No images? Click here August 2023 newsletter![]() Your monthly update on Inclusion Barnet services, plus community events and news affecting Disabled people including mental health issues and long-term conditions. Update from our CEOWelcome to the August issue of the Inclusion Barnet newsletter! Hope you're well and enjoying the summer, even if it’s been a bit drizzly so far. Drier days are coming in August, apparently. Recently, we posted on Twitter about a staff discussion where we explored what happens when we say we identify as disabled – let’s just say some people’s reactions aren’t great. Interestingly, the reaction to the post itself was unexpected, with people questioning whether it was useful to talk about ‘identifying’ as disabled. In response to that, I’d point out that 80% of disabled people have less visible impairments or conditions, so it’s absolutely down to them whether they disclose or not in any particular situation. Secondly, many people who would qualify as disabled under the Equality Act definition reject ‘disabled’ as a term which applies to them, for all kinds of reasons. ![]() Thirdly, as another post pointed out, there are several other definitions of disability, and it’s possible to be disabled under one definition but not another. In short, as many of our readers will already know, it’s complicated. But it led to a great online discussion, and it’s really positive that these issues are being talked about. Wishing you a pleasant and dry August, Caroline. Caroline Collier, CEO, Inclusion Barnet. Ticket office closures: what we can do now![]() Recently the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) proposed plans to close nearly all ticket offices at railway stations. They announced a 3-week public consultation period for people to express their views. Many people raised opposition to both the proposal and the methods of the consultation. Thanks to everyone who wrote to their MPs, staged protests and joined campaigns, RDG have now extended the public consultation window until 1 September 2023. But this is only part of the battle. Many have condemned the inaccessibility of the consultation itself. Currently views can only be shared online, so anyone unable to access this is excluded. Likewise, the lack of notices in stations to inform people of the proposal and consultation, meant many were not even aware of them. The inaccessibility of this consultation is considered particularly ironic because the group of passengers most likely to be negatively affected is disabled people. Affected services would include the ending of 'Turn up and go', for example. Many disabled people would have to book assistance in advance, rather than travel when they want or need to, as non-disabled people can. As campaigns continue to challenge this, many of us at Inclusion Barnet will continue to take part in them. If you can, we recommend you continue to raise your voice too. Here are some actions you can take right now: 1. Write to your MP to express your views. See the link below for how to do this. 2. If you're on Twitter, follow people such as: @CLondoner92, @TransportForAll, @Doug_Paulley, @NFBUK, @johnpringdns and @RMTunion. 3. Sign up for emails from campaigning organisations, such as Megaphone UK and Action Network. 4. Look out for news and updates on how to get involved on our social media and in our newsletters. Your efforts so far have shown that campaigning CAN result in change. Let's continue to make our voices heard. Inclusion Barnet NewsTouchpoint Benefits Advice referrals re-open![]() The Touchpoint Benefits Advice Service is now open again for new referrals (Peer Support remains open to new referrals as usual). If you refer to the benefits service, you should be contacted by our administrator within 14 working days (approximately) to arrange a triage assessment. Touchpoint have also received funding for a new post of Trainee Benefits Advisor. This is a great opportunity for anyone with lived experience of disability who would like to start a career in the field of benefits advice. Look out for details of this on our website and social media soon! Healthwatch Barnet report is published![]() The Healthwatch Barnet Annual Report for the last financial year (2022-23) has now been published on the Healthwatch Barnet website. Healthwatch Barnet is delivered by Inclusion Barnet. It gathers information and feedback from patients and service users, to help shape health services. Our Healthwatch Managers Jon Bartlett and Sarah Campbell (see 'Get to know us' section below) have joined us in the new financial year and found last year's report made interesting reading. Jon was " really pleased to see an emphasis on men's mental health... One of the most intriguing things was how men see pharmacists as a trusted source of advice." The Healthwatch Barnet team will be looking to build on the findings of the report in their work this year, including with the introduction of the NHS 'Pharmacy First' project. Watch this space! Healthy Heart update![]() Photo from the Dementia Prevention for Black Communities event. Left to right: Hawa from Centre of Excellence, Michelle from Dementia Prevention, Marwa from Centre of Excellence, and Riffat and Salna from Inclusion Barnet. There are so many things we could mention this month, so here’s some highlights of Healthy Heart's activities in July: Not many people know that high blood pressure can be a contributor to dementia, so it was important for our team to attend the Dementia Prevention for Black Communities event on 17 July at the Centre of Excellence (see photo above). It’s at this location in Grahame Park that Salna runs the regular Tuesday afternoon Healthy Heart sessions too. These are drop-in and for anyone to pick up some info or get a blood pressure check. The team also met with the PCN Manager, Natali, at Everglade Medical Centre to establish partnership working. Judi has been finalising the Year 1 report and all members of the team have attended many other community events and meetings throughout the month too. If you see them at an event over the Summer, come and say hello! Member meeting planned for September![]() Keep an eye out on our social media and website news feed over the next few weeks for the date of our next members meeting in early September. We've had quite a few new members join us in the last month, as part of ongoing engagement with Barnet Council. The aim is to establish co-design by working with disabled people in Barnet. If you're already a member you'll receive a personal email invitation so look out for that and check your junk/spam box. If you're not a member yet, you can sign up! It's free and takes less than a minute to do online. You just need to live, work or study in Barnet and be disabled, which may include long term conditions or mental health issues. Library Rhyme Time stops for Summer![]() From left to right: Rhyme Time activities have now stopped for the Summer, at South Friern and New Barnet Libraries; the two libraries run by Inclusion Barnet with Barnet Council. Both libraries are of course still open at the usual times, running all other regular services, including rooms available for hire. We are always on the lookout for new volunteers as well. For more info on each library, see our web page below. To ask about volunteering, email Nick at nick@inclusionbarnet.org.uk or text/call 07732 90112. Leavers and Starters![]() Leavers We are really sad to say goodbye to one of our longest serving team members, Eve Byers, who many of you will know from member meetings as our former User Voice Lead. Eve moved over to our trading arm, Inclusion Unlimited, earlier this year and we hope that she'll still cover occasional freelance work for us there. We extend a huge thank you and best wishes to Eve who has made a significant contribution to IB over the years to help bring us to where we are today. Starters This month we also welcome Alice Markham, who joins us as Healthwatch Volunteer Coordinator, in the team delivering Healthwatch Barnet. Alice joins us from Stay Safe East. Like Inclusion Barnet, Stay Safe East is a user-led organisation, run by and for disabled people. Stay Safe East supports survivors of abuse and you can find out more about it below. We welcome Alice to the Inclusion Barnet team! Get to know usJon Bartlett and Sarah CampbellHealthwatch Barnet Managers ![]() Left photo: Jon Bartlett with his wife, SJ, and dog, Juno. Right photo: Sarah Campbell. Jon Bartlett and Sarah Campbell joined Inclusion Barnet earlier this year, as Healthwatch Managers for Healthwatch Barnet, on a job-share basis. So, this month we're giving you two-for the-price-of-one in our 'Get to know us' section! 1. What inspired you to join Inclusion Barnet? Jon: I was inspired by using health services myself and wanted to combine this experience into a paid role. Also because it's a DDPO (Deaf and Disabled People's Organisation) with a model which offers a massive catalyst for change. Sarah: I am passionate about supporting people to improve the services they use. In previous roles I've worked with social housing residents, refugees, and survivors of domestic violence, to drive systemic change. I also have lived experience of disability. 2. What is the main thing you are working on right now? Jon: There are 2 parts to Healthwatch: communications and volunteering. I look after communications and address how we collect and use data. I'm also looking at the provision of services for mental health crisis, which is particularly close to my heart due to having lived experience of bipolar. Sarah: I lead on our work with volunteers. We're very lucky to have volunteers who bring a rich variety of experience to Healthwatch Barnet's work, and we're looking forward to growing the team further. My next priority is organising visits to care homes in Barnet, to gather residents' feedback and support managers to make improvements. 3. What motivates you in your role? Jon: It's great to be part of a Healthwatch team where everyone has lived experience of disability and who are all committed to making long-term change. Sarah: The people who actually use services have the best knowledge of how to improve them. I find it really rewarding to support people in Barnet to have a bigger say. 4. What’s the best thing about working as part of Inclusion Barnet? Jon: It's the people. There's a real sense that everyone is working for the greater good. Sarah: It's great to be working for an organisation that is led by disabled people. We have a wide knowledge of issues such as disability access, gained from both our own lived experiences and through our roles supporting others. 5. What's your favourite way to spend time when you're not working? Jon: Nothing makes me happier than going for a walk with my wife, SJ, and my dog, Juno. Sarah: I love gardening. Living in London, I feel really fortunate to have an outdoor sanctuary. Interested in volunteering with Healthwatch Barnet? Keep an eye out for volunteering vacancies in a future issue of this newsletter! Barnet Community News/EventsULEZ expansion: 'grace period' for disabled people![]() The expansion of ULEZ will go ahead on 29 August 2023 but some disabled people will have a grace period before they have to pay any charges. The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) scheme first came into effect in Central London and is now being expanded to cover Outer London as well. The aim is to reduce air pollution, which is blamed for thousands of premature deaths, and for causing lung damage. The scheme requires everyone who drives within the zone, to pay a daily charge if their vehicle doesn't meet the required emission standard. Opposition has arisen due to the cost involved in paying the charges or replacing vehicles to meet the standard. However, there are various forms of support in place (such as scrappage schemes). For disabled people who meet certain criteria, there will be a grace period until October 2027, when no charges need to be paid. To find out whether you qualify for the grace period and what other support you could receive, read the 'ULEZ Expansion: Support for Disabled People' page on Transport for London's website (see link below). Step-free access coming to more stations![]() Amongst the concern about closing ticket offices, there is some good news when it comes to travel. Ten more tube stations have been prioritised for step-free access, including two in Barnet. The two selected in Barnet are Burnt Oak and Colindale and accessibility would be improved by providing lifts, ramps or both. At the moment, only one in three London underground stations has step-free access, meaning that many disabled people have to take long alternative routes or are not able to travel by tube at all. The first of the prioritised stations could be step-free by 2026. Let's just hope the necessary services are still in place to make use of these stations! Barnet Wellbeing Service needs your viewsThe Barnet Wellbeing Service offers many different services and activities to help you with your mental health and emotional wellbeing. It is run by Barnet Council, who would like to know what you think about these services and activities. The council want to gather as many different opinions and experiences as possible. This will help them ensure the services they provide in the future are based on what residents need. Let them know your thoughts by completing the short form in the box below, whether you have used the services or not. If you can, it would be great if you could pass the form on to family members and friends, for them to complete it too. The last day to share your thoughts is 31 August 2023. Royal Mail offers parcel collection service![]() Did you know that Royal Mail offers a collection service where they will collect your parcel from your home, safe place or work? Better still, until at least 15 August, this 'Parcel Collect' service is free - though obviously you'll still have to pay postage! Book the service and pay for the postage online, either via the Royal Mail website or on their app. You can even select the 'Bring my label' service if you don't have a printer. Find out more on the Royal Mail website below. Use your voice![]() Join Barnet Involvement BoardBarnet Council are looking for 12 people to join the Barnet Involvement Board, representing those who use care and support services. Board members will need to attend four meetings a year and regular drop-in sessions. You will have your say on adult social care projects and be rewarded for your time. The deadline to register your interest is Monday 28 July. Call 020 8359 558 or email engage.adults@barnet.gov.uk to find out more. Share your ideas on Finchley Lido Leisure CentreAfter their initial consultation period earlier in the year, Barnet Council decided to replace the Finchley Lido Leisure Centre at it's current location of Great North Leisure Park. After running some workshops in July, they would now like to get your ideas and priorities for the replacement centre. You can complete the online survey by 8 September and/or drop-in to a meeting in August. There will be three meetings to choose from and these will all take place at the Finchley Lido Leisure Centre itself. Find the link to the survey, and the dates and times for the meetings, below. Be an inclusion championTip of the month: consider your case![]() It's the school Summer holidays, meaning trains and buses are extremely busy and many passengers are carrying luggage as well. On a packed train, it can be tempting to dump your luggage in any available gap but where you leave it could have a huge impact on someone else. For disabled people using wheelchairs for example, luggage left in designated wheelchair spaces can block access to this space. Equally, leaving luggage on the floor around this space can prevent a disabled person from accessing the toilet or getting off the train at their stop. So wherever possible, store your luggage in the overhead racks or designated luggage spaces, and remind friends and family to do the same. Work or Volunteer with us![]() Volunteer at South Friern or New Barnet LibraryInterested in volunteering with us? We still have vacancies for volunteers at New Barnet and South Friern Libraries. You’d be working with our managers, who would welcome you and show you the ropes. We especially need help for Saturday mornings at New Barnet (9am-12pm) but other shifts are available too. The libraries are both on the ground floor, accessible for wheelchair users and have an accessible ground floor toilet. The libraries are co-run by Inclusion Barnet and Barnet Council. For more details, email nick@inclusionbarnet.org.uk, phone or text: 07732 901 129, or look at our dedicated web page below. Sign up to this newsletterIf this newsletter was forwarded to you, sign up and get the next edition straight to your inbox! You are receiving this email as a member or friend of Inclusion Barnet, or because you signed up to receive it. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please: |