Everyone at Disability Cornwall wishes Lisa the very best of luck for when she runs the London Marathon on Sunday.

We are all very proud she is running the Marathon to raise funds and awareness for Disability Cornwall and we all appreciate the hard work she has put in over the last year.

Lisa's running number is 28793, so if you are in London please support her, or keep your eye out for her on the TV coverage – she has promised to wave at every TV camera she sees!

It's still not too late if you would like to sponsor Lisa, please go to this page to sponsor her – 100% of this will go direct to Disability Cornwall.

We are planning on celebrating Lisa's achievement and full details of the event will be out shortly.

Undateables looking for people in the South West to take part in the next series

Are you single and looking for love?

Do you have a physical or sensory impairment, a learning disability or other impairment, or a long term condition and want to meet the person of your dreams?

'betty' are making a third run of the romantic, insightful and acclaimed documentary series The Undateables for Channel 4.

Betty are looking for people in the South West to take part.

Once again they will be following disabled people and those with a variety of conditions through the highs and lows of their quest to find love. As with both previous acclaimed series they will explore and challenge some of the issues and barriers that are faced.

If you are interested in taking part please use the below contact details

T: 020 7290 0223

E:

They also have a facebook page link below

http://www.facebook.com/TheUndateables2

and a twitter feed link below

https://twitter.com/#!/UndateablesTeam

If you would like to watch the last series again, it is available on 4OD on the below link

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-undateables/4od#3484850

BBC One DIY SOS The Big Build is looking for major domestic renovation & construction projects. In the past such as wet rooms, stair lifts etc.

The online application form is here.

If you employ a personal assistants(PAs) you can access a £1m government training fund for you and your staff. 

The Workforce Development Fund for individual employers will pay for any training or qualifications deemed to be value for money by workforce development agency Skills for Care, which distributes the cash.

Importantly, the fund covers travel expenses and backfill costs for replacement PAs to cover those on training, and is open to people whose PAs have been recruited by and have their salaries paid by their local authority. Money is also paid directly into the person's bank account, rather than to the training provider.

The  funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so make sure if you want to make a application you get them in as soon as possible (the formal deadline is 30 September 2013). 

Past recipients of the funding have used it to enable their PAs to achieve formal qualifications, such as the level 3 diploma in health and social care, or gain more specific skills, such as in autism awareness or passenger transport assistance.

For further details please see the below website

http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/individualemployerskillsfunding/

or by using the below contact details 

E:  

T: 0113 241 1275

The family were originally told by Sheffield Council they would have to pay the tax because their children could share a bedroom, despite one of them being severely disabled and the fact they were actually moved to a bigger property only last year, because their daughter needed her own room. Earlier this year, they were warned they would have to pay the bedroom tax or move to a small home.

The Sheffield Law Centre successfully argued the 'tax', which came into effect this month, was a breach of the family's human rights because they were not being treated differently from non-disabled families, despite the impact of the bedroom tax being worse on them than families where children can share a room.

The verdict means the family, who declined to be named, will now not be penalised by the bedroom tax.

Douglas Johnson, of Sheffield Law Centre said: "The whole point of Sheffield Council rehousing this family in 2012 was because they genuinely realised the need for adequate housing."

For full story from the press pease click here.

Please find below links to two stories which, finally, show that some of the national organisations have noticed what Disability Cornwall and others have been saying for months, that the 'cumulative effect' of all the benefit cuts will hit many disabled people extremely and unfairly hard.

www.demos.co.uk/publications/destinationunknowndisability

www.scope.org.uk/news/disabled-people-set-lose-283bn-support-2018

If you are affected by the benefit cuts, please contact your MP and our template letter can help you with what to say.

Template Letter

As always, if you are worried about your personal circumstances and benefit entitlements, please call DIAL.

T: 01736 759500
E:

The new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was introduced this month as a replacement for the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged between 16 and 64 years of age.

New claims can be made from June 2013, but for current DLA claimants who are experiencing no changes to their circumstances or who do not have a fixed period award, they will not be contacted about migrating onto PIP until 2015 at the earliest.

If you have any concerns about PIP, your current DLA, or any other entitlement, please contact DIAL.

T: 01736 759500

E:

Disability Rights UK have issued press release concerning a current legal challenge to the Government about the introduction of PIP. You can read about it here:

http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2013/april/we-support-pip-mobility-court-case

Charity Papworth Trust is offering free respite holidays to disabled people and their families thanks to £2 million from the Big Lottery.

Often, a typical 'respite' is where the disabled person goes away while their family stays at home. The Trust's respite holidays are unique because they offer a chance for the whole family to together have a supported break, without the pressures of everyday life.

Photo of Jimmy Doherty and the 3 young people left to right: Luke, Lucy and Sophie, who featured in the Channel 4, Secret Millions programme.

A pilot for the new holiday service was recently shown on Channel 4's The Secret Millions. Luke, 19, from Peterborough took part in the filming with his parents Chris and Jane. Luke has down's syndrome and was quite shy at first. Since the respite holiday he has become much more independent, taking part in local amateur dramatics and setting his sights on a role in the BBC Soap, EastEnders one day.

Please contact Charity Papworth Trust for further information.
T: 0800 952 5000
www.papworth.org.uk/kerryfarm

Consolor Ltd will be demonstrating some of the products and services they provide at the Cornwall Mobility Centre on Tuesday 23 April 2013, from 10am – 3pm.

Refreshments available. Samples of the following products will be available for people to try.

1. Delfi (photo above) and Sharky seating system for children and adults.

2. Vakuform Lying Support System, the seat frame lining for whole body protection and to realign posture

3. Clozitt toilet and shower chairs for children and adults.

4. Zitzi car seats, including a footrests and turntable.

Please contact Cornwall Mobility Center if you need more information.

 T: 01872 254920

www.consolor.co.uk

www.cornwallmobilitycentre.co.uk