Posted On: 19/03/19
Guideposts’ exists to provide services to meet individual needs so that each person has the opportunity to fulfill their aspirations and maximise their potential. We seek to achieve excellence in our work and lead the way in researching, delivering and disseminating good practice.
Put simply: we are Here for You and will continue to strive to be here for you and your family in more meaningful and personalised ways in the future. Find out how Guideposts could help you and your loved ones
Posted On: 06/02/19
A ‘world-first’ study backed by Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation could pave the way for very early detection of lung cancer as well as new treatments for it.
Posted On: 11/12/18
The biopharmaceutical company, Pharnext, is carrying out an observational study for people with Charcot-Marie Tooth disease (CMT) using a new digital app called CMT&Me.
The aim of the study is to collect data directly from people with CMT, who can describe what it is like to live with the condition. It is hoped that this information will improve our understanding of CMT and lead to better care. It could also help with the development of potential treatments. Read more
Posted On: 11/10/18
Daniel from Mencap , a Friends at Work consortium member, delivered an inspirational presentation at our recent Training event explaining exactly what learning disabilities are. You can chose to support this fantastic work with a tax free payrollgiving donation http://bit.ly/2AmfPId Find our more
Posted On: 05/09/18
Kirsty James grew up knowing she would lose her vision but not knowing when, after she was diagnosed with Stargardt disease at the age of 13.
Kirsty with her guide dog, standing in Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament. Read Kirsty's story here
Posted On: 01/08/18
Do you have a child with hearing loss? How has it impacted you and your family? We are looking to speak to families affected by hearing loss to share their stories in our Christmas mailing and help raise vital funds into life-changing research.
If you’re interested or want to find out more, please contact Megan at tellusyourstory@hearingloss.org.uk !
Posted On: 24/06/18
Learning Disability Week ran from 18 – 24 June 2018. Mencap want Learning Disability Week to be a chance for people with a learning disability and NHS staff to celebrate and share good practice, and to work together to improve care that isn't good enough.
Hear from Paula about why she is calling for doctors and nurses to receive mandatory training in Autism and learning disability. Read more
Posted On: 21/05/18
Contact - For families with disabled children, have released a new podcast on claiming Personal Independence Payment at age 16. Listen to some advice on how this can affect your children with disabilities here
Your donation to Together for Change supports their tireless work. http://bit.ly/2AmfPId
Posted On: 16/05/18
This May, celebrate braille by going all dotty for a good
cause.
Dots Raise Lots is a chance for you to run a fun and easy
event that will:
Posted On: 01/05/18
Posted On: 03/04/18
SignHealth
works to improve the health and wellbeing of people who are Deaf. We provide
some services directly in British Sign Language (BSL), we work in partnership
with the NHS and we also campaign for change.
You can find out more about our services and campaigns. You can also access the country’s largest collection of BSL health
videos. And you can read
about our research which showed
that Deaf people experience poorer health than hearing people – largely because
of...
Posted On: 13/03/18
Posted On: 07/02/18
According to the Red Cross 9 million people in the UK are always or have often felt lonely. This has been called a ‘silent epidemic’ by Rachel Reeves MP. Loneliness can have an extreme physical effect on our body, can increase the risk of death by 30% and can make us more vulnerable to different diseases as our immune system gets weaker. With these striking statistics it is great news that a world first Minister for Loneliness has just been appointed in...
Posted On: 20/12/17
It's never too early to start looking after your hearing. The World Health Organisation says that noise exposure is the biggest cause of permanent hearing damage around the world – and it’s avoidable.
Listening to any sound at a high volume – more than 85 decibels, or dB(A) – can cause permanent hearing loss, tinnitus or both. This section explains the simple steps you can take to protect your hearing at work, when you listen to music and during noisy activities. There's...
Posted On: 01/11/17
Being blind doesn’t necessarily mean living in total darkness. Did you know that 93 per cent of the people in the UK who are registered as blind or partially sighted can actually see something?
By holding an In The Dark event you will not only be raising funds to make every day better for those living with sight loss but also be helping raise awareness of living with limited vision. You’ll have the opportunity to awaken and focus on your other senses...
Posted On: 19/09/17
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease - an inherited neurological disorder
Estimates suggest around 25,000 people in the UK have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT).1 They usually start to have symptoms – which can include muscle weakness and numbness in the feet, arms and hands – during childhood or adolescence. Symptoms slowly get worse and more disabling over time, making everyday tasks increasingly difficult. Professor David Bennett, of the University of Oxford, is in the early...
Posted On: 16/08/17
Join us for an information afternoon for everyone living with Becker muscular dystrophy. Muscular Dystrophy UK and the team from The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry will host the event. It takes place on Saturday 2 September 2017 between 1pm and 5pm at Holiday Inn Stoke on Trent M6, Jct. 15, Clayton Road, Staffordshire, ST5 4DL.
This is a great opportunity to find out more about the condition, including...
Posted On: 12/07/17
As many as two in three Deaf people in the UK struggle with mental health problems, but most find it too difficult to access psychological therapy.
Today, new guidance from the Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health (JCPMH) and Deaf health charity SignHealth, calls for an urgent improvement to deaf people’s access to mental health services.
Despite having poorer mental health than the rest of the population, the 60,000 people across the UK who use sign language as their...
Posted On: 21/06/17
We all have fond childhood memories of our outdoor adventures, whether in local woodland, a neighbourhood field or creating muddy mischief in a patch of boggy marshland. Memories and lessons from childhood shape our understanding of the world around us. That legacy lasts a lifetime by helping us become more confident, independent adults with stronger self-esteem and social skills.
Sadly, some children are living with physical or learning disabilities which can place those environments beyond...
Posted On: 21/06/17
Living with sight loss can be an extremely isolating and difficult journey to embark upon.
Peter knows that his sight loss must have started gradually, without him noticing. He was diagnosed with Wet AMD in 2004 and has since lost most of his sight. After his diagnosis, Peter was told by his local hospital that there was nothing else they could do and he was told to go home.
As a green fingered gardener and a keen reader, Peter’s life changed considerably, but with the support of people like...
Posted On: 21/06/17
Anna* grew up in an extremely violent home and was physically hurt by her mother. This is no coincidence – deaf children are twice as likely as hearing people to experience abuse. Anna is now safe, but the complex and deep rooted mental health issues she developed continued to affect her deeply.
Anna knew she needed help, but didn’t know where to turn. Counselling seemed a waste of time – without an interpreter there would be no chance of two-way communication. With an interpreter she...
Posted On: 21/06/17
Eight year old Lily has a devastating, life-shortening condition known as beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration or BPAN.
This disease strikes young children, causing them to develop slowly and to miss key developmental milestones. It leads to seizures and muscle problems. Lily takes medicines for dribbling and to control her seizures and she suffers from sleep problems and uses a wheelchair.
With no cure, and no way to stop the progress of this disease, as children grow into...
Posted On: 21/06/17
Think of a double-decker bus. It holds around 80 passengers. Now imagine that all those passengers suddenly disappeared. Odd thought? Scary? Well, lung cancer kills a busload of people – and more – each and every day. In the UK. Still. That’s why we’re here. Why we’re needed.
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation: the only UK charity dedicated wholly to defeating lung cancer.
Our researchers, such as Lakis Liloglou, are seeking ways to spot lung cancer at the earlier possible stage. A...
Posted On: 21/06/17
Like you, we want people with a learning disability to be valued equally, listened to and included. With your valued support, we are working to reduce stigma and discrimination and are giving people of all ages opportunities to socialise and make friends.
Together we are improving healthcare and making sure people with a learning disability understand their rights. We are making sure early intervention happens for more families and supporting more people to find employment. You are supporting...
Posted On: 21/06/17
Meet Tony, a fun and confident 47-year-old who is deafblind and has a learning disability. Tony was born deaf. As he reached his 20s, he started to lose his sight and was soon without both senses. This was devastating for Tony, affecting his physical and mental health and causing him major distress. But this all started to change 12 years ago when he moved to Watery Lane, a dedicated Action on Hearing Loss home. There he met Richard, a support worker,who taught him to deafblind sign. This...
Posted On: 20/06/17
Thirty-four-year-old Dean Yorke is a DJ from Reading, Berkshire. Diagnosed with a muscle-wasting condition thirty years ago, when he was aged just four, Dean’s Family have been tirelessly fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy UK ever since.
“My parents (James & Monica), are really inspiring, and have raised thousands of pounds for Muscular Dystrophy UK. Over the years, as a family, we’ve organised all sorts of charity events - Irish dances, quiz nights, and three-legged pub crawls just to...
Posted On: 15/06/17
Gifts to Childlife are divided between its four partner charities who support children, one of which is Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Acorns is a place where care and support for the family of life-limited children is key to the service they provide in their West Midlands hospices.
Respite care gives a family confidence that their child is as safe at Acorns as they are at home. This peace of mind cannot be underestimated. When parents feel able to leave their child for a short break knowing...
Posted On: 25/05/17
Key lung cancer report from RCP shows encouraging rise in survival as more patients receive life prolonging treatments with support from Payroll Giving
Today’s report from The Royal College of Physicians shows a 7% increase in the number of people diagnosed with lung cancer surviving for longer than one year, since 2010.
In addition, 60% of lung cancer patients received anti-cancer treatment such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery, meeting...
Posted On: 16/05/17
As many as two in three Deaf people in the UK struggle with mental health problems, but most find it too difficult to access psychological therapy.
Today, new guidance from the Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health (JCPMH) and Deaf health charity SignHealth, calls for an urgent improvement to deaf people’s access to mental health services.
Despite having poorer mental health than the rest of the population, the 60,000 people across the UK who use sign language as their main language...
Posted On: 09/01/17
Stephen Kingdom - a die hard Crystal Palace FC fan and passionate cyclist - has taken on a huge challenge to raise money to help us support families with disabled children.
Stephen, who lives in South London, will clock up a phenomenal 6,000 miles as he cycles to and from every one of the Eagles' 38 matches this Premier League season.
Stephen aims to raise at least £10,000 for Contact a Family - help him get there by visiting his JustGiving page.
Keep up with Stephen's progress by visiting...
Posted On: 06/11/16
Matthew Innocent, from Essex, was diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy at the age of 34. Here he shares his story:
"When I was 30, I went skiing and got frostbite in my hands. After losing all feeling in them for three months, feeling eventually came back, but my hands were significantly weaker. Over the next four years, they became weaker, I experienced chest pains and struggled to swallow. Finally, when my symptoms became more pronounced and started affecting my day-to-day life, I...
Posted On: 06/11/16
Matthew Innocent, from Essex, was diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy at the age of 34. Here he shares his story:
"When I was 30, I went skiing and got frostbite in my hands. After losing all feeling in them for three months, feeling eventually came back, but my hands were significantly weaker. Over the next four years, they became weaker, I experienced chest pains and struggled to swallow. Finally, when my symptoms became more pronounced and started affecting my day-to-day life, I...
Posted On: 31/10/16
“Tom is really funny and very brave and wants to be involved in everything that’s going on. He is a happy, determined little boy,” says his mum Maria.
But sadly, Tom has quadriplegic cerebral palsy: both his arms, both his legs and his torso are affected, and he is severely physically disabled.
Tom was diagnosed before his first birthday and discovering that their baby son would face a lifetime of disability was heartbreaking for Maria and husband Terry. But, Maria says: “As time goes...
Posted On: 23/10/16
I got involved with Mencap two years ago through my local Mencap group, Barnet Mencap.
When they told me about the opportunity to become a Young Ambassador, I wanted to be a part of it. Being a Young Ambassador involves going to presentations and events to promote to the public about Mencap and learning disability. Not many people in the public know what a learning disability is so it’s important to raise awareness.
After six months as a Young Ambassador, I started to join in with other...
Posted On: 25/09/16
Like many children and young people with Down syndrome Henry has problems with his eyesight as well as learning disabilities. But now, bifocal glasses are making an amazing difference.
Mum Caroline is delighted with the progress in Henry’s reading, writing and everyday skills, like doing up buttons and using IT equipment, which will help him become more independent in the future.
Tests carried out by Dr Margaret Woodhouse at Cardiff University led to Henry’s prescription for bifocals,...
Posted On: 01/09/16
Athletes like me are being excluded from the Paralympics.
I am a 100m and 200m runner. I have trained all my life to compete at the highest level in these sports. I also have a learning disability. Unfortunately, this means I am unable to compete in the disciplines I am strongest in.
Did you know that the Paralympics exclude people with a learning disability from over three quarters of sports?
Out of 23 sports at the Summer Paralympic games, athletes with a learning disability can only compete...
Posted On: 17/08/16
Mencap are asking new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Damian Green MP, to stand by the government's promise not to cut disabled people’s benefits further. 825 people have signed their e-petition, will you help them get to 1000? Sign the petition here >> http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=78&ea.campaign.id=53563&ea.tracking.id=Facebook
Posted On: 04/07/16
RNIB are delighted to have worked closely with the Bank of England on developing new bank notes that will incorporate features to help blind and partially sighted people better identify their money.
With information gathered through focus groups, they were able to advise the Bank of England on the size of the notes, what they should feel like, and how they would work best for people with sight loss. The new notes will be made of polymer, and will retain tiered sizing, include bold numerals...
Posted On: 28/06/16
All of us have at least one fond memory of a really big adventure in "The Great Outdoors", even if it was just a sparse patch of local wood, or a boggy pond in a neighbourhood field…! Memories and lessons from childhood adventures, last a lifetime and help shape our understanding of the world around us. They also build our confidence, our self-esteem and independence.
However, some children don’t live anywhere near a rural environment, whilst others are living with physical or learning...
Posted On: 28/06/16
Thank you for your donations through payroll giving. Your support means that we can continue our work to support patients and increase survival rates of lung cancer.
Please allow me to introduce you to Nicky, who leads the team of support nurse specialists operating our telephone helpline, the helpline which is funded by donations from people like you.
Nicky joined our charity last September and has now built a team of four nurses to help continue this vital service to patients and their...
Posted On: 24/06/16
When Ken first lost his sight he lost his confidence too. Thanks to you we were able to send him on our ‘Finding your feet’ course, a programme designed to help people cope with the challenges of living with sight loss. Over three days Ken’s confidence grew. He learnt about Action’s useful services, helpful products and vital tips for living confidently with sight loss. “Going on the course was a life-changer. It was fantastic. It opened so many doors, and since then I’ve been...
Posted On: 24/06/16
As she’s an avid reader and writer, Cathie’s sight loss hit her hard. But thanks to your support we were able to provide Cathie and her husband Mike, who is also blind, with a lifeline. This support hasn’t just enabled them to do more around the house. It’s also helped them to travel on their own.
Along with listening to the latest books and magazines through our Talking Books service, they also use gadgets such as a talking microwave and clock, bought from our shop. Your support has...
Posted On: 21/06/16
Alfie is a lively boy who loves jokes and playing tricks on people, but for Alfie, who has cerebral palsy, having fun is a daily struggle.
“Alfie suffered devastating brain damage at birth. His muscles and his brain cannot ‘talk’ to each other so he is unable to control the way his body moves”. Samantha, Alfie’s mum.
He also has quadriplegia, which means all his limbs are affected. He can see and hear, but he is profoundly affected in terms of physical movement, and cannot...
Posted On: 21/06/16
Lucy Brady lives in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, with her husband, Andrew, and their four-year-old daughter, Ella, who has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT).
“By the time Ella was two, she was falling over all the time and her feet were starting to turn over. In February 2015 a blood test confirmed she had CMT. Having ‘cheeky feet’ is how we describe Ella’s condition to her. We tell her that when she was made, CMT said they wanted to be part of her. Ella said, “What if I don’t want...
Posted On: 21/06/16
In the UK 200 children who will have a learning disability are born every week. Without specialist support from the start, many will face an extremely challenging future where they will struggle to reach their full potential, and will experience isolation, inequality and poverty. The impact of a diagnosis can be devastating, too many families experience the isolation and utter bewilderment caused by a lack of support following their child’s learning disability diagnosis.
We listened to what...
Posted On: 21/06/16
The support of people like you is changing the lives of people confronting deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss. Meet Edna, whose keeping connected thanks to you.
“I was a singer and my husband, Harry, was a pianist. I was the glamorous one at the front of the band. Everything was amplified, so maybe that’s what damaged my hearing… that, or my age. It went gradually, bit by bit – the music, the phone ringing, my daughter’s voice – I lost it all. My hearing aids are my life now....
Posted On: 21/06/16
Night-time is a lonely and frightening time for orphaned and abandoned children who are resident at SignHealth Uganda's deaf schools. In remote and inaccessible areas there is no electricity. Daylight fades early in Uganda and signing hands cannot be seen in the darkness. This lack of light increases the children’s vulnerability, detrimentally affecting their learning and cutting them off from the world around them. If they are frightened, lonely or unwell, there is no one they can tell....
Posted On: 21/06/16
A gift to Childlife is very special as funds are divided between its four partner charities, one of which is National Deaf Children’s Society. This year marks the 10th anniversary of universal newborn hearing screening being introduced across the UK, following campaigning from the National Deaf Children’s Society.
Prior to this, the infant screening programme, commonly referred to as the ‘distraction’ test, took place at eight months, meaning that many babies went undiagnosed and...
Posted On: 06/06/16
On 27 April, David Allen was on stage, applause ringing out as he collected his ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award at the MS Awards ceremony in London. Selected from many thousands of everyday superheroes, he was honoured for his work as Chair of our Luton, Dunstable and District Branch.
“I had no idea I’d been nominated, I was shocked and surprised,” David told us. “It is such a lovely feeling to be recognised, especially as I’ve been nominated by my peers.”
Three years ago,...
Posted On: 30/05/16
Childlife have been looking for more enjoyable ways for you to support them this summer. How about hosting a Barbecue for a group of friends and asking them to make a donation to them, instead of bringing you wine or flowers? Raise money for charity and enjoy a meal with friends. The new and easy way to raise money for your favourite charity by having friends over for a meal. Find out here >> http://www.dinner4good.com/childlife/
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