United Response's Blog

United Response awarded funding for Liverpool and Manchester Timebanking Schemes

2009-10-15T11:23:00.001+01:00

We have been awarded funding to head up two Timebanking schemes in Manchester and Liverpool, bringing together disabled and non-disabled volunteers to share their time and skills on an equal footing.

We have received £24,000 in funding from Trafford Council's Innovation Fund and £19,000 from the Liverpool Making it Happen Partnership Board to set up and run the volunteering schemes, which are based on the principle of people 'depositing' time to help others and receiving help back in return.

After volunteering one hour of their time to help someone else in the Timebank, each person receives one credit, which they can then trade in when they need something done for themselves at a future date.

Read the full press release about the timebanking schemes on our website

Making Democracy Accessible

2009-10-12T12:45:00.005+01:00

Here is an excerpt from our press release about Making Democracy Accessible:

Politicians must make democracy more accessible, says learning disability charity, United Response

With a general election imminent, the national learning disability charity, United Response, is launching a set of guides – Making Democracy Accessible - to help politicians, party workers and public officials communicate more effectively with the thousands of people with learning disabilities, who are currently not using their vote.

People with learning disabilities have the same right to vote as everyone else, yet at present many of the 1 million adults with learning disabilities in England are not voting. Research carried out by United Response among the people it supports, shows that while 80% are registered to vote, only 16% voted in the 2005 General Election, compared with a national turnout of 61%.

Read the full press release on our website

Read more about the project on our website

Santa 5K!

2009-10-05T11:01:00.003+01:00

It's never too early to start thinking about Christmas!

Why not enter the 5K Santa Race on 6th December in Greenwich Park, London? Get dressed up, have fun and raise money for United Response!

For more information and to sign up, visit http://www.unitedresponse.org.uk/support-us/santa-5k.htm or call us on 020 8268 5200.

Care for people with learning disabilities must not be overlooked

2009-07-24T17:02:00.005+01:00

As members of the Learning Disability Coalition, we have written a joint letter to the Guardian, which has been published.

The letter is in response to the green paper on the future of social care funding, published last week, and calls for the specific needs of people with learning disabilities to be addressed as part of the green paper debate.

Read the letter to the Guardian on our website

Find out more about the Learning Disability Coalition

Response to the New Horizons consultation

2009-07-24T16:53:00.001+01:00

Su Sayer, chief executive of United Response, says of the New Horizons consultation:

"New Horizons, the Department of Health’s new consultation on mental health, is a bold and positive step towards reform of mental health services in the UK. Its collaborative approach is particularly welcome: by involving people with mental health needs, the NHS and service providers from the start, the consultation is far more likely to lead to a successful new strategy that reflects and addresses the reality of living with mental health needs in the UK."

Read the response in full on our website

Go on - take a challenge!

2009-07-22T11:41:00.005+01:00

Have you ever wondered what it's like to take on a charity challenge? Ever thought it might be too much for you?

It be easier and more fun than you think. Jaime recently took the bike ride from London to Paris challenge for United Response, raising a massive £1,300!

He wrote a diary of his experiences. We're sure you'll want to sign up after you've read it! Read Jaime's diary on our website

And if cycling isn't your thing, why not sign up for the Royal Parks Half Marathon on October 11th? Find out more about the race on our website

Disabled people must not be overlooked in social care debate

2009-07-20T11:24:00.007+01:00

Commenting on Shaping the Future of Care Together, Su Sayer, Chief Executive of United Response, said:

"There needs to be a proper public debate on the future of social care, which is why the publication of this green paper is so important. The demand for social care continues to rise, partly as a result of demographic changes and increasing life expectancy, and we need to work out as a society how to fund it in the years to come, a question made even more pressing by the current economic situation."

Read the full press release on our website

Photography exhibition opens in London today!

2009-07-07T08:11:00.005+01:00

A photography exhibition opens today at Bankside Gallery in London.

The exhibition is the result of a year long project, UR in the Picture. It examines photography as a creative medium through which people can express their feelings about living with mental illness: their hopes, their fears and their achievements.

The project was carried out in partnership with the photographic charity, PhotoVoice.

Details of the exhibition:

July 7th- 11th
Bankside Gallery, 48 Hopton Street, London, SE1 9JH
11.00am - 6.00pm
Free entry

Our charity golf day was a great success!

2009-07-01T12:14:00.004+01:00

Thank you to everyone who attended our first ever charity golf day at Royal Wimbledon Golf Club on Thursday 18th June.

We raised nearly £15,000 from the day and think it was such a success, we are considering doing it again next year.

Please contact us if you are a golfer and would like to play or if your club hosts charity days and you think we should apply to be the benefitting charity next year!

Contact Kiera Ridge on 020 8246 5200 or email her at kiera.ridge@unitedresponse.org.uk

Response to the Learning Disability employment strategy: Valuing Employment Now

2009-06-25T07:04:00.002+01:00

We have made a response to Valuing Employment Now:

We warmly welcome the publication of Valuing Employment Now, the cross-government learning disability employment strategy.

We particularly welcome the ambitious target of increasing employment levels to those of other disabled people by 2025, which implies an almost 5 fold increase in the proportion of people with a learning disability in work. We very much hope that this will be the start of much greater priority being given to employment across agencies working with people with learning disabilities.

From our experience of working with people with learning disabilities we know employment can make an enormous contribution to people's quality of life and social inclusion, as well as having financial benefits.

Read the full response on our website

Every Vote Counts! in Community Care magazine

2009-06-03T09:26:00.002+01:00

Every Vote Counts! - the project United Response has been working on to help people with learning disabilities engage with the democratic procress has been featured in Community Care magazine.

Read the article in full on Community Care's website

Every Vote Counts! website launched

2009-05-14T15:53:00.006+01:00

With elections around the corner, we've launched the Every Vote Counts! website to make it easier for people with learning disabilities to use their vote and have their say.

The website, www.everyvotecounts.org.uk has been built in consultation with people with learning disabilities. It is part of the three year Every Vote Counts! campaign launched by us, and funded by the Electoral Commission. It is designed to open up the democratic process to the thousands of people with learning disabilities in England who are currently missing out on the opportunity to vote.

We hope the Every Vote Counts! website will make the democratic process more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Using pictures, easy to understand words and audio, the site provides information on how politics works, how it affects people's lives and how people can get involved and register their opinion.

It also includes a section where users can feedback on their own experiences of using the website, contributing to its ongoing development as well as the option to register to receive updates as new features are added. The site is continuing to be user tested with people with learning disabilities, so it can be as accessible to as many people as possible.

Read the full press release on our website

Calling all women! Run 5k for us!

2009-04-21T14:12:00.004+01:00

We've got 10 places for the adidas Women's 5k Challenge 2009.

The race will take place on 6th September in London's Hyde Park. And we have 10 places to fill.

To take part, you just need to pay £15 to the race organiser (£5 of that comes to us). And then pledge to raise £150 sponsorship for United Response.

It couldn't be easier! Find out more about the race and how to apply for a place with us

What's it like to be a young person with a learning disability?

2009-04-15T13:01:00.002+01:00

Two young people with learning disabilities are featured in today's Youth special supplement in The Guardian. They explain that having a learning disability does not stop them from having a girlfriend or holding down a part-time job.

You can read the full feature here

They are both supported by United Response.

Letter in Community Care magazine

2009-04-14T11:05:00.004+01:00

We have had a letter printed in Community Care magazine. The letter was a response to the recent healthcare reports.

You can read the letter in full on our website.

Run a half marathon for United Response!

2009-04-06T09:49:00.003+01:00

If you fancy running a half marathon for United Response, we have a number of guaranteed places in the Royal Parks Half Marathon up for grabs.

Over 12,500 people will gather together on 11th October 2009 to take part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon. They will race through four Royal Parks, taking in fantastic views of Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Marble Arch and the Royal Albert Hall.

Find out more about the race and how to sign up on our website

Motor racing champion gets set to raise funds for United Response

2009-04-03T13:05:00.003+01:00

Crispian Besley, from Northamptonshire, is using his participation in historic motor racing as a novel way of raising funds and promoting awareness of the national learning disability charity United Response.

The charity has a special significance to Crispian as they provided support for his younger brother, Dominic, for the last 15 years.

Crispian said:

"Dominic was born with Down's Syndrome and sadly died earlier this year at the age of 48 but his years in United Response’s care were some of the happiest of his life."

"I want to use my passion for motor racing to tell others about United Response’s work and to make it possible for more people with learning disabilities to live life to the full."

Crispian, a winner of the Front engine class of the Historic Formula Junior Championship 2008, is asking people to pledge money based on the points that he scores in this year’s championship, with a prize for the donor who correctly guesses the points and his final position. Crispian won the Front Engined class last year and over the last 7 years has scored an average of 43 points.

To read more about Crispian’s fundraising efforts and support him, go to www.justgiving.com/crispianbesley

Read the full press release on our website

The Perfect Start: New service opens doors for local people with learning disabilities

2009-03-17T12:15:00.005Z

In partnership with the London Borough of Hillingdon, we have recently launched a unique new skills centre for people with learning disabilities in Uxbridge Town Centre.

The centre offers local people with learning disabilities the opportunity to develop the life skills and experience they need to move towards greater independence and employment.

United Response's Chief Executive, Su Sayer said:

"People with learning disabilities often feel isolated and disconnected from the community around them. Perfect Start is all about rebuilding these links.

"Perfect Start's central location is key to this. It means that there are plenty of opportunities, right on the doorstep, for people to use the new skills they are learning and to play a greater role in the life of the local area."

Charity golf day with Steve Rider and Peter Alliss

2009-02-25T13:30:00.004Z

Steve Rider has kindly agreed to host a Charity Golf Day in aid of United Response.

The golf event will take place on Thursday 18th June 2009 at Royal Wimbledon Golf Club.

A highlight of the day will be the after lunch appearance of Steve Rider's commentary colleague Peter Alliss who can offer a whole range of great stories and strong opinions from the world of golf.

Registration fee is £125 for a single entry and £500 team entry for four players. We will also have a beginners' swing clinic at the cost of £60.

Read more about this event on our website

Use this link to book online

New working with families section!

2009-02-24T14:32:00.004Z

We have added a new working with familes section that has information on how United Response is committed to working with the families of the people we support. We aim to form a partnership that respects everyone's roles, skills and responsibilities.

This section new of our website tells you about how we work with families, our promises to you and more about our values.

It also contains our brand new magazine for families: In Touch. You can read it online or download a PDF.

Visit our new working with families section

Go to In Touch magazine

Braving the cold: Chris Browne runs 10th marathon for United Response

2009-02-23T10:43:00.001Z

It may be one of the coldest winters in recent years, but that isn’t stopping Chris Browne, aged 53 from Epsom, who is already out pounding the streets, in training for his 10th marathon for the national disability charity, United Response.

Over the years, Chris has managed to raise a remarkable £18,000 for the charity and with his 2009 London Marathon attempt on 26th April, he hopes to raise even more.

Read the full press release and details on how to sponsor Chris

Animation film premiers at Liverpool’s Big Screen

2009-02-20T12:13:00.003Z

An animation film made by some people with learning disabilities supported by United Response in Liverpool is being shown on the big screen.

Written, produced and performed by the group from Anfield, “From Oakfiends to Iron Men” is a time travelling adventure, which sees Dr Who taking on his archenemies the Daleks with the help of Crosby Beach’s ‘Iron Men’.

This seven minute animation - a collaboration between the disability charity, United Response and the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) - is being shown hourly at Clayton's Big Screen until 28th February.

Read the press release on our website for more information

Winfield in Chatham is changing lives through IT training

2009-02-11T14:22:00.003Z

Winfield is an IT training specialist for people with mental health needs, they combine flexibility and continuity to help people move on.

They opened their doors in Chatham three years ago offering their support to people who needed to gain new skills and rebuild their lives, with 75 people currently using the centre on a regular basis.

Winfield has achieved an exemplary pass rate of 85% and offers training across a range of industry standard software including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher and Internet Explorer.

Read the full press release on United Reponse's website to find out more.

Every Vote Counts! pack launched

2009-01-30T11:57:00.006Z

We have launched free multimedia tool to engage people with learning disabilities in the democratic process.

With European Parliamentary elections this June and a UK general election just around the corner, we have made a pack to make the democratic process more accessible to the thousands of people with learning disabilities in England.

The pack has been made as part of the three year project Every Vote Counts! which is funded by the Electoral Commission.

The CD and booklet helps people with learning disabilities and their support workers to engage more with politics. It covers everything from why politics is important, to how to support someone to lobby their MP or to join a local action group.

Research carried out by United Response, as part of the project, revealed that while 80% of people with learning disabilities supported by the charity are registered to vote, only 16% participated in the last general election. This compares with 61% turnout across the nation as a whole.

Read the full press release about the pack launch on United Response's website

Go to the Every Vote Counts! website to order your pack

Valuing People Now strategy published

2009-01-20T11:31:00.007Z

The government has published its three year strategy Valuing People Now.

This sets out a strategy for people with learning disabilities following consultation.

We have commented on this on our website. Read our press release about Valuing People Now.

You can find the full strategy, an executive summary and an easy-read version on the Department of Health's website.