Seventy four
charities including the Motor Neurone Disease Association,
Epilepsy Society and the Spinal Injuries Association will get a
share of more than £6.8 million to test and develop innovative
approaches to improve health and wellbeing, Care Services Minister
Paul Burstow announced today.
The charities submitted funding bids to the Department of Health
setting out how they could help their communities by improving
care for thousands of vulnerable people.
The winning bids include:
The Epilepsy Society will use its nearly £300,000 grant to
promote early interventions for people with epilepsy in
hard-to-reach groups.The Motor Neurone Disease Association will
develop its wheelchair provision into a national service
delivering choice to patients using its just over half a million
pound grant.Maternity Action will help support women and their
employers to breastfeed on their return to work after maternity
leave, they have won just over £68,000 of the grant.The Disabled
Living Foundation will provide an online library of small
electronic aids allowing individuals and their carers to try
before they buy and give feedback to people in similar positions.
They have won just under £200,350.The Spinal Injuries Association
have won nearly £43,500 to help educate health professionals how
to avoid preventable conditions such as pressure sores and urinary
infections.
To celebrate this grant funding, Care Services Minister Paul
Burstow held a round table with members of charities including the
Royal National Institute of Blind People, Cool2Care and the
Council for Disabled Children.
Paul Burstow said
"This new funding will improve the lives of thousands
of people across the UK, helping them to lead healthier and more
independent lives. It is crucial that we continue to champion our
voluntary organisations, because their expertise allows them to
design and develop innovative solutions to the big challenges we
face in health, public health and social care."These
exciting projects are more than worthy of our support and I am
delighted that the money will be spent on providing individuals
and local communities with the tools to tackle health and
wellbeing."
The Minister also presented Cool2Care with a Big Society Award.
Cool2Care is a charity group which aims to help support disabled
children. It offers a range of support including helping to
recruit fully screened and trained Personal Assistants who will
support the child’s needs.
The charity was set up in 2007 by Phil Conway who saw how hard it
was to hire a personal assistant that was specific to his disabled
child and his families needs. The personal assistants help to
encourage life skills to increase emotional wellbeing, develop new
skills and relationships and give parents a much needed break.
The Big Society Awards were set up by the Prime Minister in 2010
to congratulate individuals and organisations across the UK that
demonstrate a Big Society in their work or activities.
ENDSNotes to Editors:
For media enquiries contact the Department of Health news desk
on 020 7210 5221.The money comes from the Department’s Innovation,
Excellence and Strategic Development (IESD) fund.The Big Society
Awards were set up by the Prime Minister in November 2010. The aim
is to acknowledge individuals and organisations across the UK that
demonstrate the Big Society in their work or activities. In so
doing, the aim is also to galvanise others to follow. For more
information go to: http://www.number10.gov.uk/bigsocietyawards
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk