to go on anoverseas trip arrives quite suddenly atmid-month. Seize this opportunity themoment it is offered, or a quick thinkingrival will snatch it from you. Early September is perfect for taking apublic stance about a moral issue. Anexpert will offer to take you under yourwing at mid-month. The closing days ofSeptember are great for a change ofscenery or company.

CAPRICORN December 22nd - January 20thDon’t let family get in the way of yourlove life in the beginning of August. Anexciting letter from an educational,religious, or cultural institution willarrive near the 16th. Your sex appeal isat an all time high in the first half ofSeptember. The end of September isideal for throwing a party. Get in touchwith an old friend who is celebrating abirthday. This gathering will turn out tobe the social event of the year.

AQUARIUSJanuary 21st - February 19th

Treat your body gently during the firstdays of August or you could incur aninjury. The last days of August areperfect for creating some long termfinancial security. Open a savings,retirement, or college fund. Septemberlooks like being a very exciting time foryou! If you’re single, you’ll meetsomeone special. There’s also a littlemore than you expected coming yourway on or around the 19th. Be sure tolook your best before attending aglittering party at the end of the month.

PISCES February 20th - March 20thA new opportunity will present itself, butit won’t be worth taking. Stay cool -there will be more options coming yourway throughout the next month or two.An intimate partnership gives youadded confidence in the first half ofSeptember. Take this opportunity topursue a childhood dream. Don’t letmoney come between you and yourpartner in the middle of the month. Theresults of a self improvementprogramme will be impressive aroundthe 19th.

Teddy time – August 26

RUSSELLGRANT

looks at

what’s in

store for YOU


CHECKLISTFLOWERS: Take cuttings ofsoft evergreens such ascandytuft, rue and the golden-flowered Alyssum saxatile.Take cuttings under a leaf joint,strip off all but two or threetopmost leaves and set them inpots in cuttings compost in ashady position.SHRUBS AND TREES:Dead-head roses, pruning backto an outward-facing leaf-joint.Spray where aphids or thefungal diseases blackspot ormildew are prevalent. Cliphedges and topiary, removingall new growth unless it isneeded to fill gaps or addheight.PATIOS: Spend a fewminutes every day dead-heading container flowers.Make sure the compost doesnot dry out and give a liquidfeed once a week.PONDS: Removeblanketweed and excessduckweed; pull off the dyingleaves of water plants. Whenthe water level falls due to dryweather, discourage algae andprovide fish with oxygen bytrickling water on the surface,but not near water lilies.FRUIT: Apples yielding asmall crop should producemore if pruned in summer.Shorten all mature side shoots- the dark, woody ones - towithin three leaves of the base.This year’s shoots, lighter incolour and more supple, shouldbe cut back to one leaf.HERBS: Take cuttings ofshrubby herbs like sage,rosemary and thyme.GLASS: Water and feedtomatoes and other cropsregularly. Plants in growingbags or pots may needwatering twice a day. Intomatoes, splitting andblossom-end rot – where adark, decaying patch appearson the opposite side to thestalk – are caused by irregularwatering.VEGETABLES: Harvestpotatoes and onions when thestems turn brown and aredying down. To save seed fornext year, leave some pea andbean pods on the plants untilthe pods are brown and crisp.HOUSEPLANTS: Re-pot ifroots are showing through thebase holes in the pot or on thesurface.Replant ina pot atleast2.5cm (1in)wider anddeeper.

THERE are two kinds oflawns. Smart ones,whether large or small,

set off the rest of the gardenbeautifully while weedy,unkempt patches make thewhole plot look a mess.

All any lawn asks is regularcutting and cossetting.

If your grass is in the unkemptcategory, now is a good time toplan revival treatment with thisguide to common problems.

Work starts in October.Meanwhile, mow regularly withthe blades on a medium or highsetting.Symptom: Grass is pale or thinall over lawn.Diagnosis: Starvation.Solution: Feed in lateSeptember or earlyOctober with a high-phosphate autumn lawnfeed, sometimes labelled“root-build.” Feed againin spring with a high-nitrogen spring lawnfertiliser. It is important to use the correct type forthe time of year.Symptom: More weeds than grass.Diagnosis: Inadequate general care.Solution: Root out large-leaved weeds such asdandelions and plantains. Apply a selective lawnweed killer to the entire lawn early in Octoberand again in spring. Feed in autumn and springas above.Symptom: Numerous small mushrooms withgrass dying in curves or circles.Diagnosis: Fairy rings – fungi caused bydecaying material, probably wood, underground.The fungi repels water causing the grass to die,effectively of drought.Solution: Remove the mushrooms, spike the

area deeply and saturatewith a large amount ofwater, first mixing inwashing-up liquid at the rate

of one tablespoonful to 23 litres (5 gallons),which breaks down the water-repellent. Repeatwhenever mushrooms start to grow. Feed thearea in autumn and spring as above.Symptom: Very hard ground, poor or patchygrass.Diagnosis: Compacted soil.Solution: Open up soil by spiking with a hollow-tine spiker or garden fork. Plunge a fork 10cm(4in) into the ground and rock it back and forth.Make holes 10cm apart all over the lawn. If grittysand is available, brush it into the holes.Symptom: Moss.Diagnosis: Can vary with the situation but poordrainage is almost always a factor.Solution: Improve drainage by spiking as above.Apply mosskiller and rake out dead moss when ithas turned black. Do not rake out living moss

because thousands of spores will be spread andwill quickly replace the older moss.Symptom: A bump with bare patch on top.Diagnosis: Your mower is shaving off grass as itpasses over the bump.Solution: Cut an H-shape 5cm (2in) deep with asharp spade, peel back flaps of turf, removeenough soil to level the ground and replace flapsof turf.

Finally, avoid the three most common errors inlawn care...DON’T cut the grass very short. Set mowerblades high when cutting starts in spring and at amedium setting for the rest of the year. Shavenlawns are least able to withstand drought orfrost.DO follow the instructions on all lawn treatmentsprecisely. Ignoring them can kill grass.DON’T water unless you can use a largeamount. Light watering encourages roots to growtowards the surface but they resist drought andgrow stronger better by seeking moisture below..

LAWN ORDER: give your lawn some tender loving care this autumn

Lawn arranger!

Twelve crocus packs up for grabsCROCUSES are among the most vividharbingers of spring, bringingimmediate impact to the dowdy late-winter garden.

They are easy to grow and lookespecially striking when planted in avariety of colours.

We have TWELVE of the latest sparklingCrocus Mixed packs from Thompson &Morgan to give away in this competition.

Each pack, worth £9.99, contains 50corms which will produce flowers of gold,purple, white or blue-striped. They willreach our winners in early autumn at theright time for planting.

They are perfect for planting in rockeries,naturalising in grass, or growing in largegroups beneath trees and shrubs. Justscatter a handful of bulbs and plant themwhere they fall for a really natural effect.

For a more compact display grow crocusin containers or window boxes where youcan appreciate their bright flowers and

light scent close up. Planted in containers,they can be moved into prime positionwhen they are in full bloom.

Crocuses tolerate most soils, as long asthe ground does not become waterlogged,and will grow in sun or light shade. Plantthem 7.5cm (3in) deep and, for the besteffect, 5cm (2in) apart in the soil andcloser in containers.

To enter the competition, answer thisquestion: How deep should crocus cormsbe planted?

Send your entry with your name andaddress on a postcard or sealed envelope,stating where you picked up your copy ofAll Together NOW!, to T&M CrocusCompetition, All Together NOW!, TheBradbury Centre, Youens Way, LiverpoolL14 2EP, to arrive by Monday August 19,or enter online atwww.alltogethernow.org.uk

For the full range of Thompson & Morganbulbs and plants, go towww.thompson-morgan.com.



Promote your shows here . . .

BOX OFFICE SENSATION!


Tel: 0151 230 0307

One advert goesa long, long wayOne advert goesa long, long way

Aug 5-10: Soul Sister. LiverpoolEmpire. Musical story of the life of TinaTurner. Aug 8-10: How to Succeed inBusiness. The Lowr, Salford. Award-winning youth theatre. Until Aug 10: Evita. Manchester Lowry.Acclaimed musical. SIGNED AUG 8.Aug 10: Roy Orbison & Friends.Southport Floral Hall. Tribute to thegreat singer-songwriter.Aug 11: Joe Pasquale.Blackpool Grand Theatre. Stand-up comedy.Aug 12-17: Save the Last Dance ForMe. Manchester Palace Theatre. Rock‘n’ roll from the team that brought youDreamboats and Petticoats.Aug 13: Burnt By The Sun.Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.Examination of the full horror of Stalin’srule.Aug 13-14: The Gruffalo’s Child. NewBrighton Floral Pavilion. Fun familyshow.Aug 16: A Vision of Elvis. NewBrighton Floral Pavilion. A tribute to theKing of Rock ‘n’ Roll.Aug 16: Jackson - Live in Concert.Venue Cymru. Tribute to MichaelJackson. Aug 16: Ken Dodd. VenueCymru. Stand-up comedy.Aug 19-31: Evita.Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. Theclassic musical.Aug 21-23: One Flew Over theCuckoo’s Nest. New Brighton FloralPavilion. Stage version of the criticallyacclaimed book and film.Aug 22-24: Stage Experience: Grease.Liverpool Empire. Liverpool’s mosttalented young performers in the classichigh school musical. Aug 23: Joe Longthorne. RhylPavilion. The renowned singer-songwriter.Aug 23-Sep 14: Lennon. LiverpoolRoyal Court. The musical story of theex-Beatle. Aug 24: Roy Orbison & Friends.Venue Cymru. Tribute to great singer. Aug 24: That’ll Be The Day. SouthportFloral Hall. Rock ‘n’ roll variety show.Aug 25: Superstars of Soul with BenE King and Jimmy James. NewBrighton Floral Pavilion. An evening ofsoul music. Aug 25: Magic of Motown. BlackpoolGrand Theatre. Evening of motown hits.Aug 27: John Edward. LiverpoolEmpire. Internationally acclaimedmedium. Aug 29: The ELO Experience. RhylPavilion. Tribute to rock greats.Aug 29-Sep 1: As You Like It.Venue Cymru. WilliamShakespeare’s comedy.Aug 30-Sep 5: Fawlty Towers -The Dining Experience. TheLowry, Salford. Join Basil, Sybilland Manuel for a hilarious night.No riff-raff, please!Sep 2-7: Blood Brothers. The Lowry,Salford. Willy Russell’s tearjerkingmusical. Sep 3-7: Stand Up: The Musical. NewBrighton Floral Pavilion. Brand newcomedy musical.Sep 4-7: Grease. Runcorn Brindley. Thehit rock ‘n’ roll musical.Sep 4-8: Grandpa in my Pocket. RhylPavilion. The hit kids’ TV show comes tothe stage.Sep 5-7: Formby. The Lowry, Salford.

Follow George Formby’s rise fromawkward stable boy to one of Britain’sbest-loved entertainers.Sep 5-Oct 5: An Inspector Calls.Bolton Octagon. J.B. Priestley’s classicplay.Sep 8: Roy Chubby Brown.Blackpool Grand Theatre. Stand-up comedy. Sep 8-13: Caro Emerald & SpecialGuests. The Lowry. Dazzling mix of popand jazz. Sep 10: French Can Can. RhylPavilion. Stage spectacular in the mouldof Moulin Rouge.Sep 10-14: Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance.Blackpool Grand Theatre. Two hours ofhit songs. Sep 11-12: Jason Manford. NewBrighton Floral Pavilion. Stand-upcomedy.Sep 12: Billy and Wally’s Big VarietyShow. Runcorn Brindley. Variety showfrom the radio entertainers.Sep 12-Nov 16: Wicked. ManchesterPalace Theatre. The sequel to theWizard of Oz. Sep 13: The Beatles - A MusicalCelebration. Re-live the days of the Fab

Four New Brighton Floral Pavilion. Sep 13: The Bohemians. VenueCymru. Tribute to rock giants Queen.Sep 13: Private Lives. RuncornBrindley. The Noel Coward play.Sep 13: Albert Lee and Hogan’sHeroes. Ther Lowry, Salford. One of theworld’s finest guitarists. Sep 14: Fish. The Moveable Feast Tour.New Brighton Floral Pavilion. The formerMarillon frontman’s solo tour. Sep 14-15: Three Phantoms.Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. Opera. Sep 15: Justin Currie. ManchesterLowry. Scottish singer/songwriter. Sep 15: The Osmonds. BlackpoolGrand Theatre. Featuring Merrill, Jimmyand Jay.Sep 16-20: Houdini. Blackpool GrandTheatre. The magic of Houdini revivedfor the stage. Sep 16-21: Blood Brothers. VenueCymru.Willy Russell’s masterpiece. Sep 16-21: Dreamboats andPetticoats. Wolverhampton GrandTheatre. 50s style variety show. Sep 16-21: Daytona. Theatr Clwyd.Play with Maureen Lipman.

BLACKPOOLGrand Theatre: 01253290190.BOLTONOctagon: 01204520661.LIVERPOOLEmpire: 08444 999999.Everyman &Playhouse:0151 709 4776.Royal Court: 0870 7871866.LLANDUDNOVenue Cymru: 01492872000.MOLD:Theatr Clwyd: 08453303565.

MANCHESTERLibrary Theatre:SALFORDThe Lowry: 0843 2086000.Opera House: 0870401 9000.Palace Theatre:0870 401 3000.NEW BRIGHTONFloral Pavillion: 0151666 0000.PORT SUNLIGHT:Gladstone Theatre: 0151 643 8757.PRESTON:Charter Theatre: 0845344 2012.RHYL:Pavilion Theatre:

01745 330 000.RUNCORNThe Brindley: 0151 9078360.SALE:Waterside Arts Centre:0161 912 5616.STOKE:Regent Theatre:0844 871 7627.SOUTHPORT:Floral Hall: 0844 8472380.ST HELENS:Theatre Royal:01744 756000.Citadel: 01744 735436.WOLVERHAMPTONGrand Theatre:01902 429212.

BOX OFFICE NUMBERS

Go on . . .treatyourself!


450,000 readers. Call us NOW! . . . 0151 230 0307

Sep 17-21: A Murder isAnnounced. Runcorn Brindley.Agatha Christie’s classic.Sep 18: Ha Ha Holmes.Rhyl Pavilion. Comic versionof Sherlock Holmes’s TheHound of the Baskervilles.Sep 19-20: Bunty the Bouncer.New Brighton Floral Pavilion.Brilliant one-woman play. Sep 19-Oct 12: Aristocrats. TheatrClwyd. Achingly beautiful playabout the collapse of the Irishgentry. Sep 20: Ha Ha Holmes.Southport Floral Hall. Comicadaptation of SherlockHolmes.Sep 20-28: Melody Loses HerMojo. Liverpool Playhouse. Newplay from exciting storytellers 20Stories High. Sep 21: Pink Floyd Experience.Southport Floral Hall. Tribute torock legends. Sep 21: Bill Bailey. RhylPavilion. Stand-up musicalcomedy. Sep 22: Kelly Joe Phelps. The

Lowry. Ssinger/songwriter. Sep 23-28: Butterfly Lion. VenueCymru. Heartwarming story offriendship from the writer of WarHorse.Sep 24-28: West Side Story.Liverpool Empire. Internationallyacclaimed musical.Sep 24-28: The FullMonty. WolverhamptonGrand Theatre. The smash-hit musical. Sep 26: The ElephantBridesmaid. Rhyl Pavilion. Brilliantchildren’s showSep 26: Colin Fry - The HappyMedium. Runcorn Brindley. Anevening of cold reading andshowmanship.Sep 26: Matt Richardson.Runcorn Brindley. Stand-upcomedy. Sep 26-Oct 12: EducatingRita. The Lowry, Salford.Willy Russell’s hilariouscomedy. Sep 27: Vikki Stone.Manchester Lowry. Stand-up. AUDIO DESCRIBED.

booksn Blink: Life After Locked-In Syndrome byDavid and Sandra Nette, published by Kobo,£7.99A ROUTINE neckadjustment sixyears ago leftSandy Nettetrapped in herown body.

Paralysed by aseries of violentstrokes after herarteries weredamaged duringa visit to achiropractor, shewas unable tomove, swallow ortalk.

Suddenly, Sandy was a prisoner of locked-in syndrome; aware of the world around herbut completely unable to reach it.

Sandy could only communicate with thosearound her by blinking. Barely into her 40s,she had been cast into a living hell, a placewhere few have ventured and actuallysurvived.

The Nettes have since campaigned forgreater regulation in the chiropracticindustry.

n Becoming An Ex-Diabetic, by BarryLandsberg, Panoma Press, Amazon,£8.79 (including postage)AGED 50, Barry Landsberg was totallyobsessed with food and absolutelyloathed exercise. When he wasdiagnosed with Type 2 diabetes,something clicked and he decided totake responsibility for his health and hislife by making some radical changes.

Twelves years on and Barry is nowslim, fit and living a much healthierlifestyle. His blood sugar has been at avery healthy level for over ten years -without the use of medication.

He’s also gained a brown belt inkickboxing, ran two half marathons, andcompleted a one-mile swim.

n Blind Drunk: Light at the End of theTunnel For Anyone Living With a LovedOne’s Alcohol Problem, by Anne Morshead,Amazon, £7.86WHEN a loved oneis struggling withan alcoholproblem it isnatural to thinkyou can helpthem, evenchange them.

But it can alsolead to hugepressures on yourown health and wellbeing.

Anne Morshead shares her experiencesin this new book about her relationshipwith her blind partner –and his addiction toalcohol. TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!

My alcoholic partner

How I beat diabetes

ROBERT Softley is back atthe Edinburgh Fringewith his sensational one-

man show.If These Spasms Could Speak

is a funny and moving insightinto the day-to-day reality ofbeing disabled.

Drawing on real stories fromother disabled people as well asRobert’s own experiences, theshow looks at how their bodiesimpact the way they live their lives,

and how they’re seen by others.Whether sad, funny, touching or

surprising, each story offers anenlightening insight into what itreally means to be disabled.

The show, which runs atPleasance Below at PleasanceCourtyard until August 26, was oneof the highlights of the Arches’Behaviour festival in 2012,performing to sell-out audiencesand receiving critical acclaim.n Tickets, 0131 556 6550, www.madeinscotlandshowcase.com

NOEL Coward’s classic comedy, PrivateLives, comes to The Brindley, Runcorn,with a new twist.

Performed by the newly-formed amateurgroup, Consensus Touring Theatre, the playrevolves aroud a divorced couple who go onhoneymoon with their new spouses only to find,to their horror, that their former spouses arestaying in the same hotel – in the nextbedroom.

It was first performed in 1931, with Cowardstarring in it himself, alongside GertrudeLawrence. Later productions have involvedsuch stars as Elizabeth Taylor and RichardBurton, Vivien Leigh and Lawrence Oliver.n The curtain goes up on Friday, September 13.

You’ve gotYou’ve gotto laugh!to laugh!

Coward classic

n WHERE better to celebrate the magic of the classicVictorian novel Alice In Wonderland than in a Victorian town!n The batty Hatter of Lewis Carroll’s book has issued aninvitation to join him for his Mad Tea Party and a host of otheractivities in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at the disabledfriendly Blists Hill museum in Shropshire.n The themed Alice in Wonderland weekend takes place overthe summer bank holiday (August 24-26). Tel. 01952 433 424.


Each question has four possible answers and is worth from one to 15 points. Circle your

chosen answers and keep a record of your points total. Maximum total points 120.QUESTION 1 – for 1 point:Which cartoon cat was the enemy of Tweety-Pie the canary?A FelixB TomC FritzD Sylvester

QUESTION 2 – for 2 points:On which river is Glasgow situated?A ForthB ClydeC TayD Dee

QUESTION 3 – for 3 points:What type of fruit is dried to make prunes?A PeachB ApricotC PlumD Cherry

QUESTION 4 – for 4 points:Which of these actors first played the role of Dr Who on television?A Patrick TroughtonB Jon PertweeC William HartnellD Tom Baker

QUESTION 5 – for 5 points:Which is the most easterly port in England?A GrimsbyB LowestoftC RamsgateD Folkestone

QUESTION 6 – for 6 points:Of which Commonwealth country is Stephen Harper the prime mininister?A New ZealandB CanadaC AustraliaD Jamaica

QUESTION 7 – for 7 points:Which is the largest of the Canary Islands?A TenerifeB LanzaroteC FuerteventuraD Gran Canaria

QUESTION 8 – for 8 points:What was the name of the gang led by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?A The Hole in the Wall GangB The Tombstone GangC The Black Hand GangD The Clanton Gang

QUESTION 9 – for 9 points:Who wrote the song White Christmas?A Cole PorterB Hoagy CarmichaelC Irving BerlinD George Gershwin

QUESTION 10 – for 10 points:In which year was the Windows Vista computer operating system released worldwide?

A 2007B 2008C 2009D 2010

QUESTION 11 – for 11 points:Which musical contains the song Come Follow The Band?

A The Music ManB BarnumC On The TownD Show Boat

QUESTION 12 – for 12 points:Who co-hosted the game show Countdown with Carol Vorderman until 2005?

A Richard WhiteleyB Gyles BrandrethC Des O’ConnorD Fred Dinenage

QUESTION 13 – for 13 points:Which city stands on the site of the original Aztec capital?

A San JoséB GuadalajaraC Mexico CityD Panama City

QUESTION 14 – for 14 points:Which team won the inaugural Football League in 1889?

A SunderlandB Aston Villa C Preston North EndD Everton

QUESTION 15 – for 15 points:Who was the first European explorer to cross the Pacific?

A Vasco da GamaB Sebastian CabotC Christopher ColumbusD Ferdinand Magellan

Media personality Carol Vorderman. See Question 12

1. Robe (8)5. Freshwater fish (4)9. Spiced Spanish wine (7)

10. African country (5)11. Drowned valley (3)12. Savage (6)15. Midday meal (5)17. Cattle shelter (4)19. Yellow-flowered herb (6)22. German composer (6)24. Trust (4)26. Temperate, moderate (5)27. Most ancient (6)30. Curve forming part of

circumference (3)32. Deal out (5)33. Small falcon (7)34. British nobleman (4)35. Lawyer (8)

1

9

10

16

19

26

32

34

12

2

20

13

23

3

14

21

24

30

31

14

17

22

35

4

11

25

27

33

12

18

22

5

8

10

15

28

5

10

23

24

6

29

7

31

★ ★

★★

★ ★

★

★ ★

★★

★ ★

1. Huge (4)2. Spanish man’s title (5)

3. Deserve (5) 4. Almost (6)6. Evened up (7)

7. Slit (4-4)8. Deciduous shrub (6)

13. Vase (3)14. Talented (4)16. Not visible to audience (3-5)18. Welsh resort (4)20. Cloudy (7)21. Mistakes in print (6)23. Born as (3)25. Ornamental case (6)28. Dancing party (5)29. Temptress (5)31. Sticky earth (4)

Can you find the celebrity name hidden in this StarspotCrossword? Complete the crossword in the normal way thenmake a note of the letters contained in all the squares whichare marked with shaded stars. These letters will make ananagram of the name you are looking for.

ACROSS DOWN

The Accumulator QuizSTARSPOT CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

6 8 7 5 94 6

9 8 5 4 3 69 2 7 4 6 3

3 17 5 6 9

8 7 2 42 1 9 84 5 8 2

THERE is just one simple rule in Sudoku. Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9, andso must each 3 x 3 box. This is a logic puzzle, and you should not have to guess.

EASY DIFFICULT

FILL in the blank squares in the grid with numbers so that each horizontal or vertical line adds up to the total given in the box either to the left or above it. Horizontal totals are given in the top right corners of the shaded boxes; vertical totals in the bottom left corners.You can use the numbers 1 to 9, but may not use the same number more than once in any run. The number may be used again, however, in the same row or column but as part of another run.

9 39 16 126 9

7 3339

912 19

5

12

6

417

12

7

837

4

MEDIUM

KAKURO

9 73 8

4 6 1 22

1 6 51 9

6 2 32 9 4

3 1 8

‘ ‘SAY THAT AGAIN . . .

Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know arethose who are obsessed with themselves. The happiest arethose who lose themselves in the service of others. If wecomplain about life, it’s becuase we are thinking only ofourselves — Gordon B Hinckley

Don’t cry becauseit’s over. Smilebecause ithappened— Dr Seuss

I think happiness is what makesyou pretty. Happy people arebeautiful. They become like amirror and they reflecthappiness — Drew Barrymore‘


3 2 11 25 11 2 11 23 21 18 2 11

2 13 10 8 4 17 21

21 10 21 24 4 8 16 16 6 20 25 26

8 16 17 21 21 20 19

11 18 2 23 15 16 4 17 21 14 14 2

17 20 26 2 5 1 25

14 4 21 8 23 2 2 22 25 21 26 11

1 16 16 7 10 26 26

12 2 23 21 25 11 2 2 5 6 7 26

21 4 8 26 9 2 21

11 18 17 21 5 26 21 25 8 1 2 17

4 23 4 2 26 16 23

11 8 21 17 26 2 1 5 2 2 5 6

Can you place the six dominoes (right) into the grid below in such a way that the number of spots in all four rows across and all four rows down totals 12?

A

B

C

D F

E

1 2

3 4

5 6

CROSS CODE

SPOT CHECK

T B M E T I S D D Y S

T E E R O Y V A T H O

A S S I D A R R I G N

W N O S E N K W L I B

H S R E I O T E L A R

R N E L F M G S I S N

A P L O N O N I E M E

L E B G T N S M B A B

L T E P H E O E B A P

W S E L A B N R E G O

H I T T I R D D U N L

Starting from the central shaded letter, move one letter at atime (up, down, right or left, but not diagonally) to find thesurnames of 18 inventors.

PATHWORDS

DIALLING CODES

MAIDAN

Here is anunusual wordwith threedefinitions, onlyone of which iscorrect. Can youidentify the rightdefinition?

WORD WIZARD

1) Foodcontaining noanimal fleshand so able tobe eaten on afast day;

2) An openspace usedas a sportsground orparade-ground inIndia andPakistan;

3) A breed ofdog with verythick hairused in Arcticregions fordrawingsledges.

Telephone dialling pads combineseveral letters on one key. Herewe have encoded several sets ofwords or items by using numbersrather than letters. Then we havedivided them into groups of threecharacters and run all the namesone after another to make yourtask a little more difficult. Canyou crack the codes?

1. English novelists

876 556 731 353 646 419 665 312 724 371 427 391 264 717 488 317 363 355 124 378 378 661 489 539 124 747 843 137 222 531

928 44

767 846 531 429 737 127 434 314 255 391 776 735 537 124 543 126 246 712 769 171 637 812 224 619 462 419 273 766 618 455

371 328 48

4. Parts of a ship

2. Items of clothing

924 782 628 126 672 518 378 178 625 464 717 447 812 529 371 886 421 265 376 179 328 371 876 873 771 373 771 762 571 843

172 273

287 328 176 321 373 773 718 255 269 124 247 126 652 273 192 737 623 134 826 178 665 174 332 627 312 424 731 566 483 168

866 261 337 5

5. Items of furniture

3. Trees

297 737 714 298 467 616 275 317 463 124 378 688 176 752 716 852 377 912 472 412 437 791 945 569 123 324 179 226 673 162

466 542

834 466 688 412 522 576 651 722 726 768 441 327 826 876 312 522 866 164 634 323 193 966 884 172 674 283 186 778 291 274

448 66

6. English coastal resorts

1[ ] ’ –

2ABC

3DEF

4GHI

5JKL

6MNO

7PQRS

8TUV

9WXYZ

Spaces and any punctuation marksare represented by 1.

Each pair of words has a missing word between them that actsas a link to both (e.g. FRONT – DOOR – MAT). The initial lettersof the six answers (reading downwards) will spell out a saladingredient.

FELT – – – OFF

FAR – – – LAY

ANY – – – – OVER

SET – – – – – FROM

FALSE – – – – – BIKE

BLOOD – – – – – – SQUASH

MISSING LINK

In which year did all three of these significanthistorical events take place?

1. East Germany lifts its road and railblockade of Berlin after allied forces airliftin thousands of tons of supplies.

2. Israel’s first general election is won byDavid Ben-Gurion’s Mapai Party.

3. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation isfounded as the Soviet Union explodes itsfirst atomic bomb.

WAS IT?a) 1949; b) 1951; c) 1953; d) 1955; e) 1957.

MAKE A DATE

TRANSFORMERAdd the given letter to the first word to make a new word.

Clue: Clipped back the hard growth.

_ _ _ _ + S = S _ _ _ _

Accumulator Quiz1 – D; 2 – B; 3 – C; 4 – C; 5 – B; 6 – B; 7 – A; 8 – A; 9 – C; 10 – A; 11 – B; 12 – A; 13 – C; 14 – C; 15 –D.Starspot CrosswordAcross – 1 Vestment; 5 Carp; 9 Sangria; 10 Zaire; 11 Ria; 12 Brutal; 15 Lunch; 17 Byre; 19 Fennel; 22 Handel; 24 Rely; 26 Sober; 27 Oldest; 30 Arc; 32 Allot; 33 Kestrel; 34 Earl; 35 Attorney.Down – 1 Vast; 2 Señor; 3 Merit; 4 Nearly; 6 Aligned; 7 Peep-hole; 8 Azalea; 13 Urn; 14 Able; 16 Off-stage; 18 Rhyl; 20 Nebular; 21 Errata; 23 Née; 25 Locket; 28 Disco; 29 Siren; 31 Clay.Star Name: KEITH RICHARDS

Word WizardNo 2 is correct. A maidan is an open space.Dialling Codes1. Trollope; Fleming; Woolf; Archer; Hardy; Amis; Shute; Rendell; Chesterton; Huxley; Christie; Drabble; Waugh.2. waistcoat; anorak; vest; stockings; shirt; blazer; tunic; bolero; sweater; trousers; dress; socks; tie; scarf.3. cypress; hawthorn; maple; pine; chestnut; poplar; mulberry; birch; cherry; willow; beech; sycamore; magnolia.4. porthole; hawser; bridge; galley; propeller; bilge; anchor; crow’s-nest; cabin; winch; wardroom; tiller; davit.

5. bureau; sofa; dresser; tallboy; chair; bookcase; wardrobe; divan; stool; sideboard; chaise longue; ottoman; desk.6. Teignmouth; Blackpool; Scarborough; Eastbourne; Clacton; Minehead; Weymouth; Ramsgate; Torquay; Brighton.Spot CheckA = 2; B = 3; C = 5; D = 1; E = 6; F = 4.Missing Linktip; out; more; aside; trail; orange. Salad ingredient: tomato.Make a DateThe year was 1949.TransformerHorn + S = Shorn.

D1

E2

J3

I4

T5

H6

Y7

N8

X9

M10

S11

B12

W13

F14

K15

G16

R17

P18

V19

O20

A21

Q22

C23

Z24

U25

L26

983174256572639148461825937295718364714396582836452719158947623629583471347261895

368742591549631278172985436895274613623198745714563982987326154231459867456817329

SUDOKU EASYSUDOKU DIFFICULT

CROSS CODE

939161269

73339

91219

5

12

6

417

12

7

837

4

1572

584967

372496

4151

89142

469738

31

KAKURO MEDIUM

Pathwords: Montgolfier; Shrapnel; Bell; Whittle;Stephenson; Baird; Dunlop; Babbage; Remington; Edison; Watt; Bessemer; Otis; Davy; Arkwright;Dyson; Braille; Siemens.

ALL THE ANSWERS

EACH number in our Cross Code grid represents a differentletter of the alphabet. You have three letters in the control gridto start you off.Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, thenuse your knowledge of words to work out which letters shouldgo in the missing squares.As you get the letters, fill in other squares with the samenumber in the main grid and control grid. Check off thealphabetical list of letters as you identify them.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

F14 15

G16 17 18 19 20

A21 22 23 24 25 26

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


AADDVVEERRTTIISSEE HHEERREE00115511 223300 00330077AADDVVEERRTTIISSEE HHEERREE00115511 223300 00330077

RREEAACCHH 445500,,000000RREEAADDEERRSS .. .. ..RREEAACCHH 445500,,000000RREEAADDEERRSS .. .. ..


0

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Tel: 01978 310414.

n ALTRINCHAM. Tel 0161 9291714n ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE. Tel0161 339 9500n BARROW. Tel 01229 434039n BIRKENHEAD. Tel 0151 6476162n BLACKBURN ANDDARWEN. Tel 01254 690566 or07757 502217n BLACKPOOL. Tel 01253 349427 n BOLTON. Tel 01204 392946n BURY. Tel 0161 764 9966n CARLISLE. Tel 01228631564n CHESTER. Tel 01244 312626n CHORLEY. Tel 01257 260888n COLWYN BAY. Tel 01492533822n CREWE. Tel 01270 580 031n ELLESMERE PORT. Tel 0151355 1420n KENDAL. Tel 01539 740 933n LEIGH, Wigan. Tel 01942 777985 n LIVERPOOL. Tel 0151 7070877n MANCHESTER TraffordCentre. Tel 0161 747 2684n MANCHESTER ArndaleCentre. Tel 0161 839 4060n NELSON. Tel 01282 692 502n NORTHWICH, Vale Royal Tel01606 288820n OSWESTRY. Tel 01691656882n PENRITH. Tel 01768 895 438n PRESTON. Tel 01772 204667n RHYL. Tel 01745 350665n ROCHDALE. Tel 01706 865986n RUNCORN, Halton Lea Tel01928 716971n SHREWSBURY. Tel 01743236900SKELMERSDALE. Tel 01695550066n SOUTHPORT. Tel 0151 2886885n ST HELENS. Tel 01744 613388n STOCKPORT. Tel 0161 6661100n WARRINGTON. Tel 01925240064n WARRINGTON. BirchwoodTel 01925 822 411n WIGAN. Tel 01942 776 070n WINSFORD. Tel 01606557550n WREXHAM. Tel 01978312390

MIDLANDSn BIRMINGHAM. Snow HillRailway Station. Tel 0121 2368980. Level 2, Centre CarPark, Bullring. Tel 0121 6162942n STAFFORD. Tel 01785619456n STOKE ON TRENT. Tel01782 233333n SUTTON COLDFIELD. Tel0121 355 1112n TAMWORTH. Tel, 01827709392 n WALSALL. Tel 01922 650781n WEST BROMWICH:Sandwell. Tel 0121 553 1943n WOLVERHAMPTON. Tel01902 556021

nANGLESEY: TARAN Tel 01407 721933

nBLACKPOOL Disability Information and Support. Tel 01253 472 202. Textphone 01253 476 450

nCHESHIRE CILTel 01606 331853

nCHESTER Dial House Tel 01244 345655

nDENBIGHSHIRE Tel 01745 354445

nELLESMERE PORT DICETel 0151 355 1420

nHALTON Disability Service Tel 01928 717222

nKNOWSLEY DISABILITYCONCERN. 0151 480 4090

nLANCASTER DISCTel 01524 34411

n LIVERPOOL Association of Disabled People. Tel 0151

263 8366. Text 0151 260 4076nMERSEYSIDE Coalition ofInclusive Living.Tel 0151 260 4001nNEUROSUPPORT Centre

Tel 0151 298 2999nMANCHESTER (GTR)

Coalition of DisabledPeople

Tel 0161-273 5154nMOLD Flintshire Disability

Tel 01352 755546nNELSON: Pendle Pakistan

Welfare Association. Tel 01282 603 616

nPRESTON DISC: Tel 01772 558 863. Textphone 01772 204 787

nRHYL Tel 01745 350665nSTOCKPORT: Disability

Stockport. 0161 480 7248nWARRINGTON Disability

Partnership. 01925 240064nWIRRAL WIRED

Tel 0151 670 1500nWEST LANCS HELPLINE

Freefone 0800 220676n ST HELENS DASH

Tel 01744 453053nWREXHAM Tel 01978262955MIDLANDSBIRMINGHAM DisabilityResource Centre Tel 0121789 7365Disabled People’s NetworkSolihull Tel 0121 788 1544STOKE: Disability SolutionsTel 01782 683800WOLVERHAMPTON Elderand Disabled Group Tel01902 448552

ORGANISATIONS FORPEOPLE WHO ARE BLINDnACCRINGTON

Tel 01254 233332nBARROW Tel 01229 820698nBIRMINGHAM Action forBlind Tel 0121 665 4200nBLACKBURN

Tel 0125 554143nBLACKPOOL: N-Vision

Tel 01253 362696nBURY Tel 0161 763 7014nBURNLEY Tel 01282 438507nCARLISLE: Action for Blind

People Tel 01228 595121CHESHIRE & N WALES:Vision Support. Tel 01244381515nCUMBRIA (West)

Tel 01946 592474nCUMBRIA (Sth Lakeland)

Tel 01539 726613nGUIDE DOGS Tel 0118 983

5555nHENSHAW’S 0161 872 1234

Tel 0151 708 7055nLIVERPOOL: BradburyFields.Tel 0151 221 0888:Action for Bind Tel 0151 2983222n MANCHESTER: Action for

Blind Tel 0161 787 9252nPRESTON: Action for Blind

People Tel 01772 320550n OLDHAM Tel 0161 682 8019nROSSENDALE

Tel 01706 873256nSIGHTLINE (North West) Tel0800 587 2252nWIGAN Tel 01942 242891nWIRRAL Tel 0151 652 8877

ORGANISATIONS FORPEOPLE WHO ARE DEAFnBIRMINGHAM Institute forDeaf Tel 0121 246 6101nCHESHIRE Deaf Society

Tel 01606 47831nCUMBRIA Deaf Society

Tel 01228 606434nLANCASHIRE (EAST)

Deaf SocietyTel 01282 839180

nMANCHESTER Deaf CentreTel 0161 273 3415

Genie Networks. Tel 0161 9414549. Text 18001 0161 9414549 nMERSEYSIDE Society for

Deaf Tel 0151 228 0888nST HELENS: DeafnessResource CentreTel 01744 23887nWOLVERHAMPTON Centrefor Deaf Tel 01902 420904nN WALES Deaf Association,

Tel 01492 542235

ARE YOU A WINNER?CONGRATULATIONSto the FIVE luckywinners of ourcompetition to win acopy of the RHSEncylopedia ofGardening.Mr A Roberts, HafodPark, Mold. “AllTogether NOW! is justbrilliant – full of valuableinformation, well writtenand to the point. Pleasekeep it going exactly asit is.” (Picked up at theDaniel Owen Centre,Mold)Mr GrahamHolroyd, Mythop Road,Lytham St Annes.(Picked up atWilkinsons, Blackpool)Mr S Parr, VicarageRoad, Orrell, Wigan.(Sainsburys Southport)Mrs Susan JaneCannon, The Copse,Liverpool. (RoyalLiverpool Hospital)Mr Barrie Walker,Eddisbury Avenue,Flixton, Manchester. “Abrilliant newspaper.”

WERE you among FIVE winnersof our super Spaceportcompetition? All winners willreceive family vouchers forentrance to the Merseytravelattraction PLUS family tickets fora cruise along the Mersey!Mrs Gabrielle Graham, HindsfordClose, Brooklands Estate,Manchester. “What a fabulous paper!It’s a breath of fresh air – informativeand helpful for people withdisabilities and carers. And itreduces prejudices and pre-conceptions some people might

hold.” (Wythenshawe Hospital)Mr Andrew Kay, The Willows,Mawdesley, Ormskirk. (Asda,Skelmersdale)Mr M Sikora, Northop Road, Flint.“This paper is fantastic!” (DanielOwen Centre, Mold)Sue Toomer, York Road, Lytham StAnnes. “What a brilliant read!”Paul Benson, Greenway, Alkrington,Middleton, Manchester. “You havecleverly created a free paper withgreat sections that are of interest toeveryone. (ASDA Manchester).

BRIGID McClennan, who lives in Rathmore Road, Prenton, was thewinner of our competition to win a return Supercruise family ticket toBelfast aboard a Stena ferry. Brigid is a big fan of All Together NOW!She writes: “This newspaper is so helpful and full of informationregarding disability. I think it is wonderful. I picked my copy up atArrowe Park Hospital.”

SHIPAHOY


Stay ahead of the game . . . www.alltogethernow.org.uk

IN A nail-biting final, the Standard LifeGB Men wheelchair basketball teamretained their European

Championships title, beatingTurkey 59-57.

Both teams struggled to find their touch, withGB down 8-16 after the first quarter.

But some key changes by head coach HajBhania allowed GB to level the score at 26-26as they went into the break.

Throughout the third quarter the teams wentbasket for basket with neither side takingmore than a two points lead.

Captain Abdi Jama made the final basket of

the quarter to edge GB ahead 47-45. Turkeyregained the lead at the start of the fourthquarter but a 6-0 run from GB gave them afive point cushion with seven minutesremaining.

Turkey came back with an 8-0 run of theirown, but GB’s re-introduction of theexperienced Bywater and Jama made thedifference.

Bhania said: “It’s fantastic to win gold. Weare a great team, we played really well andTurkey gave us a big battle.

“It was a great final. We had to dosomething special to win and credit to the

team – they were justunbelievable.”

GB’s top scorer Ian Sagarsaid: “It’s fantastic. We cameout here to win and we’ve doneit. We knew the Turkish weregoing to be tough and what afinal to play in.”Standard Life GB Squad:Joe Bestwick (Nottingham,club RSV Lahn Dill, Germany)Simon Brown (London, clubSanto Stefano, Italy)Harry Brown (Halifax, clubSheffield Steelers)Matt Byrne (Nottingham, clubJaguars Lincoln, SheffieldSteelers)Terry Bywater (Redcar, clubCD Fundosa, ONCE, Spain)Gaz Choudhry (Ealing, clubRSC Rollis Zwickau, Germany)Martin Edwards (Bury,Tameside Owls)Abdi Jama (Liverpool, clubsGreenbank, Tameside Owls)Kyle Marsh (Wolverhampton,club Santa Stefano, Italy)Simon Munn (Peacehaven,club GSD Porto Torres, Italy)Ade Orogbemi (Liverpool, clubRSC Rollis Zwickau, Germany)Ian Sagar (Barnsley,Briantea84 Cantu, Italy)n THERE was also bronze forthe Standard Life GB womenteam after their 60-39 defeatof the French.

Head Coach Joe Jayaratnesaid, “Our number one aim wasto make sure this teamqualified for the WorldChampionships.

“Once that had been achievedwe’d have been disappointednot to get bronze.”n www.gbwba.org.uk

WORLD No. 6 Joachim Gerard fromBelgium won the men’s singlesfinal at the 24th British Open

Wheelchair Tennis Championshipsdefeating world No. 2 Stephane Houdet ofFrance 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

On another action-packed day of tennis at

Nottingham, Dutch duo Jiske Griffioen andAniek van Koot also retained the women’sdoubles title, while North American topseeds Sarah Hunter and David Wagner tookthe quad doubles.

British pair Marc McCarroll and JordanneWhiley claimed the mixed doubles with a 6-

2, 6-1 beating of David Phillipson and LouiseHunt. The NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tourreturns to Nottingham Tennis Centre inOctober, when the Tennis Foundation againorganises the Nottingham Indoor, which thisyear has been upgraded to ITF 1 Seriesstatus, just one level below the British Open.

WORLD BEATERS

MERSEYSIDE’S Jamie Burdekinwas responsible for knockingout the first seeded player on

the second day of play at Nottingham.After victory in his opening match against

fellow Brit Adam Field, World No. 10Burdekin, the 2012 runner-up at the BritishOpen, put in a tremendous performance tobeat American fourth seed and world No. 7

Greg Hasterok 6-0, 6-0. Burdekin, who was playing his first

tournament since May after recovering frominjury, went on to put up a battlingperformance in the semi, losing to SouthAfrican second seed and world No. 3 LucasSithole.

Teaming up with Sithole, he also justmissed out on a place in the quad doublesfinal, losing to Hunter and Wagner, 7-5, 6-3.

Tennis stars shine at the British OpenLEFT:Merseyside’sJamieBurdekin.Making hiscomebackafter injury,Burdekin wenton to knockout theseeded GregHasterok

RIGHT:JoachimGerrard, right,winner of themen’s singles

SIR Philip Craven, President ofthe Brititsh ParalympicAssociation, has beennominated to be President ofthe International ParalympicCommittee.

The election takes place inAthens at the committee’sGeneral Assembly fromNovember 22-24.

President Phil?

EURO CHAMPS

CELEBRATION TIME: Standard Life GB players with the Euro trophy. Picture: S A IMAGES


Showrooms at Liver Industrial Estate, Long Lane, Liverpool (behind Taskers, Aintree)

telephone: 0151 524 1700 www.liverpoolbathrooms.com freephone: 0800 999 6500

Stay ahead of the game . . . www.alltogethernow.org.uk

ENGLAND’s heroic playersmissed out by just two points –40-42 to France – in their bid toretain the Wheelchair RugbyLeague World Cup.

In front of a sell-out Medwaycrowd, England clawed their wayback into contention from 36-6down at the start of the secondhalf.

“It was a fantastic game andreally was one of two halves,” saidEngland captain Andy Wharton.“France played their hearts out.”

England had earlier thrashedAustralia 81-10 in the semi, andboth Wales (50-6) and Ireland (86-8) in the group stages.

England squad: ChrisGreenhalgh; Andy Wharton,captain, Martin Norris, MikeStevenson, Ian Kenny, JackBrown, Adam Rigby, Phil Roberts,Jack Heggie, Harry BrownGET YOUR cues out and your

entries in for this year’sNational Disability Snooker

Championship.And you might get the chance of playing

a frame with TV celebrity Jeremy Kyle atthe world famous Capital Venue inGloucester.

“There isn’t a better facility anywhere inthe UK, or probably in the world,” said aspokesperson.

“Our competitors will have the opportunityto play on the World Snooker tables, wherethe stars of the sport compete regularly.

“Everything is well set up to cater for anydisability.”

In addition to the main event, there willbe coaching workshops for players withspecial needs.

The championship takes place fromSeptember 6-8.

The closing date for entries - August 23.n www.southwestsnookeracademy.com

CHILDREN who have lost limbs due tomeningococcal septicaemia showed justwhat they can do on the sports field whenthey met for the first ever children’s amputeesupport day.

Shirley Gieron, at Meningitis ResearchFoundation, said: “Many of the children whocame to our Pushing the Boundaries Day atAlder Hey Hospital hadn’t met others theirown age with amputations from septicaemia,so it was a great opportunity to join in andnot feel like the odd one out.

“The feedback from the event was fantasticand we hope to organise more days like thisin the future”n MRF Helpline: 080 8800 3344.n www.meningitis.org STAR STRIKER: Edward Bright from Ripley

CUE FOR GLORY!CUE FOR GLORY!Are YOU up fordisabled snookerchampionships?

SNOOKERED:TV celebJeremy Kylewill be joiningin the actionat the CapitalVenue inGloucester

How about this for goal of the season?

ENGLAND took fourth spot inthe first ever Wheelchair 7sSix Nations tournament inVichy, France.

Wins over Scotland and Walesgave the young England sidegreat hope, but on the final daythey went down to Italy, Irelandand France.

Coach Martin Beddis said: “Itwas an excellent experience fora young squad, a lot of whomplay for Liverpool Lions.”

It is hoped that the next year’sSix Nations will be held in theUK – with many of the gamesbeing played in the North West.

Englandgo downfighting

Plucky 7

WHEELCHAIR RUGBY

Issue50

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