Having operated at full capacity for years the charity will move into the new buildings before the end of the year.

Staff turned out to watch the demolition earlier this month and play services manager Paul Wilson, said: “It was an emotional day watching the Challengers Guildford Centre demolished.

“I’ve been at Challengers for 17 years and over that time I’ve seen so many children benefit from the fantastic fun they’ve enjoyed there, and it’s for them that we need to build a new play centre and provide a better quality and bigger play space.

“We can’t wait to show the new centre to hundreds of children and their families when we move back in at Christmas time.

“In the meantime, the Guildford Play schemes will continue to operate from Urban Saints on Stoke Park.”

Fundraising appeal

The new Challengers centre will continue to be home to the Guildford Play Scheme, with capacity for an additional 50 disabled children. There are currently 150 children who use the scheme and the building will provide an enhanced and larger play space. It will also give the charity capacity to expand their future youth and young adult schemes.

A Big Build Appeal is underway to raise funds for the development and running costs.

Laura Sercombe, Disability Challengers chief executive, said: “The Big Build is an ambitious project for Challengers and we still have to do lots of fundraising if we’re going to achieve all we want for the space, so we hope the Guildford community will continue to get behind us and help make this possible.

“My door is always open to anyone who would like to come and see the plans. We’re all so excited to share our vision for the Guildford Play Centre and Challengers.”

The new centre will be a two-storey building covering 357sq m. It will have specialist spaces such as an art room, soft play area and sensory room.

Play groups are provided for children over the age of two as well as services for teenagers and adults up to 25.

The Guildford building is the headquarters for the charity, which helps 1,400 disabled children and young people each year. It operates at schools and youth centres throughout Surrey.

By Andre Langlois

Get Surrey

Thomas Dixon has extensive charity fundraising experience and is currently Events Manager at disability charity Scope. “There is much opportunity for small charities to capture in the marketplace, as long as efforts are channelled in the right direction,” said Thomas. ”I am looking forward to contributing to the future development of Mobility Choice.

Mike Simmonds is well known in the mobility industry as the founder of Q’Straint, the wheelchair and occupant restraint systems company, and Disabilinet Technologies Limited. He, too, has considerable charity experience, including currently as Ambassador for the Porchlight homelessness charity and the UK-based BEARR Trust that helps children and other vulnerable people in overseas countries. Said Mike: “I am a great admirer of Mobility Choice, in particular the way the charity has developed the annual Mobility Roadshow to be the UK’s most popular consumer event of its kind. I am excited to be contributing to an organisation whose vision is close to my heart.”

“We are delighted to have Thomas and Mike join us,” said Jacqui Jones, Chief Executive, Mobility Choice. “Each has substantial strategic business expertise that will be a great asset to our future development plans to broaden the scope of the charity and the continuing success of the Roadshow.”

www.mobilitychoice.org.uk

www.mobilityroadshow.co.uk

http://getgoinglive.co.uk 

]]> http://posabilitymagazine.co.uk/2013/05/07/two-new-trustees-join-the-mobility-choice-board/feed/ 0 http://posabilitymagazine.co.uk/2013/04/16/learning-disability-charity-receives-1000-from-the-revue-variety-company/ http://posabilitymagazine.co.uk/2013/04/16/learning-disability-charity-receives-1000-from-the-revue-variety-company/#comments Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:02:18 +0000 posabilitymagazine http://posabilitymagazine.co.uk/?p=26437 An Abbots Langley charity dedicated to supporting people with learning disabilities has received a £1,000 cheque which it hopes to spend on days out and trips to the theatre.

The Monday Club based in the Abbots Langley Community Centre is pleased to have been presented with the donation by the Revue Variety Company – a Kings Langley amateur drama company.

The club will now spend its money on the general upkeep of the club and activities including yearly trips to the theatre, bowling outings, arts and craft events and supper.

John Fisher, chairman of the club, said: “Our members love the theatre and really enjoy themselves singing and dancing along. Only a few weeks ago we took 38 members and helpers to London to see the musical show We Will Rock You.

“If organisations didn’t make donations our ladies and gents wouldn’t get the chance to visit the theatre so we are really grateful to Revue Variety Company and would like to say a big thank you to them.”

By Rebecca Perring

Watford Observer

The Muscle Help Foundation (MHF) is a small family charity which delivers amazing and unforgettable experiences in the UK called Muscle Dreams for children and young people afflicted by the muscle wasting disease, Muscular Dystrophy. Today sees the launch of their short film on the charity’s flagship2012‘Games Inspired Muscle Dreams’ (GIMD) programme.

The film which premiers at midday through the charity’s YouTube Channel at http://youtu.be/NrQPXtAjGb4 was produced and sponsored by one of the charity’s supporters, award winning meeting and events agency Zibrant. It provides a compelling insight into the lives of 75 children and young people with the muscle wasting disease Muscular Dystrophy (along with their families) who successfully applied online through a bespoke nomination system.

Muscular Dystrophy affects over 70,000 people in the UK and varies in complexity with no known cure. As part of the charity’s on-going work, this innovative Paralympic related project was in development for over two years and was conceptualized by MHF’s inspirational CEO.

Over the 10 days of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, the programme provided beneficiaries with lasting memories and played an important part in driving some exciting legacy initiatives. Most recently, the establishment of a team of Powerchair Football players called Muscle Warriors all of whom have the most severe form of muscular dystrophy known as Duchenne or DMD. The disease affects the heart and respiratory muscles in around 1 in 3500 boys resulting in muscle degeneration and eventual death.

Commenting on the video Michael said, “The video highlights what a fantastic 10 days we had at the Paralympic Games, how lives have been changed and how people can get involved to support our work”.

Michael is calling for  those who watch and are inspired by the film, or those who want to lend their support to either donate by texting MUSC13 £10.00 to 70070 or by simply clicking the Donate Now With Virgin Money Giving button on the charity’s homepage at www.musclehelp.com

Adam is a lively teenager with three older brothers and a sister who is currently studying for a Film Production and Direction Diploma at Newbury College. He currently lives with his parents Tony and Ruth who support and care for him as Adam has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy which is a life-limiting, muscle wasting condition that severely reduces mobility. To remain mobile Adam uses a cutting edge, Scandinavian Etac Balder powerchair that was kindly donated to him three years ago by the Caudwell Children’s charity. This powerchair allows Adam to move around freely at home and college, travel in the car and achieve multiple positions for improved comfort and easier transfers. He is determined to attempt a ‘wing walk’ to raise funds for this charity to say thanks for the donation and to help fellow disabled individuals, however health and safety issues are preventing him from fulfilling his dream. Adam is desperate to hear from any aerial acrobatic company who could help him achieve his goal.

Adam’s wing walk would also raise funds for The Muscle Help Foundation which organised an all expenses paid trip, to the 2012 Paralympics in London for both him and his father, Tony Yuill. Tony explains: “Adam is really keen to begin planning and organising his charity wing walk however the issue of health and safety has halted his dream. Adam needs to be safe whilst completing this challenge, but surely there is a flying school out there that could help? They would also be assisting with raising desperately needed funds for both Caudwell Children and The Muscle Help Foundation at the same time, we’d be over the moon to hear from them!”

Tony continues: “He has already raised over £1,000 for Caudwell when he completed a tandem sky dive 18 months ago but still feels this is not enough and wants to do more for the charity. He also wants to raise funds for the fantastic Muscle Help Foundation co-founded by the inspirational, Paralympic torch-bearing Michael McGrath who also owns an Etac powerchair. We were so thrilled to be awarded one of the 75 places on the ‘Games Inspired Muscle Dreams’ programme at the Paralympics – it was such a memorable experience that we will never forget. Adam met younger individuals with Muscular Dystrophy during this event and this has encouraged him to help people in a similar situation. We do hope someone can turn his dream into a reality.”

Adam has played powerchair football for two years in the Premiership division and his team, the Aston Villa Rockets, is based in Erdington, Birmingham. He was previously top goal scorer for Gillingham before transferring and his Dad is currently a coach at Villa. Tony is currently helping to push for the sport to become a Paralympic event, which might become a reality at the 2020 Games as there is no competition specifically for powerchair users.

www.etacuk.com

Buzz Aldrin has arrived in Britain to help people with disabilities become pilots.

The Apollo 11 Astronaut signed up to fly virtual journeys in a round-the-world flight-simulator challenge.

He is one of 100 pilots who are attempting to fly 22,000 nautical miles over 10 days for the charity Aerobility and set a new Guinness world record for the longest duration simulator flight.

Other pilots taking part include ex-England international and former RAF pilot Rory Underwood, chief executive of BA’s parent company Willie Wals; Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson; RAF chief Sir Stephen Dalton and explorer David Hempleman-Adams.

They hope to raise £100,000 to buy a new flight simulator adapted to help people with physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and learning difficulties fly a plane.

Flying to freedomBuzz Aldrin, whose ‘journey’ involved ‘flying’ over Indonesia, told BBC Radio 4′s programme You and Yours he was delighted he could fit it into his schedule: “I’m so happy that I am able to see what good work is being done here by the charity.

“The simulator can be a very useful tool in building the confidence and the sense of well-being and sense of achievement of disabled people.

“And it’s not just a dexterity test – it’s actually leading towards flying an aeroplane, which gives a sense of freedom to people.”

People like ex-soldier Dave Rawlins who, until 18 months ago, had never flown a plane. He was injured in 2008 while working in Afghanistan.

After lengthy rehabilitation and recovery he decided to take up flying in April 2011. His first lesson was with the disabled flying charity Aerobility in a flight simulator.

Dave says without the simulator he would not have dared to try: “The simulator is a fantastic bit of kit, it helps us go through all our emergency procedures – stuff that you don’t want to do in the air like turning off the engine, you can do in the simulator and that’s what it is all about!”

It allows trainee pilots to practise safely before leaving the ground, and is a fraction of the cost of taking a plane up.

“You can adjust the weather to how you want it, you can make failures happen – instrument failures, engine failures, fires – and you can go through all your procedures.”

Buzz Aldrin said a flight simulator is crucial for any type of flight – including the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969.

“I spent a lot of time with my crew mates in the lunar module simulator in Houston, and then in a very advanced high-fidelity replica of the actual lunar module, for the last month of training, before the Apollo 11 mission.

“The command module simulator was used primarily for Mike Collins, who was the command module pilot, and we would get together, the three of us, [Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Mike Collins] if we were simulating a part of the mission – going to the Moon, or coming back from the Moon – where we were making critical manoeuvres to come back to Earth.”

‘Confidence-building’The 82-year-old said the simulator flights ironed out potential problems that could have arisen during the historic Moon landing: “There would have been a lot of on-the-spot changes and maybe mistakes made, but you learn how to deal with the emergency situations.

“I’m sure that as part of the confidence-building for Aerobility, occasionally there are little surprises put in there, to see if the alert trainee or operator can identify and come up with what the fix is, because that could also happen actually during a flight.”

Dave Rawlins achieved the 45 hours single-engine flying time needed to win a private pilots licence at the beginning of 2012.

Then he heard Paralympic organisers were searching for a disabled pilot to conduct the flypast at the Paralympic Games opening ceremony for London 2012. He applied, took a navigational test, and won.

With co-pilot Tim Orchardas – a former Concorde pilot – he flew low over the packed stadium.

“We were 800ft above the Olympic Stadium, at night, heading towards it, with flash photography going off – it was just this unbelievable picture in front of me. I am very lucky.”

Dave recently left the Army, and his hobby has now turned into the day job – he has just been offered a position with an aviation company.

Fresh perspectiveMike Miller-Smith, the chief executive of Aerobility said: “To have the support of aerospace hero Buzz Aldrin is incredible. Mr Aldrin has truly seen the world from a different perspective, from the Moon.

“For disabled people, life is often about exploring capabilities and facing new challenges – and in a small way this perspective is the same.”

Last year nearly 400 people flew in Aerobility’s specially adapted aircraft or in a flight simulator from the charity’s headquarters at Blackbushe Airport in Camberley, Surrey.

The simulator is made from a genuine fuselage of a Piper Warrior aeroplane, identical to the training aircraft used by the charity. Surrounding screens show accurate, projected videos of the passing scenery and engine noises are designed to emulate the real thing.

Mike is confident anyone who wants to fly can fly: “Everyone gets the chance to participate, so the aircraft (and the simulator) are adapted for people with different physical disabilities to fly. We also work with people who have learning difficulties as well.

“The aircraft have a hand control to allow someone with a learning disability for example, to operate the rudder and the simulator is adapted in exactly the same way.

“We’ll get someone in the air or in the simulator – it’s great fun.”

Getting the right lighting is crucial for older people and especially those with some level of sight loss. The new guide, Choosing Energy Saving Light Bulbs for Your Home, provides what everyone needs to know about buying energy saving bulbs.

It dispels some common myths and shows that the new bulbs can be just as bright, effective and easily controlled as the old ones.

Says Sarah Buchanan, Research Director, Thomas Pocklington Trust:

“Older people and people with sight loss don’t need to worry about switching to energy saving light bulbs.

Our new guide explains which bulbs to buy for different areas in the home, for different levels of lighting and for a quick delivery of the light that’s needed.

We know from research that having the right lighting dramatically improves the lives of people with sight loss.  This new guide will help them achieve it.”

This month (September) the traditional, incandescent light bulbs will be withdrawn from sale and everyone will have to buy energy saving light bulbs, but many people have been deterred from changing to the new bulbs as early versions were slow to warm up and gave off a blue/white light that people didn’t like.

Now the new guide shows that a bigger, better range is available.  By explaining which bulb works best for specific needs the guide dispels myths and demystifies the choice of which bulb to buy.

Appearance:  New energy saving bulbs provide the same yellow light as the old-fashioned bulbs and they don’t flicker.

Fittings: Energy savers come in bayonet and screw fitting, just like the old bulbs.

Start-up:  Halogen and LED (light emitting diode) lights come on immediately as soon as switched on and new “quick start” compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs come on in less than 30 seconds.

Flexibility:  Halogen bulbs are best for using with dimmer switches. Both halogen and LED bulbs can be used with timers or movement sensors and these are also best for use in cold areas such as pantries and garages.

Cost:  Although new bulbs seem expensive, they save money in the long run.  Some can last for 10 years or more and they cut electricity bills. One £5 CFL bulb, for example, should pay for itself in just one year, says the guide, saving up to 80% of energy compared to a traditional bulb.

The guide also explains the new word to look for on packaging – lumens. This denotes the brightness of the bulb and is more important to look for than the old measurement of wattage.

Energy saving bulbs will have a lower wattage than people are used to (ie. they use less energy) but the brightness (ie. lumens) is higher. The guide recommends the ideal lumens for specific areas of the home; at least 1000 on the stairs for example, but only up to 250 when fitted under kitchen cabinets.

The consumer body Which? has also contributed to the guide, recommending the Best-Buys in energy saving light bulbs for brightness and speed of start-up.

The guide – Choosing Energy Saving Light Bulbs For Your Home – is available online at www.ricability.org.uk and can be downloaded as a PDF.

It is also available as a print booklet and as an audio-CD or in Braille.