Charities supported by the Leeds office
Leeds Mencap: This is a local charity which works to improve the lives and opportunities of children and adults with a learning disability and their families and carers. It was first started in 1953 by a group of parents and carers of special needs children. At that time in Leeds and throughout the UK very limited support services were available.
Leeds Mencap provides a range of services and activities for individual with learning disabilities, along with their families and carers. Although affiliated to National Mencap, Leeds Mencap is a local charity that is completely independently funded and run, we rely on the generosity of the local community and businesses to allow us to keep delivering these wonderful services. http://www.leedsmencap.org.uk/
Martin House: This is a children's hospice which provides family led care for children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses. It is a place where children, young people and their families can come to stay from time to time along their journey and find support, rest and practical help. http://www.martinhouse.org.uk/
Leeds Childrens Charity: This charity was established in 1904 to "brighten" the lives of children in Leeds suffering from poverty, neglect, or abuse / domestic violence etc . Every year they take 350 disadvantaged children (aged 7 -11) from Leeds to the purpose built holiday centre at Silverdale, Morecombe. The children are looked after by dedicated staff and take part in a range of indoor / outdoor activities - arts/crafts, bowling, go karting, swimming etc. Anna Bosley ran the Leeds 10k for this charity in 2011 and raised £305. http://www.leedschildrenscharity.org.uk/
Dove House Hospice: A hull based charity providing excellent and necessary care and respite for people and families with life limiting illnesses. In summer 2011 Sarah Coles organised the Irwin Mitchell team who sponsored and took part in the Dove House Hospice It’s a Knockout Summer Fayre event. The team are taking part again this year on 10 June 2012. http://www.dovehouse.org.uk/
SNAPS (Special Needs and Parent Support): this is a voluntary organisation run by families, for families with children with disabilities. It provides opportunities and support for children and families, offering hydrotherapy swimming sessions, dance classes, speech and language sessions and a summer school. The charity isn’t government funded so relies on donations and lottery grants. http://www.snaps-vol.org.uk/
Dogs for the Disabled: This is a life-transforming charity, creating exceptional partnerships between people living with disability and specially trained assistance dogs. Through practical assistance a dog can offer freedom and independence to children and adults with physical disabilities and children with autism. http://www.dogsforthedisabled.org/
Hannah House: This is a purpose built self-contained “home from home” styled facility providing planned or emergency short-break care for children with complex health needs. The house caters for children up to 18 years old with complex health needs who meet the assessment criteria. Each child staying at Hannah House will have their own bedroom and enjoys the experience of a new environment, new activities and forming new relationships. Hannah House was built as a result of a charitable donation from a parent (Hannah’s Mum – Maureen Chapman).The building itself is both innovative and award winning in design with a focal point being a circular multi-sensory room. The building also has a spa, six bedrooms, a quiet room, a sitting room, an open plan dining/activity area and an enclosed garden and patio area. Short-break care allows parents/carers to have a break from the stress of caring 24 hours a day and allows siblings and other family members to spend time together.
St Gemma's Hospice: The hospice was opened in 1978 in Moortown, Leeds. It is the largest hospice in Yorkshire and one of the largest in England. They provide specialist medical and nursing care for people with life threatening illnesses, along with support for their families. It costs £22,700 to run the hospice for one day. Services offered include:Specialist nursing and medical care, highly experienced staff in symptom management and pain control, individually tailored support for patients and their families, expert support and advice in people's own homes, a beautifully refurbished In-Patient Unit and Day Services, stunning award winning grounds and facilities and a flexible catering service to suit people's own tastes and dietary needs. http://www.st-gemma.co.uk/index.html
The Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys: This a charity providing riding therapy to children with special needs and disabilities. The Leeds centre was opened in September 1999 and is based at Eccup. Children from all over Leeds who suffer special needs and disabilities are able to attend donkey therapy . Children are also encouraged to develop skills such as grooming. The charity have had great success working with children who have a wide variety of disabilities or behavioural problems. The riding helps children with body posture, coordination, fine motor skills and the centre works closely with other therapists such as physiotherapists, speech and language therapists and other therapists.
Friends of Lucy – Mai: This was set up by Dean and Annie Sanderson following the birth of their daughter Lucy-Mai. Lucy-Mai suffered hypoxic brain damage and was very disabled. The family decided after their experience of people who work with and care for disabled children to fundraise for the local hospital and charities who support disabled children. The organisation is called The Friends of Lucy-Mai and the charity has raised over £100,000 in 5 years. The money is distributed to charities or individuals, say a child who was a friend of Lucy-Mai needs a piece of equipment but cannot afford it the charity may fundraise and contribute to it.
Lucy-Mai sadly died on 20th November when she was just 2 and a half years old. However her parents and friends continue to fundraise in her name for other children. Her parents continue to be advocates for disabled children and their families so that they can achieve the best possible life. In 2010, Dean started a fundraising calendar for SNAPS photographing local children to raise funds. http://www.lucy-mai.co.uk/
CASE Training: A Hull-based charity providing education, training and therapeutic services for adults with learning disabilities and associated conditions which include Epilepsy, Asperger's Syndrome, Dyspraxia, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Health, Down Syndrome, Fragile X, ADHD and Global Development Delay. Their annual Ball in October is an evening not to be missed. http://casetraininghull.co.uk/
Little Hiccups: This is a new support group that has been set up by two mums, Linsay and Jenny who both have children with special needs. Through personal experience they recognise the importance of allowing the parents and families of a child with a disability the opportunity to meet people in similar situations, to make friends and support each other. While parents have a chance to chat to other carers in similar situations, children are able to learn through play, make friends and have fun! Activities include arts and crafts, day trips, guest speakers and social events for parents/carers. http://www.littlehiccups.co.uk/
Sue Ryder- Wheatfields Hospice: This is a Specialist Palliative Care Unit which enriches the quality of life of those living with, or affected by, a serious illness through the highly specialised skills of an experienced and caring team. They support people in their residential and day centres, day clinics, in the community or at home. They help people affected by cancer, multiple sclerosis, Huntingdon's disease, Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease, stroke, brain injury and other life changing illnesses.
The residential centre has 15 single rooms, five of which have en-suite facilities and a 3-bed room, relative facilities, a quiet room/chapel and pretty grounds. The team consists of Community Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) and a consultant in palliative medicine. The CNSs are nurses who have additional training, experience, skills and knowledge to help people with specialist palliative care needs. They aim to ease or prevent symptoms and offer psychological and spiritual support to patients, their families and friends. And they hope to enhance quality of life.
The wider hospice team includes a family support team, a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, a lymphoedema specialist, chaplaincy team, Day Therapy Unit and complementary therapists. They also work in partnership with GPs, district nurses, community matrons and hospital teams. http://www.sueryder.org/wheatfieldshospice
Echoes Foundation: A charity which supports local families with children who have disabilities such as cerebral palsy. They provide guidance, therapeutic support and advice to those in the Hull region and is a much needed charity. www.echoesfoundation.co.uk/
coHearentVision: This is the working name of The Leeds Society for Deaf and Blind People which has existed since 1876. Throughout its long history, the single objective has been to respond to the expressed needs and aspirations of deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, blind and partially sighted people. This has been achieved by the active participation of sensory-impaired people, both as members of committees at every level and as members of staff. There are few, if any, other voluntary societies which provide services for both sensory impairments. The reputation of coHearentVision is virtually without equal in this regard, and the benefit of their advice, opinion and experience is sought by people throughout the UK.
The Elizabeth Foundation: This is a charity which helps preschool deaf children learn to listen and talk. It is a national charity supporting infants and preschool children with hearing loss and their families. The Foundation does this by providing education, help, support and encouragement. They believe it is the right of every deaf child to be given the opportunity to learn to listen and talk. The charity runs services from their fantastic family centres in Hampshire and in Yorkshire. They offer parent-centred education programmes for newborns, toddlers and preschool children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The programmes are run in an environment with lots of talking, where children can continue to develop their listening, language and speech skills, with the use of modern technology such as the cochlear implant and digital hearing aids this mean that deaf children are no longer destined to a life of silence.
http://www.elizabeth-foundation.org/
The Bradford Toy Library: This is a charity which plays a vital role in stimulating and educating thousands of children with disabilities and special needs across the Bradford district. The Bradford Toy Library at St Luke’s was established more than 20 years ago and provides specialist toys and play equipment to children with special needs. Based in the child development centre at St Luke’s, it helps more than 500 individuals across Bradford as well as providing support to 30 schools, nurseries and community centres via its outreach program. In addition to loaning toys and play equipment, it also organises events and days out.
The William Merritt Disabled Living Centre: This charity provides impartial information, advice and assessment on equipment and practical aspects of daily living for disabled people of all ages, their carers, professionals and older people. They also offer a specialist Paediatric Service and have a Paediatric Occupational Therapist that offers information, assessment and professional support for children, parents and professionals.
Many different types of equipment are on permanent display to be tried including bathing and toileting equipment, car seats, supportive seating and buggies, manual and powered wheelchairs, and scooters. The William Merritt Centre does not sell any items of equipment but the Occupational Therapist can arrange assessments with companies who specialise in the equipment and are also able to liaise with relevant professionals regarding funding for the equipment.
The Centre has also developed an assessment service and loan library for adapted toys and switches for children from the Leeds area. Toys, such as, tape recorders, musical toys, bubble machines, fans, remote control toys etc can be adapted with a variety of switches and interfaces to enable many children to operate them even when they have very limited movement.
http://www.williammerrittleeds.org/
Stepping Stones Appeal: This is a charity focussed on the Spinal Injury Unit at Pinderfields and was responsible for making a major donation to the new Unit before it opened in 2010. The donation effectively paid for the Gym which is so important to patient rehabilitation. The funds were raised over a period of over 10 years from events put on in Wakefield and West Yorkshire. Mark Tempest is the Vice Chair of this organisation.
http://www.midyorks.nhs.uk/main.cfm?type=THESTEPPINGSTONESA
Headway: Headway supports people who have suffered a brain injury, their families and carers. Their objectives include increasing awareness of the consequences of brain injury, improving services, promoting social inclusion, and providing information to people affected by brain injury and interested professionals. The national charity, Headway UK, supports local groups all over the country; Headway Leeds is particularly active in providing social events, advice and support for its members.
http://www.headway.org.uk/Branches/leeds.aspx