Atn issue53

TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!opening doors . . . broadening minds

p13

p18-19

This is more than just a newspaper – itis the key that opens a thousand doors

IndianIndiansummersummer

‘ — SIR BERT MASSIE, BRITAIN’S LEADING DISABILITY CAMPAIGNER

SIR ELTON’S

PARALYMPIC

CONCERT p5

WIN! WIN! WIN!FLEETWOOD MAC TRIBUTETICKETS UP FOR GRABS

p31

p21-25

WINGWALKER

TOM, 93, IS

AT IT AGAIN p4

FEBRUARY-MARCH, 2014

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2 All Together NOW! February/March 2014 www.alltogethernow.org.uk

What’s inside

Editor: Tom Dowlingemail:[email protected]

Advertising/sponsorshipChris Groves

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IT Support: Ken AlmondWebsite: Pharos Design

NEXT EDITION:Tuesday 8 April, 2014

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NEWS

All Together NOW!

WORKERS who have hearingimpairments are beingpenalised by the GovernmentAccess to Work scheme.

That’s the warning fromcharities representing deafpeople.

Action on Hearing Loss(formerly RNID) and otherorganisations say that withdeaf people already four timesmore likely to be unemployed,the change in policy willrestrict their access tocommunication support andincrease costs for employersthat could force people withhearing loss out of work.

Early reports suggest thesenew measures could costemployers an extra £10,000per deaf member of staff.

Currently, Access to Workprovides deaf employees withup to 30 hours communicationsupport per week.

However, the scheme ismoving deaf people to employfull-time salariedcommunication support,rather than freelance support,restricting the range of helpdeaf people need and theflexibility they rely on.

Paul Breckell, chief executiveof Action on Hearing Loss,said: ‘It’s totally unrealistic forthe 3.7 million deaf workers inthe UK to recruit a full-timecommunication supportworker.

“The type of supportsomeone needs might varyfrom day to day and there arereal problems in terms of thenumber of qualifiedprofessionals available – fromlittle more than 1,000 BritishSign Language interpreters tojust 25 speech-to-textreporters.

“These unworkable changeswill transfer additional,unsustainable costs toemployers.”

David Buxton, chiefexecutive of the British DeafAssociation, said: “We arevery concerned that deaf andhard of hearing Access toWork users were not properlyconsulted about the new 30hours a week rule.”n Action on Hearing LossInformation Line 0808 808 0123(freephone) or 0808 808 9000(textphone)

ACTION has beenpromised to help theone in four people

who will experience mentalhealth problems – and bringan end to the stigma thatpeople face on a daily basis.

Deputy Prime Minister NickClegg declared: “All too often,attitudes to mental health arestuck in the dark ages; full ofstigma and stereotypes.

“It’s time for us to bring mentalhealth out of the shadows and togive people with mental healthconditions the support they needand deserve.

“We are calling for action –across the NHS, the mentalhealth sector and wider society –to champion change, totransform outdated attitudes andpractices, and to improve thelives of people with mental healthproblems.

“We recognise we’ve got amountain to climb. But we’reworking hard to ensure that theneeds of those with mentalhealth problems are considerednot just in the NHS, but alsoacross our public sector: withbetter support in education,employment, the justice sector,housing and elsewhere.

“Ultimately, it’s going to take allof us working together to achievethe change in attitudes that weneed, to create an environment

together where it’s okay to talkabout mental health.”

Desite improvements in recentyears, there is a long way to goto make mental health asimportant as physical health anddrive out unacceptable practicesand prejudices that still exist.

Mr Clegg said those practicesincluded long waiting times,people being transferred longdistances to get a bed, face-down restraint being used toooften, and children being caredfor on adult wards then facing acliff-edge of support when theyturn 18.

“People with severe mentalillness also face shorter lifeexpectancy – this shows thatmore needs to be done to helpthose with mental healthproblems stay physically healthyas well,” added the Deputy PrimeMinister.

“The document, Closing theGap: Priorities for Essential

Change in Mental Health,outlines 25 areas for health andcare services to take actionwhich will make a difference tothe lives of people with mentalhealth conditions.

“These changes will mean thatthe system is fairer for peoplewith mental health problems. Thedocument aims to encourage theNHS to take mental health asseriously as physical health.”

From April, patients needingtreatment fo a mental healthproblem will be able to choosewhere they get their care in thesame way someone needing ahip or knee replacement has hada right to choose which hospitalto have their operation at since2008. The choice will not belimited to an NHS provider.

And £43 million will be investedin pilots on better housing forpeople with mental healthproblems or learning disabilities.Architects and builders will workwith mental health experts andcharities to bid for projects nextyear with the aim of new homesbeginning to be built by 2017.

n The cost of mental illness isnot just counted in the NHS - italso costs the economy over£105 billion every year.Depression and anxiety alonecost £16.4 billion through NHStreatment and lost earnings.

Goverment actson mental health

n EX-PREMIERSHIP footballer andBBC Radio 5 pundit Danny Mills hasreceived an ‘Outstanding Ambassador’award from Shine, the charity thathelps people affected by spina bifida.n Danny became the charity’s patronafter losing his son, Archie, to spinabifida and hydrocephalus 11 years ago.“It is a fantastic honour to berecognised, but it mustn’t be forgottenthat so many others do an amazing jobfundraising.”n Shine: Tel. 01733 555988.

‘We mustbring thisstigma to an end’

TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!

Support changes hit deafworkers

3www.alltogethernow.org.uk February/March 2014 All Together NOW!

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The show with allthe answers

Autism help daysA NORTH West children’s charity ishosting a series of free drop-insessions to help parents and carers ofchildren with autism spectrumconditions.

The sessions, being run by theTogether Trust, will be hosted by SueAllison, an experienced speech andlanguage therapist working at thecharity’s Inscape House School foryoung people with autism.

The sessions take place at thecharity’s headquarters in Schools Hill,Cheadle on March 11 and March 25.n Place are limited. Call 0161 283 4766 www.togethertrust.org.uk

ONE of the biggest disabilityhealthcare shows in the UK isheading to Manchester.

Taking place at Manchester Centralon February 14-15, the IIC Show isaimed at the 1.8 million disabledpeople in the North West andindustry professionals, tradespecialists.

There will also be a wide range ofhealth, education and neurologicalseminars plus demonstrations of howbest to help people who have fallenor who need support when movingabout in their homes.

With up to 250 exhibitors, a familyfun inclusive activity area, anadaptive sports zone and a mobilitycar showroom, the IIC Show isdefinitely worth a visit.n www.iicshow.com

(See centre pages)

Why we love this paper“I PICK up my copy ofAll Together NOW! atthe Countess ofChester Hospital. Itake extra copies formembers of thepensioners’ club I helpto run. It is such aninspirational paper. Thank you.” Mrs Jean Barnes, Thornton Drive,Upton, Chester“I LOVE All Together NOW! I havegot all my friends in the linedancing club reading it as well.”Mrs J Birchall, Childwall Court,Ellesmere Port.

We’re going places!We’re going places!

— but we need to upgradeour delivery service . . .

‘All Together NOW! is a big hitting charitynewspaper with a circulation in excess of100,000 copies. It doesn’t have the deeppockets of larger newspaper groups butdelivers a well designed, well written,authoritative newspaper —— Judges, O2 Media Awards

WE WILL go to the ends of theworld to get copies ofAll Together NOW! to you.

Last year our volunteer driversclocked up a whopping 25,000 miles –the circumference of the earth – to getmore than HALF A MILLION papersinto more than 500 venues across theregion.

Without fail, and for four days everyweek, come rain, snow, or hail, ourfantastic drivers spend four daysdelivering almost 10,000 copies tosupermarkets, hospitals and otheroutlets.

It’s a remarkable feat. But now, aftereight years of pounding the highways,

the wear and tear on their cars – andon themselves(!) – is beginning to takeits toll, as subtlely expressed by onevolunteer who had a bit of fun with thispicture he took while holidaying inIndia.

Of course, trying to raise sufficientfunds for a new delivery van (and fortwo new part-time drivers) is going tobe tough for the All Together Nowcharity, especially in these economictimes, but it’s something that’s nowbecoming vital.

We’ve already had some earlysuccess, too – John MooresFoundation (£4,000) and the AlbertHunt Trust (£1,000) – have generously

set things in motion.I’ll keep you updated about our

progress.Meanwhile, I hope you like this

action-packed issue. It’s been greatfun putting together all the pages.Please do keep sending us yourarticles.

Thanks, too, to all our partners andadvertisers – we couldn’t exist withoutyour fantastic support

We’ll be back in spring – the weekafter the Grand National, to be precise.Hopefully, all the horse will returnsafely – and maybe we’ll all be just alittle bit richer!

TOM DOWLING, editor

4

340,000 people – two-thirds of All Together NOW! readers – DON’T readany other disability or health publication — The Murray Consultancy‘

Carriages not on track

NEWS

Bus wheelchair spaces:appeal court to decide

Book your space NOW!

THE courts are finally set to provide aclear and definitive ruling on disabledpeople’s right to access wheelchairspaces on buses.

Two county court cases which sawdisabled people take action under theEquality Act against bus companies willnow be heard together at the court ofappeal, probably in the summer.

The first of the cases saw a judge rulethat Arriva North East’s “first come, firstserved” policy on the wheelchair spaceon their buses did not breach theEquality Act.

Four months later, a second judge,this time at Leeds county court, ruledthat wheelchair-users should havepriority over other bus-users inwheelchair spaces, and that FirstGroup’s own “first come, first served”policy had breached the act.

Now a senior judge has ruled that bothcases should be heard together by thecourt of appeal.

YOU’RE never too old todream. And you’re never tooold to turn those dreams

into reality!So says Tom Lackey, 93, who is set

for his 31st wing walk, this time acrossthe Straits of Gibraltar.

Tom’s already set nine world recordsand experienced every aerobatic stuntpossible either stood on the wing or atthe pilot’s controls.

Not bad for someone who only gotthe ‘flying’ bug when he was 80 – justone week after Tom’s wife Isabel died.

During Isabel’s successful career inthe RAF, she had joked that he wouldnever be able to fly a plane.

Tom went on to complete the majorityof his CAA (Civil Aviation Authority)pilot training, but, due to his age, hewas not allowed to fly single-handedly.

Not that that has stopped him frompursuing his other aerial pursuits – andraising more than £1 million for charity

along the way.Last autumn he was featured on BBC

TV after his most daring wing walk todate, across the Irish Sea from CastleKennedy in Scotland to the City ofDerry airport in Ireland. He flew for 81minutes strapped to a vintage BoeingStearman biplane.

Tom, from Shirley, West Midlands,said: “It still makes me smile when Iremember my wife joking that I wouldnever be capable of piloting a plane orperforming stunts in the air.

“Whenever I fly I carry a photographof Isabel and will be doing the samewhen I tackle my next challenge.

“Wing walking is pretty gruelling interms of the wind buffeting you so highup at speeds of around 80mph.

“I do hope my next wing walkingendeavour delivers as many donationsas possible for Cancer Research.Once I’ve landed, I’ll begin planningthe next.”

ACTION MAN: Tom on his TGA ‘Superlight’mobility scooter. “It’s great,” he says.“Without it I would not be able to visit mylocal boating lake where I regularly row tokeep fit for my wing walk challenges”

WingwalkerTom, 93Tom, 93Wingwalker

Britain’s high streets become no-go areasBRITAIN’S outdated high streets

are frequently off-limits to youngdisabled people because of staff

attitudes, broken equipment, blockedshopping aisles and inaccessibleentrances.

A survey by the Trailblazers group ofyoung disabled campaigners found that two-thirds of respondents said physical accessalways or regularly affected where theydecided to go on the high street.

More than two-thirds had been unable toaccess parts of a shop, restaurant or cafebecause of broken or faulty equipment,while there were several reports ofaccessible changing rooms being used asstorerooms.

Two in five felt they were restricted toshopping online because of poor access intheir local town centre.

But three-quarters of those surveyed saidthey believed new technology and otherdevelopments, such as wireless paymentand social media, had improved access fordisabled people.

Trailblazer David Gillon said he believedcouncils needed to be given a duty to

“actively enforce” access in their local area.He said: “We’ve had the Disability

Discrimination Act and the Equality Act since1995. That’s 18 years, and it’s been goingon for generations. It’s about time we startedenforcing access, and not simply hopingpeople will change.”

Fleur Perry said: “So many shops andcafes on the high street are difficult to getaround, and there are some I simply won’tgo into purely because of the layout.

“I can only think that retailers are losingsales opportunities – if I can’t get to theproducts, I’m not going to buy them.”

Tanvi Vyas, Trailblazers project manager,said: “Being able to use banks, post offices,shops or cafes is a necessity of everydaylife.

“However, we continue to hear from manyyoung disabled people who are unable tophysically access premises, encounterunhelpful staff and find accessible facilitiesbeing misused – discouraging many frompaying a return visit.

“There are plenty of simple measures thatservice-providers can take. Displaying clearaccess information on websites, offering to

carry a disabled customer’s items, orinvesting in a portable ramp costing as littleas £60, can make all the difference to adisabled shopper’s high street experience.”

The Trailblazer findings were backed up byanother report from the online disabilityequipment store Really Useful Stuff,

RUS director Mary-Anne Rankin, said:“Stories of loops being in place but notworking, accessible counters being providedbut not open, ramps and electronic doorsbeing in place but aisles crammed withmerchandise were familiar comments.”

Online shopping is also causing problemsfor disabled people, say technology charityAbilityNet, with many websites stillinaccessible to those who use assistivetechnology.

Robin Christopherson, AbilityNet’s Head ofDigital Inclusion, said: “Retailers who ignorethe needs of disabled people risk missingout on a market which represents spendingpower of some £120 billion every year.”

It is illegal to bardisabled visitors fromaccessing goods andservices online. TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!

MORE than half of rail carriages are stillnot fully accessible to disabled people,according to a new Government report.

It comes three months after MPs onthe transport select committee warnedthat access to transport for disabledpeople was “unacceptably poor” andthat improvements planned by theGovernment were being “watered downor abandoned”.

During the last year, the number offully accessible rail carriages hasincreased by about 200 to more than7,800 (about 46%).

All rail carriages have to be fullyaccessible by January 2020.

The report also reveals that, as ofMarch 2013, an estimated 58% of the78,000 taxis in England and Wales werewheelchair accessible, although inLondon this was 100%.

THE COUNTDOWN has started forDAD – the North West’s annualDisability Awareness Day, whichtakes pace at Walton Hall Gardens,near Warrington, on Sunday July 13.

DaveThompson,chair ofWarringtonDisabilityPartnership,said: “DAD justgets better andbetter everyyear – with almost 30,000 peoplefrom all over the North West, andbeyond, attending the event.

“We are always inundated withrequests from organisations to havea stall. Last year there were morethan 250! My advice this year is tobook your space as early as you canas they are getting snapped up veryquickly.” n Contact 01925 240064.

5

NEWS

www.alltogethernow.org.uk February/March 2014 All Together NOW!

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SCIENTISTS have shed new light ona 100-year-old argument intowhether blindness is certain to

follow a brain injury.The findings could lead to new technology to

support the rehabilitation of people who havelost their sight through conditions such as astroke.

The research shows incidence of blindsight– where a seemingly blind person is able todetect something in their visual field – is muchmore common than previously understood.

In what is believed to be the most systematicand comprehensive study of the visualphenomenon to date, 70% of patients testedwere shown to have blindsight.

Professor Arash Sahraie, from the Universityof Aberdeen’s School of Psychology, who ledthe study, said the findings could lead to betterdiagnosis of patients who could benefit fromsight rehabilitation.

He said: “Vision is processed mainly in the

back of the brain. In the majority of casesinjury to the back of the brain will result inpartial blindness affecting not just one, butboth eyes. This resultant blindness isdebilitating.

“The phenomenon of blindsight is known tooccur in some patients, and we understandthe information that is being taken in from theeye is processed in other areas of the brain inthese cases.

“Our research confirms that blindsight isactually far more common in patients whohave lost sight following a brain injury thanpreviously understood.”

This work adds weight to an argument thatbegun following examination of veterans ofWW1 who were left blind following braininjuries.

Professor Sahraie continued:“Two camps ofscientists developed. Some believed blindnessfollowing brain injury was absolute andirreversible and others maintained that you

could never claim to have a person who isabsolutely blind as the result of a brain injury,and that some visual ability always remains.

“Our findings go some way to supporting thelatter view, providing evidence that morepatients than previously acknowledged couldhave intact visual abilities if tested extensively,using sensitive techniques.”

The technique developed through ProfessorSahraie’s research uses pupil response as apredictor of blindsight, and could be used inthe development of future diagnostic tests.

He said: “Our study showed that if youmeasure the size of the pupil to the nearestmicrometre there are systematic fluctuations incases where the patient has blindsight.

“We hope now to develop our findings into a10-minute test that uses this pupil responsepredictor to confirm blindsight, and the bestcases for sight rehabilitation.”

The research was published in Proceedingsof the National Academy of Sciences.

Sir Elton’s summergig for GB athletes

New light on blindnessNew light on blindness

TRENCHHORROR:Thousandsof soldierssufferedblindnessin WW1

SIR Elton John will be giving a live soloperformance in the summer to helpyoung Olympic and Paralympichopefuls.

Organisers SportsAid are hoping theconcert, on Saturday June 28 at historicStoke Park inBuckinghamshire,will raise £500,000for a new athletefund.

Sir Elton,pictured, said:“I thought theLondon 2012Olympic andParalympicGames wereincredible and Iwas very movedby the ‘inspire ageneration’ motto that accompanied it.

“The Games really brought home tome the sacrifices and enormouschallenges that young people face toreach the highest level in sport – andfrom such an early age, too.”

Welcoming the news, British sportinglegend Sir Steve Redgrave said: “Thisis just amazing. To have a globalsuperstar like Sir Elton John backingthe next generation of athletes isincredible.”

6

NEWS

All Together NOW! February/March 2014 www.alltogethernow.org.uk

ORGANISING package holidays toIndia for people with mobilityissues has always been a

challenge.Until now ...Midlands-based Enable Holidays say their

new Golden Triangle tour of northern Indiahas been tailor-made for the moreadventurous disabled holidaymaker.

Lynne Kirby, Enable’s founder and managingdirector, said they there’s a growing demandfor more exciting and adventurousdestinations.

“We are constantly looking for opportunitiesto satisfy our customers’ desires forsomething different and captivating.

“We have been working in conjunction withthe Indian Tourist Board on the Golden

Triangle Tour, which we’re delighted to beable to offer to our customers.”

One of the first to sample the tour wasHelen Dolphin, who contractedmeningococcal septicaemia 16 years agoaged 22, which led to the amputation of herhands and legs.

During the 11-day trip, Helen visited Delhi,the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Jaipur and Sikandra.

“My trip was absolutely amazing,” saidHelen, who is director of policy andcampaigns at Disabled Motoring UK.

“The people could not have been friendlieror more helpful and it seems that India is oneof the most accessible places I’ve ever visited– not just because they have ramps butbecause wherever I wanted to go there wassomeone there ready to help.

“Visiting somewhere like India may seem abit of a step into the unknown but I cannotrecommend it enough.”

Lynne arranged for Helen to fly to India withVirgin Atlantic while Travel World Experiences(TWX) provided all of the groundarrangements including transfers to and fromthe airport and sightseeing tours.

The airline’s Passenger Disability AdviserGeraldine Lundy, said: “We are so glad Helenenjoyed her experience in India and hope itinspires many more disabled people to travel.

“Virgin Atlantic has a team of staff dedicatedto looking after passengers with accessibilityneeds and we encourage anyone that needshelp to contact us in advance of their flight sowe can make their journey as easy andcomfortable as possible.”

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INDIANSUMMER:“Visitingsomewherelike India mayseem a bit ofa step intothe unknownbut I cannotrecommend itenough.”— HelenDolphin,director ofpolicy andcampaigns atDisabledMotoring UK

HOSPITAL patients with learningdisabilities face longer waits andmismanaged treatment due to a failureto understand them by nursing staff,says a new report.

It is estimated that one in 50 peoplein England have some form of learningdisability such as Down’s syndrome.

Dr Irene Tuffrey-Wijne, seniorresearch fellow in nursing at StGeorge’s, University of London andKingston University, said: “People withlearning disabilities are largelyinvisible within the hospitals, whichmeans that their additional needs arenot recognised or understood by staff.

“Our study found many exampleswhere the safety of people withlearning disabilities was at risk.”

Dr Tuffrey-Wijne, a co-author of thestudy who works at the Faculty ofHealth, Social Care and Education, apartnership between the twouniversities, added: “The mostcommon safety issues were delaysand omissions of care and treatment.”

The study found that the main barrierto better and safer care was a lack ofeffective flagging systems, leading to afailure to identify patients with learningdisabilities in the first place.

Lottery Fund targets

‘Invisible’ patients

independent livingDISABLED people will be at the heart ofa new £5 million, lottery-fundedprogramme to research the state ofindependent living and come up withpractical improvements to disabledpeople’s lives across the UK.

The Big Lottery Fund launched thenew programme days after DisabledPeople Against Cuts used anemergency meeting in Parliament torelease a new report on the crisis inindependent living.

BLF – which gives out two-fifths ofthe money raised by the NationalLottery to good causes – is looking fora single organisation to lead theprogramme.

Peter Ainsworth, chair of the Fund,said: “There is a well-established linkbetween disability, poverty and socialexclusion, and this programme willreview the existing knowledge and gainnew insights into specific issues thatare affecting opportunities for disabledpeople.

“We will then come up with practicalideas on how to address the issues.”

Why I love this paperWHAT a greatpaper! I am asupport workerwith the MakingSpace charity,working withadults who havemental healthproblems. I do hope you get theMental Health Zone up andrunning because there is a realneed for this in the community.Joanne Connor (email))

www.alltogethernow.org.uk February/March 2014 All Together NOW! 7

NEWS

THE first major studyof the relationshipbetween popular

music and disability hasbeen written by anacademic from theUniversity of Salford.

Shakin’ All Over: PopularMusic and Disability, byProfessor George McKay,aims to dispel the perceptionthat musicians must meetcertain aesthetic ideals tosucceed in the business.

Professor McKay looks at well-knownartists such as Blockheads frontman IanDury, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and SteveHarley, all of whom are childhood poliosurvivors who have made an extraordinarymark on the music scene.

He discusses how disability influenced thecareers of artists across a broad range ofgenres, including the Sex Pistols’ JohnnyRotten, Ian Curtis of Joy Division, TheWho’s Pete Townshend, along with soul

music’s Stevie Wonder.Professor McKay also explores

how soul legends TeddyPendergrass and Curtis Mayfieldcoped with becoming physicallydisabled as a result of accidents,while continuing to make music.

Another of the book’s mostpoignant stories is that of 1980spop singer Kata Kolbert, whosedemo tapes were rejected whenthe record companies found outshe used a wheelchair.

Author of many books onalternative cultures, festivals, and

music from jazz to punk and rave, ProfessorMcKay became interested in the history ofdisability in music 35 years ago when hesaw Ian Dury perform. He began to wonderhow many disabled artists have made asignificant impact in popular music.

“Dury walked on stage uncertainly, hisbody looked curious,” said Professor McKay.“We knew he was disabled because ofchildhood polio, but I don’t think we were

prepared for the impact of his presence, hisattitude, let alone his uncompromising songsabout disability.

“The moment we begin to look for, ordiscuss, disability – whether in popularmusic or elsewhere in culture and society –we find it everywhere.”

myths . . . A CALL has gone out for more fostercarers and adoptive parents.

Liverpool City Councillor Jane Corbettsaid:

“Providing a home for a young personwho cannot live with their own parents isone of the best things you can do.

“You’ll find it won’t just be their life youchange for the better, but your own.

“The council’s current foster carers andadoptive parents are all ordinary peopleliving ordinary lives and they come fromall sections of the community.

“They want to see children grow anddevelop and they are willing to adapttheir lives to give them the time that theyneed.”

“Foster carers receive a generousallowance for the looked after children inyour care and a payment for your timeand skills.

“As an adoptive parent you will belooking to be a ‘forever family’ for a childor children. You will take on all of thelegal rights and responsibilities that youwould expect if you had had the childyourself.

n To foster, call 0151 515 0000 or visit at:www.fosteringforliverpool.co.ukn To adopt, call 0151 233 3700 or visit atwww.liverpool.gov.uk/adoption

Can YOU give achild a home?Pop go the

MUSIC LESSON:ProfessorGeorge McKay



FAMILIESFAMILIES

MORE than 1,800 championsare to help parents cope withbig changes to the special

educational needs process.A new £30 million fund has been set up

to recruit and train ‘independentsupporters’ – drawn from independentvoluntary, community and privateorganisations – to help the families ofchildren and young people with specialeducational needs (SEN) through the newprocess.

Edward Timpson, minister for childrenand families, said: “Our fund will allowfamilies to access help and support fromfully-trained champions across thecountry.

“I know how much they value anysupport in helping them access theservices their children need.

“Independent supporters will be able tospend one-to-one time with families givingthem the independent help and advicethey need to progress through the newSEN assessment and education, healthand care planning process.

“This will ensure that every child andyoung person with SEN can take fulladvantage of our reforms.

“Where there is disagreement,independent supporters will also makesure councils understand what familieswant, and help families to challengedecision making so children with SENreceive the support they really need.

“The Council for Disabled Children(CDC) will ensure that a range oforganisations provide this totallyindependent help, overseeing therecruitment and training of the supporters

– about 12 per area – in time for theimplementation of our comprehensiveSEN reforms.”

“We look forward to working with a widerange of private, voluntary a communitysector partners as we develop proposalsfurther.”

Clare Gent, development manager atAction for Children’s Service, said:“Independent supporters are a lifeline fordisabled children, ensuring they receivethe best possible support from health,education and social care services.

“This injection of funding, and thenational plan that sits behind it, will enablemore children to have a better life.

“However, this programme must besustainable – children and families will notbenefit if this announcement only leads toa short-term change.”

Parents get theirown champions

Call 0151 443 3958 or visit www.knowsley.gov.uk and search ‘fostering’www.facebook.com/FosterforKnowsley

Could you provideshort term care to achild with disabilities?

Short term foster carers aredesperately needed to providerespite care in Knowsley.

The mostrewardingjob you’llever do.

Fosterfor Knowsley

A NEW kind of musical instrument isensuring that no-one ever needs to feelleft out again.

Soft and squeezable, the Skoog plugs intoa PC or laptop. By touching, pressing,squashing, twisting or tapping its fivecolour-coded sides, users can ‘play’ a widerange of instruments.

Skoogmusic, the assistive musictechnology company, is working withLancashire Music Service to put at least twoSkoogs into every special education needsschool in the county.

“With a Skoog in the classroom, anyonecan be in the band,” said Dr BenjaminSchogler, co-inventor of the Skoog.n Tel. 0131 554 2838.n www.skoogmusic.com

www.morganfoundation.co.uk Tel. 01829 782800


www.morganfoundation.co.uk Tel. 01829 782800

HERE at the MorganFoundation we want tohelp organisations

who share our philosophy– Making aDifference.

Over the past decade wehave helped hundreds oforganisations across theregion, committing over£10 million.

This year we will be givingaway a whopping£1.5 MILLION to goodcauses.

Created in 2001 by

businessman Steve MorganOBE, founder and chairmanof Redrow plc, chairman ofthe Bridgemere Group ofCompanies andWolverhampton WanderersFC, the Morgan Foundationsupports charities acrossNorth Wales, Merseyside,West Cheshire and NorthShropshire.

Our aim is to providefunding for small tomedium-sized organisationswho are addressing specificneeds in these regions.

We are particularly keen tosupport those who havealready begun to make animpact, but need a helpinghand to expand their workand increase theireffectiveness.

We focus our help mainlyon those who work directlywith children and familiesbut we recognise that manywider issues may also affecttheir welfare, so we areinterested in any projectwhich contributes to thequality of life in our region.

How we can help . . .

WORKING with children and families is at the heart ofeverything we do here at The Morgan Foundation – sowe are linking up with a charity with the exact same

values for our bi-annual fundraising day.Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children is a national charity which

works extensively with families across our areas of provision, offering arange of practical support services – all accessed through a helplinestaffed by disability-experienced nurses.

Proceeds from TheMorgan FoundationCharity Golf Day andGala Dinner in Cheshireon May 16 will help tofund essential specialist equipment for children specifically in the NorthWales, Merseyside, West Cheshire, North Shropshire andWolverhampton areas.

This could include wheelchairs and walkers to help with mobility,specialist beds so children can sleep in safety, and communication aidsso they can tell their parents when they are hungry or in pain.

We know that 100 per cent of the money awarded to Newlife will bespent providing vital equipment.Newlife operates a successful recycling

and retail social enterprise business,working with leading UK and European highstreet retailers and manufacturers. Thisturns unwanted goods into essential supportfor disabled and terminally ill children,funding core nurse-led services.

Since 2005 the charity has funded £10million of Equipment Grants for more than6,700 children all around the UK. To find outhow many grants Newlife has awarded in

your county, go to:www.newlifecharity.co.uk and click on theCounty Appeal map on the home page.

Morgan Foundation chairman SteveMorgan said: “Newlife has demonstratedan entrepreneurial and business-likeapproach to addressing the dailydifficulties which families with a disabledchild face.

“The practical help which it offers viathe provision of equipment and, in

particular, the Just Can’t Wait scheme,which aims to get vital equipment tofamilies within 72 hours, are serviceswhich the Morgan Foundation hasidentified as crucial to these families.They are exactly what we wish tosupport.”

Newlife CEO Sheila Brown added:“Support like this from The MorganFoundation is key to Newlife’s ability to not

only maintain the current level of provision,but expand services to meet increasingdemand. As local authority budget cutscontinue to bite, we anticipate that evenmore families will be forced to turn tocharities like ours for help.”n To find out about the charity’sservices, call the Newlife Nurse Helplineon freephone 0800 902 0095 or go towww.newlifecharity.co.uk

Right equipment, right timeTHREE-year-old Molly Brennan spent nine months inAlder Hey Children’s Hospital, receiving constantventilation due to her complex needs – she has Down’ssyndrome and chronic lung disease.

The only offer of respite from the wards was a littlepark at the back of the hospital. But without a specialistbuggy to accommodate her emergency equipment,Molly was unable to join her friends.

Mum Claire, from Chester, said: “Fortunately for us,Molly’s occupational therapist told us about thisamazing £2,000 buggy which was used by otherventilated children. She also told us about NewlifeFoundation. She applied on our behalf and a few dayslater we had the buggy – and Molly had a life. Itchanged everything for her.”

TEN-year-old Kian Westwood loves hisspecialist wheelchair – because it meanshe can watch his beloved Wolves footballteam at Molineux stadium in comfort.

Mum Nichola said: “Kian’s bodyfunctions don’t operate, which means hedoesn’t know how to sit up straight. Hetends to slide down in a chair or buggy,strangling himself on the safety straps heneeds to stop him falling out. Thiswheelchair – provided by Newlife – offersbetter support, improving his posture. Itmeans he can look around and see whatis going on more easily.”

MOLLY BRENNAN in her buggy KIAN WESTWOOD and his family at Molineux

children

Tee uptime for


GETTING ON . . . Life is fragile, handle with care . . .

. . . helpsto solvesome oftheproblemsfaced byolderpeople

WISE WINNIEWISE WINNIE

SENIOR MOMENTS . . . with FRANK HARRIS

MONEY MATTERS

My holidaynightmare

QMy daughter’s mother-in-lawmanaged to infiltrate ourannual holiday last year and

this year she is trying to do the same.We do not get on particularly well,

largely because she spoils the childrenrotten.

She boasts about how well behavedthey are as if it was because of herinfluence, which is maddening. Sheresorts to bribing them when she cannotwin any other way.

She also completely disregards mydaughter’s wishes and buys themwhatever they ask for, even big thingslike unsuitable clothes and shoes thatdamage the feet. Naturally, they lovethis!

She has never pitched in and givenreal help in the bringing up of thechildren, such as meeting them fromschool.

How do we tell her she is not welcomeon the holiday? I am sorry for her insome ways because I sense she is quitelonely.

AThe only way you can considerher going with you on holidayis to draw up strict guidelines

and speak to her honestly.Tell her the holiday will only run

smoothly if she follows your family’sexample when it comes to handling thechildren. Their good behaviour is due tothe fact that you all agree in principle tohow they are brought up.

She must make an effort to observehow the children are expected to behaveand follow suit.

She must agree not to buy them majoritems like clothes without asking youropinion and abiding by it. It’s up to her.

Because she probably is lonely shesubconsciously tries to gain their favourby giving them everything they ask for.Gradually it may dawn on her thatgenuine loving relationships can only bebuilt up on a basis of mutual respect.

I hope something is learned on thisholiday.

SO it seems that despite whatyounger generations mayhave previously thought,people even in their 70s stilllike a bit of hanky-panky..

For the first time, the NationalSurvey of Sexual Attitudes andLifestyles, which interviewedover 15,000 adults over twoyears, focused on the sex life ofolder people up to the age of74.

And first in line to welcome thereport is Family PlanningAssociation, which says that alltoo often our focus with regards

to sexual health tends to bearound young people.

“The survey confirms whatFPA has been hearing about fora long time from many of thepeople who we speak with - sexdoes not stop when you turn50,” said Natika H Halil, FPA’sdirector of health and wellbeing.

“And yet we have no nationallycollated indicators which coverthe sexual health of anyoneover the age of 24.

“This new data is extremelyvaluable and highlights thatolder age groups are not finding

appropriate services availablefor their needs.

“This is a genuine problem –very few older men and womenactually feel able to seek helpfrom professionals about theirsexual health.

“We must better ensure thatdiscussions about sex continueto be progressive, integratedinto our conversations abouthealth in general, and no longerthe preserve of young people,with far too many older peopleshying away from this importantaspect of their wellbeing.”

PLANNING a holidayabroad? Then make sureyou plan your finances!

A lot of our money can bewasted by buying at thewrong place or by the wrongmethod.

If you plan having cash, DONOT buy at the airport -these are always the worstrates.

Try high street rates fromM&S, Thos.Cook and theTravel Exchange bureaus.Then go online viamoneysavingexpert.com linkto rates, to see if a betterrate can be obtained,possibly delivered to yourdoor.

Don’t pay by credit card asit will certainly be classed asa cash withdrawal and youwill be paying fees on top.Debit cards are usually OK.

Also, I have noticedrecently that somepawnbrokers are sellingcurrency, and their rateswere marginally better thanmost of the other shops.

Debenhams also has acurrency counter, and youcan order online and printout a voucher, but your ratewill be the day’s rate, oncollection, not the rate whenyou printed the voucher ifdifferent.

You will also obtain aslightly better rate with aDebenhams card. I used thismethod recently as it was thebest rate for dollars andEuros, and I received a £5voucher to be used that dayin store.

When abroad, do use yourplastic but be aware that youcould be charged about 3%conversion charge. Alwayspay in local currency as, ifyou take the sterling option,you will normally find youhave lost out.

Some cards do not make acharge and give good rates,e.g. Post Office, HalifaxClarity, but again do not takemoney from a machine withthese cards because it isexpensive.

Remember to always payoff your credit card in full, ifat all possible.

Finally, if you want to fix arate, without having the“cash”, you could use aprepay card loaded withcurrency at the rate on theday you buy.

Unused money is carriedforward, not returned, but insome cases they are usefuland safer to carry than cash.Gordon Viner FCA [email protected]

abroadCashing inSex and the over seventies . . .

MANY sixty-something workers arehealthier and fitter than colleagues intheir thirties.

Despite being twice their age, the workers aged 60-plus have a lower health risk.

That’s according to the first Britain’s HealthiestCompany Report – the biggest UK employee healthstudy of nearly 10,000 people.

The results are based on PruHealth’s unique VitalityAge calculator which estimates years of life lost orgained by the presence or absence of certain clinicaland lifestyle risk factors.

According to the report, the biggest contributingfactors for an older Vitality Age are a lack of physicalactivity and being overweight.

PruHealth’s Dr Katie Tryon said: “Those in theirthirties and forties, who should be at the prime of life,are letting their health suffer – perhaps prioritising astressful job, or having to manage the pressures ofnew parenthood or both.

“Our research has highlighted that those in their 60sare closer, in terms of their health risk age difference,to those in their 20s.

“Perhaps, believing youth to no longer be on their

side, they are more conscientious when it comes tolife choices. However, no matter what age, thisshould be the case for everyone.”

The average Vitality (health) Age of those in their60s is 3.9 years older than their actual age, which iscloser in line to those in their 20s (whose averageVitality Age is 3.8 years older than their actual age).

Those in their 30s and 40s have a higher VitalityAge difference, at 4.26 and 4.3 years respectively. Anolder Vitality Age, due to poor lifestyle choices suchas smoking and little exercise, is costing people yearsoff their lives, making them unhealthy and old beforetheir time.

Out of the 10,000 UK employees who took part inthe survey, 59% do not do enough physical activity.Even more disturbing, one in seven (15%) workersadmits doing no exercise, and this is costing them 7.4years off their life.

Dr Tryon added: “The results are quite stark. Thosewho live an unhealthy life will live a shorter life.

“Doing regular exercise is paramount but thisdoesn’t mean you need to run a marathon. It can beas easy as getting off the bus a stop early or takingthe stairs rather than the escalator.”

6600--ssoommeetthhiinnggss6600--ssoommeetthhiinnggsstthhee hheeaalltthhiieesstttthhee hheeaalltthhiieesstt


A helping hand for customers with extra needs

with extra needs



A helping hand for customers

We offer a range of free services to help customers who:

Our services include:

We also offer a free password scheme for all our customers.

Need a little ExtraCare?

To find out more call 0845 746 1100. If you have hearing or speech difficulties and use a textphone, please dial 18001 followed by the number you require.

01/14/SD/6026

“If you’re going through a tough financial patch and finding it hard to make your payments, please get in touch with us on 0845 746 2034. We’re easy to talk to and we have a range of support schemes depending on your financial situation,” says income manager Iain Pilling.

For customers in severe financial difficulties, United Utilities offers a scheme whereby it will support customers to help pay off their debt if they commit to regular payments.

Says Iain: “Our Arrears Allowance scheme is for customers who are really struggling to pay off their debt. For the first six months we will match payments pound for pound. Then, for payments made after the first six months, we will match every £1 paid with a £1 allowance, helping to clear the debt much more quickly.”

To discuss our Arrears Allowance further, please call us on 0845 746 2034.

Help is at handto pay yourwater bill

For customers in receipt of Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance, Employment & Support Allowance or Pension Credit, the Department for Work and Pensions manages a scheme to help customers who have arrears on their water bill to pay direct from their benefits.

“The issue for many customers in financial difficulty is budgeting to pay off their arrears, and the Water Direct scheme ensures this is included in the regular payment.”

If you wish to discuss Water Direct, please contact us on 0845 746 2034.

Financial support is also available to those customers who have a water meter installed but face particular hardship because they use a lot of water for essential purposes.

“Our WaterSure scheme helps customers who receive certain benefits and need to use a lot of water because they have a large

family or specific medical condition,” said Iain.

“Customers who are accepted onto our WaterSure scheme have their water charges capped in line with the average household bill amount, giving the customer peace of mind that they won’t have to pay more than this amount each year.”

For a WaterSure application pack, telephone our automated leaflet request line on 0845 303 7711 or visit our website: unitedutilities.com/watersure.

United Utilities can also set up a flexible Direct Debit arrangement so that customers can pay their bills quarterly, monthly or even weekly.

“Direct Debit can help our customers to budget their repayments and you also get a £5 reduction on your annual water bill so it is really worth considering,” said Iain.

Switching to Direct Debit is easy – phone us on 0845 746 2222 and we’ll do the rest.

Don’t suffer in silence - that’s the message from United Utilities tocustomers who may be struggling to pay their water bill.


0871 200 22 33Calls costs 10p per minute fromland lines, mobiles may vary

Merseytravel is making sure that Public Transport on Merseyside is easy for everyone to use

We care about the accessibility of our buildings, vehicles and information. All of our staff are trainedto be courteous and considerate, particularly when our customers have special requirements.

Whether it be automatic door openers in our head office, availability of textphones for main points of contact, or producing timetables in large print, we want to make public transport easier for everyone to use.

Among our services and facilities are:

with disabilities

developed in partnership with our local authorities and bus companies

Textphone users can dial 18001 then 0871 200 22 33 for a text relay assisted call

Lookingfor a career?

ARE YOU about to start – orhave you recently started –work and need help with your

travel arrangements?Merseytravel’s Transport Solutions

Team may be able to help you with arange of schemes to help with travelneeds.

Depending on your situation andlocation, the team can provide journeyplanning advice, travel tickets, or evenbikes and scooters!

Thanks to one such scheme, the Bikefor Work scheme, a group of youngapprentices from Regenda CommunityWellbeing in Liverpool are getting ontheir bikes.

The apprentices live and work inAnfield and Everton, working on projectsto enhance quality of life in the area.

The scheme has provided them with10 bikes, equipment and training.

Cllr Marlene Quinn, Merseytravel’sdeputy chair, said: “The Bike for Workscheme is a real boost in our efforts tohelp people get to and from work, whichin turn helps them to remain inemployment.”n For all schemes, except the Bike forWork scheme, applicants must live orwork in particular areas of Merseyside.n For further information [email protected] orphone 0151 330 1301.

MERSEYTRAVEL always believes inputting customers first – and yourviews on transport and related

services are very important to us.We encourage all sections of the

community to share their experiences withour own Customer Comments team, whetherit a compliment, suggestion or just a simplecomment.

We also work with the bus and trainoperators to give customers feedback abouttheir services.

Your comments are collected and yourviews help us to improve existing or newareas of work.

For instance, we have worked with busoperators to re-route services to providebetter transport access for certain under-

served communities, and with our ownCommunity Support Officers to improve staffpresence where there have been regularreports of anti-social behaviour on publictransport.

We replace missing timetables at busstops, repair damaged bus shelters andconsider suggestions about where to putnew bus stops or shelters.

n We welcome your views in person atany of our Travel Centres or at ourCustomer Forums (visit Merseytravel’swebsite for more details).n You can also comment by email, viaour website, by phone or in person.n Email: [email protected] www.merseytravel.gov.uk

IF YOU are looking forwork within thetransport sector butyou’re not sure whatskills and experienceyou need, Merseytravel’sEmployment and Skillsteam may be able tohelp.

The team offers careersadvice, working withcolleges and learningproviders to help peoplegain the skills andqualifications they needto kick start theircareers and, subject tocertain conditions, mayeven be able to fund atraining course.n [email protected] or phone0151 330 1123.

MERSEYTRAVEL

Tell us whatyou think ofour services

We make the going easier


SOUNDING


with Sir BERT MASSIE

CAMPAIGNER: Ann Darnbrough

OFF!

INSURANCE companies strongly objected to beingincluded in the provisions of the DisabilityDiscrimination Act 1995. They argued that insurance companies did not

discriminate against disabled people but carefullymeasured risks and priced premiums accordingly. Theypointed out that it is the nature of insurance that therewill be discrimination against people who pose a greaterrisk and must therefore pay a higher premium or berefused cover at all.

This comfortable position was difficult to reconcilewith the fact that many disabled motorists had theirpremiums loaded even though there was no data thatthey posed a greater risk. If people wanted to drive, the

law required them to have insurance and the insurancecompanies could take advantage of this. One of theeffects of the Disability Discrimination Act (now includedin the Equality Act 2010) is that disabled people canrequire insurance companies to provide evidence tojustify higher premiums.

Pre-existing conditionsA growing concern is travel insurance. A significant

number of disabled or elderly people find it impossibleto get cover, or if they do, it comes with significantexclusions, particularly relating to existing impairments.It is understandable that an insurance company mightneed to exclude a pre-existing disability because it

would be unreasonable for them to be expected toinsure a house for fire damage if it was already burning.However, many disabilities are static and there is noreason why people with such impairments should bepenalised. Equally, people who have or have had cancermight find insurance companies refuse to insure them atall and this could stop them having a week in the sun.

I strongly suspect that such insurance companies arenot correctly analysing the risk but simply refusing totake a risk at all. Political parties are already suggestingthat we need better competition in the electric and gasindustry and in banking. Perhaps it is time to include theinsurance industry to this list of industries that fail toprovide adequate levels of service at a sensible price.

Do insurance companies discriminate?

THE death of Ann Darnboroughdeprives disabled people of theenergy and contribution of a

remarkable woman.I worked with Ann during the 1980s and

1990s when I was working for the RoyalAssociation for Disability and Rehabilitation(RADAR), now Disability Rights UK.

Ann was one of the many people whorealised that there was little point in goods orservices being available if disabled peopleknew nothing about them.

She witnessed the development of theInternet in the 1990s but understood thedifficulty people have in knowing whichinformation they can rely on – and which isheavily influenced by the desire ofcompanies to sell goods or services.

What was needed was comprehensive andclear information that was accurate andcould be trusted – something which Ann andher husband, Derek Kinrade, addressed withtheir series of books and directories, andthrough the National Information Forum.

It’s a fact that the majority of disabledpeople acquire their disability later in life,

typically in their 50s onwards. Such peopleare unlikely to have the backgroundknowledge of disability issues that peoplewho became disabled during childhood willhave acquired.

Some might think that these days allinformation is available via technology andwords on paper are no longer important. Ibelieve that nothing could be further from thetruth.

A significant number of the same people donot have access to computers.Those who dosoon discover that it is difficult to find aparticular tree of information when it islocated in a huge forest.

Information needs to be filtered andpresented in a form that people canunderstand and which is interesting.Information also needs to be trustworthy.

I regularly receive a wide range ofpublications but they don’t provide me with

local information about events anddevelopments in the North West of Englandthat are relevant to disabled people.

One of the many strengths ofAll Together NOW! is that its editorial teamcheck the accuracy of anything that is toappear on its pages. From the huge amountof information it receives every week onlythe most relevant to its readers is eventuallyprinted.

This newspaper knows that some of itsreaders are new to the world of disability andother readers have no connection but haveopen minds and enjoy a glimpse into anaspect of life with which they are unfamiliar.

Ann Darnborough was a huge supporter ofAll Together NOW! because she saw it ascontinuing her mission of getting informationto disabled people. Without such informationit is impossible to make full use of all theservices and facilities that are available.

Unfortunately, information is still frequentlydiscounted as being unimportant.

During my career I have been responsiblefor a number of organisations whichprovided information and advice to disabledpeople. Before information can be given itneeds to be acquired and analysed. Thiscosts money.

I found that raising money for informationservices was difficult because individualsand organisations were more interested infunding equipment or specific projects whichhad a higher profile.

Time and again I had to explain that beforedisabled people could request equipment orservices they needed to know what wasavailable.

Everything starts with information.There is a danger today that newspapers

such as All Together NOW! can have theirmission underestimated: that the informationit contains is just information.

It is much more than that.It is the key that opens athousand doors.

‘People and organisations underestimatethe value of good, reliable information

Information is KingInformation is King


WE’VE been lucky so far to have escaped anysnowfalls. But be prepared – there’s still time for asudden whiteout!Amazingly, half of all drivers in the UK do not checktheir vehicles or carry de-icer with them when theytravel in severe weather.

Research from the Highways Agency shows that 45%of drivers do not make any vehicle checks and 28% donot take any of the items in the suggested emergencykit.

Fifty-three per cent do not even carry de-icer.Simon Sheldon-Wilson, Highways Agency Traffic

Management Director, says: “We are well-prepared forice and snow. We have over 500 salt spreadingvehicles, ploughs and snow blowers, and 270,000tonnes of salt already in stock.

“Using detailed weather forecasts, we treat the roadnetwork before road temperatures fall below freezing –often at night in preparation for peak traffic periods.

“But that doesn’t mean people should drive as theynormally would. They still need to take care, as theywould during any kind of adverse weather, and planahead.”

Check your vehicle – fuel and fluid levels, electricsand tyres – before setting out.

Be prepared with an emergency kit in your vehicle,including ice-scraper, de-icer, warm clothes andblankets, torch, boots, first aid kit, jump leads, a spade,a road atlas and sunglasses (for the winter glare).

Remember that even when roads have been treatedwith salt, ice can still form, particularly on bends orunder overhanging trees.

Brrrrr . . . it could still happenTAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!TAKE ME HOME!

WE CAN HELPYOU REACH

450,000NEW

CUSTOMERS

0151 230 03070151 230 0307

15

An automatic choiceMOTABILITY has

unveiled its new 2014price list for more

than 2,000 cars – includingaround 450 vehicles with noadvance payment, and 600automatic models, with morethan 50 at no advancepayment.

This includes the spaciousand practical Nissan Note 1.2Acenta with cruise control andair conditioning.

Among other automaticsavailable are the stylish SkodaYeti 1.2 S at £195 AP, and theFord Focus 1.6 Zetec NavigatorP/Shift with quickclear heatedwindscreen available at £95 AP.

Anyone who receives theHigher Rate MobilityComponent of the DisabilityLiving Allowance, theEnhanced Rate of the Mobility

Component of PersonalIndependence Payment, WarPensioners’ MobilitySupplement or Armed ForcesIndependence Payment canexchange their weeklypayment to lease a new carthrough the Motability Scheme.

Insurance, servicing, RACbreakdown assistance andreplacement tyres are includedin the cost of the lease.

Many popular models areavailable to lease, includingthe Ford Fiesta 1.5TDCi Zetecavailable at no AP.

Other cars on the list includethe Volkswagen Golf 1.2 S withair conditioning and anelectronic parking brake at£199 AP, and the Britishclassic, MINI Countryman 1.6Cooper with DAB digital radioat £99 AP.

Disabled motorists looking

for a greener option canchoose from more than 1,000cars with CO2 emission levelsof 120g/km or less, such as theSeat Leon 1.6TDI SETechnology Pack with Sat Navand DAB digital radio,available at no AP.

Other low emission choicesinclude the Mitsubishi Mirage1.2 3 automatic, with rearparking sensors and remotekeyless entry available from£199 AP, and the economicalPeugeot 2008 1.6e-HDi Active,with cruise control, from £249AP.

For families or those needingextra space, the Citroen C4Picasso 1.6HDi VTR has plentyof room and is available tolease for £145 AP.

n Freephone 0800 093 1000 n www.motability.co.uk

16

TRIBUTES

TWO WOMEN who campaignedtirelessly for better services fordisabled people – and were huge

supporters of All Together NOW! –have died.

Eileen Green, who set up the Crosby-based charity, Sightline North West, and AnnDarnbrough, who co-founded the NationalInformation Forum with her husband, DerekKinrade, both died in December.

Eileen was much loved by thousands ofpeople across the North West, alwaysspeaking up for the vulnerable andespecially for those who are visuallyimpaired.

Twenty years ago Eileen’s own visionbegan to fade. Then in 2000 she wasdiagnosed with macular degeneration, aneye condition that can result in total sightloss.

However, she refused to sit down and feelsorry for herself. Instead, she not only facedup bravely to the new daily challenges but,feeling lonely and afraid herself, she thoughtabout how many other people in the samesituation must be experiencing similaremotions.

It led to her setting up Sightline VisionNorthwest – a telephone helpline that sheoperated alone in her spare room.

The charity now has a team of visuallyimpaired volunteers who man the helplineseven evenings a week, supporting peoplefrom Merseyside, North Wales and Cheshire.

Two years ago Eileen received theMargaret Yarwood Woman of the Year awardfrom the Soroptimist International of Crosby.

Club president Sandy Taylor said of herwork: “Eileen is a total inspiration and hasmade a real difference to so many peoplewho need someone to talk to – someonewho understands their problems and fears.”

Last year she helped the charity win a£190,000 Big Lottery grant.

Maureen Catton, who took over Eileen’sduties as the charity’s coordinator lateautumn, said the team were absolutelyshocked and devastated. “Eileen was suchan inspiration to all those who came intocontact with her.

“Last year was such a difficult one for her.In August she lost both her mother andbrother, but she always had the time to listento other people’s worries and fears.

“Sightline North West is Eileen’s legacyand, just as she would have wanted, we willall be carrying on, doing the work that meantso much to her – supporting those peoplewho have just been told they are losing theirsight.”

Eileen was married to Ron and has adaughter, Julie, and granddaughter, Emma.

ANN DARNBROUGH spent most of her lifefighting social injustice, constantly speakingup for the underdog, and continuallychallenging bureaucracy.

“Information is now a commodity in suchample supply that many of us feeloverwhelmed by it,” she said in an interviewwith All Together NOW!

“We know what it is to experienceinformation overload. But it is a revolutionthat has passed many people by.

“Alongside information affluence wehave information poverty, and theparadox is that those who are informationpoor are frequently those who needinformation most!”

Ann continued: “That’s why I was sodelighted when the Liverpool ECHO startedthe I Can Do That! disability page all thoseyears ago (1983) – and when it developedinto the paper, All Together NOW!

“It was a real breakthrough to have thiskind of news, presented so positively, in amainstream newspaper. People in deephardship generally lack the skills and theinitiative to seek out information, and anyinquisitiveness they may have is oftenblunted by their crushing disadvantage.

“Their isolation is further compounded bythe fact that those who have the informationtend to wait to be asked for it.”

Outside her disability work, Ann was anenthusiastic supporter of charities includingLiberty, Dignity in Dying, the BritishHumanist Association, CND, PrisonersAbroad, Amnesty International, theMovement for the Abolition of War and FreeTibet. But since the early 70s her mainpassion was improving ways of gettinginformation to underprivileged people.

In 1972 she was appointed deputy generalsecretary of the Multiple Sclerosis Society,and went on to produce what became abible for so many disability organisations, theDirectory for Disabled People.

Then in 1981 she and her husband, DerekKinrade – and others sharing the samecommitment – formed the NationalInformation Forum to encourage UKorganisations to come up with innovativeways of disseminating news and informationto disabled and disadvantaged people. Shereceived an OBE for her work in 2002.

The NIF became Ann and Derek’s mainfocus, but two years ago, as Ann’s healthbegan to deteriorate, they decided to call it aday and passed on half the charity’sreserves, totalling £26,000 to theAll Together NOW! charity.

Ann died peacefully on December 17. Shewas 83. Derek, her son, Philip and his wife,Julie, were at her bedside.

INFORMATION IS KING – p13

True champions

LEFT, Eileen Green and, above, Ann Darnbrough

Celebs team up for

Access the future

Sir Bobby’s charity

Two women who spent their liveshelping others

Why I love this paper

CELEBRITIES and some of the world’stop sports stars helped raise £350,000in memory of the much-loved footballmanager Sir Bobby Robson.

Sir Bobby, pictured, died of cancer in2009. His Breakthrough online charityauction raised made £150,000 more forcancer servicesthat it did in2011.

Bill Nighy,Amanda Holden,Piers Morgan,Lorraine Kelly,Imelda May andmany othersdonated morethan 300money-can’t-buy experiencesand items.

Lunch withactor Bill Nighy and VIP tickets toBritain’s Got Talent with AmandaHolden were amongst some of themost sought after items, finishing on£4,000 and £3,450 respectively.

Among other items were a meet andgreet and tour around Lorraine Kelly’sstudio, which pulled in £900, and VIPtickets to an ITV Piers Morgan’s LifeStories recording, with Green RoomAccess, which was snapped up with awinning bid of £740.n www.sirbobbysbreakthrough.com

PROFESSIONAL bodies that representarchitects, town planners, surveyors,engineers and facilities managers havepromised to improve accessibility forthe country’s 12 million disabledpeople.

It is hoped that nearly one-third of allbuilt environment professionals will beproficient in inclusive design by 2024.

A recent survey found that disabledpeople have the most difficulties withaccess in shops, hospitals and barsand restaurants.

Mike Penning, Minister for DisabledPeople, said: "Disabled people shouldbe able to have the same access tobuildings and sporting stadiums aseveryone else.

I want to see architects and plannersof the future put accessibility at theheart of their designs.”

“I read All TogetherNOW! from coverto cover and thenpass it on toothers. Mydaughter-in-law is awheelchair user andthere is so muchinformation in it to make life morecomfortable for her.

“She loves me to reading it out toher, we pass many a happy hourdoing that! Keep up the good work.” Oliver Garratty, Upper Mann Street,Liverpool

All Together NOW! February/March 2014 www.alltogethernow.org.uk


INDEPENDENT LIVINGINDEPENDENT LIVINGANEW and affordable pressure-

relieving cushion – made from asmart material developed at the

University of Bolton – could be just thefirst in a whole range of new disabilityproducts.

The team behind the revolutionary cushionhas been given £500,000 to develop newproducts using their unique textile.

The inspiration for the Airospring cushioncame from retired engineer Bryan McArdle,from Golborne, near Wigan, whose wife,Sheila, died after developing a pressure sorewhile in hospital.

Sheila suffered a brain injury in 1989 andwas unable to walk.

Bryan said: “My wife never had any seriouswounds in the 18 years I was her carer.That’s why I spent seven years learning asmuch as possible about the subject.

“I’m now taking an active part on theAdvanced Wound Care group, involvingLeeds, York and Sheffield Universities. A five-year research project by this group hasestablished that virtually all pressure-reliefaids used at the moment are not veryeffective.

“The design and technology applied to theBolton cushions has the potential to changethis for the better.”

Until Sheila went into hospital she had beenadvised to use a lambs’ wool cushion as itwas a natural fibre that was breathable.

But Bryan’s engineering background gavehim the confidence to pursue superiorproducts, and a chance meeting with BoltonUniversity Professor Subhash Anand, whohad developed medical textiles products forover 30 years, led to the Airospring cushion.

Prof Anand said: “There are a number of

cushions on the market, but key attributes youwould want in any material you sit on for longperiods, are to be fully supportive, throughdistributing the pressure over a larger area ofthe person’s bottom and so reducing theoverall pressure at any point.

“Foam doesn’t provide support like ourAirospring system, which is also fully-machinewashable and moisture-wicking, making iteasy-care. Without a breathable cushion nextto the body, supporting the wheelchair userproperly, people can suffer pressure sores.”

The new cushion is available in twothicknesses – one for people who sit for longperiods (£29.99), like drivers and officeworkers, and a thicker variety for wheelchairusers (£69.99).

The £500,000 grant was provided by theTechnology Strategy Board. The uniquetextile, XD Spacer Fabric, is made at BaltexTechnical Textiles in Derbyshire.

n Airospring Medical: Tel. 0115 932 2403,www.airospring.com

EASING THEPRESSURE:

Prof SubhashAnand and

Charles Wood,MD of Baltex

Are you sittingcomfortably?


INDEPENDENT LIVINGINDEPENDENT LIVING

19thernow.org.uk

INDEPENDENT LIVINGINDEPENDENT LIVING

February/March 2014 All Together NOW!


INDEPENDENT LIVING

Are YOUproperlyinsured?

Your guide togreaterfreedom . . . SWITCH ON and get yourself

insured. That’s the messagebeing sent to scooter usersacross the country.

An accident could lead tohuge financial problems –especially if you injure apedestrian as recent courtcases have highlighted.

“Scooter insurance is not alegal requirement but itshould be,” says Jason Tate,managing director of theHelp-My-Mobility websitewhich has launched anonline petition to make itcompulsory.

“In these cost-conscioustimes, it’s often things likenon-mandatory insurancethat gets cut from thehousehold budget, but itcould not be more vital.Compulsory insurance wouldsave hundreds of people agreat deal of stress andanguish each year.”n The petition is backed byTGA Mobility, makers ofsome of the UK’s leadingscooters.http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/51330

DO YOU encounterproblems taking yourmobility scooter on

the bus or train?Well, there’s now an online

database of suitable modelsthat can be carried on mostnetworks.

Stephen Smith, from theConfederation of PassengerTransport, said: “We welcomethe publication of thisresearch.

“It will provide a useful aid tothe CPT ‘Code of Practice’ for

using mobility scooters on lowfloor buses.”

David Mapp, from theAssociation of Train OperatingCompanies, said: “Operatorswelcome the new databasewhich will help disabled peopleto take advantage of the railnetwork by providing greaterclarity on which scooters canbe taken on trains.”n The database can befound at:www.rica.org.uk/content/scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs

YOU CAN take your scooter on the bus if allof the following apply:n Your local bus company is running a scooterpermit scheme.n Your scooter is a Class 2 type (for pavementuse) and has maximum dimensions of 600mmwide and 1000mm long, and a turning radius of nomore than 1200mm.n The bus company has assessed you.

Permit schemes have been developed across

the UK by the Confederation for PassengerTransport (CPT), and in the capital by Transportfor London.

If your bus company has signed up to the CPTscheme, they’ll be issuing credit-card sizedpermits that can be shown to the driver to confirmthat you’re allowed to travel with your scooter.

Once you’ve been given a permit, you should beable to use it with any other bus operator that isrunning the scheme.

The current list of bus companies with permitschemes comprise: Arriva; Blackpool TransportServices; Bluestar; Centrebus; Country Bus;Firstgroup; Ipswich Buses; Metrobus; NottinghamCity Transport; National Express; PrenticeCoaches; Quality Line; Reading Transport;Safeguard; Southern Vectis; Stagecoach;Thamesdown Transport; Transdev Blazefield;Transport for London; Trentbarton; WesternGreyhound; Wilts and Dorset Yellow Buses.

Check if you can take your scooter on the bus



We’d love to work with YOUR NHS Trust . . . call 0151 230 0307

ALMOST HALF A MILLION peopleare now learning about healthissues in All Together NOW!

Your FREE multi award-winning charitypaper is available in more than 50hospitals and health centres acrossthe region. And the feedback istremendous!

THIS newspaper is just brilliant – thebest ever tonic to help disabled peopleand anyone affected by ill health.It’s bringing together so many peopleof all ages, abilities and backgrounds –and it’s FREE! I’ve been a big fan sincethe first issue rolled off the pressesback in 2005 and have to say that everyissue gets better and better. The paperdeserves every one of the many awardsit has received.”

Bob Bryant, Halton CCG‘ ‘

We are very impressed withhow All Together NOW! isgetting our health messages topeople across the region. Thepaper is having atremendously positive impacton people’s wellbeing,especially those affected bydisability and age.

James Brown, Head of

PERFECT TONIC‘THE COMBINATION of good news, usefulinformation and fun articles & competitionsis absolutely ideal for patients waiting fortheir appointments, staff on their breaksand visitors waiting to collect their relatives.All Together NOW! is a very effective wayof communicating our messages. Everycopy of every issue is quickly snapped up,which just shows how popular the paper is.I am sure All Together NOW! will continueto go from strength to strength.

Joe Paxton, Media & CommunicationsManager, Wythenshawe Hospital

22

AREVOLUTIONARYtechnique allowsneurosurgeons to find a

safe pathway through the brain totumours.

Tractography scans can reveal tinyopen paths between nerve fibres,which even MRI scans and otherimaging techniques cannot achieve.

The radiology scan – developed byneurosurgeons in the United States –uses water, with no needles, dyes orchemicals needed.

“The brain can be mapped bytracking the movement of its watermolecules,” said neurosurgeon ClarkChen, based in San Diego.

“Water molecules in brain nervesmove in an oriented manner. However,outside the nerves, the moleculesmove randomly. Neurosurgeons canuse these distinct properties to locateimportant connections and to guidewhere surgery should occur or not.

“Every centimetre of brain tissuecontains millions of neuralconnections. With tractography, wecan visualise the most important ofthese connections to avoid injury. Indoing so, we preserve the quality oflife for our patients with brain cancer.”

Anthony Chetti is one of thebeneficiaries of tractography-guidedbrain surgery. He developed a tumourin the region of the brain called theoccipital lobe, the portion responsiblefor processing visual information.

“Anytime that you are told that youcan potentially lose your vision, youare scared,” said Anthony, a SanDiego school teacher. “But when DrChen shared the tractography imageswith me and showed me how he wasgoing to avoid injury to the connectionbetween my eye and the occipital lobe,I was reassured.”

Anthony’s tumor was completelyremoved without any damage to hisvision.

HEADACHES, joint painand depression are justsome of the conditions thatcould be helped byexposing more of ourbodies to sunlight.

Three quarters of peoplewho say they suffer fromregular headaches are gettingless than two hours sunlighteach day, a new survey hasfound.

It’s a similar story for jointpain and bone conditionsufferers, plus people withmental health problems likedepression, seasonalaffective disorder andinsomnia.

People’s lack of vitamin Dknowledge was also exposed,with nine out of 10 mumssaying they were never toldto supplement, even thoughpregnant women have longbeen considered to be at-riskof vitamin D deficiency.

More than half of the 500-plus UK adults surveyed saythey don’t know how muchvitamin D is sourced fromsunlight, while over half ofparents never give theirchildren vitamin Dsupplements, even thoughunder-fives are another at-risk group.

Andrew Thomas, head ofhealth company BetterYou,said:“It’s only in recent yearsthat the link between VitaminD deficiency and a host ofhealth problems is beingproperly understood andthese results seem to showthat poor sun exposure – andlack of knowledge andsupplementation – could beplaying a major role in theseverity of the conditions.”

n MEANWHILE, anAustralian study has foundthat sunbathing is moreeffective than vitamin D incombating fatigue anddepression among peoplewith multiple sclerosis.

The two-year study,involving 198 patients withMS, revealed that those whospent longer in the sunsuffered less from fatigue anddepression. In contrast, itcould not be established thatthe level of vitamin D had anyinfluence.

Sunshinereallyworkswonders

IT’S an expression that maynever have become commonknowledge without thenumerous failings in hospitalcare in recent times.

A “never event” is a medicalfailure so serious that it shouldnever happen due to the highrisk of harm and the seriousbreach of hospital procedures.

New figures show thatbetween April and Septemberlast year 102 hospital trustsexperienced a never event.They included 37 instances ofsurgeons operating on thewrong part of the body, and 70

incidents of foreign objectsbeing left inside a patient.

In response to publicconcern, the NHS hasannounced it will now revealthe number of such medicalerrors every three months.

And from April, informationwill be renewed every month,for the benefit of bothhealthcare professionals andfor public disclosure.

A spokeswoman for medicalnegligence solicitors, Asons,based in Lancashire, said:

“Although the numbers arerelatively low when compared

to the number of patientsbeing cared for, it still standsthat measures are put in placeto prevent them fromhappening, which must havebeen breached for the incidentto take place.

“All incidents of never eventsare avoidable, and theyunnecessarily put patients atrisk

“ Many of the clients we haveworked with, who are bringingforward medical negligenceclaims, have also suffered fromthe physiological effects ofsuch mistakes.”

NHS to come clean on accidents

Brainwave

Top praise for staffat N-West hospital

New award scheme

Raring for action

EXCEPTIONAL care at a North Westhospital has won lavish praise fromthe patient watchdog.

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust“strives to be the best in the countryand to deliver care which is safe, cleanand personal every time,” said a reportfrom the Care Quality Commission.

“We found it is an extremely well-runtrust, with a strong and stableleadership which was embedded at alllevels within the trust, across allwards, consistently and without fail,”said Professor Sir Mike Richards, chiefinspector of hospitals.

“Staff were encouraged to beinnovative in improving the quality ofcare. They were able to tell us howquality was given a high priority andthat patient care was personalised.

“The trust showed an openness andcommitment to continuousimprovement, with patient safety at thetop of its priorities.”

Examples of good practice at Salfordincluded the bereavement service, theelectronic patient records system andthe trust’s system for beingtransparent about staffing levels.

Inspectors also praised the“exceptional leadership qualities at alllevels across all staff groups”.

THE staff at a specialist neurologicalhospital are to be rewarded for comingup with bright ideas.

The best schemes will have £5,000 setaside to bring them to life, thanks to anew award.

It is hoped the award will lead toimprovements in patient care at TheWalton Centre in Liverpool

Hospital governor Louise Fergusonannounced the Roy FergusonCompassionate Care Award as a tributeto her husband.

A bespoke artwork is being createdwhich will be presented to the winneronce a year on Roy’s birthday in April.

Louise, of Knutsford, Cheshire, said: “Ialways wanted to do something in Roy’smemory and when I got involved in theresearch at the hospital I knew it wasmeant to be.

“It’s wonderful that something good isgoing to come from our loss.”

BRITAIN’S three million people affectedby rare diseases are to get better help.

The Government’s new UK RareDiseases Strategy aims to find effectivetreatments and therapies and build betterunderstanding of uncommon conditions.

There are already more than 5,000 rarediseases identified and the total issteadily rising as new geneticdiscoveries explain previouslyunexplained disease patterns.

Alastair Kent, chair of Rare Disease UKwhich helped shaped the strategy,said:“Now at least patients can have aclear expectation of what the NHSaspires to provide for them, whereverthey live in the UK.”

TV stars are urging parents to stop smoking when travellingin cars with their children.

A new online film, starring Neil Fitzmaurice – best knownfor roles in Peep Show and Phoenix Nights – and Hollyoaksactress Jazmine Franks, highlights that many young peopleare too frightened to speak up about their parents or otheradults smoking in a car.

The video, from North-West based Tobacco Free Futuresand the British Lung Foundation, is part of a wider campaigncalling for legislation to make all cars carrying childrensmoke-free.

The issue is due to be voted on as the Children andFamilies Bill passes its way through Parliament.

Jazmine said: “I’m sure a lot of people think as long as thewindow is open the smoke is not doing any harm to otherpassengers in the car, especially children.

“But it’s not safe and it isn’t fair that children have tobreathe it in.”

Matthew Ashton, Cheshire and Merseyside lead for publichealth, said: “Hundreds of children suffering the effects ofsecond-hand smoke are admitted to Cheshire andMerseyside hospitals every year with complications such asbronchitis, asthma and reduced lung function.”

STUB IT OUT: Neil Fitzmaurice stars in the new video

Stars back campaign

Almost half a million people are reading these pages

MEDICAL NOTES

To find out more, visit . . . www.liverpoolcommunityhealth.nhs.uk


ROLL UP, roll up – andget your wheelsshining – for a very

special Strictly WheelchairDancing event.

As part of the celebrations forInternational Wheelchair Day –Saturday March 1 – LiverpoolCommunity Health Trust want tohear from any adult users of itswheelchair service who like theidea of giving their wheels a spinwith a salsa or a samba . . . ormaybe even a bit of rock androll!

Wheelchair dancing is catchingon fast and here’s YOUR chanceto give it a go!

Christine McGhee, ClinicalOperations Manager at LiverpoolWheelchair Service, said: “Wesupport around 10,500 adultsand children from our localcommunities across Liverpoolwho are wheelchair users. Thisevent is a fun way for us to gettogether and celebrate thedifference that having awheelchair makes to people’severyday lives.

“It’s also an opportunity for usto inspire wheelchair users aboutthe importance of staying active,despite their mobility issues.

“We really want to highlight toall our service users thatalthough they may be in awheelchair, there is still plentythey can do to look after their

health and stay fit.”The event will be led by

Manchester-based charity,Strictly Wheelchair Dancing, whorun dance sessions for all agesand abilities.

There will also be a wheelchairskills session and a series ofhealth information stalls offeringadvice on healthy living from arange of other community healthservices provided by LiverpoolCommunity Health NHS Trust.

The team will also be offeringshort ‘on-the-spot’ wheelchaircushion checks to help ensurethat people’s pressure cushionsare correctly adjusted to supportthem, in order to minimise therisk of pressure ulcersdeveloping.

The Strictly WheelchairDancing event takes place atGreenbank Sports Academy,Greenbank Lane, Liverpool from3pm-5.30pm and is open to alladult wheelchair service users,as well as their family or carers.

International Wheelchair Dayaims to raise greater awarenessof issues of accessibility forpeople with mobility issues, aswell as celebrate the differencethat having a wheelchair hasmade to the lives of so manypeople around the world. n To book a free space,please call: 0151 296 7733.Spaces will be allocated on afirst come, first served basis.

ADULTS and their families who are benefitingfrom wheelchairs and other equipment fromLiverpool’s Community Equipment Service arebeing invited to a free Valentine’s Day ‘BakeOff’ event – with free coffee, cakes and someexpert advice.

Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust want tohear people’s views about the services they run atThe LifehouseCentre onSummersRoad,BrunswickBusiness Park.

Christine McGhee, manager, said: “This is afantastic chance to meet and chat to our friendlyteam in a relaxed and informal environment, and tolet us know what more we can do to improve ourservices for people with mobility issues.

“It’s also a chance for us to listen to our those whouse our services.”

The following services are provided at Lifehouse:n Liverpool Wheelchair Service n Liverpool and Sefton’s Community EquipmentServices n The Manual Handling Teamn Community Equipment Nurse Specialistsn Medical Devices Team.

A market stall area will also be set up to provideinformation about the wide range of support availablefor people with mobility issues.

The event runs from 10am to 2pm on FridayFebruary 14.n Anyone who is unable to attend the event onthe day, can also still have their say on howservices can be improved by emailing their viewsto: [email protected]

LIVERPOOL Community Health is the only NHS Trust in theNorth West to be named in the UK’s top 100 gay-friendlyemployers list.

The Stonewall Top 100 Employer List assessesorganisations on equality practices and on how well theyengage with their lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGBT) staffand customers.

LCH came 66th in Stonewall’s 2014 list – up from 86th inlast year’s rankings.

Bernie Cuthel, chief executive of Liverpool CommunityHealth NHS Trust, said: “We are very proud to be one of thefew NHS Trusts in the country to feature on the list year onyear, and this year’s placement demonstrates that the Trustis continuing to improve.”

Frank Davidson, Equality and Diversity Advisor at LCH,said: “This reflects the many support systems that we havein place for our staff, as well as the excellent range ofhealth support we provide to LGB communities throughspecialist services such as Armistead.”

TOP WHEELCHAIR dancers Paula Morton andGary Lyness are hoping that WheelchairDancesport will soon become a Paralympic sport.

They’re even dreaming of samba-ing their way toRio in 2016!

Paula and Gary, who performed on ITV’s Britain’sGot Talent programme and have been dancing allover the world, are members of Manchester’sStrictly Wheelchair Dancing group, who arestaging the Strictly Wheelchair Dancing event atThe Lifehouse on International Wheelchair Day onMarch 1. n Email: [email protected] www.strictlywheelchairdancing.co.uk

Strictly forStrictly for funloversfunlovers

n Frank Davidsonand colleagues TinaDavies Taylor andPaul White

Diversity at its best

Get ready to Your invitationto a Valentine’sDay ‘bake off’

rock and roll!


Dad’s back!

Family get-togethers might be lifesavers

MICHAEL Beckett’s future waslooking bleak after divorce,redundancy and heavy drinking

took its toll in the shape of liverdisease.

As his liver stopped working properly, the49-year-old endured regular hospital trips tohave excess fluid drained from his abdomenand was facing the prospect of a livertransplant.

“I had a huge belly and tiny arms and legs.I wasn’t eating and I was tired all of thetime,” explained Michael. “Sometimes I had14 litres of fluid in my belly.”

But Michael’s life has been tranformedthanks to a simple pump, the size of aniPod, implanted in his abdomen.

And best of all, he says, he can take anactive part in his children’s lives again.

A liver transplant is often the only optionfor patients with severe alcohol-related liverdisease. Around 4,000 people in the UK dieof the condition every year.

But the new technology being trialled atLondon’s Royal Free Hospital has givenMichael and other patients withliver disease or cirrhosis a newlease of life.

The alfapump controls thedebilitating symptoms of liverfailure and – if patients keep offalcohol – can even allow the liverto partially recover.

When patients suffer from liverdisease the liver and kidneys stopworking properly and fluid stopsbeing exchanged within the cellsin the way it should. This leads toascites – excess fluid in theabdomen.

There is no way for this fluid to be removedfrom the body naturally and up to 15 litres of itcan gather around patients’ abdominal organs.

The alfapump, implanted beneath the skin ofthe abdomen, works by pumping fluid from theabdomen into the bladder, where it is removedfrom the body naturally through urination.

Michael, from Portsmouth, admits he hadalways been a heavy drinker. “I drank afterwork with colleagues,” he said. “I started

drinking more when I got divorced and theneven more when I was made redundant.”

He stopped drinking immediately after beingdiagnosed with alcohol-related liver disease,but the damage was done.

However, the combination of using the pumpand abstaining from alcohol, has allowed hisliver to repair itself and his health seems to beon the mend.

“I am eating more, I have got more energy,”

said Michael. “I can really be involved in mysons’ lives. I can be an active father to them,which I couldn’t have been before.”

Professor Rajiv Jalan, from the Royal FreeHospital, has 16 patient involved using thepump, and 44 patients are being enrolled inhospitals across Europe.

“What we have seen so far is that, if patientsstop abusing alcohol, there is hope – even forthose with severe cirrhosis.”

FINGERPICKIN’ GOOD: Jane Green and ChrisFairfield, ward nurse manager at Aintree hospital

AINTREE hospital staff arehelping patients withdementia enjoy mealtimes –without making a meal ofthem!

New easy-to-eat finger foodboxes allow patients to avoidmany of the problems theyface when eating during astay in hospital.

The boxes were developedby dementia matron JaneGreen and head of cateringSandra Higgins, together withchefs and the hospital’sdietician team.

The Aintree team is nowplanning to work with otherhospitals in the region to helpspread the scheme.

PEOPLE with a family history ofpremature heart disease continue tobe at greater risk of dying even if theyundergo drug treatment or lifestylechanges at a relatively early age.

Now experts think at-risk groups need tobe referred to a GP in their early 30s oreven in their 20s to give themselves a betterchance of avoiding a heart attack or stroke.

And they are urging younger people to usefamily gatherings to quiz older relativesabout the occurrence of heart diseasebefore the age of 60 in close familymembers.

Doctors are well aware of the increased

risk individuals with a family history of heartdisease face.

But research published by the University ofGlasgow has shown that even when earlyinterventions are used, these patients arestill 12-20% more likely to die prematurely.

Dr Sandosh Padmanabhan, who led thestudy, said: “One explanation is that theearlier referral of these individuals – around45 years of age in our study – is not earlyenough, and some damage has alreadyoccurred.”

Dr Padmanabhan said: “Patients with afamily history are referred around anaverage age of 33-50 years in ourexperience. Perhaps we should be seeing

these individuals earlier in their 30s or eventheir 20s.

“Our study suggests there is a need forcontinued and sustained efforts to reducerisk factors in these individuals and moreresearch required on the most effectivemeans of doing this.

“For example, should doctors be moreactively screening first-degree relatives ofeverybody who is admitted with a heart-attack or a stroke before the age of 60?

“Family history is not only a link to thepast, but also a bridge to futurecardiovascular health. People need to beaware of their family history of conditionslike heart attack or stroke.”

n MAGICPUMP:MichaelBeckett,left, whohasbenefittedfrom thenew liverpumpoperation

Beatrice Fraenkelchair, Mersey Care NHS

THE BBC TV talent show ‘TheVoice’ is a clever way forsingers to pitch their songs

unseen to celebrities such as TomJones and Kylie Minogue, who thendecide if they want to mentor orreject the singer just by the appealof their voice.

So what’s this got to do with mentalhealth and my own organisation youmay wonder? The answer is it’s aboutputting your voice out there and givingpeople a chance to listen...

In the context of giving a voice tomental health issues I think it’s fair tosay there doesn’t seem to be equalvoice, or equal listening, compared tomany other health matters.

One in four of us are affected bysome kind of mental health problemduring our lifetimes - in which casethere should be a significant voice forthe need for better mental healthprovision.

There are excellent nationalcampaigns, such as Time to Talk, whichchallenge stigma. But I’d really like tohear more of an individual groundswellalongside the campaigns advocating formental health services, which of coursethen needs due government priorityand funding.

The Government’s new action plan formental health called ‘Closing the Gap -Priorities for Essential Change inMental Health’ acknowledges thatpeople affected by mental health MUSThave equal priority with those who havephysical health needs.

I’m grateful for the comments ofDeputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg (seePage 2) and the Minister of State forCare and Support Norman Lamb whoshowed understanding andappreciation of the work that is beingdone in this area.

But when we are talking to politicians,especially as money is getting tighter,we must have a stronger voice behindus. It’s not all about the money, but wemust also acknowledge that if we as anation fail to spend on mental healthwe could impact on other areas suchas education, employment and physicalhealth.

The Time to Change campaign ishelping people gain confidence but untilwe can talk about mental health openlyand freely, we really won’t make biginroads. So I would urge All TogetherNow readers to add your voice to thegrowing lobby in calling for a fair shareto help make all mental health, learningdisability and addiction services trulyworld class.

Tasty idea

The perfect tonic . . . almost HALF A MILLION


people are reading these pages . . . 0151 230 0307

MEDICAL NOTESGene genies make

Kidney injury clue

new breakthrough

ASIMPLE breath test at your localpharmacy could at last providereal hope for people with lung

cancer.UK researchers are working on a

breathalyser that will be able to detect veryearly signs of the disease, making a curemuch more likely.

And it will be pharmacists rather than GPswho carry out a test with the potential to savehundreds of thousands of lives.

One scenario might be that people who visittheir local chemist’s seeking help to quitsmoking will be invited to take the quick andsimple test.

“The intention is that we will catch patientsbefore they start getting the symptoms,” saidDr Rachel Airley, the University ofHuddersfield lecturer who developed thebreath test project.

“Once lung cancer patients startexperiencing symptoms it is often veryadvanced and has a very low cure rate,” shesaid.

Lung cancer is one of the world’s biggestkillers. In the UK it accounts for six per centof all deaths, largely because treatment isoften ineffective by the time symptoms arediagnosed.

The research team is working to produce avariation on the RTube, a breath testingdevice already used as a research tool forrespiratory diseases.

“When you get certain chemicals insomeone’s breath, that can be a sign thatthere is early malignancy,” said Dr Airley.

“We are looking to be able to distinguishbetween patients with early lung cancer andpatients who have maybe got bronchitis,emphysema or non-malignant smokingrelated disease...or who have maybe just gota cough.”

The development of the lung cancerbreathalyser will be part of the trend towardspharmacists playing an increasing front-linerole in health care.

“There are 12,000 community pharmaciesin Britain and there is a big move for them toget involved in primary diagnostics, becausepeople visit their pharmacies not just when

they are ill but when they are well. Apharmacy is a lot less scary than a doctor’ssurgery,” said Dr Airley.

“The idea is to pick up illnesses almostbefore they happen. Lung cancer is ideal forthis because it is often not diagnosed untilthere are really serious symptoms.”

Smoking cessation clinics successfullybeing run by pharmacists will also be anopportunity to offer the simple, non-invasivebreath test.

And once established, the lung cancerbreathalyser could be adapted for other hard-to-detect cancers, said Dr Airley.

“We are increasingly looking at non-invasive tests as an alternative to X-rays,imaging and blood tests.

“As detection methods get more and moresensitive we can pick up things from veryeasily taken bodily fluids such as saliva orsputum down to microscopic fragments oftissue, or even single cells.”

A NEW cancer gene has been discoveredthat will enable scientists to develop aless invasive test for chronic bloodcancers.

There is currently a test for around 60%of chronic blood cancers, but the causeof the other 40% – affecting 30,000people a year in the UK – was unknown.

This group of cancers causes the over-production of red blood cells andplatelets, which leads to blood clots thenstrokes and heart attacks. Somedisorders can become more aggressiveover time and may even develop intoacute leukaemia.

However, a major breakthrough hasbeen made by research led by theUniversity of Cambridge and theWellcome Trust Sanger Institute.

They identified CALR, the gene whichcauses this group of cancers.

By sequencing the DNA of patients, theresearchers found that CALR wasmutated, resulting in chronic bloodcancers, high platelet counts and lowhaemoglobin levels.

Dr Aziz, Lecturer in Biomedical Scienceat the University of Salford’s School ofEnvironment & Life Sciences,contributed to the study.

He said: “This discovery will not onlylead to genetic testing for diagnosis butwill shed light on the genetic mechanismthat leads to chronic blood cancers.”

NEW TEST: Cancer pharmacist Emer Sheridan and Dr Rachel Airley, right

Simple trip tochemist couldstop a killerin its tracks

A LINK between serious kidney problemsand drugs commonly prescribed by GPshas been found by scientists.

The connection between ACE inhibitors(and similar drugs) and acute kidneyinjury – a sudden deterioration in kidneyfunction – was discovered by a UKresearch team.

ACE inhibitors and related drugs,known as ARAs or ‘sartans’, are thesecond most frequently prescribedmedicines in UK clinical practice.

They are used to treat conditions likehigh blood pressure, heart disease andkidney problems.

Dr Rupert Payne, from the University ofCambridge’s Institute of Public Health,said: “This work gives us an opportunityto estimate the size of the problem, andmake clinicians and patients more awareof the importance of using these drugs inaccordance with clinical guidelines.”

ONE in every four children andyoung people with diabetes arereceving an unacceptable level ofcare.

That’s the warning from the RoyalCollege of Paediatrics and ChildHealth as worrying evidence showsType 1 diabetes in children coulddouble in the next six years.

“Significant numbers of children stilldo not have access to a level ofcontrol that would reduce their risk ofdeveloping complications long-term,”said Dr Justin Warner.

A new report from the College showsfewer than 7% of children with

diabetes undergo all of the seven testsand examinations that medicalwatchdog NICE says they need everyyear.

However, the report also showed thatthe number of children and youngpeople getting a good level of careincreased from 14.5% in 2009-10 to17.4% in 2011-12.

And Dr Warner added: “With recentevidence suggesting that the incidenceof Type 1 diabetes in children is risingand may double by 2020, getting themanagement of care right for everychild is essential to ensure they havethe best quality of life.”

Simply the bestFear for diabetic children PATIENTS at a hospital on Merseyside can besure they are getting top class treatment.

The Burney Breast Unit, at St Helens Hospital, hasreceived European recognition for its care of patientswith breast cancer.

The Breast Centres Network, part of the EuropeanSchool of Oncology, has granted the unit “fullmembership”, an honour which means its range ofspecialised clinical services is judged to be ofinternational standard.

The unit treats over 4,000 patients yearly, providingrapid access to a team of specialist oncologists,consultant surgeons, breast nurses and therapists.

Along with state-of-the art radiology equipment thatcan detect cancers at very early stages, the breastservice also provides chemotherapy treatment.

Cancer b-testWhy I love this paper“I pick up my copy of AllTogether NOW! atthe Countess ofChester Hospital. Itake extra copies formembers of thepensioner’s club Ihelp to run. It is suchan inspirational paper. Thank you.” Mrs Jean Barnes, Thornton Drive,Upton, Chester

All Together NOW! February/March 2014 www.alltogethernow.org.uk26

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AFORMER Liverpool FC footballer,whose revolutionary trainingsuits are being used by Wayne

Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and othertop footballers, was among the finalistsof the Stelios Disabled EntrepreneurAwards 2013.

Terry Nelson, 51, came up with the idea ofan aqua bouyancy suit while training in aswimming pool.

So good are the suits they are now used bythe stars of Real Madrid, Manchester United,Liverpool, Manchester City – and the Englandteam.

Having had a kidney transplant and thenwinning gold for Great Britain at the WorldTransplant Games in 1993, Terry spent thenext 12 years on dialysis until having asecond kidney transplant.

In 2011, following complications from anoperation to remove a cancerous para-thyroidgland he had to have his right leg amputated.

Ten days later he was running in the pool inthe bodysuit he had developed.

The TNAR Mk X6 - to give its full title – is abody suit made from nylon, lycra andstrategically-placed foam padding, which liftsthe wearer into the necessary position forexercise in the swimming pool.

“I designed it for training in the water soyour feet don’t touch the floor,” said Terry,who was a youth player at Liverpool when theclub were conquering Europe in the 70s.

“The suit keeps you upright in the correctbiomechanical running position. Anyonewho’s got an injury can now run and train andsprint and do all the things they can’t do onland.”

Terry added: “I use my experiences of injuryand illness to develop my business and toenhance people’s lives in a positive andhealthy way.”

The £50,000 Stelios award was won byJames King who, although blind and dyslexic,runs a successful home extension firm.

James set up Oliver James Garden Roomsin 2011. With a workforce of seven and aturnover of almost £300,000, he works withhomeowners across Buckinghamshire,

Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire andHertfordshire.

James said: “There are obstacles in runninga business when you are blind but you justhave to accept them. Everyone has them,whether you’ve got a disability or not.”

Sir Stelios said: “Removing the barriersdisabled people face in business is essential,and I hope that the Stelios Award forDisabled Entrepreneurs goes some way tohighlighting their achievements.”

n TNAR Limited (Terry Nelson’s AquaRunning) is based in Waterloo Road,Liverpool. Tel. 0151 236 9255,www.tnar.co.uk

Terry’s wondersuit is doingthe business

RECOGNITION: Stelios, above, and Terry Nelson with his bouyancy suit

More people are set to benefit from Access to Work THE scheme helping disabledworkers with equipment and supportcosts, has been extended to coverwork experience placements thatdisabled people arrange themselves.

Previously, only those whose workexperience placements had beenorganised through Jobcentre Plus wereeligible for help from the Government’sAccess to Work scheme.

Disabled People’s Minister MikePenning said: “This is great news fordisabled youngsters who need valuableexperience in their chosen trade orprofession with a view to securing a job.

“Most people undertake workexperience at some point and it is onlyright that disabled people have accessto the same opportunities as everybodyelse.

“This change will put them firmly incontrol of their own careers by removinga barrier that prevented them frommaking their own arrangements in thepast.”

It is the latest phase of a rollout to thescheme that began in September, whenAccess to Work was opened up todisabled people embarking oninternships and traineeships.

Although it is expected that it willmainly benefit younger adults, the latestdevelopment is open to everybody whohas a disability and needs extra supportin taking up a work experienceplacement.

Access to Work provides financial helptowards the extra costs faced bydisabled people at work, such assupport workers, specialist aids andequipment, and help with travelling tothe workplace.

Last year the scheme supported morethan 30,000 disabled people i getting orkeeping employment.

BIG FANS: Wayne Rooney and CristianoRonaldo use Terry’s aqua suits

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A DISABLED Lord failednarrowly in a bid to forcethe Government to includea definite commitment toinclusive education in itschildren and families bill.

Lord [Colin] Low’samendment would haveplaced the commitmentamong the general principlesof the bill, in line with theGovernment’s obligationsunder article 24 of the UNConvention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities.

His amendment made clearthe need to continue to

develop an inclusive systemwhere parents of disabledchildren have increasingaccess to mainstreamschools and staff and whichhave the capacity to meetthe needs of disabledchildren.

Mirroring calls by TheAlliance for InclusiveEducation (ALLFIE), LordLow said the references toinclusion in the bill’s latestdraft code of practice hadbeen very much watereddown in comparison withcurrent guidance.

And he warned that draftregulations attached to thebill would allow a child to beplaced in a special academyor free school even if theydo not have an education,health and care plan (EHCP)– the planned replacementfor statements of specialeducational needs (SEN).

He said this risked a returnto parents being pushed intoaccepting a special schoolplace for their child becausethe mainstream school hadnot provided appropriatesupport.

n Supporting College andUniversity Students with InvisibleDisabilities, by Christy Oslund,£18.99

THIS practical handbook provideslecturers, tutors, disability services,and administrative staff with anoverview of the invisible disabilitiesthey may encounter, dispellingcommon myths and offering practicaladvice.

Students with invisible disabilities areoften academically talented but

struggle with certain aspects of highereducation such as keeping track ofappointments or maintainingconcentration in lecture halls.

Detailed information is included on arange of disabilities including autism,AD/HD, dyslexia, OCD, and affectivedisorders with ideas for adaptingteaching methods, offering suitableaccommodation,and improvingpolicy.

DEAF students are getting help toapply for university places from aseries of new videos.

The films, in British Sign Language, weremade by UCAS – the University AdmissionsService – after a plea from the DeafEducation Advocacy Fellowship (DEAF).

Beth Hayes, digital media manager atUCAS, said: “‘British Sign Language isdifferent from spoken English, so eventhough we had subtitles on all our videos,these were not suitable for students whosefirst language was BSL.

“We worked closely with DEAF to choosethe most relevant videos and make sure theywould help deaf students to understand howto apply and where to get support.”

Esmail Patel, head of DEAF, said: “We arevery proud and honoured to be working inpartnership with UCAS to make a differenceto the lives of deaf learners to help and

encourage the community to have confidencewhen applying to universities.”

Each video covers an individual part of theUCAS process including information forstudents with disabilities, how to apply,choosing a course, open days, personalstatements, requesting a reference and aguide for parents.

UCAS is also working with the RoyalNational Institute of Blind People (RNIB) tomake its website more accessible to visuallyimpaired people.

Improvements include better keyboardnavigation of the site and ensuring the site isfully accessible to anyone accessing contentusing a screen reader.

n The sign language videos areembedded on relevant pages of therecently re-launched UCAS website:www.ucas.com

Backward step for disabled learners

Dyslexia hurdle to apprentices The perfect tutorial for tutors

New films fordeaf students

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JAMES Bond fanatic ThomasKitcherman has won an award forhis short film about the inspiration

his big screen hero has had on his life.Thomas, who has learning disabilities,

won The uScreen Best Film Award 2013in the uSparks Shorts competition for histhree-minute video.

Supported by the national learningdisabilities charity, Hft, Thomas beat offcompetition from more than 100 entriesfrom budding film makers submitted overthe past year.

After receiving his award at PinewoodStudios, Thomas said: “I’d like to beJames Bond, even if it is just for a day.”

Thomas’ mother, Joanne, said: “Thomashas always been a shy character and

creating this film has really brought himout of himself.

“It has improved his confidence andhelped him to become more articulate. Hehas been involved in every stage of theproject so he also learnt some new skills.

“It has been a lot of hard work but hehas enjoyed every minute of it and he hasbeen beaming from ear to ear ever sincehe won.”

The film took several weeks to makeand Thomas was involved in every aspectof production from initially drafting thestory board all the way to the final editingof the piece.

n To view his film visithttp://uscreen.co.uk/films/view/6397


PEOPLE with dyslexia and otherlearning difficulties are beingprevented from qualifying asapprentices because they are notallowed to use assisted technologyin vital English and mathematicstests.

So says the Liberal Democrat peerLord Addington, who has dyslexiahimself, and has been campaigningfor Government action for more thanthree years.

He told fellow peers debating thecommittee stage of the children and

families bill that the problem lay withlegislation on apprenticeshipsintroduced by the last Labourgovernment, which states thatapprentices must pass both Englishand maths tests to secureaccreditation.

He said the Alliance for InclusiveEducation had raised similar concernsabout problems faced by apprenticeswith learning difficulties, while theBritish Dyslexia Association had sofar had 60 meetings with civilservants in a bid to resolve the issue.

The name is Kitcherman, Thomas Kitcherman

BRIGHT SPARK:Thomas, left, receivinghis award from actorDavid Proud, bestknown for his role asAdam Best in BBCTV’s Eastenders


books

450,000 people are reading this page

Best Served Cold: The Rise, Fall andRise Again of Malcolm WalkerTHE revealing autobiography of anunsung hero of British business – MalcolmWalker, the man who made Iceland ahousehold name.

Walker’s incredible life story – told herefor the first time with humour, insight andhumility - is as dramatic a tour de force asyou will find in business. We hear of earlyimpresario days as a small-time dancehall promoter in Yorkshire (alongside acertain Peter Stringfellow), as well asMalcolm’s journey from the Woolworthsstock room floor to the founding ofBritain’s very first frozen food outlet,Iceland, in 1970.

We also learn the truth behind the fiercefight Walker won to clear his name ofinsider dealing in 2000 before going on torebuild his empire.n Proceeds from the book are beingdonated to the Iceland Foods CharitableFoundation to support the work ofAlzheimer’s Research UK.

Exploring the Iceberg, by Paul R Lamb,amazon.comMOST victims of traumatic accidents willtell you the experience brought them tothe lowest point.

“When I came out of my coma at mid-lifewith the functions of a six-year-old, I hadno self-esteem, no confidence, no worth orvalue,” says Paul R. Lamb.

“I was lower than a snake’s belly. Butlooking deeper within myself over time, myself-esteem began to emerge.”

Lamb’s book is an inspiring story of histransformation following the car crash thatput him in a coma for several weeks,finding the strength to overcome thechallenges of his incredible injury. In thecourse of his journey, he discovered thatknowing yourself deeply is the bedrock ofself-esteem.

“You live life feeling you have little value,”Lamb says. “In reality, you have greatvalue, as everyone does. You just may notknow it, yet. Fortunately, emerging yourself-esteem and your personal growth canstart at any age.”

Lamb rebuilt his life after losing almosteverything, including his memory and hisphysical abilities

Fighting back

ARIESMarch 21st - April 20thYou may have to revise a project during thefirst week of February. Don’t make anypermanent changes yet, as the powers thatbe haven’t decided what the finished productshould look like. Pay careful attention to yourdreams, as they could inspire a successfulcreative endeavour. The opening days ofMarch give you a welcome opportunity torest, relax and rejuvenate. An old love couldmake their way back into your life. Your bestfriend, lover, or business partner can helpyou realise a cherished dream near mid-month. A friendship could turn to romancewith very little effort as March turns to April.

TAURUSApril 21st - May 21stYou might have to reverse a decisionconcerning a child. You will be forced tochange plans due to altered schedules or anunforeseen emergency. Don’t get let yourfamily have too much influence on your lovelife, especially on Valentine’s Day. Yourreputation will get another boost when youdonate time, money and resources to acharitable organisation. Who you know willbe much more important than what you knowin March. Be sure to attend a festive partyand push yourself to meet new people. Dressfor success throughout the first half of themonth. It’s critical to make a good impressionon those in charge.

GEMINIMay 22nd - June 21stAvoid making serious decisions abouthousehold matters. Resist the urge to putpressure on a prospective partner onValentine’s Day; it’s best to keep things lightand friendly. You’ll start to see excitingmovement on the romantic front during thesecond week of February. Early March bringsa host of exciting career opportunities. Anagging health problem will make it hard toconcentrate during the first half of the month.Adopting a more active lifestyle will providerelief. The Full Moon on the 16th promptsyou to spend more time at home. Let yourfamily shower you with affection. You’re longoverdue for some pampering.

CANCERJune 22nd - July 23rdDon’t sign any contracts this month. If youcommit to an arrangement, it will cost youmore time and money than you imagined. It’sbetter to keep things informal at this stage ofthe game. Mixing romance with finance isn’tthe best of ideas, either. Keep your moneyseparate from that of your lover, or an angrypower struggle will ensue. Valentine’s Daywill bring an ethical question to the forefront.You need to decide whether you canmaintain a partnership with someone whosevalues are different from yours. You’ll feelespecially nostalgic throughout the first halfof March. Show off your leadership abilityduring the second half of the month.

LEOJuly 24th - August 23rdBe prepared for some financial confusionearly in the month. An important careerdecision will affect an intimate relationship.Have a serious talk with your best friend,business partner, or lover during the second

week of February. Exciting news will arrive atmid-month, allowing you to move forwardwith a partnership venture. A gift, inheritance,or dividend will arrive in the second half ofthe month. An intimate relationship provideslots of pleasure throughout early March.Word will spread of your expertise in lateMarch, attracting some exciting opportunities.

VIRGOAugust 24th - September 23rdYou’ll be easily misunderstood this February.It may be necessary to explain your motivesseveral times. Try not to take all thescepticism personally. If you’re not satisfiedwith a medical diagnosis, get a secondopinion. There may be additional factors thatare contributing to a health problem.Valentine’s Day will spark a seriousconversation about the future of arelationship. Two heads are better than onein the opening days of March. This is a greattime to enter into a romantic or businesspartnership. Your other half will help you tobecome more creative, while you’ll give theirlife structure and meaning.

LIBRASeptember 24th - October 23rdFinance and romance will not mix in the firsthalf of February; don’t lend or borrow moneyduring this phase. Valentine’s Day may temptyou into steering a friendship into romanticwaters. You’re better off keeping thingsplatonic. Don’t share personal stories aboutyour best friend or lover during the final daysof February. The beginning of March is thebest time of the entire year to start a healthregimen. You’ll see results almostimmediately, which will give you extraincentive to stick to your routine. News of anengagement or marriage will reach your earsin the second half of March.

SCORPIOOctober 24th - November 22ndIt will be difficult to express your feelingsabout an upsetting family matter. Relatives

aren’t willing to hear the hard truth abouthealth problems. Valentine’s Day may temptyou into making a grand declaration of love.You’re better off keeping things private. You’llhave to work with a temperamental expert atthe end of the month. Grin and bear it. Marchopens on a joyous note. This is a great timeto embark on a love affair, launch a creativeproject, or start a family. A cherished dreamwill be realised on or around the 16th andyou are about to attract lots of favourableattention.

SAGITTARIUSNovember 23rd - December 21stA pay rise or promotion could be stalled thismonth. Put your expectations on hold untilMarch, when the tide will turn in your favour.Although you hate pretending to go alongwith a bad plan, it’s probably the best courseof action right now. Valentine’s Day could findyou debating an ethical matter. Someone willtry to buy your affection toward the end of themonth. Beware. A passionate love affaircould burst into flower in March. If you’resingle, you could meet someone specialwhen you least expect it. Take pains to lookyour best whenever you go out.

CAPRICORNDecember 22nd - January 20thMisunderstandings with colleagues willabound. A socially prominent person willdisapprove of your decision in the first half ofFebruary. You won’t appreciate being judgedby someone who has no experience withsuch matters. Valentine’s Day will be chargedwith sexual energy. Don’t be surprised whena friend makes a pass at you. A writingproject or speaking engagement will garnerlots of favourable publicity mid-March. TheFull Moon on the 16th prompts you to take aleap of faith. This risk will pay offhandsomely. Be sure to stand up for yourbeliefs.

AQUARIUSJanuary 21st - February 19thJoint finances will be a source of strain in theopening days of the month. It will be difficultto strike a balance between your personaland professional life on Valentine’s Day. Youmay have to postpone a romantic evening foranother time. An exciting moneymakingopportunity will arrive in early March. The FullMoon on the 16th is perfect for meeting anobligation or paying off a debt. Listen to asibling or neighbour’s advice in the secondhalf of the month regarding your appearance.

PISCESFebruary 20th - March 20thYou’ll have to revise a partnershiparrangement in the early days of February.Be kind to yourself during this ultra-sensitiveperiod. You might have to work onValentine’s Day, but don’t let that derail yourlove life. Don’t mix business with pleasureduring the closing days of the month. TheMarch Full Moon on the 16th brings greatnews regarding a relationship. Prepare tohear news of an engagement, marriage, orcommitment ceremony. A fantastic offer willarrive in the final days of March. Accept thisposition as soon as possible, or a rival willmove in and stealyour thunder.

RUSSELL GRANTCALLING . . . RUSSELL GRANTCALLING . . .



CHECKLISTFLOWERS: Trim back some ofthe leaves of hellebores so theflowers can be seen clearly. Oneof the most attractive hellebores,the pure white ‘Christmas rose,’can be spoiled by drips fromoverhead trees after rain soprotect blooms, especially forcutting, with a sheet of glass orplastic.

SHRUBS: Prune winter jasminewhen the yellow star-like flowersdie. Cut back all the side shootswhich have flowered, leaving3cm-4cm (1.5in) of shoot.Towards the end of March,prune the butterfly bush(buddleia) and mop-headhydrangeas down to 30cm (12in)from the ground, just above ashoot or leaf-joint. Strong newshoots will flower this year.

LAWNS: Keep lawns clear ofwormcasts and other debris bybrushing them off. Do not walkon lawns when frost is on theground. If new growth isbeginning, give a trim towardsthe end of March with the mowerblades set high.

PONDS: Check electricalequipment and cables. Removeslippery algae from paths anddecking. As the weatherbecomes milder towards the endof March, try fish with a littlefood but if they ignore it removethe food and wait anotherfortnight.

VEGETABLES: Sow broadbeans and plant onion andshallot sets if there is a mildspell in February. Otherwise waita few weeks. Sow peas, carrotsand beetroots in March.

FRUIT: Prune gooseberries andredcurrants if you missed themin the autumn, aiming to producea goblet-shaped bush on asingle stem.

HERBS: In March, sow a fewherb seeds in pots in agreenhouse or indoors on awindowsill. Start with chives andtarragon.

GLASS: Greenhouses and coldframes containing plants need agood airing on sunny days butmake sure they are closed bylate afternoon. The temperaturecan zoom up very quickly yet thenights are still cold and, if youdon’t trap daytime warmth,plants could rot.

HOUSEPLANTS: Removefading flowers and dying leaves.Give plants as much light aspossible but in most cases onlywater when the compost surfaceis starting to dry out. Exceptionsinclude azalea, cyclamen andmaidenhair fern, which prefermore moisture.

THERE are the delicate,summery kinds ofclematis. Then there are

the tough guys – less obviousbut more appreciated early-flowering types. Some areincredibly hardy.

Clematis alpina, from themountains of Europe and Asia,opens pendulous, bell-shapedblossoms of blue or mauve frommid-spring. The alpina varietyCyanea, bred to withstand theSwedish winter, has deeper blueflower and serrated, ferny leaves,while Constance has purple-pinkblooms and Pamela Jackman hasblue flowers with blue and creamanthers. These easily grow 2m-3m(6ft-10ft) tall in our climate.

One of the first to bloom isClematis cirrhosa, an evergreenspecies from southern Europewhich requires a warm wall to growwell. It climbs to some 3m (8ft-10ft)and produces cup-shaped creamflowers often flecked with red, frommid-winter.

The variety Balearica is not sovigorous but has pretty cut-leaffoliage. Wisley Cream has greenish-cream blooms, while Freckles often bears itsflowers from late autumn - creamy-pink blooms,heavily speckled red inside, contrasting with thelong, yellow stamens.

Another evergreen, Clematis armandii, haslarge oval leaves and white, long-lasting,almond-scented flowers, often continuingthroughout frost and snow. It grows quickly to3m-5m (10ft-15ft).

Among the hardiest are two deciduous speciesthat survive not only cold, exposed positions inBritain but also bitter winters in northern Europeand Canada. They are also noted for their

displays of fluffy seedheads in summer andautumn.

Clematis macropetala, from Mongolia, isanother tough customer with similar flowers andflowering time to alpina.

Varieties bred from this include Alborosea,pinkish-mauve with paler stamens; Ballet Skirt, afully double deep pink type; Maidwell Hall, a

lavender-coloured double; andLagoon, flowering a little laterin very deep blue.

The word clematis seems tohave come from the Greekklema, meaning tendril withwhich, of course, the climbingspecies cling to their supports.Remember that whenpreparing a position for a newplant – fix wires or trellis intoposition making sure they aresturdy enough to hold theweight of a full-grown climber.

If planting against a wall orfence, select a position at least45cm (18in) away from it.Immerse the roots, still in theircontainer, in water for 20minutes and, while the rootballis soaking, dig a hole 45cmdeep and wide (18in x 18in). Inclay, dig a little deeper andplace a layer of crocks orpebbles in the base to improvedrainage, and also fork thesides and base.

If the soil is dry, flood thehole with several gallons ofwater. Then add well-rottedmanure or garden compost to

a depth of 10cm (4in). Removethe container and plant so the rootball is 6cm(2.5in) below the soil surface.

Backfill with loam mixed with a generoushandful of bonemeal, with or soil-based pottingcompost, firm the rootball in with your hands, tiethe stems with soft string to a cane training theplant towards its support, and cover the root areawith rocks or stone slabs to keep the roots cool.

Then water generously and continue to do sowhenever the weather is dry for the first twoyears. Feed with a liquid plant food high inpotash once a fortnight throughout the growingseason.

BERGENIAS are among the mostuseful plants for unpromisingsituations, as tough as the Siberian

mountains where they originated.Named after Karl von Bergen, an 18th

German botanist, they are evergreen, tolerateshade and very poor soil, spread to formground-covering clumps and flower reliably atthis time of year, mainly in lovely shades ofpinkish purple, when there is little else ofsimilar colour to be seen.

The flowers are lightly scented and fairlygood for cutting.

The large, leathery leaves, which give rise tothe nickname elephant’s ears, can add to thedisplay by taking on red tints in winter. Theplants’ only unattractive characteristic is thatthe foliage is sometimes burned and tatteredby cold winds, especially on the coast.

The best kinds for gardens include:n Bergenia cordifolia, 45cm (18in) tall withdeep pink flowers from March taller than most,with pink flowers, and its variety ‘Purpurea,’

with purple blooms.n Bergenia crassifolia, of similar size with palepurple flowers and red foliage in winter.Bergenia purpurascens with purple autumnleaves followed by mauve blooms.n A hybrid Bergenia x schmidtii, which haslarge pink flower-heads and is the earliest tobloom.

If you have a friend or neighbour whosebergenia you admire, November is the time ofyear to ask for root cuttings. The method issimple: cut away a length of rhizomatous root -there’ll be plenty growing on the surface - slit itinto 1cm (half-inch) slices or cubes, and burythese in moist peat or peat substitute in ashallow pot or a seed tray. Put this in a plasticbag in a greenhouse or a light room.

Each slice will produce a new plant, whichcan be planted in a nursery bed in April andmoved into its final flowering position inSeptember.

The bergenias in my garden have been freefrom pest and disease problems for years,though I’m told they are sometimes attackedby slugs or snails, and that the roots can sufferfrom a fungal rot.

n A National Collection of 10 species and69 varieties, held by C. Hallsworth atMaylandsea, Essex (01621-740994), is openby appointment.

PLANT OF THE SEASON: BERGENIA

Social climbers

TOUGH GUY: Clematis Alpina from the mountains of Europe and Asia


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Until Feb 22: Hobson’sChoice. Bolton Octagon. Classiccomedy set in Lancashire.Feb 6: Scottie Road: The Musical.Runcorn Brindley. Musical.Feb 6-8: Under Milk Wood. ClwydTheatr Cymru. An unforgettable journeyinto the heart and soul of Wales. Feb 9: Brendan Cole. Rhyl Pavilion.Dance extravaganza. Feb 9: Fairport Convention. SalfordLowry. British folk-rock. Feb 10: Leave Hitler To Me, Lad.Runcorn Brindley. A new family musical.Feb 11: Hofesh Schechter’s Sun.Salford Lowry. Contemporary danceshow. Feb 11-12: Ballad of the Burning Star.Salford Lowry. Cabaret troop with athoughtful new show. Feb 11-15: Run for your Wife.Runcorn Brindley. Classic RayCooney comedy. Feb 11-15: English National Ballet’sLe Corsaire. Manchester PalaceTheatre. Pirate ballet.Feb 11-22: Ghost. Liverpool Empire.The hit film from the 90s reworked as astage musical.Feb 12: We Can Be Heroes. SalfordLowry. Inspirational show with originalmusic. Feb 12: Grandpa’s Railway. RuncornBrindley. New production for families.Feb 12-13: Hidden. Bolton Octagon.Dark comedy.Feb 12-16: Peter Pan on Ice. NewBrighton Floral Pavilion. Swashbucklingice adventure. Feb 12-22: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.Manchester Opera House. Based on theclassic comedy film.Feb 13: Festival of the SpokenNerd. Salford Lowry. A chance toembrace your nerdy side. Feb 13: Andrew O’Neill. RuncornBrindley. Heavy Metal - A history. Feb 13: Hofesh Shechter - Sun.Blackpool Grand Theatre. Dramaticdance show.Feb 13-14: Prelude to a Number.Salford Lowry. Paying homage to themost beautiful number in mathematics.Feb 14: Jimeoin. PrestonCharter Theatre. Stand-upcomedy. Feb 14: The Strawbs Electric. SaleWaterside Arts Centre. Rock music.Feb 14-15: Chris Ramsey.Salford Lowry. Stand-up comedy. Feb 15: Sing-A-Long-A-Grease. Blackpool Grand Theatre.Audience participation.Feb 15: That’ll Be The Day. St HelensTheatre Royal. The nation’s favouriterock ‘n’ roll variety show. Feb 15: Punt & Dennis -Ploughing on Regardless.Salford Lowry. New from thesatirical comedy duo.Feb 16: Tom Wrigglesworth.Salford Lowry. Stand-up comedy.Feb 16: Germaine Greer.Runcorn Brindley. A chance to hear andquestion the journalist, academic andauthority on feminist issues.Feb 17-18: Dancing Times. RuncornBrindley. Youth dance troupe.Feb 17-22: Priscilla, Queen of theDesert. Manchester Palace Theatre.Feel-good international hit. Feb 17-22: Agatha Christie’s BlackCoffee. Stoke Regent Theatre.Feb 17-22: Moon Tiger. Salford Lowry.A story of loss and desire.

Feb 19: Sarah Millican. PrestonCharter Theatre. Stand-upcomedy.Feb 19: Red Riding Hood. St HelensCitadel. Re-telling of the story we allknow and love. Feb 19-22: Classic Ghosts. LlandudnoVenue Cymru. Classic ghost storiesfrom Dickens and MR James. Feb 20-22: Be our Guest. RuncornBrindley. Local dance school.Feb 21: Ed Byrne. PrestonCharter Theatre. Stand-upcomedy. Feb 21-Mar 8: The Seagull.Salford Lowry. Critically acclaimedadaptation of Chekhov’s masterpiece.Feb 22-23: Panto Pandemonium.Runcorn Brindley. A fully inclusive groupof young people and adults, both withand without additional support needs,take you on a journey to the land ofpantomime. Can our heroes save theday? Or will the wicked witch succeed instealing panto forever?Feb 23: Tap Factory. New BrightonFloral Pavilion. Dance and percussion. Feb 23: Just So Stories. Salford Lowry.Four of Rudyard Kipling’s tales.

Feb 24: Jack Whitehall. SalfordLowry. Stand-up comedy. Feb 24-1: Seven Brides forSeven Brothers. Liverpool Empire.Musical.Feb 25-26: Pronoun. Salford Lowry.New drama. Feb 25-27: The Wizard of Oz. RuncornBrindley. Musical production from Upton-by-Chester High School.Feb 26: Brendan Cole: Licence toThrill. Stoke Regent Theatre. Danceextravaganza.Feb 26-Mar 1: My Boy Jack. PortSunlight Gladstone Theatre. RudyardKipling’s search for his son during WorldWar One. Feb 26-Mar1: A Midsummer Night’sDream. Salford Lowry. Shakespeare’sfantastical comedy. Feb 27: Punt & Dennis:Ploughing on Regardless.Liverpool Playhouse.Feb 27: Brendan Cole: Licence toThrill. Preston Charter Theatre. Danceshow.Feb 27: 366 Days of Kindness. SalfordLowry. Show about the aftermath of the2011 riots.

Go on . . .treatyourself

BLACKPOOLGrand Theatre: 01253290190.BOLTONOctagon: 01204520661.LIVERPOOLEmpire: 08444 999999.Everyman &Playhouse:0151 709 4776.Royal Court: 0870 7871866.LLANDUDNOVenue Cymru: 01492872000.MOLD:Theatr Clwyd: 08453303565.

MANCHESTERLibrary Theatre:SALFORDThe Lowry: 0843 2086000.Opera House: 0870401 9000.Palace Theatre:0870 401 3000.NEW BRIGHTONFloral Pavillion: 0151666 0000.PORT SUNLIGHT:Gladstone Theatre: 0151 643 8757.PRESTON:Charter Theatre: 0845344 2012.RHYL:Pavilion Theatre:

01745 330 000.RUNCORNThe Brindley: 0151 9078360.SALE:Waterside Arts Centre:0161 912 5616.STOKE:Regent Theatre:0844 871 7627.SOUTHPORT:Floral Hall: 0844 8472380.ST HELENS:Theatre Royal:01744 756000.Citadel: 01744 735436.WOLVERHAMPTONGrand Theatre:01902 429212.

BOX OFFICE NUMBERSBOX OFFICE NUMBERS


450,000 readers. Call us NOW! . . . 0151 230 0307

Feb 27: The Circus of Horrors -London After Midnight. ManchesterOpera House.Feb 27-Mar 1: The Taming of theShrew. Blackpool Grand Theatre.Feb 27-Mar 22: Twelfth Night.Bolton Octagon. Shakespeare’scomedy. Feb 28: Let’s Hang On. NewBrighton Floral Pavilion. The music ofFrankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Feb 28: Geno Washington and theYo-Yos. St Helens Citadel. Soul,rhythm and blues. Feb 28: The Sound of Simon.Runcorn Brindley. Simon &Garfunkel.Feb 28-Mar 1: Comedy of Errors.Salford Lowry. Shakespeare’s mostfarcical play.Feb 28-Mar 8: Let It Be. ManchesterPalace Theatre. West End hit of themusic of The Beatles. Mar 1: Gerry McAvoy’s Band ofFriends. Sale Waterside Arts Centre.Tribute to Rory Gallagher. Mar 1: Dirty Dusting.Runcorn Brindley. Cleaninglady comedy.

Mar 1: The Modern Prometheus.Runcorn Brindley. The BankfieldSchool with an extremely thought-provoking new show.Mar 1: La Boheme. ManchesterOpera House. Ellen Ken production.Mar 2: Grisly Tales fromTumblewater. Salford Lowry. Dickensmeets Dahl meets Horrible Histories. Mar 2: Motown and Philadelphia onTour. New Brighton Floral Pavilion. Mar 2: Joe Lycett. Salford Lowry.Stand-up comedy. Mar 2: Aida. Manchester OperaHouse. Verdi’s love story of war,jealousy and revenge. Mar 3-8: Thriller! Live. LiverpoolEmpire. Tribute to Michael Jackson. Mar 3-8: Buddy! Stoke RegentTheatre. The Buddy Holly story.Mar 4: Carmen. Rhyl Pavilion.Bizet’s opera.Mar 4-8: Dial M for Murder.Liverpool Playhouse. Stageadaptation of the Hitchcock classic. Mar 4-8: Barry Humphries - Eat,Pray, Laugh. Manchester OperaHouse. Farewell tour.Mar 5: Rumours of Fleetwood Mac.

Southport Floral Hall. Tribute act.Mar 5-6: Frozen. Bolton Octagon.Three people’s intertwining stories.Mar 5-8: Private Peaceful. LiverpoolPlayhouse. Michael Morpurgo’s warepic. Mar 5-8: West Side Story. RuncornBrindley. Classic Broadway musical.Mar 6: The Six Wives of Henry VIII.Sale Waterside Arts Centre. Hilariousnew hit.Mar 6-8: Macbeth. Salford Lowry.The Scottish Play. AUDIODESCRIPTION Mar 6.Mar 7: The Fureys and DaveyArthur. New Brighton Floral Pavilion.Mar 7-29: YNWA. Liverpool RoyalCourt. The official history of LiverpoolFootball ClubMar 5: Rumours of Fleetwood Mac.Liverpool Philharmonic. See aboveMar 8: Carmen. New Brighton FloralPavilion. The Russian State Balletand Opera House perform Bizet’smasterpiece.Mar 8: Andy Fairweather Low &The Low Riders. St Helens Citadel.One of the pioneers of rock. Mar 8-Apr 5: Twelfth Night.

Liverpool Everyman. Shakespeare’sanarchic tale of loss and love. AUDIODESCRIPTION Mar 20, CAPTIONEDMar 29.Mar 9: The Day The Music Died.New Brighton Floral Pavilion.Celebration of Buddy Holly’s music. Mar 10: The Illegal Eagles.Manchester Opera House. Ultimatetribute to the Eagles. Mar 10: Rumours of FleetwoodMac. Salford Lowry. Tribute act.Mar 10-11: Pinnochio. RuncornBrindley. A modern retelling of theclassic. Mar 11: Moscow State Circus.Liverpool Empire. Mar 11: Richard and Adam. SalfordLowry. Welsh singing brothers. Mar 11-15: Eternal Love. BlackpoolGrand Theatre. Thought-provokingdrama.Mar 12: The Manfreds. RuncornBrindley. The rhythm and blueslegends. Mar 12-15: Rambert ft. Rooster.Clwyd Theatr Cymru. Dancespectacular. Mar 13: Lee Hurst. Runcorn

Brindley. Stand-up comedy. Mar 13: Loose MooseString Band. RuncornBrindley. Merseyside’s bluegrassfavourites. Mar 13-15: Buddy. Liverpool Empire.The Buddy Holly story.Mar 13-15: 42nd Street. PortSunlight Gladstone Theatre. Award-winning musical.Mar 14: Russell Kane. SalfordLowry. Stand-up comedy. Mar 14: CharlieLandsborough. SouthportFloral Hall. Singer-songwriter. Mar 14: The Drifters. RuncornBrindley.Mar 14: The Meat Loaf Story.Manchester Opera House. Musicalfeaturing the life and music of MarvinLee Aday. Mar 15: Dark Side. RuncornBrindley. Tribute to Pink Floyd. Mar 16: The Johnny Cash Story.Salford Lowry.Mar 17-22: Evita. Manchester PalaceTheatre. Tim Rice and Andrew LloydWebber’s musical.Mar 17-22: The Mousetrap. SalfordLowry. Agatha Christie.Mar 18-19: What the LadybirdHeard. Stoke Regent Theatre.Glittering family treat. Mar 19-22: Tom: A Story of TomJones. Rhyl Pavilion. The storybehind the voice from the Valleys.Mar 19-22: Oliver! Runcorn Brindley.Musical.Mar 22: Susan Boyle. LiverpoolEmpire. Singing star.Mar 22: Ghosts. Runcorn Brindley.Henrik Ibsen’s haunting tale. Mar 23: An Audience withPam Ayres. Clwyd TheatrCymru. Poetry and humour.Mar 24: Andy Kirkpatrick.Salford Lowry. Stand-up mountaineer. Mar 24-29: Priscilla, Queen of theDesert. Llandudno Venue Cymru.Mar 25: Giselle. New Brighton FloralPavilion. The Moscow State Balletperforming the ‘Hamlet of Ballet’.Mar 25-29: Kindertransport.Manchester Opera House.Unmissable production of DianeSamuels’ award-winning classic. Mar 25-Apr 5. This May HurtA Bit. Bolton Octagon. Newpolitical comedy. Mar 27-Apr 19: A View From theBridge. Liverpool Playhouse. ArthurMiller’s devastating play. AUDIODESCRIPTION: APR 17.CAPTIONED: APR 19. Mar 28: Richard Herring.Salford Lowry. Stand-upcomedy. Mar 28: That’ll Be The Day.New Brighton Floral Pavilion. Rock ‘n’roll spectacular featuring hits from the‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Mar 28: Up and Under. St HelensCitadel. New play from comedyplaywright John Godber. Mar 28-30: Peter Pan on Ice.Manchester Palace Theatre. Mar 30: The Day The Music Died.St Helens Theatre Royal. Celebrationof Buddy Holly’s music and life. Mar 31-Apr 5: Let it Be. StokeRegent Theatre.West End hitfeaturing themusic of TheBeatles.


FOLLOWING a hugelysuccessful 2013,sensational tribute band

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac arecoming to the North West fortheir ‘Fleetwood Mac ForeverWorld Tour’.

And we have one pair of ticketsto give away for each of theirFOUR NW shows.

Recognised internationally as theleading tribute to Fleetwood Mac –over the past decade they’veplayed to half a million music loversat 500 world venues – the band’sstunning show reflects on an epicjourney of changing eras andmusical styles, from the excitinghub of the sixties London bluesscene to staggering commercialsuccess in the seventies and eighties, andbeyond.

Stand by for some timeless classics suchas the chart-topping instrumental Albatross,Black Magic Woman, Go Your Own Way,Dreams, Gypsy, Say You Love Me, Sara, OhDiane, Little Lies, Everywhere, and prepareyourself for a nostalgic evening ofbreathtakingly outstanding musicianship.

The band’s North West gigs are:n Wed March 5: Southport Theatren Thu March 6: Blackpool Opera House

n Sat March 8: Liverpool Philharmonic Halln Mon March 10: Salford Lowry.

To have a chance of winning a pair oftickets, all you have to do is tell us the nameof the Fleetwood Mac instrumental thattopped the UK charts. Here are a couple ofclues – it’s claimed to have inspired the TheBeatles to write Sun King (Abbey Road,1969), and had a great influence on DavidGilmour’s (Pink Floyd) playing style!

Answers please on the back of a postcard,stating where you picked up your copy ofAll Together NOW!, to: Rumours of

Fleetwood Mac Competition, All TogetherNOW! The Bradbury Centre, Youens Way,Liverpool. L14 2EP.

State which show you would prefer toattend and if you need a wheelchair space.

And remember to include your name,address, phone number and email address(if applicable).

Please also tell us what you think ofAll Together NOW!

You can also enter online at:www.alltogethernow.org.uk

Closing date: Friday, February 28.

FOUR pairsof ticketsup for grabs

BEST RUMOURS IN TOWN!BEST RUMOURS IN TOWN!


Each question has four possible answers and is worth from one to 15 points. Circle your

chosen answers and keep a record of your points total. Maximum total points 120.QUESTION 1 – for 1 point:Which bird lays its eggs in the nests of others?

A JayB MagpieC CuckooD Jackdaw

QUESTION 2 – for 2 points:Which nut is ground into a paste to make marzipan?

A WalnutB AlmondC HazelnutD Chestnut

QUESTION 3 – for 3 points:Which of the following are known as diapers in the USA?

A TapsB ScissorsC NappiesD Safety pins

QUESTION 4 – for 4 points:TV panellist and comedian David Mitchell forms one half of a regular duo with which other comedian?

A Robert WebbB Lee MackC Dara O BriainD Frank Skinner

QUESTION 5 – for 5 points:Which of these cheeses is commonly used grated and sprinkled on pasta?

A ParmesanB GorgonzolaC Bel PaeseD Roquefort

QUESTION 6 – for 6 points:In which country does the River Rhine have its source?

A AustriaB SwitzerlandC GermanyD Hungary

QUESTION 7 – for 7 points:Which of the following is usually grown in water?A FigsB MangetoutC RiceD Rhubarb

QUESTION 8 – for 8 points:From which fruit is the French spirit Calvados made?A ApplesB PlumsC PearsD Cherries

QUESTION 9 – for 9 points:Which 20th century British prime minister was a descendant of the Duke of Marlborough?A Alec Douglas-HomeB David Lloyd GeorgeC Winston ChurchillD Harold Macmillan

QUESTION 10 – for 10 points:For his performance in which film did Humphrey Bogart win his only Oscar?

A The African QueenB The Caine MutinyC The Maltese FalconD Casablanca

QUESTION 11 – for 11 points:What is the common name for the trachea?

A StomachB LungsC WindpipeD Navel

QUESTION 12 – for 12 points:What type of items does a bibliophile collect?

A Postage stampsB CoinsC BooksD Matchbox labels

QUESTION 13 – for 13 points:In which country did Buddhism originate?

A ChinaB ThailandC NepalD India

QUESTION 14 – for 14 points:Who wrote an autobiography entitled The Naked Civil Servant?

A Robin MaughamB Quentin CrispC Dirk BogardeD Francis Bacon

QUESTION 15 – for 15 points:What was the subject of the Beveridge Report of 1942?

A Prison reformB Coal minesC EducationD Social security

Comedian David Mitchell. See Question 4.

2. Adore (7) 7. Quartet (4) 8. Repulsive (4) 9. Endanger (7)10. Undergarment (4)12. Pine (4)15. Proverb (5)17. Call off (6)18. Thought (6)19. Stifled laugh (6)21. Annoy (6)22. Challenger (5)23. Rubbish heap (4)26. Of poems (4)28. Cross the ------- (7)29. Preposition (4)30. Fortune (4)31. Punishment (7)

61

7

8

10

17

19

23

29

29

31

1

24

2

11

2

9

13

25

28

31

11

15

22

28

3

20 25

4

18

22

21

16

5

8

12

15

26

30

6

13

27

7

14

★★

★★ ★

★★

★★ ★

★ ★

1. Arrive (4)2. Legal document (4)

3. Annul (6)4. Addictive drug (6)

5. Draw (4) 6. Tribe (4)10. Moved out of (7)11. Holy place (7)13. Left out (7)14. Of a kind (7)15. Measuring device (5)16. Standard of excellence (5)20. Narrow band of material (6)21. Wrapped package (6)24. Arm bone (4)25. Support (4)26. Solely (4)27. Measure of length (4)

Can you find the celebrity name hidden in this StarspotCrossword? Complete the crossword in the normal way thenmake a note of the letters contained in all the squares whichare marked with shaded stars. These letters will make ananagram of the name you are looking for.

ACROSS DOWN

The Accumulator QuizSTARSPOT CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

84 1 7

74 9 6 1

6 8 4 52 3 5 7 9 6

2 5 48 1

1 6 7 3 2

THERE is just one simple rule in Sudoku. Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9, andso must each 3 x 3 box. This is a logic puzzle, and you should not have to guess.

EASY DIFFICULT

FILL in the blank squares in the grid with numbers so that each horizontal or vertical line adds up to the total given in the box either to the left or above it. Horizontal totals are given in the top right corners of the shaded boxes; vertical totals in the bottom left corners.You can use the numbers 1 to 9, but may not use the same number more than once in any run. The number may be used again, however, in the same row or column but as part of another run.

5 6 39 11 1612 17

1334

12

10

10 10 810 3

1122 23

1318

5

MEDIUM

KAKURO

74 5 7

6 1 5 91 9

2 78 4 33 52 1 8 49 6

SAY THAT AGAIN . . .

A TRUE soul mate is a mirror, the person who showsyou everything that is holding you back, the personwho brings you to your own attention so you canchange your life — Elizabeth Gilbert, American author

THE greatest happiness of life is theconviction that we are loved; loved forourselves, or rather, loved in spite ofourselves —Victor Hugo, French playwright

We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone.Only through our love and friendship can wecreate the illusion for the moment that we’renot alone — Orson Welles, American actor


14 1 17 21 23 19 13 25 16 21 23 19

3 14 2 1 21 4

1 5 18 2 12 13 3 13 26 11 22

15 21 3 6 13 26 13 18 1 22

4 26 3 21 11 26 1 1

24 2 14 21 13 22 9 1 24 2 7

4 9 1 18 4 20 13 4 18

18 1 26 13 3 2 23 1 11 11 13

18 13 11 13 22 11 13 9

1 21 22 26 8 10 14 18 21 13

14 11 13 3 4 2 21 11 18 6 23

13 3 26 4 1 4

11 20 4 23 11 13 25 4 23 13 22 26

Can you place the six dominoes (right) into the grid below in such a way that the number of spots in all four rows across and all four rows down totals 8?

A

B

C

D F

E

1 2

3 4

5 6

CROSS CODE

SPOT CHECK

E E D N O W S A M M O

T F E E D A Y N D M C

U X R N I N S T N E N

N I S E V E N S E A E

D D E S A F O O W S T

E I S I K S E S T Y L

R E A N D P V N I S D

I V N E S I E N D E A

F E S T H E C E S O F

S S I X P A L E T H E

E L T S O E V W T G I

Starting from the central shaded letter, move one letter at atime (up, down, right or left, but not diagonally) to find 10words and phrases involving numbers.

PATHWORDS

DIALLING CODES

FLEAM

Here is anunusual wordwith threedefinitions, onlyone of which iscorrect. Can youidentify the rightdefinition?

WORD WIZARD

1) A yellow dyemade fromthe bark ofthe NorthAmerican oaktree;

2) A type ofbrick, mottledyellow andpink in colour,with sharpedges;

3) An instrumentsimilar to alancet, usedfor bleedingdiseasedcattle.

Telephone dialling pads combineseveral letters on one key. Herewe have encoded several sets ofwords or items by using numbersrather than letters. Then we havedivided them into groups of threecharacters and run all the namesone after another to make yourtask a little more difficult. Canyou crack the codes?

1. Types of reference book

242 546 472 749 134 732 867 912 282 564 831 285 271 362 925 673 342 125 626 221 342 846 627 915 687 625 148 433 266 516

268 251 429 388 337

869 371 274 343 163 576 671 265 866 146 873 716 317 275 426 368 176 925 125 237 814 255 128 254 644 261 725 223 174 222

345 591 247 287

4. London landmarks

2. Types of weather

487 742 263 184 863 371 753 381 786 744 631 766 914 253 126 842 925 663 126 531 376 681 337 737 746 617 246 143 289 283

189 746 661 424 5

737 494 655 312 888 533 474 154 673 816 877 351 782 734 741 227 622 531 272 217 729 616 286 787 173 218 724 461 562 783

712 636 663 146 29

5. Types of rock pool life

3. Mammals native to Britain

223 437 132 556 913 337 136 914 739 177 847 735 172 224 816 883 716 653 143 343 464 142 783 781 668 731 928 371 865 314

273 174 631 627 836

893 684 384 123 688 791 369 187 478 271 925 813 476 391 927 637 127 671 265 862 421 638 761 465 399 616 293 717 272 668

681 864 837 725

6. Film production companies

1[ ] ’ –

2ABC

3DEF

4GHI

5JKL

6MNO

7PQRS

8TUV

9WXYZ

Spaces and any punctuation marksare represented by 1.

Each pair of words has a missing word between them that actsas a link to both (e.g. FRONT – DOOR – MAT). The initial lettersof the six answers (reading downwards) will spell out a type offastener.

TENNIS – – – – BEARING

KEPT – – – – – GROUND

RACE – – – – – RECORD

BOTTLE – – – DOG

BLOOD – – – – – – PEEL

SILENT – – – – – SHIFT

MISSING LINK

In which year did all three of these significanthistorical events take place?

1. Labour MP Paul Boateng becomes thefirst black member of the Cabinet.

2. The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger isawarded a knighthood.

3. The Scottish Parliament introduces a lawto ban foxhunting.

WAS IT?a) 1999; b) 2000; c) 2001; d) 2002; e) 2003.

MAKE A DATE

TRANSFORMERAdd the given letter to the first word to make a new word.

Clue: Change address when I get to make a film.

_ _ _ _ + I = _ _ _ I _

Accumulator Quiz1 – C; 2 – B; 3 – C; 4 – A; 5 – A; 6 – B; 7 – C; 8 – A; 9 – C; 10 – A; 11 – C; 12 – C; 13 – D; 14 – B; 15 – D.Starspot CrosswordAcross – 2 Worship; 7 Four; 8 Ugly; 9 Imperil; 10 Vest; 12 Long; 15 Maxim; 17 Cancel; 18 Notion; 19 Titter; 21 Pester; 22 Rival; 23 Dump; 26 Odic; 28 Rubicon; 29 Into; 30 Luck; 31 Penalty.Down – 1 Come; 2 Writ; 3 Repeal; 4 Heroin; 5 Pull; 6 Clan; 10 Vacated; 11 Sanctum; 13 Omitted; 14 Generic; 15 Meter; 16 Model; 20 Ribbon; 21 Parcel; 24 Ulna; 25 Prop; 26 Only; 27 Inch.Star Name: EWAN McGREGOR

Word WizardNo 3 is correct. A fleam is a surgical instrument.Dialling Codes1. bibliography; directory; catalogue; atlas; encyclopedia; almanac; dictionary; journal; guidebook; manual; gazetteer.2. hurricane; thunder; sleet; sunshine; snow; gale; anticyclone; cold front; depression; rain; heatwave; typhoon; hail.3. badger; fallow deer; fox; grey squirrel; rabbit; otter; mole; hedgehog; harvest mouse; water vole; hare; pine marten.4. Tower Bridge; Nelsons Column; Houses Of Parliament; Royal Albert Hall; Buckingham Palace; Piccadilly

Circus.5. periwinkle; cuttlefish; limpet; mussel; starfish; barnacle; crab; prawn; octopus; sea urchin; lobster; anemone; goby.6. Twentieth Century Fox; TriStar; Walt Disney; Warner Bros; Columbia; Metro Goldwyn Mayer; Paramount; Universal.Spot CheckA = 3; B = 4; C = 1; D = 6; E = 2; F = 5.Missing Linkball; under; track; top; orange; night. Fastener: button.Make a DateThe year was 2002.TransformerMove + I = Movie.

A1

O2

R3

I4

F5

Y6

C7

X8

H9

Q10

S11

W12

E13

G14

B15

J16

Z17

L18

P19

K20

U21

N22

M23

V24

D25

T26

583796214192345678674821539719638425435912867826457193368274951257189346941563782

597436128842157963613928574489563217761289345235741896926375481374812659158694732

SUDOKU EASYSUDOKU DIFFICULT

CROSS CODE

563911161217

1334

12

10

10108103

112223

1318

5

21989

358927

631

324112

985896

792

41

KAKURO MEDIUM

Pathwords: seven deadly sins; two of a kind; pieces of eight; twelve apostles; sixth sense; five-a-side; seven seas; Ten Commandments; nine days’ wonder; six feet under.

ALL THE ANSWERS

EACH number in our Cross Code grid represents a differentletter of the alphabet. You have three letters in the control gridto start you off.Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, thenuse your knowledge of words to work out which letters shouldgo in the missing squares.As you get the letters, fill in other squares with the samenumber in the main grid and control grid. Check off thealphabetical list of letters as you identify them.

1 2 3I

4 5 6 7 8 9 10S

11 12 13

14 15 16 17L

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


AADDVVEERRTTIISSEE HHEERREE00115511 223300 00330077AADDVVEERRTTIISSEE HHEERREE00115511 223300 00330077

RREEAACCHH 445500,,000000RREEAADDEERRSS .. .. ..RREEAACCHH 445500,,000000RREEAADDEERRSS .. .. ..


0

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NORTH WALESn ANGLESEY

Tel 01248 722828n BANGOR

Tel 01248 370 797n CONWY

Tel 01492 533714n DENBIGHSHIRE:NEWCIS,

Tel: 0845 603 3187nDOLGELLAU

Tel 01341 421167n FLINTSHIRE: NEWCIS,

Tel: 01352 751436n WREXHAM CARERSSERVICE

Tel: 0800 276 1070

n ALTRINCHAM. Tel 0161 9291714n ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE. Tel0161 339 9500n BARROW. Tel 01229 434039n BIRKENHEAD. Tel 0151 6476162n BLACKBURN ANDDARWEN. Tel 01254 690566 or07757 502217n BLACKPOOL. Tel 01253 349427 n BOLTON. Tel 01204 392946n BURY. Tel 0161 764 9966n CARLISLE. Tel 01228631564n CHESTER. Tel 01244 312626n CHORLEY. Tel 01257 260888n COLWYN BAY. Tel 01492533822n CREWE. Tel 01270 580 031n ELLESMERE PORT. Tel 0151355 1420n KENDAL. Tel 01539 740 933n LEIGH, Wigan. Tel 01942 777985 n LIVERPOOL. Tel 0151 7070877n MANCHESTER TraffordCentre. Tel 0161 747 2684n MANCHESTER ArndaleCentre. Tel 0161 839 4060n NELSON. Tel 01282 692 502n NORTHWICH, Vale Royal Tel01606 288820n OSWESTRY. Tel 01691656882n PENRITH. Tel 01768 895 438n PRESTON. Tel 01772 204667n RHYL. Tel 01745 350665n ROCHDALE. Tel 01706 865986n RUNCORN, Halton Lea Tel01928 716971n SHREWSBURY. Tel 01743236900SKELMERSDALE. Tel 01695550066n SOUTHPORT. Tel 0151 2886885n ST HELENS. Tel 01744 613388n STOCKPORT. Tel 0161 6661100n WARRINGTON. Tel 01925240064n WARRINGTON. BirchwoodTel 01925 822 411n WIGAN. Tel 01942 776 070n WINSFORD. Tel 01606557550n WREXHAM. Tel 01978312390

MIDLANDSn BIRMINGHAM. Snow HillRailway Station. Tel 0121 2368980. Level 2, Centre CarPark, Bullring. Tel 0121 6162942n STAFFORD. Tel 01785619456n STOKE ON TRENT. Tel01782 233333n SUTTON COLDFIELD. Tel0121 355 1112n TAMWORTH. Tel, 01827709392 n WALSALL. Tel 01922 650781n WEST BROMWICH:Sandwell. Tel 0121 553 1943n WOLVERHAMPTON. Tel01902 556021

nANGLESEY: TARAN Tel 01407 721933

nBLACKPOOL Disability Information and Support. Tel 01253 472 202. Textphone 01253 476 450

nCHESHIRE CILTel 01606 331853

nCHESTER Dial House Tel 01244 345655

nDENBIGHSHIRE Tel 01745 354445

nELLESMERE PORT DICETel 0151 355 1420

nHALTON Disability Service Tel 01928 717222

nKNOWSLEY DISABILITYCONCERN. 0151 480 4090

nLANCASTER DISCTel 01524 34411

n LIVERPOOL Association of Disabled People. Tel 0151

263 8366. Text 0151 260 4076nMERSEYSIDE Coalition ofInclusive Living.Tel 0151 260 4001nNEUROSUPPORT Centre

Tel 0151 298 2999nMANCHESTER (GTR)

Coalition of DisabledPeople

Tel 0161-273 5154nMOLD Flintshire Disability

Tel 01352 755546nNELSON: Pendle Pakistan

Welfare Association. Tel 01282 603 616

nPRESTON DISC: Tel 01772 558 863. Textphone 01772 204 787

nRHYL Tel 01745 350665nSTOCKPORT: Disability

Stockport. 0161 480 7248nWARRINGTON Disability

Partnership. 01925 240064nWIRRAL WIRED

Tel 0151 670 1500nWEST LANCS HELPLINE

Freefone 0800 220676n ST HELENS DASH

Tel 01744 453053nWREXHAM Tel 01978262955MIDLANDSBIRMINGHAM DisabilityResource Centre Tel 0121789 7365Disabled People’s NetworkSolihull Tel 0121 788 1544STOKE: Disability SolutionsTel 01782 683800WOLVERHAMPTON Elderand Disabled Group Tel01902 448552

ORGANISATIONS FORPEOPLE WHO ARE BLINDnACCRINGTON

Tel 01254 233332nBARROW Tel 01229 820698nBIRMINGHAM Action forBlind Tel 0121 665 4200nBLACKBURN

Tel 0125 554143nBLACKPOOL: N-Vision

Tel 01253 362696nBURY Tel 0161 763 7014nBURNLEY Tel 01282 438507nCARLISLE: Action for Blind

People Tel 01228 595121CHESHIRE & N WALES:Vision Support. Tel 01244381515nCUMBRIA (West)

Tel 01946 592474nCUMBRIA (Sth Lakeland)

Tel 01539 726613nGUIDE DOGS Tel 0118 983

5555nHENSHAW’S 0161 872 1234

Tel 0151 708 7055nLIVERPOOL: BradburyFields.Tel 0151 221 0888:Action for Bind Tel 0151 2983222n MANCHESTER: Action for

Blind Tel 0161 787 9252nPRESTON: Action for Blind

People Tel 01772 320550n OLDHAM Tel 0161 682 8019nROSSENDALE

Tel 01706 873256nSIGHTLINE (North West) Tel0800 587 2252nWIGAN Tel 01942 242891nWIRRAL Tel 0151 652 8877

ORGANISATIONS FORPEOPLE WHO ARE DEAFnBIRMINGHAM Institute forDeaf Tel 0121 246 6101nCHESHIRE Deaf Society

Tel 01606 47831nCUMBRIA Deaf Society

Tel 01228 606434nLANCASHIRE (EAST)

Deaf SocietyTel 01282 839180

nMANCHESTER Deaf CentreTel 0161 273 3415

Genie Networks. Tel 0161 9414549. Text 18001 0161 9414549 nMERSEYSIDE Society for

Deaf Tel 0151 228 0888nST HELENS: DeafnessResource CentreTel 01744 23887nWOLVERHAMPTON Centrefor Deaf Tel 01902 420904nN WALES Deaf Association,

Tel 01492 542235

HERE’S a great offer for All Together NOW!readers who may not be as good on their pinsas they might have been.

Woodvale and Ainsdale Community Centreare offering a free session of a ‘chair-based’form of Tai Chi.

Called ‘Chair Chi’ it’s an exercise programmethat gets people to move joints and muscles ina safe, controlled manner, focusing onbreathing, stretching, balance and posture. n Classes are usually £3 and are on Thursdayfrom 10am - 11am at Woodvale CommunityCentre, Southport. Tel, 01704 573084 or [email protected] LEFT: Rashid at Woodvale and AinsdaleCommunity Centre’s chair-based exerciseclasses

Free ‘n’ easy

THE SIX lucky winners of ourChristmas gardening competitionare:

Mrs Jean Barnes, ThorntonDrive, Upton, Chester, who pickedup her copy of All Together NOW!at the Countess of ChesterHospital.

Mr Kenyon, Green End Road,Burnage, Manchester. (Wythenshawe Hospital)

Mrs J Birchall, Childwall, Court, EllesmerePort. (Ellesmere Port Library)

Miss Sophie Bowman, LandseerAvenue, Blackpool. (Wilkinson’sBlackpool

Mrs Julie Cocker, Whitebeam Road,Penwortham, Preston (Dobbies GardenCentre)

Mr Oliver Garratty, Upper Mann Street,Liverpool. (Asda Smithdown Road)

All winners will receive a super SuttonsHeritage Seed Box PLUS six packets of theirflower and vegetable seeds.

SIX OF THE BEST!


Stay ahead of the game . . . www.alltogethernow.org.uk

Sochi here we come

RETIRED alpine skierSean Rose has beenappointed theParalympicsGB’s athletesambassador at Sochi2014.

Rose will share hisknowledge and experienceof competing at theParalympics with team-members as well as BPApartners and supporters.

A former World Cup goldmedallist who representedParalympicsGB at the Turin2006 and Vancouver 2010Paralympic Winter Games inthe sport of Alpine Skiing,Rose is one of GB’s highestachieving winter athletes ofrecent years.

Rose said: “Winter sportsare my passion and I wasalready counting down thedays to Sochi 2014 when Iwas invited to join the teamas an athlete ambassador.

“I hope that I can use myexperience to benefit thewider team and, in doing so,help them to support theathletes as they go outthere and achieve thepersonal best performancesthat they’ve been workingso hard towards.

Passion“Although I’m not

competing this time round, Ican’t wait to be part of theGames experience oncemore and I’m excited to seewhat ParalympicsGB can doin Sochi.”

Penny Briscoe, Chef deMission for ParalympicsGB,said: “Sean is well knownfor his enthusiasm, passionand insight into WinterParalympic sport and hehas given us a lot in histime as a successful skiracer who has competed atthe highest level.

“It’s great that we nowhave him on board in thecapacity of athleteambassador, and I knowhe’ll be a truly valuableasset to the team whenParalympicsGB compete inSochi.”

Rose theperfectroll modelfor Russia

CHAMPION: SeanRose has beenappointed as anambassador forthe GB athletesin Sochi

HOPES are high for Britain’s winterParalympians as they prepare forthe Sochi Games.

Among the 10 selected athletes is sit-skierMick Brennan, a retired serviceman who wasinjured while serving in Iraq in 2004. Brennantook up skiing through Help For Heroes andtravelled out to Vancouver in 2010 as part ofthe British Paralympic Association’s inauguralParalympic Inspiration Programme.

Mick has received substantial support in hisjourney to the Games by BPA partner HelpFor Heroes, who funded a new sit-ski for him.

ParalympicsGB will also field threecompetitors in the women’s visually-impairedcategory, including Northern Ireland’s KellyGallagher, who previously competed at theVancouver Paralympic Games where shefinished fourth in the Giant Slalom – the bestfinish by a UK visually-impaired skier since1994.

Kelly said: “My guide Charlotte (Evans) and Ihave been working together for four seasonsand we have been putting 100% in every dayboth on and off the hill. Being named for theteam for Sochi is another step on our amazingjourney with each other.

“We’ve had such fantastic support from ourfamilies and lots of other supporters, and ourselection feels like a great reward for all theirhard work behind the scenes. They have

really made this possible for us.”Gallagher and Evans have already picked up

a number of World Cup medals this yearincluding three golds and a silver at the recentWorld Cup event in Panorama in Canada.

Joining them is up-and-coming Britishprospect Jade Etherington, guided by CarolinePowell. The duos have been pushing eachother on in both training and racing, and theirfriendly rivalry has benefitted both pairings.

Racing in the same category is the youngestselected athlete in the team and youngestever British winter Paralympian, Millie Knight,who is only just eligible after turning 15 inJanuary. She will make her Paralympic debutalongside guide Rachael Ferrier.

Millie said: “Having only joined the team in2012, it’s been an amazing few years to getthis far. Everyone in the team has beenincredibly supportive and have helped mealong the way, especially all my guides overthe years.

“I’d like to particularly thank my mum, who

was my first ever guide because I wouldn’thave got to this point without her.”

Millie is one of three teenagers selected,reflecting an effort within the sport to developnew talent.

She will be joined by 19 year old sit-skierBen Sneesby, who has been skiing with theBDST Youth Development squad since hewas talent spotted at the age of 13.

Having first skied aged four and made hisinternational debut at 11, 16 -ear-old JamesWhitley will make his Games debut in thestanding category. He is currently rankedsecond in the world at under-18 level.

Completing the line up and returning for hersecond Games is Anna Turney, a University ofBristol graduate who was a snowboarder priorto her accident.THE GB Wheelchair Curling squadcomprises Gregor Ewan (Elgin, Morayshire),Tom Killin (Edinburgh), Aileen Neilson(Strathaven); Bob McPherson (Bellshill); andAngie Malone (Girvan).

The team, which competes as TeamScotland at World Championship level, hasproduced strong performances at internationalcompetitions between the last Games inVancouver, including silver at the 2011 WorldChampionships.The Sochi 2014 Paralympic WinterGames run from March 7-16.

High hopes onthe slopes forParalympicsGB


Stay ahead of the game . . . www.alltogethernow.org.uk

NEW guides have beenlaunched encouragingpeople with a disabilityto live healthier, moreactive lifestyles.

The series of guides,developed by experts atLoughborough University,also lead those who arealready active intocompetitive sport.

The five Fit for Life & Sportguides contain informationon physical activity, exerciseand sport, nutrition, andpsychology and have beenwritten for adults withspecific disabilities: visualimpairment, spinal cordimpairment, amputation,cerebral palsy and lesautres.

Each guide has been splitinto two main sections.n Fit for Life is for thosewho do very little physicalactivity or exercise and wantto improve health andfitness.n Fit for Sport is for regularexercisers who would like toimprove performance ortake their training moreseriously.

The guides are available inprint format and aredownloadable online atwww.lboro.ac.uk/phc-toolkit

Hard copies of the guidesare being distributed to localand national sportingorganisations, disabilitycharities and at various “getinto sport” days such as theParalympicsGB Sports Fest.

Copies can be orderedvia the PHC website or byemailing [email protected]

Please send this coupon and a cheque payable to All Together NOW! to:Subscriptions Dept., All Together NOW! The Bradbury Centre, Youens Way,

Liverpool L14 2EP — THANKS!

All Together NOW! is helping andinspiring tens of thousands ofpeople whose lives are affected bydisability.But the charity needs to find waysto balance the books.You can help in a big way bybecoming one of our loyalsubscribers. For a suggested £12donation (or more, if you canafford it!) we will send you thenext SIX editions.

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DOUBLE DELIGHT: Jordanne Whiley and Yui Kamiji – and Andy Lapthorne (right) and David Wagner. PICTURES: TAKEO TANUMA

Wizards of Oz!Wizards of Oz!BRITAIN’S top wheelchair tennis

players pulled off a fantastic GrandSlam double at the Australian Open

in Melbourne, writes MARSHALL THOMASJordanne Whiley became the first British

woman to win a Grand Slam title when sheteamed up with Japan’s Yui Kamiji to a 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-2 victory over Dutch second seedsMarjolein Buis and Jiske Griffioen.

And Andy Lapthorne partnered American DavidWagner to victory in the quad doubles.

It was a hat-trick for Andy Lapthorne whonotched up his third Australian Open quad

doubles title with a 6-4, 6-4 victory overAustralian Dylan Alcott and South Africa’s LucasSithole.

“I’m really happy to get my third AustralianOpen title and want to thank David (Wagner) –we have been on opposite sides of the net sooften in other Grand Slam finals.

“Australia is where I made my Grand Slamdebut in 2011 and it’s great to get another title.

“This one is dedicated to my late auntie,” saidLapthorne, who won his first two Australian Opendoubles titles in 2011 and 2012 partnering fellowBrit Peter Norfolk, with whom Lapthorne went on

to win the quad doubles silver medal at theLondon 2012 Paralympics..

Lapthorne’s bid to reach a second successiveAustralian Open quad singles final came to anend despite having saved six match pointsagainst Alcott. World No. 3 Lapthorne beat Alcottbut wasn’t able to repeat that win in his secondof three round-robin matches.

Gordon Reid had to settle for runners-uphonours in the men’s doubles after the Scot andDutchman Maikel Scheffers slipped to a 6-3, 6-3loss to top seeds Stephane Houdet (France) andShingo Kunieda (Japan) in their final.

Guidesfor allseasons

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