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March 2023 newsletter
Your monthly update on all things Inclusion Barnet, as well as local and national goings-on which impact the lives of disabled people in Barnet, including people with mental health issues and long-term conditions.
The latest from our CEO, Caroline Collier
Hello to all our members and welcome to the March issue. Spring is on its way, so hopefully by the end of this month the days will be getting warmer and heating costs will be going down. In the meantime, I hope you can all enjoy whatever sunshine and warmth March has to offer us.
Sometimes people ask me why Inclusion Barnet, as a Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation, offers such a wide range of other community services. For those that aren't aware, it’s one of our strategic aims to demonstrate that disabled people can take a leadership role in their community.
As disabled people, we all know that we are more than than just passive recipients of other people’s care, and we all have a lot to offer. Sadly, prejudice about what we are capable of still exists, and one of the ways we try to break that down is by demonstrating that a Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation can deliver good, accessible community services.
I’ll talk about our other strategic aims – tackling stigma, tackling health inequalities, and delivering effective, peer-led local services – in future issues, but I thought I would start with this one as the question gets asked from time to time.
I hope you enjoy this March newsletter and look forward to talking more about what we do in the next issue.
Caroline Collier
Chief Executive Officer
Get involved!
Meeting you
Last month we made a lot of visits to local community centres and activity groups to learn about what’s accessible for disabled people in Barnet and to let them know all about us.
Here’s what we got up to…
- We visited North Road Community Centre to hear about the activities they are hoping to start up, including accessible exercise sessions and blood pressure checks.
- We also went along to St James’ Community Coffee Morning in Muswell Hill and spoke to residents about how they think the area could be made more accessible.
- Sarah visited I Can Dance, a dancing group for disabled children and young people up to age 25.
Eve gave training about the Social Model of Disability to our friends at Artsdepot, who are working hard to become a ‘beacon for accessibility’ by offering inclusive performances and facilities at their theatre in North Finchley.
We’re glad to say that all these venues were wheelchair accessible with accessible toilets, with some discussions also going on to see if funding can be secured to make the venues even more inclusive.
We’ve got lots more planned in March so maybe we’ll see you out and about. If you’d like us to come and visit your community group, please get in touch with Sarah.
Inclusion Barnet news
Free author event
Our library manager, Nick Black, has written a book of flash fiction, called Positive and Negative.
He's organised an event and you'd be very welcome to come along!
New Barnet Library
An evening with Nick Black, discussing 'flash fiction' and reading from his new collection, Positive and Negative.
Thursday March 30th, 7.30-8.30pm.
No need to have read the book in advance, it's enough to just enjoy flash fiction!
Please register your interest in attending with nick@inclusionbarnet.org.uk or at the counter at New Barnet Library.
New Barnet Library is wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet.
Healthy Heart Update
February was another busy month for our fabulous Healthy Heart peer workers: Project Lead, Judi, and her team Riffat and Salna.
They’ve now delivered the FREE Healthy Heart training programme to over 90 local residents, and provided visits and presentations to over 240 people across the Caribbean, African and South Asian communities in Barnet.
These have included training sessions at the Multicultural Community Centre in Hendon, follow-up training with the Centre of Excellence's men's and women's groups, running a stall at the Sikh Centre, and blood pressure checks at the CofE Sports Family Fun Day at Saracens High School.
And they’re not stopping there! Next on the agenda is to plan training for members of the Barnet African Caribbean Association and the Gujarati Community at the Barnet Multicultural Community Centre. They’ll also be at the International Women’s Day event at the Burnt Oak Community Centre on 8th March.
If you run a community group, or belong to one, that supports Caribbean, African and South Asian communities in Barnet, get in touch to find out more about the free Healthy Heart training programme. It's aimed at those most at risk from heart disease linked to high blood pressure.
Welcome to the team...
Last month we promised you more info on our new starters, so here it is!
Sami Read
We are pleased to welcome Sami Read, who joined our consultancy arm, Inclusion Unlimited, as the Head of Consultancy Services in January.
Sami has worked in the third sector for over 15 years and is incredibly passionate about championing disabled people's rights, especially those with multiple marginalities. As a disabled and neurodivergent person herself, she is all about peer-led work and coproduction.
She hopes that through her work at Inclusion Unlimited she can help more organisations understand the importance of coproduction and the social model of disability, and help to create a kinder workplace for disabled people.
Keely Parnaby
Keely joined us as Head of Peer Services last month. Keely will be overseeing our Touchpoint and Touchpoint Benefits service as well as Barnet Healthwatch. You can read more about Keely in this month’s meet the team section of this newsletter.
Poppy Ingles-Oxley
Poppy is excited to work for Inclusion Barnet and Healthwatch Barnet, as our new Peer Communications Officer. This follows on from her previous volunteering roles and college studies in Health and Social Care. She hopes to make a difference by using her lived experience of disability and as a user of Health and Social Care services, to show empathy with people who use our services.
Jo Weston
Jo Weston also joined us last month in a new role as Peer Copywriter. With experience in communications, and as a creative writer and poet, she'll be supporting us to develop a wide range of our written content. Jo hopes that her lived experience of serious and chronic illness will inform her work for us and that her writing will support more disabled people to overcome barriers, increase awareness of the Social Model of Disability, and encourage more non-disabled people to become allies.
Meet our team
Keely Parnaby (she/her)
Head of Peer Services
1. How long have you worked at Inclusion Barnet?
Five weeks.
2. What is the main thing you are working on right now?
At the moment, we are recruiting for our Healthwatch service.
3. How does having lived experience impact your role?
I am motivated by trying to make things better. Unfortunately, I know what it is like to experience barriers and discrimination, so I hope to use both my lived and professional experience to try and create positive change.
4. What's the best thing about working at Inclusion Barnet?
Being able to bring my whole self to work.
5. What's your favourite way to spend time when you're not working?
I love to play my keyboard... when no one else is listening!
Top Ally Tips
The railroad paradox
Heard of the railroad paradox? In case you haven't, here's the short version...
A train company decided not to schedule a midday stop in a particular town, as they'd never seen anyone waiting for the train at that station. It turned out that over 250 people did want that train, but they never waited at the station because they thought it wouldn't stop!
Accessibility can be a bit like the railroad paradox. If you don't make your service accessible, even for just one person, then you won't be ready to provide it for more people who request it in the future. In fact, they might not even know it can be done!
Read more about how we aim to make our services accessible and inclusive here...
Community events & activities
If you are aware of anything going on in Barnet, or the surrounding areas, please let us know! If the events or activities have been designed with disabled people in mind, they include specific disability information, or are free/heavily subsidised, that's even better!
Support from social prescribers
Did you know that you can ask your GP to refer you for support with getting out and about, making new friends, getting exercise, and lots more?
Mental health and wellbeing can mean more than just taking medicine. Connecting with people and local groups to get exercise, eat healthily or address loneliness and isolation can be equally important. Social Prescribers is a free service that helps you do exactly this.
Ask your GP for more information on Social Prescribers at your next appointment. You can also read our blog post to find out more about this amazing free service run by Age UK.
Mental health in the Jewish community
Do you have ideas about future education, training and support to help prevent suicide in the Jewish community?
Jami, the mental health charity for Jewish people, has joined forces with Public Health at Barnet Council and Community Barnet, to ask for your help to save lives and support each other's mental health.
Please join an online conversation on suicide prevention:
Online: Wednesday 8 March, 7:15pm to 9pm. Book Jami's online session.
In person: Sunday 19 March, 5:30pm to 7:30pm in Edgware. Book Jami's in person session.
Campaigns, consultations
and more
Controlled Parking Zone (N11) - Consultation
Affected areas: Oakleigh Road South and Neighbouring Streets N11 = CPZ Consultation.
Deadline: Thursday 9 March, 2023
Controlled Parking Zone Review WH3 - Review of operational hours
Affected areas: West Hendon (WH3)
Deadline: Friday 10 March, 2023
Reminder: Accessible and inclusive play space consultation closes soon!
Barnet Council would like to know what you think of the equipment and layout proposed for a new inclusive playground planned in Victoria Recreation Ground.
The consultation closes on 5 March 2023.
About us
Inclusion Barnet services
Have you heard about some of the other community services that we run? Click on the logos or buttons for more information.
Independent Living Centre, c/o Barnet & Southgate College,
7 Bristol Avenue, Colindale, London NW9 4BR
Inclusion Barnet is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
Registered Charity Number: 1158632
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