Hello!
It’s almost July, and the weather has been glorious. We hope that you are staying hydrated and that you are all safe and well – if you’re not sure how to, we’ve got a section in the bulletin on how to do that.
Over the summer, the whole team at Disability Equality have been keeping busy supporting people across Lancashire – the Safety First team have supported 103 people in April and May alone, with them also making 84 Safe & Well calls. We’ve also held safety workshops that have looked at issues that aren’t often spoken about: knife crime and the criminal justice system. They’ve also done some complex case work and made links with new local sources of support. Friendship Fridays are also really well attended – if you haven’t been in a while, it’d be great to see you again. Dates are on the Dates for your diaries section. We also attended the Mela, and have included some pictures that were taken on the day.

Bulletin Contents

Preston Mela
Volunteers Update
Staying Safe and Well over summer
Website Overhaul
Training Sessions
Are you struggling?
Brookfield & Ribbleton Over 60 Afternoon Tea
Safety First Project Worker Vacancies
Disability Pride Month
Dates for your diaries – all FREE!
Policy and Strategic Work
Disability Equality Services

Preston Mela

On the 17th of June, we attended the Preston Mela event – it was a fantastic day of celebrating south Asian culture. During the event, we:

  • Answered 20+ complex queries, did 15 safety audits with each person receiving a personal alarm (some even tested them on the day).
  • Talked to 300 people who attended our stall with ages ranging from 1 to 85.
  • Met up with lots of our existing members and spent time sat in the fresh air chatting.
  • Spoke with the new Preston Mayor who came to our stall and was really interested in the work we do.
  • Networked with colleagues from many of the local support organisations.
  • Watched some fabulous entertainment!

We’d also like to thank the volunteers that helped us out on the day 💜.
Here are some pics from the event:

Volunteers Update

Different coloured speech bubbles with the words "Thank You!" in front of them.Our first round of volunteers and inductions have been completed – thankyou to everyone that applied. We’re very grateful, and appreciate all the hard work you are doing for us.
If you are interested in volunteering, and haven’t been in touch already, get in touch with Dean.
Email: dean@disability-equality.org.uk
SMS: 07841 017472
Telephone: 01772 558863 (opt 2)

Staying Safe and Well over summer

Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it’s too hot, there are health risks. During heatwaves, more people than usual get seriously ill. If hot weather hits this summer, make sure it does not harm you or anyone you know.

Why is a heatwave a problem?

The main risks posed by a heatwave are:

  • not drinking enough water (dehydration)
  • overheating, which can make symptoms worse for people who already have problems with their heart or breathing
  • heat exhaustion and heatstroke

Who’s most at risk?

A heatwave can affect anyone, but the most vulnerable people are:

  • older people – especially those over 75 and female
  • those who live on their own or in a care home
  • people who have a serious or long-term illness including heart or lung conditions, diabetes, kidney disease, Parkinson’s disease or some mental health conditions
  • people who are on multiple medicines that may make them more likely to be badly affected by hot weather
  • those who may find it hard to keep cool – babies and the very young, the bed bound, those with drug or alcohol addictions or with Alzheimer’s disease
  • people who spend a lot of time outside or in hot places – those who live in a top-floor flat, the homeless or those whose jobs are outside

Tips for coping in hot weather

Keep out of the heat if you can. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter.
Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes.
Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep.

Source: NHS.uk

Website Overhaul

Our website has undergone a complete overhaul, including the adding of the ReciteMe Assistive Toolbar.
You can press the big purple button at the bottom that says “Accessibility” which will show the toolbar – from there, you can choose from various accessibility options, including a Screen Reader option, Styling & Customisation, Reading Aids and more.
Screenshot of the Disability Equality home page.
Take a look today by opening your internet browser and going to the www.disability-equality.org.uk website.

Training Sessions

Did you know, we provide free training for community groups, volunteers, disability organisations and staff teams on a range of disability-related subjects.
Please contact Email: hello@disability-equality.org.uk or Telephone: 01772 558863 for further information and/or to register your interest.

Are you struggling?

Image is the outline of an apple.Are you struggling physically, mentally or financially? We hold 1-to-1 advice sessions on a Wednesday; Friendship Fridays every week where you can get together with other people to have a chat and a brew; direct payment advice from LILS; or food parcels.
During these tough times, food parcels are available for those that are experiencing hardship and are disabled or are parents of disabled children. For further information, contact Des.
Telephone: 01772 558863
SMS: 07709 710195
Email: hello@disability-equality.org.uk

Brookfield & Ribbleton Over 60 Afternoon Tea

For residents of Brookfield and Ribbleton that are over 60, Preston City Councillors have arranged a free afternoon tea event to reduce social isolation on Wednesday 26th of July from 12pm – 4pm at The MET, Morrisons car park, Deepdale.
Places are limited. To book a place Email: cllr.p.varty@preston.gov.uk

Safety First Project Worker Vacancies

Image is the outline of three people.The Safety First project are looking for a highly organised, skilled and enthusiastic person to join the Safety First project to provide one-to-one support and capacity building activities to help disabled people across Preston, South Ribble and Chorley manage risk and to maintain their own personal safety. The post-holder will be required to travel independently and to facilitate weekly peer support sessions at Disability Equality.

If you have any queries, please contact Melanie Close (CEO) – Email: melanie@disability-equality.org.uk or Telephone: 01772 558863

Disability Pride Month

Did you know that July is Disability Pride Month? Initially an American creation, it is held that month to recognize the passing of their Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990 – and there’s a colourful and meaningful banner to commemorate it. Many countries now celebrate it.

What is Disability Pride?

It is a way of celebrating diversity and difference among the disabled community and highlighting ways to better understand and support colleagues in our workplaces.
Although disability pride can mean different things to different people, for many people this month is a way of shining a spotlight on the barriers and discrimination disabled people face.
Celebrating Disability Pride Month also offers opportunities to change the conversation around disability and change perceptions around disabled people’s living experiences.

The flags

You may see two versions of the flag – the original (2019) “zig-zag” version, and the newer (2021) diagonal lines version.
The original version has a zig-zag (which was put into the public domain in 2019), however it was discovered to be dangerous for people with visually triggered seizures and migraines on digital devices – when a page with the image on was scrolled on mobile devices, it created a visual effect on screens that could trigger those seizures or migraines.

What do the colours represent?

The new version of the Disability Pride Flag: A charcoal grey flag with a diagonal band from the top left to bottom right corner, made up of five parallel stripes in red, gold, pale grey, blue, and greenGreen is for sensory disabilities
Blue represents emotional and psychiatric disabilities
White stands for non-visible and undiagnosed disabilities
Gold is for neurodiversity
Red represents physical disabilities.

Dates for your diaries – all FREE!

Please note that all meetings and activities are held at DENW unless otherwise stated. We will promote each event separately with exact locations and venue details nearer the time via our membership and on social media.
Please contact Email: hello@disability-equality.org.uk for further information.

DATE EVENT TIME
27 June Meet the Medics with the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board 1pm
to
3pm
4 July Safety First Workshop: Strive 2 Thrive 2pm
to
3:30pm
22 August Information Day at Plungington Community Centre 10:30am
to
3:30pm
23 September Preston Pride at Flag Market 10am
to
4pm
FRIENDSHIP FRIDAYS
Jul: 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th Drop in for a chat with good company, a free hot drink and a bite to eat
EVERY FRIDAY from 1pm – 3pm at Disability Equality, 103 Church Street, Preston, PR1 3BS.		 1pm
to
3pm
Aug: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
Sept: 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th

Policy and Strategic Work

We’re currently doing some policy/strategic work by looking to remove barriers for disabled people:

  • Access to Sport and Boccia facilities (Blackpool)
  • Train Travel (Avanti and Northern Rail)
  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Increased cost of living
  • Anti-social behaviour and hate crime

We welcome contributions to any of these, so please email hello@disability-equality.org.uk – we won’t contact you or use your name unless you give us permission to do so.

Disability Equality Services

Lancashire Independent Service (LILS):

LILS offers Direct Payment information, advice & payroll support to local people who are in receipt of a Direct Payment from Lancashire County Council.

Safety First:

The project supports disabled people from Preston, Chorley and South Ribble to maintain their safety at home, in the community and in their personal relationships.

Supported Banking:

If you’ve had a Social Care Assessment, or are in receipt of Direct Payments or Personal Budgets from a Local Authority or the NHS, and you’re: struggling with the paperwork, worried about dealing with staff payroll, timesheets, etc. then our experienced and dedicated Supported Banking team can help.

General Enquiries:

If you need general / benefits advice or support with renewing them, we can help.