Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) took the life of baby Lily Bea at just nine months – her parents have channelled that almost unimaginable loss into the inspiration for a concerted effort to raise awareness of the condition, and even more vitally, funds for research into a cure.

The next adventure for Team Lily Bea is a European odyssey, visiting 11 cities in 11 days in an elderly London taxi called Monica.

One of the team, David Keogh, has written about their plans for us – You can read his story here

All being well, they will hit the road in a few days time (7th November)  and we will have daily updates as they make their way across the continent, doing crazy challenges at each stop! 

You can donate if you wish, here

Laura Graham, who writes our regular Carer's Voice column, was invited to the meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Carers last week.

The theme of the event was the particular challenges that older carers face in the workplace. Undertaking a caring role and holding down a job at the same time can make life very complicated: no wonder so many carers end up withdrawing from employment altogether.

Inevitably, as the population ages and resources to fund social care are squeezed ever tighter, more of us will be affected by these issues. It is therefore incumbent on government and employers to give thought to how best carers can be supported to keep going in all their roles...

You can read more here

  

The finalists for the 10th annual Stelios Award have been announce. A record number of businesses applied from a wide variety of industries. Here are the five shortlisted candidates. 

• Andrew Graham from Newcastle, whose "Pop-Up Gym" brings the gym to you. 

• Alex Papanikolaou from Glasgow, whose business Freedom One provides access audits and inclusiveness training, as well as developing a new improved powerchair.

• Matt Wadsworth from Norwich for his app which reads menus for blind and visually impaired people.

• Scott Smith from Shrewsbury, whose business Invictus Active provides fitness products to help disabled people keep active.

• Dave Kelly from Liverpool runs Daisy UK - sports courses for schools, colleges and other organisations. 

Each shortlisted business wins £10,000, and the overall winner will get an additional £20,000.

Read more here

 

Almost any excuse for a gratuitous cute kitten pic!

Since the clocks went back at the weekend, and news emerged that we Brits are, apparently, amongst the worst sleepers in the world, this seemed like a good moment to take a look at some of the steps you can take to help you get a good night's rest.

Poor sleep can have various consequences beyond leaving you feeling grumpy and lacking in energy the following morning – including a weakened immune system and greater likelihood of developing obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

You can read more here

 

This week, I have a new showcase page to share with you.

Companion Stairlifts is one of the largest suppliers of stairlifts in the UK. They have recently been awarded Which? Trusted Trader status, which means they have been assessed for the quality of their products and services – before, during and after a sale.

In addition to slimline straight and tailor-made curved stairlifts for indoor and outdoor use, Companion also provides accessible showers and walk-in baths.

You can see more details here

 

If you provide high quality products and services, and you would like to reach our site visitors and newsletter readers, please email derek@independentliving.co.uk

 

The October product roundup on Independent Living focused on aids for sensory impairment.

From radio aids and streamers for hearing aid users to new wearable tech to help people with visual impairment. Smoke alarms, mobile phones and new generation talking watches – as well as some new services for BSL (British Sign Language) users. If you aren't on the mailing list to receive the monthly feature, you can read it online here.

And if you want to make sure that you don't miss out on future issues, you can sign up here.

 

If you work in a role that supports people who employ their own care (individual employers) through a Direct Payment, a Personal Health Budget or using their own money, Skills for Care has free training events at venues around the country. From recruitment to pension auto enrolment and more besides – there are details here.

 

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Previous newsletters are archived here.

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Until next time, all good wishes,

Frances