Bulletin #37 – July 2025
(to download a PDF of Bulletin click https://disability-equality.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Bulletin-37-July-2025.pdf
It’s Summer!
The days are brightening, and the temperatures are heating up!
Bulletin Contents
General Contact Details
VJ Day Celebrations
Donations for VJ Day Celebrations
Reminder: Our Community Hub is Now Open!
Community Hub Updates
Donations
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers’ Week Celebration @DENW
Disability Pride 2025
Healthy Lungs Workshop
Public Transport Access to Primary and Secondary Care- Engagement Sessions
Understanding Blind Individuals’ Use of Generative AI Research Project
Recipe of the month: Tomato, Basil & Red Lentil Pasta
Good News Stories from DENW
Accessible holidays
Please note: Due to the rising costs of postage, and the desire for our bulletin to be as accessible as possible, all future bulletins will be sent by email as a link to view via our website, where the accessible/language feature it offers can be utilised. If this is not accessible to you however, please contact Heather@disability-equality.org.uk to request an alternative format.
You have received the link to our bulletin as you are on our membership list. Should you wish to opt out of this, please contact Heather@disability-equality.org.uk
General Contact Details
Lancashire Independent Living Service
- Monday to Friday: 9am – 5pm
- Telephone: 01772 558863 (option 1)
- Email: lils@disability-equality.org.uk
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LancashireIndependentLivingService
General Advice
- Monday to Friday: 9:30am – 3pm for face to face. Till 4pm for telephone and email advice.
- Telephone: 01772 558863 (option 3)
- Text: 07709 710915
- Email: hello@disability-equality.org.uk
Supported Banking
- Monday to Friday: 9am – 4pm
- Telephone: 01772 558863 (option 2)
- Email: supportedbanking@disability-equality.org.uk
- Feedback link and QR Code link:
Please give us your feedback here:
https://surveyhero.com/c/DENW-Feedback
N.B. Supported Banking Service Users:
If you would like to receive a monthly bank statement, please provide your email address to Supported Banking.
- Please ensure you keep up to date with sending your time sheets both to:
supportedbanking@disability-equality.org.uk
and
anne@disabilitypositive.org
Please send your time sheets at least 3 working days before the wage is due.
Please note payments are made between 9am-4pm Monday to Friday.
- Please ensure your agency / self-employed PA are aware of your account with us and where to send invoices:
supportedbanking@disability-equality.org.uk
Any queries, issues or further information required, please get in touch.
Invoices are paid within 7 days.
Thank you.
VJ Day Celebrations
Join us for our VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day) Celebration 2025!
We will be celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the end of WWII.
Thursday 14th August 1pm-3pm
Disability Equality (NW) Ltd. Community Hub
23-25 Sedgwick Street
Preston
PR1 1TP
While Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) marks the end of the Second World War in Europe on 8th May 1945, VJ Day marks the end of the War in the East, which did not end until 15th August 1945, when Japan surrendered. The day was celebrated across the world as ‘Victory over Japan Day’ (VJ Day). 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Visit https://ve-vjday80.gov.uk/ for further reading.
Please note that this event is for members only, due to numbers.
Booking is essential – please contact: communityhub@disabilityequaility.org.uk or call us on 01772 558863 with a message for the Community Hub team. Light refreshments will be provided.
For any questions, or to inform us of any allergies or access needs, please contact us using the details above. We look forward to seeing you!
Donations for VJ Day Celebrations
We would greatly appreciate food donations for our upcoming VJ day celebration on the 14th of August. Please see above for details of the event, or alternatively, visit the event page on our website:
https://disability-equality.org.uk/vj-day-2025/
Reminder: Our Community Hub is Now Open!
Our Community Hub officially opened on the 13th of May! Keep an eye on this space, as we will have lots of exciting events coming up.
Our new address is:
Disability Equality (nw) Ltd
Community Hub
23 Sedgwick St
Preston
PR1 1TP
Phone: 01772 558863
Text: 07709 710195
Our Community Hub is now open Monday to Friday, from 9:30am to 4pm. Please come in and get a drink from our self-serve casual café.
Feel free to call in and have a look at our facilities. Staff from all services will be available if needed.
If you work for a local community-based organisation, and would like to meet with our Community Hub team to discuss use of the space for events benefitting the local community, please feel free to visit the Community Hub. If you would prefer a formal visit, you are welcome to contact us on:
- communityhub@disability-equality.org.uk
- 01772 558863
- or by post at:
Disability Equality (NW) Ltd
Community Hub
23 Sedgwick Street
Preston
PR1 1TP
Community Hub Updates
We have been busy making changes to our Community Hub!
We now have new shutters on our casual café, and the accessible toilet door has been altered to open outwards for better accessibility. Here are some photos:
Donations
As previously mentioned, we are currently busy setting up and re-decorating our new Community Hub to create a welcoming, and accessible space for all. To help us with this, we would greatly appreciate donations of the following items:
- Tea towels
- Books
- Side plates
- PlayStation games, up to PlayStation 3, for the PS3 set up in the Casual Café
If you would like to drop off any donations, our hub is open Monday to Friday, 09:30am – 4:00pm.
Please contact us on communityhub@disability-equality.org.uk for further information or queries.
Volunteer Opportunities
We are looking for volunteers to help us in our Community Hub Reception.
Applicants must be disabled or have lived experience of disability.
We are looking for people to volunteer between 9.30am – 4pm, Monday to Friday (either full days or part days i.e. morning or afternoon).
Applicants must be able to work on their own initiative, sometimes without supervision.
Please click on the link for further information or contact:
des@disability-equality.org.uk or
Community hub team on 01772 558863.
Volunteers’ Week Celebration @DENW
This year Disability Equality (NW)’s annual Thank You and Celebration Event for our Volunteers took place in the Community Hub, on Thursday of Volunteers’ Week (5th June 2025). After each active volunteer received a Certificate of Thanks, the group took part in two rounds of a Play Your Cards Right-styled game, hosted by Mel, supported by Matt and Beth. Later in the afternoon, following the games, all present were invited to join for a buffet of sweet and savoury foods, including fruit kebabs, quiche, pastries, and fresh fruit. Here are some photos from the day:
Top left: Robert Rawcliffe (Volunteer), top right: Rakhi Amin (Trustee)
Bottom left: Peter Titterington (Volunteer), bottom right: Margaret Singleton (Fundraising Volunteer).
Volunteers’ Week Activity – Play Your Cards Right. Persons present (left-to-right: Stephen Corless (Volunteer), Sarah Gillett (+1 for Volunteer Stephen Corless), Margaret Singleton (Fundraising Volunteer), Robert Rawcliffe (Volunteer), Aksha Attilakumakan (UCLan Placement Medical Student), Amna Bukhari (UCLan Placement Medical Student), Keith Dagger (+1 for Volunteer Margaret Singleton), Mel. Close (CEO), Peter Titterington (Volunteer), Rakhi Amin (Trustee), Des Butler (Reception) and Beth. Moore (Community Hub Development Worker).
Disability Pride 2025
Alongside Caritas Care, we are proud to be co-hosting the 2nd Annual Disability Pride in Preston! Please feel free to join us on-the-day on Preston’s Flag Market.
Thursday 10th July 2025
11:00am – 3:00pm
Preston Flag Market, Preston, PR1 2AP
Healthy Lungs Workshop
A free workshop for people with a learning disability and their parent/carers.
Monday 14th July 2025, 1:00pm- 2:30pm at the Disability Equality North West Community Hub.
Public Transport Access to Primary and Secondary Care – Engagement Sessions
Disability Voices Phase 2 is a new project by Healthwatch. It is an ongoing two-month-long series of engagement sessions on Public Transport Access to Primary and Secondary Care, running throughout June and July 2025.
The study will explore the lived experiences of disabled people travelling to and from Primary and Secondary Care services, and physically accessing those services.
It will examine:
- How individuals choose their mode of travel
- Their experiences booking transport, including barriers they encountered (such as eligibility criteria, taxis or hospital transport)
- Their journeys to and from healthcare services
- How they physically access those services upon arrival
Please see the poster on the next page, or link the below for more information, and to take part in the survey:
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/CGWQHY/
Text on poster (on the next page)reads:
Healthwatch Lancashire. Disability, Transport and Accessibility. Are you a disabled person living in Lancashire?
We need your views on transport accessibility, including repairs to wheelchairs, community and hospital transport, and any barriers you may face when accessing health services.
Scan the QR code to take part OR contact us below:
Email info@healthwatchlancashire.co.uk
Telephone 01524 239100
Understanding Blind Individuals’ Use of Generative AI Research Project
Researchers from UCLan and Manchester Metropolitan University are undertaking a project titled: Understanding Blind Individuals’ Use of Generative AI.
So far, 15 participants have been interviewed, two of whom are females. The researchers are now seeking additional female participants. For any participants to be eligible, they must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be blind or have vision impairment
In addition to the above, the researchers would like to talk to individual participants with all levels of experience of using generative AI such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and the rest. It does not matter whether people willing to participate are beginners or expert users. The interviews will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams, but in-person interviews can be arranged if that is preferred by the participants.
The interview will be in English and will be at most 35 minutes long. Any person who participates in the interview will be emailed an Amazon voucher of £10 as a token of appreciation.
Additional information can be found on the Participant Information Sheet and Informed Consent Form, for interested participants.
Please contact communityhub@disability-equality.org.uk or
hello@disability-equality.org.uk to receive these documents.
Any person willing to take part in this research can use the link below to book their interview session:
Recipe of the month: Tomato, Basil & Red Lentil Pasta
Here is our recipe of the month, which has been shared by Chef Alina, who has been delivering the cooking group sessions this year. Thank you, chef!
Ingredients List:
Pasta Sauce
|
Lentils
| Ingredients | 1 Person | 3 People | 6 People |
| Dry red lentils, rinsed | ½ cup | 1cup | |
| Water | 2 cups | 4 cups | |
| Salt | 1 pinch | 1 pinch | 2 pinches |
Cooking instructions:
- Add lentils and water to a small saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat, then reduce heat slightly to achieve a mild simmer (not boil).
- Cook lentils to preferred doneness – 10 minutes for a slight bite, 15-17 minutes for more tender lentils. For this dish, I prefer ‘al dente’ so they don’t become mushy.
- When lentils are finished cooking, drain off any excess cooking liquid, season with a pinch of salt, and set aside.
- While lentils are cooking, heat a large, rimmed metal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil, garlic, carrots and tomato (optional). Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- To prevent splattering, remove skillet from heat and add tomato sauce, tomato paste, a pinch of sea salt, oregano, basil, sweetener, and stir to combine.
- Place back over heat and bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If serving with pasta, cook according to package instructions at this time. Then drain and set aside.
- Sample pasta sauce and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more sweetener to balance and enhance the flavours, salt for saltiness, or more herbs for depth of flavour. If too thick, thin with a little water.
- Add the cooked, drained lentils to the sauce and stir to combine. To serve, either spoon sauce over noodles, or add pasta to the sauce and toss to coat.
- Serve with any additional toppings, such as fresh basil.
- Best when fresh. Store leftovers separately in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat sauce in the microwave or saucepan. Add a little water to thin if too thick. I’ve found gluten free pasta doesn’t keep well, so cook fresh for each batch.
If you would like your recipe to be included in the next bulletin, email us on: communityhub@disability-equality.org.uk
Good News Stories from DENW
We have recently assisted with a grant application for a powered wheelchair, through an organisation called ‘Disability grants’. As the lady concerned was unable to afford one on her limited income, she was awarded a grant of £480.00. She is now going to use this and some of her PIP award, to purchase a powered chair, that will improve both her mobility and quality of life.
Accessible holidays
The following website is an excellent resource for those looking to plan an accessible holiday:
https://www.disabledholidays.com/
