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February 2025 newsletter
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Welcome to the February edition of the Inclusion Barnet member newsletter!
It's packed with info on consultations, services, community events and ways to be heard. You'll also find some of the top local and national news affecting Disabled people including those with mental health issues and long-term conditions.
To find out more about each article, just click on its title.
Inclusion Barnet news
Time is running out – your voice matters more than ever!
If disability benefits are cut under Government plans to be announced this Spring millions more Disabled people will be pushed into even worse poverty.
Our Campaign for Disability Justice has launched a national initiative to get people writing to their local MP to say NO to benefit cuts & yes to Opportunity, Security and Respect. Feel free to add your own personal message.
Now is the time to act and make a difference.
Please write to your local MP today.
Use the button below and follow these three simple steps:
- Enter your address
- Use our pre-written template to ask your MP to say NO to disability benefit cuts & yes to better health, employment, and engagement. Feel free to add your own personal message.
- Add your name and hit send!
Don’t wait – your MP needs to hear from you today.
Every email counts!
Thank you for your support.
Geoff Fimister,
Head of Policy, Inclusion Barnet
Sign up to our Campaign for Disability Justice newsletters to keep up to date on action we’re taking and help grow our community of supporters. Your support makes a real difference!
Save the date! Inclusion Barnet AGM
The next Annual General Meeting (AGM) for Inclusion Barnet is planned for Tuesday 11 March 2025 at 4pm until 5.30pm via Zoom.
If you are a member, you’ll receive an email invitation soon, please look out for it and remember to check your junk mail.
If you’d like to sign up as a member, it's FREE and takes just a few minutes: Sign up to Inclusion Barnet membership.
Campaign for Disability Justice makes national news
Trigger warning: Please note there are references to suicide within the content of this newsletter, and in the linked Disability News Service article.
Our Campaign for Disability Justice made national news with an article on Disability News Service (DNS). The article is based directly on feedback from our Campaign for Disability Justice supporters. It highlights how the well-being of Disabled people is already being affected by the possibility of cuts to benefits and how bad things will be if those cuts happen.
Starters & leavers
No new starters or leavers.
Opportunities to create change
Visit our consultations and campaigns page on the Inclusion Barnet website for all the latest opportunities to have your say on local and national issues that impact Disabled people in Barnet.
Did you know? Some local consultations receive as few as 14 online responses*. With just 15 members like you we can sway decisions on accessibility, support, and resources in Barnet.
Here's some of the top opportunities to get involved in this month:
Have your say: Protecting the rights of tenants
Barnet Council have developed a new Private Tenants’ Charter to raise awareness of tenants’ rights in the borough. The charter sets out the standards and legal obligations that landlords and agents must follow to protect the rights of private tenants. This includes protection from disability discrimination.
They would like to hear your views on what the charter should look like, how they can raise awareness of tenants’ rights, and whether these rights are being upheld across the borough.
Read the draft charter and fill out the short questionnaire to have your say.
Closes: 16 February.
Share your experience: Barnet Suicide Prevention Strategy
Have you experienced suicidal thoughts? Have you tried to end your life? Have you lost someone to suicide?
You can help influence Barnet's Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan and make a difference in our community. Inclusion Unlimited would like to understand your experiences and what more can be done to prevent suicide in the future.
When: Wednesday 19th February, registration from 11am, workshop 11.30-1pm
Where: The Network, 24 Hendon Lane, London, N3 1TR
Compensation: Participants will receive a £22 gift card as a thank you for their time, lunch will also be provided after the discussion
Find out more and register interest on the Eventbrite page.
Contact info@inclusionunlimited.org.uk with any questions or accessibility needs.
Represent Sensory Impairment in Barnet
Barnet Council Adult Social Care are looking for Sensory Impairment Representatives to join their existing representative on the Involvement Board.
If you are a resident of Barnet who is over 18 years old, and have experience of sensory impairment (visual or hearing impairments), they are keen to hear from you.
The deadline for applications is 7th March.
Express your interest: Sensory Impairment Resident Representative for the Involvement Board. To learn more and ask any questions, get in touch at engage.adults@barnet.gov.uk.
Share you experience: Mental Health Act
Are you a resident of Barnet with experience of being assessed under the Mental Health Act?
Barnet Council are looking for residents with lived experience of this process to join as Experts by Experience as part of a panel that check the progress of Approved Mental Health Practitioners (also known as AMHPs) who are qualified to carry out assessments under the Mental Health Act.
By lived experience they mean direct experience of being assessed under the Mental Health Act or being a carer or loved one of someone who has been assessed under the Mental Health Act.
The panel is planned for April 2025 and there are options to join online or in person.
They will prepare and support you to take part in the panel and you will be offered a voucher for taking part in line with their Reward and Recognition Policy.
To express interest or for more information please email engage.adults@barnet.gov.uk
Share your experience using Access to Work
RNIB would like to hear from blind or partially sighted people about your experience of Access to Work to help campaign for urgent improvements to the scheme. The research will be used to support ongoing conversations with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) regarding the problems with the programme. Access to Work survey.
More ways to get involved
- Find all of Barnet Council's consultations on the Engage Barnet website.
- Visit our consultations and campaigns page on the Inclusion Barnet website.
*For example: Barnet Council's proposed Fees and Charges 2024-25 for services, which got 14 online responses.
Local news
Burnt Oak ward by-election
A by-election will be held for one councillor in the Burnt Oak ward on Thursday 13 February 2025. Polling Stations in Burnt Oak will be open from 7am-10pm.
All people on the electoral register for the Burnt Oak ward can vote (except British citizens living overseas). Remember, you must bring photo ID when voting. To find out what types of ID will be accepted visit the Electoral Commission website or call their helpline on 0800 3280280.
Find out more about the Burnt Oak ward by-election or contact Electoral Services by email at ero@barnet.gov.uk or by phone 020 8359 5577.
Accessibility information. Find your nearest polling station.
Register to vote: Finchley Church End by-election
Make sure you’re registered to vote To hate your say on the Finchley Church End by-election
Register to vote by Tuesday 18 February 2025. If you would like to apply to vote by post the deadline is 19 February at 5pm.
Monday Tea Club
Join Colindale Communities Trust for free afternoons of company, chat, board gamers and hot drinks. This is a warm space with free wifi.
When: Mondays 2pm to 4pm
Where: The Old Library, The Concourse, London, NW9 5XA (step-free access)
Contact: cct@colindalecct.org or 020 8200 3014.
Join Hearing Link to talk to someone who understands the changes in your hearing. Their trained peer support volunteers and experienced staff are on hand to offer emotional and practical support about different aspects of living with and managing your hearing.
You can also find out more about hearing loss, where to access technology that could support you day-to-day and information about local services that are available.
Upcoming sessions: Wednesdays, 26 February and 26 March, 11am-1pm
Where: Nuffield Health Centre, 260 Central Circus, Hendon Way, London NW4 3NL
Vaccinations and cancer awareness event
The next Hub Connections event will be on self-care, hosted by Barnet Wellbeing Service with support from the Primary Care Group. The upcoming event will include talks about vaccinations and cancer awareness.
When: Thursday 27 Feb, 11:15am to 2:15pm
Where: The Meritage Centre, Church End, London NW4 4JT
Struggling with energy bills? Barnet Council in partnership with Groundwork London’s Green Doctor service have launched Barnet’s Free Home Energy Fix to support residents with home energy efficiency advice to reduce energy bills.
Who is eligible?
- You have a health condition or impairment that is worsened by the cold.
- Residents aged over 60.
- Households with a child under 10 years or a pregnant family member.
- Households with an annual income under £21,000.
Find out how to apply for your free home energy fix. Eligible residents who apply for the Green Doctor service by Friday 28 February will have the chance to win one of four £100 B&M gift vouchers.
Scams awareness support
Age UK Barnet is offering one-to-one support to Barnet residents over 50 to help people change their habits and reduce their risk of becoming a victim of a scam. In October 2024 Barnet residents lost over £1.3 million to scams.
If you are worried about becoming a victim of a scam or have questions, contact Age UK Barnet by emailing scamsawareness@ageukbarnet.org.uk or calling 0208 432 2217.
Household Support Fund for people over 55
Age UK Barnet are continuing to distribute the Household Support Fund, which is there to support Barnet residents over 55 currently facing financial hardship. They are handing out vouchers towards utility bills, food costs and wider essentials.
For eligibility criteria and to download both the professional and self-referral forms, please visit their website. Or contact the HSF team at support@ageukbarnet.org.uk or call 020 8203 5040.
Barnet Adult Social Care receives ‘Good’ rating
The Quality Care Commission (CQC) rated Barnet Adult Social Care ‘Good’ in their latest assessment. The report found that overall, people had a good experience of receiving care and support in Barnet. It highlights that some Barnet residents found practitioners helpful and supportive. The CQC emphasised that improvements need to be made to ensure better consistency in quality of care, timely responses, and support for carers.
Creative health events for older adults
‘Loving Life’ is a creative health programme for older adults running at Colindale Library and Chipping Barnet Library, particularly welcoming those living with dementia and their carers. Events in February and March include dance, pottery, yoga and a seated adaptation of cricket, called Clock Cricket.
National issue - local impact
Study highlights the reality of inaccessible and unaffordable homes in London
A study by Inclusion London finds that only 3% of new housing approved in London is accessible, with less than 1% designed for wheelchair users. Read the full report (available in BSL and Easy Read).
Learning Disability England released their Easy Read Housing Guide to help people with a Learning Disability and autistic people think about where they want to live.
Adaptive Clothing on the High Street
Primark has launched an adaptive clothing range. The adaptive features include magnetic zippers and snap fastenings, waist loops that help to pull up trousers and hidden openings for tube, stoma or catheter access. There is also a range for wheelchair users.
Be an Access Champion
Find the right mobility aid for you
Do you struggle to move about? Do you think a mobility aid such as a wheelchair or mobility scooter could help you gain more independence?
Access your Life is a disability service that can work with you to find a mobility aid that suits you and your needs. They can also support you in finding grants to fund new equipment. Several members of our staff who are wheelchair users have used the service to help them to find the right aids.
Join us
Become a member of Inclusion Barnet
Individual membership is FREE and is for Disabled people, which may include long term conditions or mental health issues, and/or carers. Find out how being a member and sharing your lived experience can lead to positive change on our website.
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About Us
Inclusion Barnet is a Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation (DDPO), based in Barnet, North-West London. This means that all of our Trustees and most of our staff have lived experience of disability. Learning to use lived experience for social change is a skill. We use this understanding to design and deliver higher quality, more person-centred services.
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We're calling on the Government to work with organisations led by Disabled people to make workplaces easier to access and to improve social security so that everyone can live a decent life, whether they’re in work or not.
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