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April 2022 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.
Welcome to the April edition of the IB newsletter. It’s nice to come bearing a couple of pieces of good news. Firstly, we have been funded to deliver a project to help people from Caribbean, African and Asian heritage communities manage their blood pressure. See full article for details, but this will be kicking off very shortly. Secondly, we’ve developed a new system of gathering feedback from our Touchpoint workers to try to influence change across the system. Again, see the full article for details, but it’s really good that this is leading to some work across the system which should create improvements for users going forwards.
I hope you’re all enjoying the lighter evenings and keeping well. Some of you may even want to venture out to our upcoming
members meeting just before Easter – I know the team can’t want to see everyone again.
.
Caroline Collier
Chief Executive Officer
Get involved!
Members meeting
We’d love you to join us on Thursday 14th April, 12.00pm to 1.30pm, at South Friern library for our April members’ meeting. It will be our first in-person event since the outbreak of COVID, so we’re really excited! But don’t worry - the meeting will be hybrid, so you’ll still be able to join by video conference if you are unable to attend in person.
If you’re not a member but curious, please stop by any time during the meeting to say hello to Eve, who will be hosting, and find out more about us. Oh, and yes – we’ll be providing free sandwiches too!
More info and booking details below.
Library volunteers wanted
We’re looking for a volunteer to cover the Thursday afternoon slot between 1pm and 5pm every Thursday at our South Friern Library.
You’d be working with our Library Manager, Nick Black who would welcome you and show you the ropes.
The library is accessible for wheelchair users and there is a disabled ground floor toilet with hoist.
For more details, please email nick@inclusionbarnet.org.uk or phone or text: 07732 901 129 for more info.
Inclusion Barnet news
Making a difference
Working with our Touchpoint customers, we find out all kinds of information about what is and isn’t working in Barnet. A few months ago, we started having regular team meetings to see how we could start to tackle some of the issues that have come up. This creates a list of issues that are causing problems for our users, so we then go and see what we can do about these by liaising with bodies such as the council, the DWP and Barnet Homes.
It’s early days, but already we have a named contact for escalating issues that need social work input; we’ve asked for reminders to be send out to all GP surgeries about the need to respond to requests for information for benefit applications; and we’re working with the CCG to ensure that people who need interpreters for GP appointments get the access they need.
We know that some of the bigger issues are systemic, while others require policy change at a local or national level, and of course we continue to advocate for these, but in the meantime we’re keen to identify quick wins that will make a difference.
This piece of work will grow over the coming months and we will feed back regularly – and do tell us what other issues we should take on to influence for change. We want to help improve services for disabled people in Barnet so please tell us where else we should be concentrating our efforts.
Welcome - new team member
Welcome to Ashanty Alves (she/her), who we have recently welcomed as Project Officer on our Community Organisation Support team as part of the Barnet Together partnership.
Ashanty will be supporting our Voluntary and Community Sector Support Lead, Ellen Cheshire, on a range of projects.
She is passionate about empowering communities and creating more accessible spaces for people from underrepresented groups.
Healthy heart advice service
We’re delighted to share with you the news that we have won some funding to deliver healthy heart lifestyle advice to Barnet residents who experience high blood pressure.
This funding runs until March 2023.
We will be employing a small team with lived experience of disability and an understanding of South Asian, African, or Caribbean heritage communities in the UK.
We’ll share more news with you soon.
Ukraine media coverage
We’ve joined over 170 Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPOs) in England to call for better media coverage of Disabled people in Ukraine.
The open letter is being sent to National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine, the UK Minister for Disabled People, the press and media.
Staff blog - mental health adjustments
Our Communications Assistant, Ed Peston, shares some of the practical techniques he has found helpful on his journey through experience of Mental Health issues.
“Everyone will have their own strategies, but in my view it is good to share these and to know that we are not alone with whatever we are facing.”
Staff blog - Then Barbara Met Alan
Our Inclusion Unlimited lead consultant, Hannah Chamberlain wrote this great review on Then Barbara Met Alan, a powerful BBC drama on the story of disability rights activists Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth.
Take a read on the link below or, if you missed the show, you can still watch it on BBC iPlayer.
Staff blog: Medical gaslighting
Our User Voice Project Officer, Sam Earle, wrote this thought provoking blog for International Women’s Day, about the sexism that disables many women in the chronic illness community.
"Medical gaslighting makes us feel "we aren't worthy of treatment, of reasonable adjustments, of support. So, as well as being too exhausted to fight these battles, we don’t wage them on the grounds that we don’t believe we deserve to win."
Goodbye to Melissa
Last month we said farewell to a much valued member of staff, Melissa Shaw. Melissa started as a Peer Worker in our Touchpoint team and more recently lead a pilot project, Stages, aimed at young disabled people. Melissa told us:
“IB gave me the opportunity to put some of my new learnings to test in a new role with a new opportunity which has lead me to know more about what works for me in the workplace and the direction I want to develop more in.”
We thank Melissa for all her hard work and the important connections she has made with young disabled people, enabling us to continue exploring this community.
Update from Healthwatch Barnet
Our colleague, Melvin Lyons, from our Healthwatch team has been out and about in the community talking to residents about keeping well during the colder months into early spring.
Contact Healthwatch Barnet info@healthwatchbarnet.co.uk if you would like to receive printed materials (available in different languages) or if a visit
from a team member would be useful for your organisation or community.
Meet our team
Sam Earle (she/her), User Voice Project Officer
1. How long have you worked at Inclusion Barnet?
Five months.
2. What is the main thing you are working on right now?
I am running a project called Equivox – which is an awareness-raising campaign on Instagram. I am busy with building relationships with the online disabled community, and finding ways to share their stories, and explore lived experience. (find us @equivox_campaign)
3. How does having lived experience impact your role?
My lived experience of fibromyalgia, a chronic health condition, is very important in my role, because it allows me to connect with the community as one of them. Therefore it is easier to build more authentic relationships, and it means I have significant insights into the kinds of things that matter to the community. Perhaps most importantly, it removes the element of paternalism or saviourism that informs many operations in the third sector.
4. The best thing about working at Inclusion Barnet?
IB really stands out as a wonderful workplace: its culture is based on collaboration, support and trust. This means that for many peers at IB, they have the rare opportunity to contribute their considerable talents, which is often not possible elsewhere because of a general lack of understanding of disabled peoples’ needs.
5. Favourite way to spend time when you’re not working?
Gardening, reading, hanging out with the cats, being out and about in nature, playing games or sport, and eating vegan food.
Campaigns, consultations and more
A1000 Experimental Cycle Route consultation – Enhancement
This consultation relates to the ‘pop-up’ cycle lane on the A1000 from just south of North Finchley Town Centre to the borough boundary with Haringey. This was installed in 2020 as a response to Covid-19 impacts on public transport.
Central Government requires the council to do a thorough consultation on such schemes prior to making them permanent or if a council decides to alter or remove them.
Join Barnet hospital Patient and Carer Advisory Group (BPCAG)
Barnet hospital are keen to have an advisory group that represents the population they serve. They’re recruiting now, aiming to meet six times a year to help the hospital team understand the experiences of people who have used their services and are involved in work to improve those services.
Opportunities like this is where we really CAN make a difference. So...disabled friends and carers, if you can, please consider applying.
Disabled film animators season
Visibly Animated is a film season bringing disabled animators and stories to the forefront.
For £5 you can stream all 10 programmes of animated shorts and talks on disability representation in film until Wednesday 6th April.
Reminder: Barnet’s pharmacy services consultation still open
Give your feedback to influence the design of future services
Clitterhouse Playing Fields phase 2 consultation
The Brent Cross Town team are now consulting on the transformation of Clitterhouse Playing Fields and would like to hear your views.
They want to ensure that the playing fields meet the needs of people who live, work and visit in the area now and in the future, with an emphasis on creating an inclusive, accessible and welcoming space for everyone.
Help improve Cancer services
Our colleagues at Healthwatch Barnet are working with North Central London Cancer Alliance and need your help to improve your local cancer services.
Can you use your lived experiences to help design better information resources for people with suspected or diagnosed cancer?
Will you help us improve your local cancer services?
Reminder: Vote by post deadline 19 April
If, like many of us, you continue to be concerned about keeping safe from Coronavirus, you may want to consider registering for a postal vote this year.
The deadline to do this is 19th April.
Reminder: Accessible health Information campaign still live
Campaign for the legal rights of patients to accessible information.
About us
Membership
Why not become a member of Inclusion Barnet?
Membership:
• Is FREE
• Connects you a growing network of disabled people in Barnet
• Gives your voice a boost where it counts
• Gives you a say in the future of Inclusion Barnet
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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