Over the course of the February Half Term the Midland Mencap Children and Young Persons service ran 12 sessions delivered at 3 venues and reaching over 100 young people. Our theme for the week was Discovery with the aim that all the children and young people would try or learn something new.
At our venue in Sutton Coldfield we had an inclusive cycling event which was very well received. All our children and young people at the opportunity to ride a bike that was adapted to their needs. Some of these included wheelchair bikes, tandem tricycles and hand powered bikes. Throughout the course of the week they also went swimming, played hockey, enjoyed the cinema, took part in a drama and movement workshop, cooked on outdoor camping trangias and tried an indoor kayaking simulator.
At The Enterprise Hub in Weoley Castle, we had a visit from the Google Expeditions team where we entered the world of virtual reality. Our young people were transported into space one minute then under the sea the next!
At all of our sessions, the children and young people had the chance to do arts and crafts, science experiments, role play with dress up and discovery of sensory activities such as digging for worms and creating fossils!
All the children and staff had a fantastic discovery week and we’re now looking forward to all our upcoming exciting sessions during evenings, weekends and school holidays. If you would like to know more please contact the Children and Young Persons’ Team on 0121 256 1500.
We’re exceptionally disappointed at Midland Mencap by this article and the absurd suggestion that having a learning disability, often with associated additional sensory or health issues, may be no longer evidence that an individual has a recognised disability with regard to welfare benefit support. We will continue to campaign vigorously to resist this nonsense as it achieves nothing but promote anti-disability sentiment, social isolation and social exclusion. Please join us in challenging the sheer cruelty of austerity and its impacts on our most vulnerable citizens
As Birmingham City Council meet to finalise the budget, which contains £5m of cuts to vital housing support services to the city’s most vulnerable citizens, the #SaveOurSupport campaign will be out in force supporting St. Basil’s in an awareness raising Flash Mob in Birmingham City centre at 12pm on Monday 27th February. Why not join us at the Flash Mob to once again say to Birmingham City Council with one voice NO to cuts to vital support services in Birmingham. All the details are in the press release below.
Flash mob to take to the streets of Birmingham to highlight fears for a homeless future
Midland Mencap will take seat with partner organisations on Monday 27th February at 12pm in support of a flash mob stunt, created by St Basils, to raise awareness for the Save Our Support campaign.
The stunt will see more than 900 Save Our Support protestors gather in Victoria Square with a blanket for a sit down protest, to demonstrate to the council the sights that will become all too familiar should the planned cuts go ahead.
The proposed cuts means the potential loss of 450 bed spaces in Birmingham for people at risk of homelessness and the likelihood that over 2000 vulnerable people will not receive essential help to keep them in a home. The Save Our Support campaigners are hoping that the flash mob will send a clear message to the council of the devastation the cuts will provoke.
Midland Mencap Chief Executive Officer Dave Rogers comments: “We continue to recognise the Council’s financial position and though the proposed reduction in cuts is welcome no-one should be left in any doubt that this will not avert a crisis for vulnerable citizens now faced with losing vital support. We urge the Council to re-think the cuts to Supporting People and utilise reserves to retain all services whilst working with the sector on future solutions”
Birmingham’s Third Sector Save Our Support Coalition, which includes Midland Mencap, Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid, BID, Birmingham Crisis, Birmingham Mind, Birmingham Rathbone, St Basils, YMCA, BVSC and Midland Heart, stated in an open letter to Theresa May on 16th January that it was likely that more vulnerable people would die as a direct result of the proposed budget cuts to housing support and prevention services, with the cuts sure to trigger a surge in the number of people forced to sleep on the streets, piling more pressure on hard-pressed NHS and social care services.
Initial cuts to the Supporting People budget proposed a £10 million reduction in funding. This has since been halved to £5 million, despite Birmingham City Council completely withdrawing cuts to Birmingham Museums Trust and all planned threats to the future of park rangers.
The Save Our Support campaign has gathered increasing amounts of support over the past two months, with over 1,000 people in combined attendance at previous events on 16th January and 14th February, nearly 1,800 signatures on the change.org petition, and involvement from not only a wide range of charities, but also student groups and trade unions.
For those wanting to get involved with the Save Our Support flash mob, supporters will sit together with a blanket at Victoria Square on Monday 27th February at 12pm.
For more information on the event please visit http://www.stbasils.org.uk/news-resources/news/thanks-to-supporters-who-attended-lobby-to-saveoursupport-please-join-us-on-27th-feb-too-for-one-final-push/#sthash.G8ahtt56.dpuf
For further information on Midland Mencap please visit midlandmencap.org.uk and show support for the campaign across social media using the #SaveOurSupport
To sign the petition visit https://www.change.org/p/birmingham-city-council-say-no-to-proposed-cuts-for-vital-funds-for-vulnerable-people
Over 100 people of all ages, many who had never ridden a bike before, attended our accessible cycling day at Clifton Road outdoor Centre, Sutton Coldfield. People were able to try out a wide variety of accessible bikes as well as go on supported 5km rides across Sutton Park. Everyone had a great time and it was lovely to see so many smiling faces. The question on everyone’s lips was “when’s the next one?” Well watch this space!
Midland Mencap, in conjunction with partner organisations, is organising a mass lobby at Birmingham City’s Council House to oppose planned disability service cuts #SaveOurSupport
Midland Mencap has today announced plans for the coordination of a mass lobby of disabled and vulnerable citizens outside Birmingham City Council House on Monday, 16th January at 10:30am to oppose severe cuts to housing support and prevention services, funded through the Supporting People Programme, for the cities most vulnerable people, with the key message #SaveOurSupport.
Anticipating the attendance of over 300 citizens, Dave Rogers, Chief Executive Officer for Midland Mencap, and organiser of the lobby comments: “Birmingham’s housing support and prevention services are vital, even life saving, for our most vulnerable citizens. These services are funded through the Supporting People programme and cutting them will be catastrophic”.
“The funding provides the means by which the Council fulfills its statutory responsibilities for the Care Act, Children Act, Homelessness duties, Health and Wellbeing and the Southwark judgement.
“The lobby marks a genuine watershed moment in the history of social care in the city of Birmingham and losing these services effectively abandons our most vulnerable citizens at a time when the Council claims to be a caring, inclusive city and the Prime Minister is talking about a vision for a ‘Shared Society’”.
The Supporting People programme is the Council’s single largest Health and Wellbeing programme delivered in partnership with the not-for-profit sector and has already been cut by 50%.
According to Midland Mencap and partner organisations the following social groups involved in the current programme to find and keep a home could be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless following the cuts:
More than 2000 people with mental health problems
More than 950 people with learning disabilities
More than 4200 vulnerable young people aged 16-25, including care leavers
More than 600 people with physical and sensory disabilities
(Can we add in the other vulnerable groups too, i.e Domestic Violence)
Birmingham City Council is consulting on the budget until Wednesday, 18th January with the scheduled date of the lobby timed to allow Cabinet Members the opportunity to reverse their plans.
During the lobby citizens will have the opportunity to hand in completed feedback forms and letters to the Council opposing the cuts with elected members confirmed to receive the submissions at the lobby on behalf of the Council.
Midland Mencap, which currently has five centres across the region, works and campaigns for accessible and inclusive services and a better quality of life for everyone with experience of learning disability and additional needs.
Offering three core services, ‘Safe, Secure and Quality Housing’, ‘Care, Support, Advice and Information’ and ‘Meaningful Things To Do’, the charity provides seamless and holistic support to individuals, their families and carers regardless of need, creating an environment where people are valued equally, listened to intently and included completely.
Lobbyists are invited to join Midland Mencap by 10.30am outside Birmingham City Council House on Monday 16th January to participate in the lobby.
For further information on Midland Mencap please visit midlandmencap.org.uk and show support for the campaign across social media using the #SaveOurSupport
Friends and family joined Midland Mencap staff, volunteers and members to celebrate The 4th Annual Sports Awards Evening.
2016 celebrated The Year of Participation, and with over 200 sports activities taken place over the year, participation seemed a fitting theme.
MP Richard Burden joined the evenings celebrations which saw Midland Mencap staff presenting players in various award categories.
“By encouraging involvement in a wide range of sports, Midland Mencap are putting inclusion into practice, building confidence and changing lives. It is also great to see real achievements recognised in the Sports Awards,” said Richard.
Winners at this year’s award include:
New member of the year – Salma Begum
Team of the year – Midland Mencap Development football team, players include Kath, Jo, Oliver, Nigel, Rob, Bryn, Jordan, Matthew & Jerome
Most improved athlete – Jordan Chandler
Most Improved athlete– Asim Latif
Sporting achievements – Nigel Smith
Sports personality – Jerome Browne
To find out more about getting involved with sports at Midland Mencap, either as a participant or volunteer, please contact The Sports Team on 0121-427-6404
If so please make a referral to the Supporting People Team today (Referral Form link below).
We provide Support Workers to assist with paying bills, budgeting, life skills, staying safe, health appointments & more!
Do you regularly attend meetings or come into contact with key professionals? Please pass them our leaflet (Attached)
Need more information or advice?
Contact the SP Team directly – 0121-442-2944 / hcs@midlandmencap.org.uk – or visit us at 171 Alcester Road, Moseley.
Referral Form: sp-service-referral-form
Flyer: midland-mencap-supporting-people
A walk down memory lane…
Here at Midland Mencap we are always looking to increase participation in physical activity! The SEDY (Sport Empowers Disabled Youth) project is an EU Erasmus+ funded project that aims to contribute to increased physical activity of children with SEND, through a better matching of the demand and the supply of sport/hobbies. Take a look at the survey below;
https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=146237057453