St George’s Hospital Directory of Services
Many children and adults have plenty to say, but are unable to control their mouth muscles to speak clearly. They can use aids such as pictures, written words and technology to help them communicate. This is known as AAC (augmentative and alternative communication). 1Voice takes a family and social perspective on communication and recognises the great need for adult role models to inspire children and families alike. 1Voice promotes families supporting each other to overcome the isolation that being unable to speak can bring. 1Voice is a company and charity organisation who can provide free support with AAC.
T: 07943 618 525
W: 1voice.info
3H run a programme offering grants to assist disabled people and their families on low incomes to organise a UK holiday for themselves. The grants are given for the accommodation part of the holiday and are paid directly to the chosen venue. The charity liaise with social workers and caring organisations to assist applicants and to identify those needing assistance. Carers can also be awarded a grant for a holiday away from their caring role.
T: 01892 860207
W: 3hfund.org.uk
E: info@3hfund.org.uk
AbilityNet helps people of any age and with any disability to use technology to achieve their goals at home, at work and in education.
They provide a range of services that includes personalised workplace and education assessments, digital accessibility testing, computer support in people’s homes and a wide range of free resources that can be accessed through its website.
Access Adventures is a registered charity that provides residential adaptive sports camps for people with physical disabilities. Their goal is to make outdoor activities accessible and affordable for all. Through these camps they enable people with disabilities to challenge themselves and push boundaries, improving confidence and self-belief. Access Adventures camps include the following adaptive activities: waterskiing and wakeboarding, kayaking, kitesurfing, kite buggying, skiing, handcycling and downhill mountain biking.
Apetito is the UK’s leading food producer for the health & social care sector. They produce delicious, nutritious and highly sustainable food that enables people to eat for health whatever their circumstances. This helps take the strain off cooking for yourself or a loved one with the choice of over 200 meals delivered straight to your door. Meals can be delivered daily by a meal on wheels delivery service, or a regular delivery of meals for your freezer through Wiltshire Farm Foods.
T: 01225 562849
W: apetito.co.uk
E: info@apetito.co.uk
Every day 6,000 people become carers. Many don’t know how or where to get help with what can be tough, frightening, financially difficult and very lonely.
Caring for someone you love can be extremely complicated – the maze of rights and entitlements, filling in paperwork, getting a break, managing your feelings about caring for someone can all be complicated.
Carers UK is on hand to make sure that no matter how complicated your query or your experience, you don’t have to care alone. Carers UK is here to listen, to give you expert information and advice that’s tailored to your situation, to champion your rights and support you in finding new ways to manage at home, at work, or wherever you are.
T: 0808 808 7777
W: carersuk.org
Crisis is the UK national charity for single homeless people. The charity offers year-round education, employment, housing and well-being services from centres in London, Newcastle, Oxford, Edinburgh and Merseyside, called Crisis Skylight Centres. Crisis works side by side with people to help them rebuild their lives. From decades of experience of working with thousands of homeless people, they know what’s needed to leave homelessness behind for good. They use this experience to shape the services they provide and the changes they campaign for.
The Florence Nightingale Aid in Sickness Trust provides life enhancing grants to help people of all ages in need who are ill, convalescent or disabled.
These grants are used to provide medical and household aids to alleviate sickness and make a huge difference to people’s ability to manage at home and live as independently as possible. They do not fund holidays but will provide grants to fund care that enables carers to take a well earned break.
HHUGS is a charity dedicated to assisting Muslim households that have been affected by counter-terrorism, national security and extremism-related laws, policies and procedures, in the UK and abroad.
They can provide practical help with finances, housing, rehabilitation and emotional support for victims and their families. Their services are free, confidential and tailored specifically to the needs of each family.
T: 0207 733 2104
W: hhugs.org.uk
E: info@hhugs.org.uk
Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are where the most serious and critically injured people are cared for.
ICUsteps supports patients and relatives affected by critical illness, promotes recognition of the physical and psychological consequences of critical illness through education of the medical profession and the general public, and encourages research into treatment and the prevention of these issues. Founded in 2005 by ex-patients, their relatives and ICU staff, it has helped many former patients, their relatives and medical staff from organisations around the world.
T: 0300 30 20 121
W: icusteps.org
If you need assistance with your mobility in or out of your home, it can often be helpful to have specific pieces of equipment to help you. The NHS may be able to provide you with everything you need, but you may want additional equipment or need it sooner than the NHS can provide it. Mobility Hire offer long term and short term equipment rental, including mobility scooters, wheelchairs, commodes, hoists, riser chairs and adjustable beds. They can deliver to your home within 1 day. You will have to pay for any equipment you hire from Mobility Hire.
The NABD was set up in April 1991 by six bikers from Stockport and Manchester who would not accept the idea that disabled people could not ride motorcycles, scooters, sidecar outfits, trikes or quad-cycles. The membership of the NABD has now grown to a staggering 9,000+ individual members and the NABD has directly helped over 11,000 disabled people to enjoy the freedom and independence of motorcycling.
As well as advice and support for disabled riders, the NABD operates a system of financial grants to help with the cost of special adaptation work to motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/sidecar combinations and trikes, necessary to suit the needs of disabled riders. Grants range from £250.00 to £2,000.00, dependent on the type of machine and the particular requirements of the rider.
If you or a family member are struggling to come to terms with an addiction, then you may wish to get impartial addiction advice to help you, or the people you care for to get the right kind of help.
This private company offers a free advisory service to help you to take your first step on the road to a happy, healthy and addiction free life, but on going treatment services are charged for. If you have private medical insurance it is possible that it may meet the cost of treatment.
Revitalise is a national charity providing respite care in a holiday setting for disabled people and carers. They currently run three accessible holiday centres in Chigwell in Essex, Southampton and Southport to enable disabled people to access essential breaks with care, and provide inspirational opportunities for volunteers.
Revitalise believe that disabled people should have the same rights, freedoms, responsibilities and quality of life as those without disabilities, and they have been championing this cause for over 50 years.
T: 0303 303 0145
E: Online form
W: revitalise.org.uk
You will require a referral from your GP or another health professional to receive support. Once a referral is made a member of the Response and Rehabilitation team will visit you at home to discuss your situation, what help you need and what you want to be able to get back to doing. If you have been in hospital, they will work with you and your family to plan for your discharge back home.
RISE promotes sports and exercise for disabled people and people with special educational needs of all ages. You can get involved and find out about inclusive and disability-specific sports and exercise activities.
Every year they hold events including summer sport camps and open days for participants to try out a range of inclusive and disabled sports’ including yoga, dance, rugby, football, tennis, wheelchair basketball, kurling, boccia and dragon boating.
There are events running every week for children and adults. All the different activities and costs can be found on the website.
The Samaritans offer a safe place for you to talk any time you like, in your own way – about whatever’s getting to you. You don’t have to be suicidal.
They are carefully trained to put aside any personal beliefs. They won’t give you a label, a diagnosis or a prescription and want you to feel safe while talking to them, so you can talk about how you’re really feeling and feel safe knowing its all completely confidential.
Their service is free and operates 24 hours a day.
T: 08457 909090
W: samaritans.org
SEQUAL stands for Special Equipment and Aids for Living. If you or someone you care for suffers with communication, movement or learning difficulties, then the Sequal Trust may be able to help by providing you with access to specialist communication equipment.
With funding from Surrey County Council, the Surrey Disabled People’s Partnership provides information, help and advice to disabled people living in Surrey, delivered through a network of locations based throughout the county, all with the aim of empowering individuals to speak for themselves.
They can help with advocacy services as well as benefit advice and other more general information.
T: 01784 458200
W: www.sdpp.org.uk
Text: 07519 861452
Brachial plexus is a complex network of nerves, coming from the spinal cord that supplies the arm, hand and part of the shoulder with all its movement and feeling.
Many people need help coming to terms with a Brachial plexus injury and how to live with it. The website operated by TBPIG is designed to provide adults with information and support in coping with a TBPI, and to help achieve a better understanding of the impact these injuries may have on the individual and their family.
T: 07976 317529
W: tbpi-group.org
Wandsworth Community Transport (WCT) is a registered charity that provides specialist transport services across the Borough of Wandsworth for community groups and individuals with mobility problems, including regular shopping trips and outings.
They provide a shopping shuttle service to help people get to Wandsworth Southside shopping centre. It is a door-to-door service that runs daily and offers a regular weekly slot on the same bus with the same driver to ensure a friendly and secure environment. They also offer monthly trips to other shopping locations in London.
T: 020 8675 7460
W: wctbus.co.uk
E: w.c.t@btconnect.com
Wandsworth Foodbank provides emergency food to people in need from several distribution centres across Wandsworth, including centres in Battersea, Putney, Southfields and Tooting. It provides three days’ of nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred in crisis. People attending the foodbank for emergency food need to have a valid foodbank voucher. Wandsworth Foodbank is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK. Volunteers meet clients over a cup of tea or hot meal and are able to signpost them to other services that can help resolve the underlying problem.
The foodbank is open 7 days a week, in different locations.
Ensuring you maintain a healthy diet is an important part of your recovery, but often, after an injury, doing simple things like preparing a meal can become difficult or very time consuming. Getting to the shops or cooking at home can often turn into a challenge.
Wiltshire Farm Foods was founded in 1991, and have worked hard over the years to create delicious and nutritious frozen ready meals that they will deliver to your door. There is no contract or commitment to order a regular number of meals; you just order them when you need them. You can order them for someone else or for yourself.
Founded by local churches and community groups, working together to eliminate hunger in the local area. Wimbledon Foodbank was set up in October 2011 by Elim Church, Wimbledon, to serve the community of the London Borough of Merton. It provides three days’ of nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred in crisis. People attending the foodbank for emergency food need to have a valid foodbank voucher. Wimbledon Foodbank is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK. Volunteers meet clients over a cup of tea or hot meal and are able to signpost them to other services that can help resolve the underlying problem.
The foodbank is open 7 days a week, in different locations.