Sense patron, HRH The Princess Royal, will visit the charity’s day service in Bourne

HRH The Princess Royal will visit the Sense day service in Bourne, Lincolnshire on February 3. HRH The Princess Royal, who has been a patron of Sense since 1989, will visit the national disability charity’s local centre, which supports people who are deafblind, have sensory impairments or complex needs.

HRH The Princess Royal will have the opportunity to meet the people who use the service; as well as seeing first-hand the specialist support the centre delivers to the region.

The centre, which offers interactive activities to help stimulate individuals with sensory impairments and promote wellbeing, has a range of facilities for its visitors to utilise, including an art room, sensory room equipped with a variety of specialist equipment and a vegetable garden.

Heather Powell, manager at the Sense centre in Bourne, said:

“We’re delighted to be welcoming Sense’s Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, to our day service in Bourne. We’re all very excited and we are all looking forward to meeting her.

“We’re incredibly proud of our facilities and the support we provide for those who have sensory impairments in the Lincolnshire area and it’s a huge honour to have the opportunity to show HRH The Princess Royal the services we deliver from the centre on a daily basis.”

For more information about Sense and the work they do please visit: www.sense.org.uk.

Pictured left to right: Matthew Cockerill and Sam Beresford

A group of 10 young people, with a range of disabilities, recently enjoyed a short break at Macaroni Wood in Gloucestershire, run by national disability charity Sense.

The holidaymakers, with the help of team leaders and volunteers, crammed the week with fun filled activities including; a bouncy castle, walks in the wood, cooking classes, musical sessions and a visit from a travelling zoo.

Sense short breaks and holidays offer people who are deafblind, have sensory impairments or complex needs, the chance to get away from it all and try a range of activities with the help of experienced Sense leaders and volunteers. They also give a much-needed break to families who support the individual.

The charity is now calling for volunteers to join its 2017 holiday programme, with the next breaks taking place in February.

Head of Volunteering at Sense, Eleanor Coker said:

“Our personalised approach to planning holidays means that we can support people to do what they want to do – however simple or complex this may be.

“Our volunteers are a vital part of what we do and without them we could not provide these breaks, which make such a huge difference to the lives of the people we support, and their families. If you want to do something really rewarding in 2017 we would love to hear from you.”

Sense, which has over 40 years’ experience arranging holidays, is looking for more volunteers for 2017. Applicants don’t necessarily need any special skills or experience to apply as training is provided. The charity is also interested in hearing from people with experience of caring for others (could be their own children or a relative or in a paid capacity) or people with sign language skills.

Accommodation, food and activity costs are covered by Sense and training is provided for all volunteers prior to them getting involved with holiday activities.

If you would like to get involved, visit www.sense.org.uk/content/volunteering-sense-holiday. Alternatively, call 0300 330 9250, text-phone 0300 330 9252 or email holidays@sense.org.uk.

Over 60 people to take part in a week of outdoor activity at the Calvert Trust outdoor adventure centre in Exmoor, Devon

Deafblind people from the UK and around Europe will be gathering to enjoy a week of sporting activity in Devon from the 12-16 of September.

The initiative by the Deafblind International Outdoor Network and Sense, the national deafblind charity, will bring together over 60 deafblind people and support staff, from the UK and around Europe, to participate in a week of outdoor activity at the award-winning Calvert Trust Exmoor adventure centre.

The event will enable people with physical, learning, behavioural and sensory disabilities to experience challenging and enjoyable outdoor activities in a safe, controlled environment.  This will include sailing, climbing, abseiling, cycling, horse riding, archery, canoeing and orienteering.

Jon Fearn, Activities Instructor and Co-ordinator for Sense sporting programmes said: 

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming people from around Europe, including Norway, Denmark and Holland for this unique venture. Participation in sport has significant physical, mental and emotional benefits, but unfortunately people with sight and hearing impairment encounter barriers accessing it. The activity programme provides the opportunity to enjoy a fantastic range of outdoor activity in an accessible environment.”

The Government was expected to bring forward plans for a national funding formula for early years providers later this year, once the funding arrangements for schools had been agreed.  The new funding settlement for the early years is an essential element of the Government’s plans to roll out 30 hours of free childcare for working parents of 3 and 4 year old children from September 2017.

Sense, a charity which supports and campaigns on behalf of children and adults with sensory impairments, and people with complex needs, is currently calling for better access to specialist early years support and play opportunities for children with multiple needs.

Kate Fitch, Head of Public Policy for deafblind charity Sense, said:

“Although we welcome the Government’s decision to ensure the National Funding Formula is delivered correctly, we’re worried that the news of this delay could mean that plans for early years funding are pushed further back.

“Early education and play are incredibly important for children with complex needs, however all too often disabled children are missing out on the opportunities they need because of insufficient funding.

“The Early Years sector is facing huge uncertainty ahead of the new childcare entitlement roll out and many are worried that the current money available is simply not enough to match the Government’s ambitions or commitments. An underfunded Early Years system will place significant pressure on providers and could result in fewer places for disabled children and further restrictions to opportunities to access early education and play.

“The Government has promised to address these issues and deliver a fairer system as part of its National Funding Formula for Early Years and it is imperative that no time is wasted in delivering this.”

The report, which states that the scale of the health funding challenge is ‘colossal’, highlights that despite increased health and social care spending, services are under unprecedented strain and struggling to keep pace with rising demand.

Referencing findings from the recent Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ (ADASS) report, which found that adult social care budgets have been reduced by £4.6 billion (31%) in the last five year, the Health Select Committee recognises that the increased pressure on social care funding has been compounded by the growing number of people needing support. The report also revealed that in June 2015, 400,000 fewer disabled and older people received social care than in 2009-2010, as a direct result of Local Authorities responding to budget pressures by reducing access to social care.

In response to these stark findings, Sense has expressed its concerns that financial strains on health and social care are having a detrimental impact on older and disabled people and is calling for adequate and sustained funding for both the health and social care service.

 Kate Fitch, Head of Public Policy at Sense said:

“We know that inadequate social care has a knock on effect and results in further demands on the NHS, which is why funding cuts to social care are simply a false economy.   For example, when local authorities are unable to fund appropriate care it will lead to many older and disabled people missing out on the services they desperately need for day-to-day life, which could lead to deterioration in their conditions and a greater reliance on the health system.

Although the Comprehensive Spending Review included a welcome recognition that more money was needed for social care, the reality highlighted in the Health Select Committee’s report is that the money promised is not enough to fill the current funding gaps.

The chronically underfunded system is having a detrimental effect on older and disabled people who desperately need to access services, which is why it is critical that the Government releases enough funds to guarantee the right level of health and social care support for those who need it.  Provision of adequate social care goes hand in hand with an effective healthcare system and we welcome the report’s proposal that there is an urgent plan for adult social care, which addresses the current social care situation and deals with its effect on health services.”

Deafblind Awareness Week runs from the 24 June – 3 July 2016 and aims to raise awareness of the issues facing people who are deafblind. 

Theme this year is ‘older people’, with over 250,000 people aged over 70 living with sight and hearing loss. Events this year, include a deafblind art exhibition in London, a mass participation ‘sensory walk’ in Exeter and a special fundraising concert in Caerphilly. An art exhibition, mass participation walk and music concert are among the activities being coordinated by the deafblind charity, Sense, for Deafblind Awareness Week this year.

Deafblind Awareness Week, which runs from the 24 June – 3 July 2016, aims to raise awareness of the disability, and is timed to coincide with the birthday of prominent 19th century deafblind activist Helen Keller (27 June).

Throughout the week, the charity’s volunteers, shops, communities and services will be running events and activities. Highlights this year include:

Quayside, Exeter – Mass Sensory Walk – Friday 24 June – 10:30am

There will be opportunities for visitors to explore some of the challenges people living with deafblindness encounter, learn some simple signing and attempt reading Braille. At 11:45 there will be a 4km sensory walk. The event is inspired by Roger Mulholland, a local deafblind man who has sadly since passed away.

Park Regis Hotel, Birmingham – Photography Exhibition – starts Friday 24 June

A photographic showcase of Sense’s work in sport, as it has attempted over the last 18 months to make physical activity more accessible to people with disabilities. The photography has been taken as part of the Deafblind Active project, funded by Sport England.

Caerphilly Workmen’s Hall, Wales – Live Music Event – Friday 1 July

Fundraising festivities kick off with karaoke and a disco from 3.30pm until 6.30pm, with special guest Cardiff Captain Jack Sparrow. From 7.30pm, Caerphilly Workmen’s Hall will then host a special fundraising concert, with live music from three local bands and a special performance by the Caerphilly Ladies Choir.

St Luke’s Community Centre, London – Art Exhibition – Friday 1 July -1pm

A special event will be hosted at St Luke’s in London to mark the end of a community art project involving older people with sight and hearing loss in Islington. During the project, which took place over 10 weeks, the group drew creative inspiration from visits to the British Library and the Charles Dicken’s Museum and with artist Alex McEwan they have created their very own unique and collaborative sensory work of book-art.

Richard Kramer, Deputy CEO of Sense said:

“We’re really excited about the number of events taking place in Deafblind Awareness Week, from a photography exhibition at the Park Regis Hotel in Birmingham, to a group sensory walk in Exeter. We hope that the public take an interest in their local activity and come down and get involved. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about deafblindness, and of course have fun too!”

Deafblind people have a combination of sight and hearing loss and it is estimated there are 356,000 deafblind people in the UK.

The theme this year is ‘older people’, as an estimated 222,000 people in the UK aged over 70 living with sight and hearing loss, Sense has created a booklet to help to understand what an older person living with sight and hearing loss is going through, how to help and where to go for more support.

Download it here: www.sense.org.uk/content/enjoy-life.

Sense UK – Birmingham – MAC
Parent and Children meeting session

National deafblind charity, Sense to run a short breaks holiday and Saturday club programme for over 100 children with disabilities and complex needs  in Enfield

 100 Children and young people in Enfield with disabilities and complex needs are set to benefit from a specialist Holiday Club programme provided by national deafblind charity, Sense. The charity will be hosting a taster session on Saturday 4 June.

Sense is one of the newest short breaks providers for Enfield’s Joint Service for Disabled Children’s Team, and will be delivering an action packed Holiday Club programme for children and young people with disabilities aged 8 and over from the London Borough of Enfield.

The Holiday Club, which has been timed to coincide with school holidays, and the Saturday Clubs, which will run during term time, will take place at The Hadley Centre and TouchBase South East, the charity’s state-of-the-art support centres located in Barnet, just 15 minutes from Enfield. Facilities on offer include a music suite, art and crafts room, a hydrotherapy pool, a multi-sensory room, rebound trampolining, and an accessible kitchen. The sessions have been designed to offer disabled children in the area the chance to make new friends, increase their independence and try new activities, whilst their families and carers can enjoy some respite from caring.

Debbie Snooks, Community Services Manager at Sense said:

“Sense has over 40 years’ experience of providing a wide variety of fantastic short break opportunities to children, young people and their families across the UK.  We are really excited to be extending this offer to children and young people with disabilities from Enfield.  We are in a unique position of having two neighbouring state-of-the-art purpose built centres which can offer young people a multitude of exciting and fun on site activities from hydrotherapy to rebound, to arts, crafts and sensory play.  We can’t wait to get started and look forward to our first holiday club this summer.”

For further information on the Holiday Club, or to attend the taster session on Saturday 4 June, contact Tracy Reid on Tracy.Reid@sense.org.uk or call 020 84490964.