Registered Charity No.1148256 / Your Voice, Your Connections
Shropshire Disability Network Members Meeting, Wednesday 12th June 2013 held at Oswestry Cricket Club
Minutes
- Welcome by SDN Chairperson Sonia Roberts
- Attendance and Apologies: 54 people attended and 25 people sent apologies.
- Minutes of previous Members’ Meeting, held on 13 March 2013. June Jones proposed and Carole George seconded that the meeting accept that these were a true record. The minutes were signed as a true record.
- Matters arising. None.
- Treasurers Report. Liz Percival provide the meeting with an account of our end of year (31st May) accounts and reported we had a bank balance of £16395:03, an increase from last year due to funding received from “Awards for All” which we were awarded in March, this funding is for a specific project called “ Reaching those we have yet to reach”.
- Other funding commitments are to:
- Refresh our website.
- Continue to production of a monthly printed Newsletter at a cost of £140 a month- enabling members unable to access the online version the opportunity to receive a printed copy.
The final total raised at the Disability Challenge on the Long Mynd last September was £2843. A total of £491 was raised over two fundraising events a Magic Evening and Quiz Night.
Sound system, having listened to comments made at previous meetings, the committee approved the purchase of a sound system which was used throughout the meeting along with a roving microphone at a cost of just under £1000 to the benefit of all our members.
The full audited accounts will be available at the A.G.M in September. Whilst we look to be financially healthy, money soon goes so I would like to ask your continued support of the Fund raising Sub group as they continue to organise events for the benefit of you our members. Liz thanked all those who supported our fundraising events with particular mention to Ruby and the Fund Raising Sub Group for all their hard work in organising these events on behalf of you all.
- Chairpersons Report
Website report: Sonia explained that the website having been launched in June 2010 was looking its age and needed updating. It had lasted very well, but there are some frustrating things and we need to make it better for our members. She provided two printouts of how a revised site could look and asked that members take time during the coffee break to consider and express a preference as to how we should take the web design forward. This would inform the final decision on the site. It is hoped the September meeting will see the launch of the site with new additional facilities for members.
New Members: A call for new and current members wishing to actively participate in sub groups or as part of the Management Committee was made, we are currently looking to for Secretarial support and members to join the Fundraising Sub group.
- Promotional Events: Ruby Hartshorn outlined recent events, most of which had been successful, and also the planned events for the coming months. She said SDN had a full calendar but could do even more with more voluntary help. She asked that people supported SDN Member Vic Davies as he was running for SDN in Shrewsbury Marathon. Grace Hough was going round with a sponsorship form at the meeting.
Guest Speakers
- Ann Johnston, Support Services Manager from Shropshire Housing Alliance supported by colleague Jo Lancley Case Worker spoke about changes to Housing Benefit and other wide-ranging benefit reforms that are being implemented nationally, and how they could impact on people with disabilities. She urged members not to ignore the changes and if they were in any doubt at all to seek advice from the SHA or similar organisations. In particular, a reform that could adversely impact on tenants was the bedroom tax, with tenants possibly facing £14 or more a week increases for ‘spare’ bedrooms. There was considerable discussion in the Q&A period, with many members expressing strong reservations about the new policy, particularly with regard to (a) its morality and (b) the idea of vulnerable people taking in a lodger to offset the extra cost.
- A display and brief talk was given by Niki Clarke, who specialises in upper and lower limb rehabilitation, and Claire Godfrey, a speech and language therapist, about their work in the NHS and private practice. Both ladies are available to take private referrals for those not wishing to wait for a formal referral through the current NHS system.
- Colin Smith MBEgave a very informative take about Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and also Universal Benefit, which is another major change to the benefits system being rolled out later this year. He spoke about the shortcomings of the old system (DLA), which had been in existence for 21 years and was proving far more costly than the country could afford. But he did not seek to suggest that PIP was in any way an answer to all the complex questions about disability benefits. He acknowledged there would be both winners and losers under PIP. A number of members raised concerns around the how assessments were being made following negative experiences of members who had gone through the PIPs assessment, Colin explained the organisation who had taken on this role nationally were Capita, he had previously met the Communications Director at Capita and suggested that we invite him along to a future meeting to alleviate some concerns raised by members. Extensive questioning then ensued from members extending the Q&A session.
- Anne Shaw from West Mercia Police stood in for Sgt David Braid to update members about effective hate crime initiatives in the region and also the planned launch on 4 July of ‘Safe Places’ Shropshire. In the two days immediately preceding this there will be public awareness initiatives in Church Stretton and Shrewsbury and eventually the scheme is to be rolled out across the whole county of Shropshire.
- AOB – none
Next meeting – Wednesday 11 September 2013, 10.30 for 11.00am start, at Mears, Hartley Business Centre, Monkmoor Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 5ST.
The meeting closed at 1.30pm.