Hardest Hit March in London

On Wednesday May 11th thousands of disabled people, their families and supporters from all over the country came together to protest with one voice outside the Houses of Parliament and make their feelings known about the impact of spending cuts on disabled people. The day of protest, organised by UKDPC and major disability organisations, sent a strong and powerful message to the Government.

A personal view of the March by Iain McAllister.

Campaign against the cuts March and Lobby 2011.

The march took place on Wednesday the 11th of May. Various members of the NCODP set off from Framingham Pigot by coach at 8am and returned at about 7pm that evening. We arrived in London at about 12:00, with the march starting at 12:30. At the assembly point there was a chance to see many people up on a big screen making speeches about what impact the cuts would have on disabled people, which was of course a negative one.

Many of the speeches were very good including one made by the CEO of the NCODP, Mark Harrison, and another even more passionate one made by Gerry Hunt, a member of the Darlington Association on Disability’s Youth Forum. Once the march was underway, I felt there was a very positive atmosphere. There was very little tension and everybody seemed to have a good time. Once the march was done I went off to meet my MP, Simon Wright, at Portcullis House. This was where we had launched the Youth Forum’s film back in March.

Overall, I felt the meeting went well. I managed to put across most of the points I wanted to make but didn’t get a chance to ask the questions I had prepared. However, he suggested that I mail these to him at another time so that he would then be able to give more detailed answers. I also felt that he seemed to be sympathetic to, and to a certain extent agree with, what I was saying.

In all, I had an enjoyable day and felt it was a positive experience.

New name, workshops and Website from the ULO Project

 The “Increasing Capacity of User Led Organisations” (ULO) project is launching its new name:

The project which supports individuals and groups of disabled people, older people and carers to set up or sustain their groups or Social Enterprises offers a range of workshops, support and services. Workshops so far have included: Exploring your ideas, Business Plans, Mentoring and Funding.

We have received some excellent testimonials’ from those attending this group including: 

“Excellent in every aspect, Keith really kept us all captivated an there was a real buzz in the room”

“Fantastic venue thank you so much for the support of my hearing loss 2”

"I will now register with Norfolk knowledge and use their service" 

“I can start applying my ideas from the tools you’ve given us today”

You can read the full  versions at the end of this article.

INDEPENDENT ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (CIC)

This is the new trading arm of NCODP that will offer administration, finance and office facility services to our members, BIZ-ABILITY participants and other disabled people, older people or carers running a group, social enterprise or business. So much time can be taken up with administration and finance that it often leaves little time and energy for people to focus on the activity or business itself.

Independent Enterprise Solutions – a community interest company - will be offering the following:

• Back Office Services – admin, payroll, book-keeping
• Business Incubation Opportunities including:

• Room Hire
• Equipment Hire
• Postal Address/Virtual Office facility

Website

With the project name decided we can now continue with the development of the project’s website, which will complement the above opportunities with:

• Information and advice
• Downloadable toolkits
• Events diary
• Member’s area
• Links to Independent Enterprise Solutions full list of services
• Stories and feedback
• Future newsletters
• Useful links

If you wish to find out more about the project then contact: Penny Parker on 01508 491576, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Hazel Simons on 01508 491210, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

If you are interested in finding out more about the services Independent Enterprise Solutions offer, then please contact: Sarah Carter on 01508 491210, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The new Biz-Ability Website (avaliable from Sept 2011): biz-ability.org.uk

There is also a Biz-Ability Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Social-business/110695365619521#!/home.php?sk=group_165486980182179

Participant feedback.

   Disability Works CIC.

We are attending the ULO project as these pertinent and well presented workshops are covering very important areas of direct business concerns. Disability Works is a newly established Community Interest Company (CIC). We are very glad that the NCODP has arranged to run this very informative series of workshops which will markedly increase our knowledge and confidence base.

Disability Works CIC is aiming to improve the lives of disabled and disadvantaged people by enabling them to work as ‘virtual back office assistants’ from their homes for local businesses and organisations who are unable to afford full time paid staff. This will help to counter the negative effects of rural isolation by empowering people to run their own home based businesses providing competitively priced standard commercial services such as phone answering, emailing etc.

For more information about Disability Works CIC then contact:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel:01362 695388

Holidays From Home

My name’s Claire Wade, I run Holidays From Home creating virtual holidays so that people who would normally miss out on having a holiday, for health or financial reasons, can enjoy one from the comfort of their home. www.holidaysfromhome.co.uk

I got involved with the NCODP and the User Led Organisation project because I set Holidays From Home up as a social enterprise and I wanted to make contact with other people running social enterprises. I also wanted to share my experiences with others who are in the process of setting up. I am really enjoying being part of the project; I find it incredibly rewarding talking to others who are going through the same things I am and also being able to give advice to people who are facing the hurdles I did a few years ago.

I have ME and don’t normally come into contact with other disabled business owners, so its great meeting so many inspiring people and feeling less isolated and alone. The workshops have been really helpful too, covering a range of important subjects associated with setting up and running a business, any business in fact. I’ve found them useful, even though I’ve been running for a while and I always go away with new information and ideas of what I can try, to make my business more successful. I’m looking forward to seeing how the project continues to develop and I hope to see it extended over the next few years, as I believe it can help so many other people across the region.

Better than all the guide books….

Norfolk Disabled Parents Alliance (NDPA) jumped at the chance for a one-to-one with Mark Causton, a business mentor working with the ULO capacity building programme. NDPA wants to employ a development worker and we took our embryo business plan to Mark for his advice. By chance, we had found a government backed fund directed to “new” organizations that looked promising. With Marks encouragement and a few warnings, we worked through our monthly finance plan, but found the fund held back a chunk of money till well after the project ended, putting it out of reach for small new groups like ours. Mark urged us to question this, as government funds shouldn’t be structured in ways that prevent new groups using them. Although we didn’t win this time, Mark’s experience has equipped us better for future bids. A little while of Mark’s time was worth more than a shelf of business guide books – thank you, Mark!

Shaun Hobbs

I would like to tell you how the 3 ULO workshops I have attended have impressed me. They have given me the tools to go forward with my ideas. I particularly liked the mentoring session, as this gave me an understanding of how to achieve my aims. I found the way the workshops were presented was easy for everyone to understand, and the opportunities to participate were open to everyone there. I think this series of workshops has made it easy for the disabled community to access knowledge and skills from a sector that is normally not involved with us. Building strong inclusive communities is part of our aims. ULO’s are at the fore front of personalisation and will lead in the delivery and commissioning of services in the future.

NCODP Member Group Information

Our member groups are a vital part of our organisation. All of our full Member groups are User led organisations with disabled people making up at least 51% of their management or Trustee committees.

Members include those with mental health issues, learning difficulties, physical or sensory impairments or long term health conditions. The groups provide a wide range of services and benefits to their members including:

• Peer Support
• Information, Advice and Advocacy
• Sporting Opportunities
• Campaigning
• Music Therapy
• Volunteer opportunities
• Social Activities

In this and future issues of the newsletter we will be featuring articles from our Member groups. This will give groups the opportunity to talk about:

• Who they are
• What they do
• What area of the County they cover
• How to contact them
• Recent Events and Activities

If you would like your Full Member Group to be in the next newsletter then please send your articles and pictures to: Penny Parker: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Big Lottery Success For Elite

Norfolk Elite Wheelchair Basketball Club were formed in October 2010 the club was set up to provide an arena for competitive wheelchair basketball within Norfolk. Wheelchair basketball is much more than just a sport for disabled people it is an outward form of expression and socialisation in an otherwise and often isolated sector of the community.

Norfolk has had several teams in the past but these have failed for many reasons but one main reason was the lack of funding to support a team in the county.  With this in mind our priority was to securing funding at the outset.

With a Development Grant from NCOPD and some funding from Norwich City Council we were able to form the team and begin training at Taverham Sports College who offered up us competitive rates for Hall hire. However, the bespoke wheelchairs the players were using to play the sport had been loaded from the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association so we knew we needed to raise in the region of £36,000 to purchase chairs of our own if we were to reach of aim of joining the league this coming September.

In March/April we submitted an application for funding through Jubilee People’s Millions our project was “Elite Chairs” which if successful would enable us to purchase 12 chairs for the club. The interest in the club was expanding and on some of the training nights, players were sat on the sideline because they didn't have a chair!!. 

The next we heard was ELITE had reached the next stage; the Lottery Fund requested several governance documentation to review the viability of our application and asked us to submit our Project detailing timescales, costs, community involvement etc. However, they appointed an officer to support us with this stage.

We had a Constitution for the club and members co –coordinating the usual roles on our Committee but little else!!. We were advised to formulate a Vulnerable Adults Policy, Health & Safety and a policy which looked at our financial procedures. The chap from the Lottery was a godsend.

On 1^st June we were informed we were a finalist in this region and would go head to head with another organisation on the 29^th June 2011, a TV Vote against a group in St Neots, Get Creative, Get afloat who wanted to fund a media Barge for teenagers. Jubilee People’s Millions informed us all the winners and the runner up with the most votes on the night would receive the funding we had requested.

The club then had to launch a publicity campaign in order to secure viewer votes on the night.. We had 28 days!!

 We were offered Media Training in Cambridge to hone these skills, leaflets and posters were printed and circulated, we had been invited to a Sports Awareness Session at Easton College where we now trained and used this event to record a video for the evening which Anglia news arranged, the EDP and Evening News ran stories about our project and we did a radio interview with Radio Norfolk/Norwich 99.9. Finally we used our facebook Group to get the word out to increase our following. Little did we know this had such a bearing on the night..?

Thursday afternoon I received a phone call at work (ILN) and asked if I could come down to the studio at Anglia TV.. of course I asked the question “Had we won?” the reporter said “You had a fantastic response from viewers last night but I can’t say anymore” I rang around the lads and Matt Hodgson; Player Rep came to the studio with me.

In the studio we went through a pre show rehearsal, and were informed our competitors had won the vote!! Was this all talk we asked ourselves?  As Kate the reporter who had supported all the projects took us around the studios.. rather dull and not so exciting.. Yes Sale of the Century was filmed here!!

Little did we know while we were out of the studio a very large cheque was smuggled under the desk!!  We watched “Anglia Tonight” out of camera shot until it was our turn to be interviewed.  Then the programme went to an outside broadcast and sure enough Get Creative, Get afloat was presented with a cheque for £60,000. The rest for now is history...

Yes we did get our funding. We came highest runner up with £1,996 votes such an achievement for a very small new club !!!

So a message to all groups NEVER GIVE UP!!!  ELITE have had further publicity from the media since we are now looking for a Commercial Sponsor for the league.

We hope the club will grow from strength to strength and if you are interested in supporting the team.

follow us on facebook Norfolk Elite Group and Twitter or see our website. http://norfolkelitewbc.wordpress.com

The Black Dog Music Project

Mission Satement

The Black Dog Project is a service user led community music group that provides Music sessions for beginners to ex professional musicians who have suffered mental health problems or disabilities. The Project is proactive and keen to be involved with enabling its members to establish themselves into the wider community and challenging any form of discrimination experienced during their recovery journey.

Our Aims

• The aims of the group are to bring together and enable people suffering from sever and enduring mental health problems and addictions.

• To participate and enjoy re-establishing their past and present skills in music. The group accommodates both beginners, intermediate and advanced musicians in their chosen instrument(s). 

• Participate in forming Bands which receive education and tuition from accredited community resources in performing artist courses. 

• To promote recovery through the therapeutic benefits of music.

• To give every member of the group a real chance of changing their lives through positive social interaction with fellow group members.
  

Our Journey.

Although the project the project was operating quite well from the darkest depths of our basement at 80 St Stephens Rd. We were on reflection beginning to stagnate. We desperately wanted to become a community project but did not have the funds to do so.

Things have really moved on for the project in the last year. Securing much needed funding from the NCODP has enabled the project to become a proper community resource in its own right. Our members have took ownership of the project. We have been able to rent regular weekly space within Earth Studios on Salhouse Rd Norwich to provide our members with 50 weekly 3 hour rehearsal sessions. By having this resource it has allowed the band (Headroom) to rehearse their music to go out and play live to the public. So far Headroom has played live at the festival of 5 and the NNF 2011, with few more appearances on our calendar for 2011 to go.

Help from the NCODP

By becoming members of the NCODP. Not only have we received funding to further our activities but have received ongoing support with the business side of the project. We have had help with networking to other agencies and resources. Offers of help with transporting our equipment for gigs. Enabling our members to attend training courses such as, vulnerable adult training and until recently valuable help with providing us with a banking service until was able to open our own community account.

By being part of the NCODP it has allowed us to grow and no doubt prosper. It is comforting to know that they are there at the end of the phone or PC to respond to any requests for help with problems that might occur from time to time. It is very important that the work of organisations such as the NCODP be allowed to carry on helping vulnerable groups as we cannot survive without this help.

Our future

Our Future looks quite good. With ongoing help from The NCODP we are looking at ways of expanding our service to other client groups. In particular we are hoping to offer the services of the project to learning disabilities. There are various organisations locally that would benefit from the project and currently we are putting together an information pack for prospective groups.

 Norwich City Powerchair Football Club (NCPFC)

Norwich City Powerchair Football Club (NCPFC) is a football club especially for powered wheelchair users, of both genders and all ages, who meet for weekly training sessions (Sundays 6:20 to 8:20pm) at the UEA SportsPark, Norwich. We are affiliated to both the Norfolk FA and the Wheelchair Football Association (WFA), and currently participate in the National League playing against teams from all over the country.

Ever growing in popularity, both nationally and internationally (there is a World Cup tournament in Paris in November), powerchair football is one of only a very few team sports that can be played competitively by powered wheelchair users; typically those disabled people with severe physical impairments.

The sport is played upon an indoor basketball sized arena, using a large (33cm) football and specialist equipment: either a guard that is attached to the players' own every day wheelchair, or (ideally) a dedicated powerchair football wheelchair specially designed for the sport. Teams are made up of four players, one goalkeeper and three outfield players, with the objective being the of any other football match: to score more goals than the opposition!

We are always keen to welcome new players (both male and female of any age) and we have a Child Protection Policy and a qualified Welfare Officer. We are also keen to attract support in any capacity, but particularly in terms of sponsorship - especially in the current economic climate where the majority of resources are being directed towards Paralympic disciplines - as there are always costs involved with running a not-for-profit community club such as ours.

If you would like any more information about Norwich City Powerchair Football Club, or offer to help in any capacity, please contact me, Mark Womersley (Club Secretary) on: 01603 507509 or by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Some quotes from players:

Ben Parkin (23): "I joined NCPFC in 2010 and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done."

Rosie Hodgson (13): "I love football, my aim in life is to be on England powerchair football team!!!"

Thank You!

NCODP would like to welcome any financial help that people are able to give to ensure its unfunded projects can continue. We have now made it possible for you to help in the following ways:

Donations

If you would like to make a donation to ncodp please either contact us directly or donate online using the following links to ncodp:

• www.btplc.com/mydonate

• www.localgiving .com
  

Legacies

Sometimes people like to leave money to a charity in their Will. It costs nothing in your lifetime but goes a long way to ensure some of the valuable work that we do can continue.  If you would like to leave a legacy to ncodp, please ask your solicitor to include the following words in your will...

“I leave to the Norfolk Coalition of Disabled People of 15 Manor Farm Barns, Framingham Pigot, Norfolk, NR14 7PZ, registered charity number 1084108, the sum of £………..”

If you prefer to talk it through with someone at ncodp first, please call us directly on 01508 491210.

 North Walsham Funday - Update

North Walsham Area Access Group had an information and fund raising stall at the North Walsham Funday held on 26th June 2011.

The weather was superb and we were kept very busy with enquiries about our group. We ran a Tombola and we are very pleased to let people know that over 30 local businesses donated fabulous prizes as did many members and friends. In total we had 60 prizes and our table was empty in under 4 hours!!! We also had a Lucky Dip with prizes for children.

We thank all for their generosity, and are so pleased to let you know that we raised nearly £150 for our funds. This will help to keep the group viable.

Special thanks must go to Sandra and David Williamson who worked hard organising the event for us and to Sue, Charlie and Ann for their help too.

NCODP's AGM