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October 2025 newsletter
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Welcome to the October edition of the Inclusion Barnet member newsletter!
It's full of info on consultations, online resources, community events, access tips 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
With many of our staff continuing to work from home since the pandemic, we spent some much-needed time together at a team building day last month. We focussed on one of our main objectives which is for Disabled people, in Barnet and beyond, to take a leadership role in creating a thriving and socially just society.
Far from being about seniority, a role or position you hold, it’s about what you do. We talked about how each of us, as people with lived experience of disability and/or expertise in the sector helps to make change happen and has influence over things we care about. We came away with a renewed sense of purpose and confidence in being leaders in our areas of work and how each one of us makes a valuable contribution to helping Inclusion Barnet work toward these important goals.
In other news, last week we raised issues faced by Disabled people including housing, transport, employment and skills, and poverty at the new London Disability Action Plan event hosted by Greater London Authority (GLA) in City Hall. The London Mayor has committed to developing this Plan for London and co-producing it with our community. The insights we gain from the wide range of work we do in Barnet enables us to give this important feedback at these events, so thank you all for your contributions in working with us and sharing your experiences.
Kind regards,
Claire Fisher
Head of Communications and Engagement
Grange Big Local event a big success!
The Local Fun Palace Community Festival fun by our Grange Big Local team last month was a great success. There was a lot of great feedback from the community, thanking everyone for their time and for making it free. This fantastic project is now nearing the end of its 10-year community action plan. Watch out for news on the grand opening of the underpass toward the end of this month.
Touchpoint update
Our Peer Support service remains open and we're working hard to reduce waiting times. Please note that our Benefits Advice service remains temporarily closed whilst we clear a backlog.
Healthy Heart getting around our community
Our Healthy Heart team has been keeping up with residents at lots of events this month, Edgware and Burnt Oak Libraries, the Watling Park celebration, Change Grow Learn - Barnet Open Day, West Hendon Arts & Wellness Summer Festival to name just a few. Judi, Salna and Riffat are doing an amazing job reaching residents from the African, Caribbean and South Asian communities who are more likely to have high blood pressure. Do say hello if you see them out and about in the community.
This month Sukhjeen Kaur joins our User Voice team as Engagement Officer (Peer role). Sukhjeen moves from her previous role on our Community Organisation Support team.
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 is an opportunity to get involved in this month:
Consultation on updated guidance for Returning Officers: Assistance with voting for Disabled people
The Electoral Commission want to hear your views on their updated guidance to support Returning Officers in making accessibility arrangements for Disabled voters for the May 2026 elections and beyond. This is an opportunity to make sure the whole electorate, including all Disabled people of voting age, can easily vote in UK Parliamentary elections, Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales, Northern Ireland Assembly elections and local government elections in England and Northern Ireland.
Open until 26 October
West Hendon Playing Fields - playground consultation
Barnet Council have allocated funding to improve play facilities across the borough and are now keen to hear your views on the new playground proposed for West Hendon Playing Fields. Let’s make sure Disabled voices are represented in this survey to ensure accessibility is high on the list.
Open until 31 October
Last chance to complete the Barnet Home Care survey
Homecare is when a care worker comes into your home, or a friend or family member's home, to provide care and support.
Barnet Council’s current homecare contract ends in July 2026, and so the Council is starting to look at establishing a new service from August 2026. Please complete this short survey and tell them about your experiences. They will use this information to help design the service and choose new homecare providers in Barnet going forward.
Open until 10 October
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 and London news and events
Arts & Activism: Queer Disabled Creativity in Action
Wednesday 15 October at 7.00pm
An event celebrating queer activism and creativity from Disabled people,
Venue: QUEERCIRCLE, 3 Barton Yard, London, SE10 0BN
Free Inclusive SEND basketball sessions, ages 11 - 19
Every Tuesday 5.00 - 6.00pm
Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre, NW4 1PX
Sessions are designed to be fun, supportive, and engaging, with a focus on developing coordination, teamwork, and confidence through sport
Contact: info@bulldogsbasketball.club
Online and national resources
Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) helpline
If you have been discriminated against and want some assistance on this, the EASS helpline advises and helps individuals on issues relating to equality and human rights, across England, Scotland and Wales in line with the Equality Act.
The helpline is open Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm
Call 0808 800 0082
Email eass@mailgb.custhelp.com
The Disability download (podcast from Leonard Cheshire)
This podcast share stories and opens up conversations about disability.
National news - local impact
Upcoming events in Government
The Mayfield Review: This autumn we're expecting to hear the results of the Charlie Mayfield review. This is an independent review titled “Keep Britain Working” which was commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). It is designed to advise the Government the best way to address the issue of people not being in work. Along with other disability groups, our CEO has attended several of these meetings to influence and inform the committee of the need to make the job market more accessible and that the DWP should be leading the way by employing more Disabled people themselves. We’ll be sharing news of the report when it is finally published.
Child Poverty Strategy: A Child Poverty Taskforce was set up July 2024, just after the Labour victory election. The strategy was to be released in Spring 2025 but now delayed due to Autumn 2025.We're keeping watch for any news that might impact Disabled people.
Autumn Budget: The Government Autumn budget will be presented on 26 November 2025. We’ll be on standby to update our members on any changes that may impact Disabled people.
Access Tips
Warning: This section includes mentions of suicide.
This free app helps Disabled people find accessible places. Wherever you're going, get accessibility information on your smartphone.
British Transport Police 61016 texting service
A non-emergency texting service for contacting the British Transport Police discreetly. You can text 61016 when:
- You want to tell BTP about an incident that has already happened
- You want to tell BTP about issues affecting your rail journey or your local station
- You have a general police enquiry
Suicide Prevention Stay Alive App
The Stay Alive app is a pocket suicide prevention resource, with information for those at risk of suicide and people worried about someone. It includes: strategies for staying safe, how to help a person thinking about suicide, and access to Barnet services and support.
Support with technology from Jewish Care
Jewish Care Explore offers support with technology to all adults within the Jewish community. Learn more about Jewish Care Explore's technology support.
Register for 999 text services
999 offers a text reporting service for members of the public who may be unable to call in an emergency. Text 'register' to 999, and then confirm 'yes' when you receive a response. Once this is complete, you will be able to text 999 in an emergency situation and the police will respond.
Be an inclusion champion
Making sure exhibitions are accessible
Whether you or your organisation want to put on a public exhibition, or you want to give feedback to another organisation about their exhibition if it has not been fully accessible to Disabled attendees and Disabled artists, the following guide can give you the information you need. Many of the principles are also valid to any public gatherings. Lets make all creativity, knowledge, artefacts and learning available and open to everyone:-
Accessible exhibition guide from Art Connect magazine based on Shape Arts resource
Join us
Share YOUR lived experience:
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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 employment 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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Did you know we run libraries, Barnet Voice for Mental Health, community organisation support, and more? Find all our services and other newsletters you can subscribe to, below.
