As charities face the credit crunch, increased competition for funding and wavering donor loyalties, CAF Charity Workshops help charities reach more donors in new ways and advise how best to manage charity money.
The Autumn/Spring 2008/09 series of workshops begin on 14 October led by Panikos Efthimiou. An experienced fundraiser, trustee and former actor, Panikos has 28 years’ experience of working and volunteering with charitable organisations and ten years’ experience as a charity trainer. CAF’s range of interactive training gives simple, practical and achievable advice. Focusing on learning while having fun and connecting with other fundraisers, CAF’s training explains how to understand and maximise tax efficient donations, make corporates beneficial friends, influence donor loyalty and effectively promote charities in new and exciting ways. Each session is unique as Panikos finds out what will benefit each organisation the most and creates an exclusive plan. Panikos is also contactable after training to advise and encourage. Sarkia Shah, Executive Director, Theodora Children’s Trust commented on the workshop she attended saying: ”Thank you so much for a fantastic regular giving workshop this morning. I felt really inspired and full of great ideas - I think it was the only course I’ve been on where I haven’t looked at the clock!” For more information on CAF Charity Workshops email pefthimiou@cafonline.org Courses cost £100 per person for a full day and £60 per person for a half day.

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13 August 2008
© CAF

Not all cyclists can compete for Olympic gold, but those who haven’t made it to Beijing have still got something to look forward to as the Mayor of London today unveiled the detail and the route map for this year’s London Freewheel bike event on 21st September, sponsored by Sky Sports. The entirely free, family-friendly celebration of cycling will give tens of thousands of riders a unique opportunity to cycle past the capital’s most iconic London landmarks at their leisure on roads closed to non-cycle traffic. Building on last year’s inaugural event, which saw over 40,000 people take part, riders of all ages and all abilities will enjoy a carnival atmosphere and views of the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, and Buckingham Palace among other sights along the 12 km route.

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13 August 2008
© London

Tim Matthews has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Remploy, Britain’s largest employer of disabled people. Announcing the appointment, James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said: “This appointment comes at an important time in Remploy’s history, with the company having begun work to implement their modernisation plan which will help thousands of disabled people into long term employment. Tim Matthews has a proven track record of managing change within the public sector. I look forward to working with him to provide a more sustainable future for Remploy and to create many more jobs for disabled people”. Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, welcomed the appointment: “I am delighted that Tim Matthews has agreed to his appointment as Remploy Chief Executive.
The company faces important challenges and it is crucial that Remploy increase their sales and work with local stakeholders, to take advantage of public procurement opportunities. I believe that Tim Matthews has the experience and ability to lead the company’s efforts to achieve this and grow Remploy’s Employment Services and Enterprise businesses.”

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13 August 2008
© Department for Work And Pensions (National)

People with learning disabilities are to benefit from £96million in Government funding that will help provide them with better healthcare, community support and employment prospects, Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis announced today. The new £96m of revenue funding, ring-fenced for three years from 2008/09 until 2010/11 will pay for costs incurred as a result of people with learning disabilities moving from campuses to housing in the community. This will include support for health action planning, workforce training and development, advocacy support for more inclusive community based activities and help to get people into employment. This follows on from the £175million announced last year for Primary Care Trusts to help with the capital costs of closing institutional NHS accommodation and providing more appropriate community arrangements for those with learning disabilities. This new and improved accommodation will give people the opportunity to develop important social skills and the freedom to make everyday decisions.

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6 August 2008
© Department of Health (National)

Transport Minister Rosie Winterton, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority were at London City Airport today to outline measures coming into force this month giving up to 15 million disabled people and those with limited mobility new rights when travelling through airports in Europe. From the 26 July 2008, a new European regulation on air travel will mean airports will have to provide services that enable disabled passengers to board, disembark and transit between flights. The rights will also apply to people with reduced mobility, such as someone with a broken leg, and will give a right to assistance once on the plane. This is the second stage of measures designed to protect disabled passengers when travelling by air and creating a consistent standard across Europe. Last year it became illegal for airlines, travel agents or tour operators to refuse a booking on the grounds of disability or to refuse to board a disabled person who has a valid ticket and reservation, except for safety reasons.

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23 July 2008
© Department for Transport (National)

This summary tells you about the Standards We Expect project. Disabled people and others have long argued that it does not make sense to spend money on services which limit people’s choices and their opportunities to live ordinary lives. The alternative, personalisation, aims to support people to make choices and to be included. It goes under many different names, including ‘independent living’, ‘person-centred support’ and ‘self-directed support’. They are all based on the same principle: if disabled people are to participate and contribute as equal citizens they must have choice and control over the support they need to go about their daily lives. This is a matter of social justice. It is an issue therefore which is fundamental to the kind of society we are, and the kind of society we want to be. Moreover, it is essential that the people who depend on services are at the heart of decisions about the design and delivery of those services. This study starts from that position, by asking service users themselves what person-centred support is, what gets in the way of providing it and what helps. It also fully recognises the role of family carers and the important relationship between service users and those managing and providing services. ‘Personalisation’ of public services has become fashionable for politicians, policy-makers and providers. This research is a timely reminder that service users have long been arguing for, and designing, person-centred services. Change will only happen if services are shaped by the people who rely on them. So, an idea which came from service users themselves will only be realised if individuals are empowered to play their full part, not only in determining their own lives but also in the transformation of public services. Download the full report: http://www.jrf.org.uk/bookshop/eBooks/2173-person-centred-support.pdf

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21 July 2008
© Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Major new research launched today by Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, provides a unique snapshot of the lives of nearly 2000 disabled people in Great Britain. Published in the run-up to the release of a Green Paper on Welfare Reform, the report showed that nine out of ten working disabled people believe their job has a positive impact on their life, keeping them active and giving them financial independence. It also confirmed that the number of disabled people in paid employment has increased. However, just over a quarter felt more could have been done to help them stay in work. Experiences and Expectations of Disabled People reports their views on a range of the issues, including employment, education, transport, health and discrimination. Commissioned by the Office for Disability Issues, the study actively involved disabled people throughout the research process.

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17 July 2008
© Department for Work And Pensions (National)

A report published today, investigating the economic value of disabled entrepreneurs in the Northwest of England, reveals that bringing more disabled people into the business arena, could have a net benefit of combined public expenditure savings and better productivity totalling over £339 million or over a third of a billion pounds in the Northwest alone. Considered nationally, the economic benefit to the country could potentially be over £2.1 billion. ‘Wealth Bringers – The Sustainable Value of Disabled Entrepreneurs in England’s Northwest’, written by a research team led by Professor Erik Bichard from the University of Salford and sponsored by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), is aiming to focus attention and encourage better, more direct support for this productive group of people.

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30 June 2008
© Northwest Regional Development Agency

In recent years the issue of housing and disabled children has moved up the policy agenda, and there are currently opportunities for change at both the national and local policy level. This round-up provides an overview of what is known about the housing circumstances of disabled children and their families.  Key points:

Families with a disabled child are more likely to be renting their homes than families with non-disabled children. Whilst there has been an increase in the proportion of familes as a whole being home-owners, the proportion of families with a disable child becoming home-owners has remained the same. Families with a disabled child are less likely to be living in a decent home compared to families with a non-disabled child. Those with a disabled child are 50 per cent more likely than other families to live in overcrowded accommodation, to rate their home as being in a poor state of repair, and to report problems with wiring, draughts and damp in the child’s bedroom. Compared to other groups of disabled people, disabled children requiring specifically adapted homes are the least likely to be living in suitable accommodation.

The great majority of families with disabled children report that their homes are unsuitable for their child’s needs and the associated needs of other family members. Often the home is unsuitable in a number of ways. All disabled children and their families, not just children with physical disabilities, are likely to experience difficulties with their housing. The sorts of problems with housing most frequently reported by families include lack of family space, and lack of space for storing and using therapeutic equipment. Other common problems are difficulties with location and unsuitable or inaccessible kitchens, toilets and bathrooms. Moving, as opposed to adapting the current home, is the preferred option for dealing with unsuitable housing for around half of families. Disabled children and young people spend more time at home than non-disabled children, but there is evidence to suggest that their homes are the most restrictive environments in which they spend their time. Improvements in families’ housing situation can lead to increased independence, more confidence and greater self-reliance among disabled children. However, families can experience significant difficulties accessing support and services to help them address the problems with their housing. Living in unsuitable housing has been found to be associated with increased levels of parental stress. Parents describe the negative impact living in unsuitable housing has on their child’s well-being and development as well as on their own, and their other children’s, physical and emotional well-being.

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5 June 2008
© Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Minister for Care Services Ivan Lewis today announced an extra £900,000 to help disabled people work towards having more independent lives. Speaking at an Office for Disability Issues consultation event on delivery of the Independent Living Strategy the Minister pledged new funding to help create up to 14 user-led organisations become new Action and Learning Sites. These organisations are led and controlled by disabled people and aim to help disabled people lead more independent lives. Also being launched today is the Personalisation Resource Toolkit, part of the early work on the Personalisation Programme. This programme will work with leaders in the adult social care field to help councils transform their systems so social care service users have more control over the care they receive. The toolkit is the first product of the programme and will provide advice and examples of good practice to local authorities as they move to implementing a personalised system.

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4 June 2008
© Department of Health (National)