The post Hannah’s Story appeared first on Paul's Place.
]]>Meet Hannah, who recently celebrated her fortieth birthday and joined Paul’s Place after leaving college at aged twenty.
Hannah was born with spastic cerebral palsy, that causes stiff and tight muscles, making it difficult to move. Hannah says, “if I didn’t have cerebral palsy, I wouldn’t be me”.
Hannah felt welcomed and included at infant school. Hannah then joined a mainstream junior and secondary school, where she experienced the opposite. Hannah said she was severely bullied, because she was seen as different.
At sixteen, Hannah was sent to a specialist further education college in Hampshire, which forced Hannah to live independently. At the time, Hannah hated her family for sending her away, but Hannah tackled her fears and grew her confidence. Hannah says, “it was the best thing they could’ve done for me”. She was in a space where people understood her cerebral palsy. After six months Hannah made firm friendships with the students she identified with.
Hannah said her dad told her, “the world is my oyster. The world needs to adapt to you, not you to it”. Sadly, Hannah says the world is changing, but slowly.
Hannah explains that the built environment isn’t always fully accessible. For example, Hannah loves competing in Boccia tournaments and travels around the UK for competitions. Hannah and her mum booked their stay at a hotel chain. It claimed it was fully accessible. However, after checking into the hotel, Hannah’s wheelchair struggled to fit through the door frame of her allocated bedroom and the room only had a bath and not a wet room.
For Hannah’s birthday, her family booked cinema tickets in Leicester Square, London. The first floor was showcasing the film, Therefore, Hannah needed the lift, so Hannah can see the film. The lift had been broken for weeks. Hannah felt frustrated, annoyed and excluded from her family day out. Hannah continued saying that her family always need to plan ahead, as accessibility means different things to different people and organisations, and it’s not always fully checked or prioritised.
Since joining Paul’s Place twenty years ago, the charity opened a door to learning sign language. Hannah now uses her sign language skills to support pupils with disabilities at Claremont School. Hannah says Paul’s Place encourages her to try new things, without forcing her. She can continue to smile, have a laugh, talk to people, compete in Boccia Tournaments, learn and visit new places. Hannah is a great example in growing her confidence and independence, so she can live life to the full.
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]]>The post Sean’s Story appeared first on Paul's Place.
]]>Sean, aged forty, was born with spastic cerebral palsy, that causes stiff and tight muscles, making it difficult to move. This is the most common type of cerebral palsy.
At primary school, Sean used the same community bus as the local mainstream pupils. This is where Sean’s bullying took place. As soon as he arrived at school the bullying stopped. Sean felt the council made a mistake in mixing mainstream and specialist pupils on the same bus. Or it was an opportunity to teach the mainstream children about his cerebral palsy condition to promote awareness and understanding.
After primary school, Sean continued attending a specialist school for eight years. He became more confident as they grew his independence and prepared Sean for life after school. Sean felt very comfortable being with other students similar to him, which enabled Sean to be himself, have fun and talk openly whenever he struggled.
Sean loves travelling overseas. But there were challenges at the airport. An extra hour is often needed for checking in, for arranging a hoist so Sean can enter and then exit from the aircraft and for putting his much needed wheelchair into holding. Therefore, Sean books this extra support in advance. Despite this, on one occasion the extra support at the airport didn’t arrive and Sean missed his plane. On another flight, Sean’s wheelchair broke on transit.
When asked about how the day facility and evening programme at Paul’s Place has helped him, Sean joked by saying “his carers had enough of him, so he comes here”. Sean said he likes going out, experiencing new places and meeting people. Therefore, he supports other members at Paul’s Place to do the same. He can sense if someone is unhappy and what they might need to feel better.
Sean mentioned a heart warming memory about joining an accessible football game for all age groups. A six-year-old child with peripheral vision attended the game, but their visual impairment meant they were too scared to play. Sean has a speech impediment, but he was able to use the tone of his voice to encourage the six-year-old child to play, where they scored a goal.
Due to an extremely kind and generous donation, Paul’s Place is moving from its current day facility at Coalpit Heath Cricket Club to Shire Way Community Centre. The community centre will serve its members, the community at large and local businesses. This means the members at Paul’s Place will have opportunities to grow food and run its community café. Sean is interested in making its new day facility as accessible as possible, for example, by having one button appliances.
Sean uses his confidence and independence so he can support others to live life to the full, especially at Paul’s Place. Thank you Banana Man.
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]]>The post What is Rare Disease Day about? appeared first on Paul's Place.
]]>It started in 2008 and has played a critical part in building an international rare disease community.
Rare Disease Day is observed every year on 28th February (or 29th in leap years) – the rarest day of the year.
For more information about Rare Disease Day, please visit:
What is Rare Disease Day? – Rare Disease Day 2024
Rare Disease Day: Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1)
Meet Dean, aged 42. Dean joined Paul’s Place eighteen years ago and is living with NF1. It effects his hands and face, as well as causing a huge number of lumps inside his neck, hip and legs. The lumps inside Dean’s neck have led to two neck operations around his brain stem and spinal cord. The first operation was a success. But the second operation caused further mobility issues.
People with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) are born with the condition, which develops later in life. It causes (non-cancerous) lumps to develop along the nerves that may cause a range of symptoms.
As a child, Dean was very physically active. He loved running and riding his bike. As an adult, Dean attended college, but found he was getting progressively tired while walking down the corridors. This is when Dean started using a wheelchair and became more and more dependent on using it to get around.
Dean found inspiration and strength in his father’s story, who worked as a lorry driver, but had an accident and sadly broke his back. His doctor said he’d never walk again, but Dean’s father promised he’d walk the next time his doctor sees him. Through sheer determination, Dean’s father surprised his doctor by walking during a follow-up appointment. This inspired Dean to keep fighting to manage his rare disease.
Since joining Paul’s Place, Dean fully embraces the support services offered including the Short Break programme, which were made possible and accessible to Dean. The holidays included sailing, visiting a tall ship and a trip to the sun in Majorca.
Dean also featured in the first ever naked calendar of adults with physical disabilities in 2006. It got attention around the world while helping to raise funds for the much needed extension at Paul’s Place. The photo shoot encouraged Dean to accept and celebrate his body.
Dean uses Paul’s Place three times a week, which support’s him to manage his NF1 condition. The internal tumours in Dean’s right hip, makes his hip stick out, so he takes medication to numb the pain he feels. In 2012, Dean took a turn for the worse. He had pneumonia in both lungs, a chest infection and meningitis. Dean was put into an induced coma and his family were told to prepare for the worse. Dean said, “I pulled through and I’m still here today”.
Today, Dean enjoys the life enhancing opportunities at Paul Place and feels optimistic about the future. Dean’s very excited about the Paul’s Place move from the cricket club in Coalpit Heath to Shires Way Community Centre in Yate. This means, Dean can get involved with growing produce, running a café and serving the community as a community hub.
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]]>The post Easter Raffle appeared first on Paul's Place.
]]> £1 per ticket or
£5.00 for 6 tickets.
Draw to take place 27/03/2024.
The lucky winner will be contacted the same day to arrange collection.
We would like to say a huge thank you to the Lions Club of Chipping Sodbury for donating our prize.
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]]>The post Westerleigh Cemetery & Crematorium find unique way to support Paul’s Place appeared first on Paul's Place.
]]>Local Disability Charity, Paul’s Place, receives unique donation from Crematorium’s metal recycling scheme.
Westerleigh Cemetery & Crematorium in Bristol has found a unique way to support a local charity that enhances the lives of physically disabled adults.
With the consent from families, metals recovered during cremation are recycled and any money raised is distributed amongst Westerleigh Group selected charities, local activities and environmental initiatives which benefit the communities they serve.
Thanks to the scheme, Westerleigh Crematorium, which is part of Westerleigh Group, has donated £1000 to Paul’s Place. The charity, currently operating out of Coalpit Heath cricket club, provides social activities that connect people, reduce isolation, improve health and wellbeing, and give people the opportunity to develop new skills and enjoy new experiences.
Head of Fundraising at Paul’s Place, Kayley Waller, said:
“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to Westerleigh Crematorium and the generous individuals and families who consented to participate in the scheme at what is a very difficult time for them. To think of others in their time of grief is remarkable. This special donation will make a huge difference to the physically disabled adults we support at Paul’s Place.”
The national scheme is run by not-for-profit organisation Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management and means metal such as artificial hip joints, rods and screws that cannot be cremated are recycled, generating charitable donations.
Metals are recycled with the express consent of bereaved families being the persons entitled and empowered to make this decision.
Shaun Chapman-Young, Operations Manager at Westerleigh Crematorium, said:
“Paul’s Place is a fantastic cause and has helped support families we have cared for in the past. I hope this donation helps them carry on providing the amazing service they offer.’’
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]]>The post Time to Talk Day at Paul’s Place appeared first on Paul's Place.
]]>According to the census data in 2021, having a physical disability can increase feeling lonely compared to non-disabled people. The data also showed that the more physical limitations we have the more isolated we feel.
Paul’s Place significantly reduces feeling alone by bringing physically disabled adults together for life enhancing activities, where they can share their wisdom, skills, knowledge and life experiences. We’ll add to our existing activities by launching a new Creative Den project called Life in Colour. The final results could showcase a poem, a song, a performance or a painting.
For instance, the colour green may give members at Paul’s Place a Time to Talk about nature, their worries about climate change or being green with envy. The discussions will then open doors for a creative expression, which may involve leaf rubbings, using stencils, crayons, paints or writing a poem, a script or a song. The final masterpiece will show the journey, and how our members will share and learn from each other. The opportunities to talk and express emotions is priceless. But their creative expressions may lead to an exhibition or a performance premiere.
Mental Health Charities, Mind and Rethink Mental Illness lead Time to Talk Day in partnership with the Co-op. The campaign runs across the UK to support communities up and down the country to have more mental health conversations than ever before. The Time to Change campaign launched Time to Talk Day in 2014, a campaign to end mental health stigma and discrimination.
Two very experienced Occupational Therapist and Artistic Expression volunteers at Paul’s Place will facilitate the Life in Colour project. They said, “the achievements will be endless. The project will show that our members have stories, which are worth sharing through their creative expression, so they can learn from each other and educate the general public.” They continued saying, “our project is about creative expression through art, words and people. It will open doors for sharing our emotions, thoughts and ideas, so we can support each other. We will use the colour spectrum to speak about ourselves in a creative way and share our mutual experiences in life.”
Paul’s Place members, Rebecca, says, “Without Paul’s Place I wouldn’t be here. A week ago, my pain condition was a ten out of ten. I couldn’t eat, sleep or dress myself, which left me feeling tired and exhausted. At times my pain feels too overwhelming. At Paul’s Place I can talk about these issues without feeling embarrassed. I feel safe at Paul’s Place where people understand me, and we can support each other.”
Paul’s Place won’t stop until we see a world that embraces disability and includes everyone, so everyone can live their life to the fullest. With your help Paul’s Place can continue making sure that physically disabled adults are not alone, feel valued and connected. To get involved, please visit: Support us
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]]>The post We welcome, Ben Atkinson, our New Patron. appeared first on Paul's Place.
]]>Ben was first introduced to Paul’s Place when he came to interview us for Heart Radio as part of Global’s Make Some Noise day (of which we’re a supported charity). We were able to give Ben a flavour of Paul’s Place and our life enhancing activities for people with physical disabilities. Ben interviewed some of our members who explained how much of a ‘lifeline’ Paul’s Place is to them. He heard that not everyone is physically disabled from birth and 80% of disabled people became physically disabled later in life. It can happen to anyone, and without Paul’s Place there’s limited support. Paul’s Place significantly reduces social isolation, and it gives people a chance to live life to the full.
Since meeting Ben, he has kept an active interest in our work and how we’ve made a major difference since we began in 1995. Paul’s Place started with a small group of friends getting together to form a club. At first, the club met once a month, but due to growing numbers over a short space of time, it became a daily facility that now offers our members a chance to:
We also offer a support programme for carers.
Sam attends Paul’s Place three times a week and has been a super fan of Heart Radio since 2003. Sam said, “Ben becoming our patron means a lot. It’s fantastic. I hope Ben can support us in taking our charity, that is a lifeline for physically disabled adults, forward.”
Fundraising and Communications Manager, Kayley Waller, said, “We’re thrilled to officially announce Ben as our newest patron at Paul’s Place. It was a privilege to spend the day with him where he witnessed the impact of the charity. At Paul’s Place, I see our members come to life every day. They feel part of something, they feel connected. It was amazing to be able to show that to Ben. Without people like Ben supporting us, we wouldn’t be able to provide the services we do, we would have to scale back massively, which would devastate our members.”
Speaking about his new role as patron, Ben said, “Paul’s Place is a small charity that I immediately connected with. Seeing first hand just how much the members get from this amazing charity is inspirational and I’m very pleased to be a part of the journey this charity is on. In what will be a big year for Paul’s Place, I’m looking forward with helping the organisation to grow, along with visits and getting stuck in. As well as the odd shout out on the radio for the members too, of course!”
We won’t stop until we see a world that embraces disability and includes everyone, so everyone can live their life to the full. With Ben’s support we can continue our mission to enhance and change the lives of physically disabled adults.
If you would like to donate and fundraise for us, please visit: Get Involved
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]]>The post Our 2023 Highlights appeared first on Paul's Place.
]]>Therapy through music
Every Wednesday, our members enjoy therapy through Music sessions, where they can express themselves. It’s a chance to communicate through music, when perhaps they can’t find the words. We’re extremely grateful to the University of the West of England (UWE) who supply for our Music Therapy sessions, as part of their Music Therapy course.
Boccia at Paul’s Place
Boccia is a fully accessible sport, and at Paul’s Place our Boccia teams are run by disabled people, with the support of Paul’s Place staff. We have two teams in the super league.
Paul’s Place member, Luke, said, “I’m returning to competitions after taking a year out. We practise twice a week, and we warm up to get our arms ready. When we move to Shire Way Community Centre, we could practise more than twice a week to prepare for national league tournaments.”
On Sunday 3 December 2023, our Boccia teams travelled to Berkhamsted Leisure Centre near High Wycombe. The first team won an impressive two out of three games and our second team won one out of three games. Luke said, “it was all a positive experience”.
Boccia England announced its fixtures for 2024, so stay tuned for our Boccia updates.
We welcomed new members of staff in 2023
Welcome to our team.
To meet whole team, please visit:
Announcing our new patron!
Ben Atkinson
We’re delighted to announce Ben Atkinson, as our new patron. Ben actively supports our vision for a world that embraces disability and includes everyone. You’ll hear Ben presenting on Heart Bristol Radio between 4pm and 7pm with his feel-good tunes. Ben is an experienced voiceover artist for brands such as, Halifax and B&Q, and he regularly hosts lifestyle awards, events and fundraisers.
We’re thrilled to welcome Ben as our new patron.
Disability History Month 2023
This Autumn, Disability History Month, shone a light on Disability, Children and Youth in the past, now and what’s needed for the future. It took place from 16 November to 16 December.
It was a perfect time to interview our members at Paul’s Place. Hannah and Paul described their experiences at school and their recommendations for pupils in 2023.
To read their interviews, please visit:
December was also International Day of People with Disabilities
This day highlights the importance of inclusivity, accessibility and equal opportunities for people with disabilities, while also celebrating their achievements and contributions to society.
Here at Paul’s Place, we live by this ethos every day! Take a look at our impact in 2022 – 2023. You’ll hear our members speak about how important it is to make sure they can enjoy an inclusive world.
Our latest impact report video
Paul’s Place Carers
At Paul’s Place we offer carers a space for connecting with each other. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our wide range of activities this year, including days out and our annual short break.
We send a yearly survey, so carers have a say in type of activities that will benefit them. This Autumn and Winter we’ve organised:
The carers say, “I feel relaxed and rejuvenated”, and “it’s a special time just for us”. We all need a break from the everyday routine, and carers have the same need, so they feel refreshed and able to continue doing what they love.
Here’s our Christmas lunch at The New Inn, Mayshill, which serves gigantic plates of festive food.
Paul’s Place wins coveted funding from Global’s Make Some Noise
Heart radio runs its own charity called, Global’s Make Some Noise. The charity raises funds for small and local charities that tackle:
The charity also supports people with life limiting illnesses, those who are bereaved or people with disabilities with its fundraising activities.
Pauls Place celebrated as one of the charities that Global’s Make Some Noise will support with its fundraising. We will use the funds to launch our own new in-house volunteering service from April 2024.
To read the full article, please visit:
We’re moving
Our charity is based at Coalpit Heath cricket club, and we’re moving into the much loved Shire Way Community Centre. We will breath new life into the building, which has been left untouched since 2022. Our move will open even more opportunities to enhances the lives of physically disabled adults. We’ve actively asked our members (service users) about the floor plans and what our new home should offer. For example, we’re planning a community café, and an allotment where our members will grow produce for the café. It will give our members opportunities to learn new skills, to volunteer and contribute. We’re also hoping to offer space for the public to hire for their activities and events.
To read the full article, please visit:
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]]>The post Disability History Month 2023 appeared first on Paul's Place.
]]>For Disability History Month, Hannah and Paul described their experiences at school and their recommendations for pupils in 2023.
Which school did you go to?
Currently, I support disabled children to achieve a great experience in their specialist school. I was at a mainstream school, with thirty pupils in my class and two hundred pupils in my school year.
What was your experience at school?
Sadly, I had a difference experience at school over twenty years ago. I was given extra learning support, which involved a dictator phone, having support with writing class notes and sitting at the front. But the other pupils saw this as having special treatment. So, I was teased for being a teachers pet. However, despite getting teased and bullied, I achieved good GCSEs.
How were you treated?
I was spun around in my wheelchair spitefully. I found the school corridor a nightmare when other pupils were charging passed me from all directions.
What would you say to your mainstream school?
I recommend having disability awareness training for pupil, students, teachers and staff to support creating a world that embraces disability and includes everyone. The awareness training could cover:
Which School were you at?
I was at Claremont School for nine years. It’s a state specialist school for pupils aged from two to nineteen. The school caters for young people with physical disabilities, as well as for profound, multiple and severe learning difficulties. I have gone full circle, by reuniting with classmates from Claremont School when I joined Paul’s Place eighteen Months ago.
What was your experience at Claremont School?
Claremont School prepared me for life. I had a good network of friends. But some pupils had more severe disabilities than me.
How did a mixed abilities class make you feel?
Sometimes, I felt a bit weary, as some pupils had personality disorders. I recommend having personality disorder awareness training in schools, so everyone’s aware, as Claremont School encouraged us to blend in with people, with communities and with the school environment.
What would you say to your younger self?
I think I have done well for myself. I like where I am now and what I am able to do. Be excited about the future.
What would you say to pupils at Claremont School?
Keep talking to people you find interesting. If you bottle-up your thoughts and feelings you will become angry, which is no good for your future. You make you. You can’t change the past, but you can learn to have a brighter future by talking to people.
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]]>The post Financial Wellbeing of Disabled People in the UK appeared first on Paul's Place.
]]>Steph interviewed Kevin Baker and Shelia Hewett at Paul’s Place on Friday 13 October. Photographer, David Griffiths, joined Steph, who took a number of photographs in our courtyard.
Steph has a keen interest in the issues effecting disabled people unfairly. Therefore, Steph wrote her article following the University of Bristol’s report about the Financial Wellbeing of Disabled People in the UK. The article described the range of finance related barriers people face as a result of differing disabilities.
To read Kevin’s story, please follow the link:
Photo by David Griffiths at davidgriffithsimages
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