Walsall Disability Forum

Committed to Working in Partnership

Login/Logout Here

Severn Valley Railway Trip

Tuesday 12 June 2012- £20.00 Per Person

Includes coach to Kidderminster to embark the vintage steam train to Highley, entrance to The Engine House Museum, Afternoon Tea and your return Journey!

Places are Limited— Please Book Early to Avoid Disappointment
For further information or to book your ticket please contact Michelle at Walsall Disability Forum.

Telephone: 01922 614794/ Email: michelle@walsalldeaf.org.uk

News from the Forum

Give Deaf Patients Access to Qualified BSL Interpreters 
As part of the Deaf Awarness Week, this is something the BDA have been working on with ASLI, SignHealth, BSMHD, Signature and Action on Hearing Loss, so we are inviting you to sign it at the link below.
http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/deafaccess

Walsall Wheelchair User and Carers Group
Are you interested in becoming involved is a service user/carers group to influence the development of services for Wheelchair Users?

Please come along to the first meeting Wednesday 23 May 2012 at 10am, to be held at Wheelchair Service, Units 7,8 & 9 Bentley lane Industrial estate, Bentley Lane, Walsall WS2 8TL.

For further information please contact 0845 113 0660

Olympic Torch Comes to Walsall
The torch is coming through the borough on Saturday 30 June. Although LOCOG have given detailed timings, since it’ll be setting off from Derby on that morning at 7am and passing through several other towns and cities, we have to be prepared for timings to go a little awry.
We’re looking at the torch travelling through the borough from noon to 3pm. Rolling road closures are planned therefore expect delays of 20 to 30 minutes around the torch route.
The torch route is as follows:
• Stafford Road Bloxwich to High Street Bloxwich
• High Street to Elmore Green Road (access to parking in side streets may be affected)
• Somerford Road to Green Lane
• CONVOY
• Green Lane, from Rayboulds Bridge Road to Courtway.
• Courtway from Green Lane to Stafford Street
• Littleton Street West (and then Littleton Street East) from Stafford Street to Lichfield Street
• Lichfield Street from Littleton Street East to Bridge Street (access to disabled parking in Tower Street will be affected)
• Bridge Street from Lichfield Street to The Bridge (access to disabled parking bays in Bridge Street will be affected)
• The Bridge, from Bridge Street to Park Street
• Park Street, from The Bridge to Gallery Square
• Gallery Square, from Park Street to Wolverhampton Street
• Wolverhampton Street from Gallery Square to Wolverhampton Road
• Wolverhampton Road, from Wolverhampton Street to Primley Avenue
• CONVOY
• Wolverhampton Road West from Bentley Mill Way to Crescent Road
• Crescent Road, from Wolverhampton Street West to Clarkes Lane
• Walsall Road, from Clarkes Lane to Walsall Street
• Walsall Street, from Walsall Road to New Road
• New Road, from Walsall Street to Somerford Place
• Somerford Place from New Road to Willenhall Road.

The roads in bold are the ones where there is expected impact on disabled parking provision and also temporary barriers being set up. There are Plans to barrier The Bridge, Park Street and Gallery Square so that the torch can get through the pedestrianised area safely.
CONVOY means that the torch is locked away out of sight and the convoy is travelling at or below the speed limit. In other words, there’s nothing to see.
Further information will be in Bulletins closer to the torch date.

Launch of Stan Ball Centre- Young at Heart Project friendship Circle

WEDNESDAY 16TH MAY 2-4PM
 
POTENTIAL FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE MEMBERS, SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY WORKERS AND ANYONE ELSE WITH AN INTEREST IS WARMLY INVITED TO ATTEND THE STAN BALL CENTRE ON WEDNESDAY 16TH MAY IN THE MAIN HALL FROM 2PM
 
The Friendship Circle aims to bring people together to make new friends and take up new interests and activities.

Many of the Friendship Circle activities will take place in the Stan Ball Centre, however for those who are housebound there will be personal visits and telephone calls by trained volunteers. Housebound members will be known as Home Members and in addition to the home visits a Computer Scheme also aims to encourage Friendship Circle members who are housebound - they will be known as 'Home Members' to learn how to use the internet so that they can keep also learn to keep in touch through email, facebook and skype.

Friendship Circle Home Members will be offered a computer on loan, refurbished by volunteers at The Stan Ball Centre. The computer will be set up in their home for them and private tuition will be given to them in their own home for a nominal amount to contribute to the costs of the scheme. If the member finds they like using the internet, they can then either purchase the loan computer, or purchase their own computer. The loan computer if returned will then be used to help another Home Member to make a start on the ever expanding world of the internet.
 
Friendship Circle members will also receive information about sources of help, advice and advocacy, and automatic membership of the Stan Ball Centre based Local 50+ Forum, which deals with matters of interest to local people aged 50 plus and arranges trips to places of interest.

The Friendship Circle will also include a dedicated Stan Ball Centre Widow and Widowers group which will be launched on the same day and will meet monthly on Mondays.
 
Potential volunteers for the Friendship Circle home visiting scheme are also asked to come along on the day. Volunteers will need to have an outgoing and friendly personality and will be reference and CRB checked.

The ticklist summary of the Friendship Circle is attached for a quick reference. Also attached is what’s on May.

For further information please contact Deb 01922 403351.

Walsall Police- Boxing club is real hit with youngsters

Young people from Walsall are boxing clever with the help of their local police and the local authority's youth service.

Due to the success of the pilot scheme in February further funding has been awarded by the Integrated Young Peoples Support Service (IYPSS) Walsall to run another six week course.

Boxclever will be offered to youngsters in the Walsall area with new sessions beginning on Tuesday 15 May until 26 June. The training will be held at Walsall Police Station, from 6.00pm 8.00pm and anyone between the ages of 11-19 can take part. Young people will receive professional coaching from former world champion Wayne Elcock and learn valuable life skills. PC Alan Poole, from Walsall Police who will help to organise the sessions said: "The boxing sessions are a fantastic joint initiative between the police, local authority, Wayne and of course the children taking part. "I believe that it's a fantastic opportunity for youngsters around the area to get involved in a positive sporting activity; whilst learning discipline, keeping fit and making new friends."

There are 32 places available for young people who wish to take part. A number of these places will be given to young people who have been identified by local partners, youth services, officers from the offender management unit and other organisations, who feel that these young people will benefit from the experience. PC Alan Poole said, "I would urge any young people from the Walsall area to contact me if they feel they would also benefit from the scheme after all it's not too often that people get the chance to be coached by a former world champion boxer!"

If you are interested in taking part or would like to refer a young person to the scheme please e-mail alan.poole@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk or telephone Walsall police on the new non-emergency number 101.

We Care Newsletter
Please see below the link to the latest We Care newsletter for adult social care. This version features our Occupational Therapy team and the Independent Living Centre.

Feel free to get in touch with Rebecca Robinson if you have any comments or queries or to feature your team in a future edition. Tel: 01922 658368
Email: robinsonreb@walsall.gov.uk

www.walsall.gov.uk/may2012

ILC Open Day  
Please find attached an invite to the ILC service providers open day on Monday 14th May from 1000 – 1600. The ILC is a new and exciting centre for disabled people, carers, people over 50 and service providers in Walsall. Please pop in during the day for a tour, a cuppa and a biscuit and have a chat with the centre staff.