How we talk about learning disability

-- From Mencap's homepage (http://www.mencap.org.uk/)

At Mencap, we know that many members of the public do not really understand what we do or what having a learning disability means for someone. We want to change this which is why we are looking for your ideas about some better ways of talking about learning disability.

We have asked Populus, a market research company, to run a survey for us and we would like you to take part. To keep costs down we are doing the survey online.

-- http://www.populusinteractive.com/populus/qserv?sec=ANON_MCWebsite

In the papers...

Just noticed that The Jewish Chronicle (a national British Jewish newspaper - wiki) have posted an online version of a small write-up they did about my 'Israeli Rider' event at the end of September. Unfortunately they didn't add any sponsorship links, as thats against their policy, doh! Hopefully it add's some sort of increased awareness though, no press is bad press as the saying goes, except the press that doesn't have links!!! ;)

Here's the excerpt for your amazement:

Covent Garden

An art director from Covent Garden is hoping to raise £5,000 for a new breast cancer centre by taking part in a sponsored bike ride in Israel next month. Marcus Bird, 25, will be among 400 cyclists covering the 362 miles from Metullah in the north to Eilat in the south to raise money for the new facility based at Tel Aviv’s Rabin Medical Centre. Mr Bird is believed to be the only Briton among a 15-strong team from the American Friends of Rabin Medical Centre.

Cool. Kinda just ends, haha, but there you go, my first real write-up. To add to the amazement however, i've been told i'll be in the Haftarah sheet (wiki) at my Shul in Marble Arch (West London Synagogue). Ill post something when I see it :)

Go to the archived web page
-- http://www.thejc.com/Home.aspx?ParentId=m11s20s21&Aid=54805&AtypeId=1&secid=21&prev=true

What your support can achieve:

Here are some important facts:

- 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability.

- 200 babies are born with a learning disability every week.

- 9 out of 10 people with a learning disability get bullied.

- There are more than 29,000 people with a severe or profound learning disability who live at home with carers aged over 70.

Please donate any amount you can and help.

- £25 - could help us to make the first visit to a family who have a newly-born child with a learning disability and desperately need advice and support.

- £50 - could pay for two young people with a learning disability to take part in our Gateway Award programme for a year (this is similar to the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme).

- £140 - would enable us to respond to ten calls on our freephone learning disability helpline this provides vital information and support to people with a learning disability and their families.

- £250 - could pay for 16 children who cannot speak to attend a special workshop where they can learn the Makaton sign language.

- £570 - could pay for the 16-week course we run for volunteers to train them to provide advice and support to families who have children with a learning disability.

Your donation to Mencap will make a real and lasting difference.

A learning disability affects the way someone learns, communicates or does some everyday things. That learning disability can continue all through their life.

Link: justgiving.com/Cuss-In-Peru

Link: mencap.org.uk

"...everything is destroyed,"

I'm sure all of you have heard about the chaos and devastation in Peru. The first news I saw was on BBC News in the morning and it seemed quite insignificant, but as more information keeps coming through it really sounds dreadful.

The dead are scattered by the dozens on the streets. We don't have lights, water, communications. Most houses have fallen. Churches, stores, hotels -- everything is destroyed, Pisco Mayor Juan Mendoza told Lima radio station CPN, according to the AP.

These terrible events make me really focus on the fragility of life. My cycle across part of Peru might not seem as significant in comparison, but I hope it makes everyone look inside themselves and help in some way. Whether its somehow helping the people in Peru who have been affected directly, or something, anything else to help another person in need.

Please, take a moment to let it resonate and then do what you can to help. Save the little badge at the top of the page and upload it to your own blog or website, and help make a difference.


Just copy the badge code and paste it into your myspace/facebook/blog or own website:

<a href="http://www.justgiving.com/Cuss-In-Peru"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJfDeZAMTG08lQhPi6iGr5YC4j1TijM-SebUKEAHFsS2y3MFuxAkY2RtzGny02g2FutozrBaLBTswcNwMOyPPKQTi7TiEGCHmd02XmhCES_lQaQkYHj7sr2kgfxr3XzLE1J2rahcRScj0/s400/helping_badge.jpg" /></a>

Read more on the Peru quake here.

"He chews gum with his mouth open. I leave my legs lying around on the floor."

I've been so involved in training and trying to get people interested donating even a little of their money that ive, in a way, almost lost sight of what im doing all of this for. Thats a little unfair on myself maybe, as ive always had the ultimate goal in mind while i try to focus on each task one step at a time. Though, after reading this old article about an Iraq vet running as a candidate for Congress ive definitely had a bit of a wake up.

So, expect to see some more stories relating to the Rabin Medical Center, who im raising money for, also on Mencap, who im also raising money for. I hope some of these stories inspire you to get up and help someone, as I read earlier today its better to give a penny a day for 100 days than a dollar (or a pound) every hundred days. Why not start this minute, because every time your hand does an action of giving, it becomes more and more a giving hand...


Cuss

--Washington Post article courtesy of Christine Harbridge's blog

8 week countdown!

Just passing the 8 weeks mark... It always gets a little more nervewrecking from here on in. Time seems to fly by and im more conscious of training and injuries and of course, sponsorship. The last big ride I did was hard, but the sponsorship always seems to be the hard part to it. On that note, if you fancy helping out even a little bit, have a peek over here --
http://www.firstgiving.com/Cuss-In-Israel

Self promotion is hard, for me at least. I find it very difficult to be inmodest and rally everyone I know together and say 'go on then, give us a fiver...', which most Mancunians would probably not have difficulty with. Im having to bite the bullet a little more though, as they say, and push some friends and contacts a little more at least just to spread the word of my charity events.

On the cycling front, ive found a rather fetching (not so much) saddle. After crushing my last one in Cuba following a pretty nasty roll down a ditch, it might be necessary to take a spare. Patriotism is the word of the day apparently...