Changing Our Lives

People’s Parliament launched in Wolverhampton

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The first Wolverhampton People’s Parliament took place at the Civic Centre on 10th December. Scott

Watkin, Co-National Director for Learning Disabilities, gave the

opening speech in support of the good work the MPs

are doing.

MEET SOME OF OUR NEW LEADERS - Page 6

Follow our blog: http://wparliament.wordpress.com

The main topic for the day was employment. We were joined by local Councillors, MPs from Westminster and people from Wolverhampton Council. In January, our Employment White Paper was taken to Cabinet by the new Co-Chair of the Learning Disability Partnership Board, Councillor Steve Evans. They agreed that they would look at new ways of finding work for adults with learning disabilities in the local area through job carving. This is when one full time job is shared between two or more people. They will also be looking at ways to make job application forms easier to read and understand. This is a fantastic result, which will offer more chances for people with a learning disability in Wolverhampton to find proper paid employment.

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Sandwell ’s Got Talent Over 250 people joined the audience in

November for the highlight of the year. The event is held at The Public and was a huge

success.

Nigel Smith compered the event with his usual style and wit. He was on the look out for 6 wives and is still on that quest!!! The judges’ reviews were fantastic.

Elvis Dancing Queen My Boy Lollipop Dean Martin

WINNERS! GIRLZ ALOUD

Girlz Aloud won the competition with their dancing and singing act. The girls met at Barnardo's Sandcastle Project and were thrilled to win!! It was an emotional moment.

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Visual Arts This year’s winners were Cheyne Crooks (13) and Alex Jeavons (17). Their winning piece was a recycling bin, made of entirely recycled materials. The sculpture was a way of encouraging people to be more ‘green’ and show the range of different things that can be recycled. Both young people use the Barnardo’s Sandcastle Project. Their artistic buddy was Andy Fowles, Learning Co-ordinator at the Public.

Marjorie and Claire were Teenagers in Love! They thoroughly entertained the audience and came second place!

The group from Smethwick Leisure scared everyone with their version of Thriller using fantastic costumes and spooky dance moves.

Performing Arts Choir

RUNNERS UP! TEENAGER IN LOVE

THRILLER!

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Young Voices Network

We trained 65 Learning Service Practitioners and 200 Year 11 students at Bristnall Hall Technology College. This is what they said: “Young people are aware now that people with learning disabilities can achieve great things”. “It is so good to hear from someone with a

learning disability instead of someone who thinks they know!”

“Informative and fun - with

clear facts”

Feedback from our young

people’s Training Team

Check out our YouTube Channel http:/www.youtube.com/user/ChangingYoungLives

60 students attended the Young People Forum day from The Meadows, St Michaels, and Westminster. The event was an opportunity to bring together students with a learning disability to celebrate and explore self-advocacy through creative art. This year’s event was held at The Public. We had a guest appearance from Dreadlock Alien, a rapper/poet, who was very popular. We also worked with our Artist Anne Brierley, who created canvassed art work, the professional theatre company Women and Theatre who ran a workshop on employment, and Subtan Mahmood gave an introduction to photography course. The photographs will be on our Young Voices Network Facebook page soon!

It was so

much fun, I

loved making

a poem! We really love taking photographs! Awesome – drama

was the best!

Today has meant I

can be a young

person, without a

label or a disability

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Our Leader’s Pages

Maggie Smith One of our oldest Self Advocates is Maggie. She has led an interesting and at times difficult life so has lots of stories to tell about how she and other people with learning disabilities used to be treated years ago. Maggie is in the process of writing her life story and we hope to publish it so that everyone can read the story of this remarkable woman who is an inspiration to us all.

Alan Slim

Denise is one of the people in Sandwell who have moved out of a NHS campus into her own home. A NHS campus is a hospital bed in the community. Denise moved over a year ago after many years living in a hospital setting. Her confidence has soared, so much so she performed in this year’s Sandwell’s Got Talent. Denise has become more independent, her health has improved and she has lost weight as she is far more active! Denise is now living a fulfilled and independent life and is very proud of what she has achieved in the last year.

Denise Mole

Alan is one of our newest MPs. Up until a few months ago Alan was staying in a low secure unit, but now he is in a step down unit and has joined Sandwell’s People’s Parliament. Alan is fast becoming a strong leader and a fabulous MP. He recently introduced Karen Dowman, Chief Executive of Sandwell Mental Health Foundation Trust at our Parliament Day.

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Ravi

James Jess

These documents are used to gather information about a person and support them at the hospital or doctors and will help people understand how you like to communicate. They are available on our website www.changingourlives.org under Useful Information.

Communications Passport and Health Book

Say Hello to our New Leaders! Sandwell Wolverhampton Sandwell’s MPs held elections on January 11th to appoint a new Secretary and Vice-Chairperson. We are pleased to announce that Zabia Pareveen and Ravi Madur were elected by their fellow MP’s to do this.

Ravi is the new Secretary. She will take over from Gabby O’Grady (Thanks for all your hard work Gabby!) Ravi has been an MP since 2008 and was a very popular appointment. Zabia is the new Vice-Chairperson. She has been an MP since 2008 and brings with her to the role a wealth of experience and commitment to improving the lives of people with learning disabilities.

My name is James and I am an MP with the Wolverhampton People’s Parliament. I lead on our Hate Crime subgroup and am working on starting a Safe Places scheme in Wolverhampton. Being an MP is making me more independent in lots of ways. It also gives me the chance to speak up for people with learning disabilities. I am proud to be able to make our voices heard within the local council and community. Hi! I’m Jess. I really enjoyed our first People’s Parliament. I got to present to local Government MPs, Councillors and Council Staff and tell them what changes we want in Wolverhampton. I was really pleased that the people there agreed with the changes we want and have agreed to put them in place. We will be making sure that everyone who said they would do things does what just what they said.

Things to look out for next

Office 14, Brook House

Brook Street, Tipton,

West Midlands DY4 9DD

Tel: 0121 520 0813

www.changingourlives.org

www.twitter.com/Positive_Lives

CHANGING OUR LIVES WINTER 2011

Make a Date! SPOTLIGHT 1st Open Mic night

6th May, 2011 at 6.00 pm

Changing Our Lives is supporting Sandwell residents with learning disabilities to get

together and write a set of Quality of Health standards. These will be used to audit the patient experience in local health services. Find out how work is progressing in our next newsletter.

We have received some funding from Adult Services in Sandwell to develop work with

people on the Autistic spectrum. This new project will be championing the rights of people on the Autistic Spectrum, developing drop-in groups and multi-media projects.

Changing Our Lives now works in Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Dudley, so this year’s AGM will include people with learning disabilities from all these areas. Sandwell’s Got Talent will now be known as ‘SPOTLIGHT’ and will be held at The Public on the evening of 18th November 2011. We will be holding Open Mic Nights within each area where people can come and perform. Judges will choose the best acts who will perform in a semi-final on 16th September for a place in the final. The first Open Mic Night will be at The Public in West Bromwich on 6th May at 6pm. There will be other Mic Night’s announced for the other areas soon. Come along and join in !!