A group of Edinburgh College’s Access and Continuing Education (ACE) students have completed a project to help the homeless in partnership with pan-disability charity Leonard Cheshire.
The students took part in Leonard Cheshire’s ‘Can Do’ programme, during which they decided to embark on a ‘building communities’ project to raise funds for, and awareness of, the needs of homeless people.
Delivered by the pan-disability charity Leonard Cheshire, Can Do is a skills development and community involvement programme designed for 16-35 year olds with additional support needs. With both in-person and virtual formats, the participants took part in sessions on fundraising, mental health and wellbeing, designing posters and much more.
The project provided the students with an opportunity to make a positive difference in the community, improving their confidence and motivation, while also benefiting from the learning experience. In addition, the participants gained an SVQ Building Communities award through completion of their project.
In one session, the students learned about homelessness and discussed some essential items you might need for winter as a homeless person. Following this, they were tasked with some online shopping to create ‘care and share’ bags to donate. Each participant was given tasks, such as budgeting, comparing prices and spotting deals, before ordering and receiving the items, and packing the bags.
All of the care and share bags, as well as all proceeds from the campaign, were donated to Bethany Christian Trust, a charitable organisation in Scotland whose mission is to relieve suffering and meet the long-term needs of homeless and vulnerable people in Scotland.
Jasmine Lapointe, Access and Continuing Education lecturer at Edinburgh College, applauded the students for choosing such a significant project which made a positive and tangible difference in people’s lives, and said they should all be proud for taking part.
Leonard Cheshire Can Do Coordinator for Edinburgh Obert Dhundu said: “The students expressed a keen interest in embarking on a project that will be impactful not only for themselves but for vulnerable people in the community, and this led them to choose a project centred on homelessness.
“They showed great commitment in learning about homelessness, as well as the related topics we covered. It was a real privilege to have facilitated this project for them.”
Students from Edinburgh College Midlothian Campus have marked the completion of their ground-breaking homelessness awareness project this month.
The students took part in Leonard Cheshire’s ‘Can Do’ programme, during which they decided to embark on a ‘building communities’ project to raise funds for, and awareness of, the needs of people in the community who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Delivered by the pan-disability charity Leonard Cheshire, Can Do is a skills development and community involvement programme designed for 16-35 year olds with additional support needs.
With both in-person and virtual formats, the participants took part in sessions on fundraising, mental health and wellbeing, designing posters and much more. The project gave the students an opportunity to make a positive difference in the community, improving their confidence and motivation, while also providing a learning opportunity. Participants gained an SVQ Building Communities award through completion of their project.
In one session, the students learned about homelessness and discussed some essential items you might need for winter as a homeless person.
Following this, they were tasked with some online shopping to create ‘care and share’ bags to donate. Each participant was given tasks, such as budgeting, comparing prices and spotting deals, before ordering and receiving the items, and packing the bags.
These bags, as well as all proceeds from the campaign, were donated to Bethany Christian Trust, a charitable organisation in Scotland whose mission is to relieve suffering and meet the long-term needs of homeless and vulnerable people in Scotland.
On receiving the items, Kevin, a staff member from Bethany Christian Trust, said: “I am grateful for the bags of love and kindness that have been donated by the students from Edinburgh College Midlothian campus.
“Bethany Christian Trust is full of gratitude for the commitment shown by the students in putting the bags together and the residents are absolutely going to love the items”.
The students also had an opportunity to learn first-hand about mental health and wellbeing. A local man who has lived experience of being homeless explained how he struggled with his mental health and discussed with the participants the support he received to recover from the challenges he faced. The students later sent wonderful messages of encouragement to him for his strength and ability to stay positive.
James,One of the Can Do participants, said: “What I liked most about the project was getting an opportunity to help and make someone smile”.
Jasmine Lapointe, Lecturer at Edinburgh College, applauded the students for choosing such a significant project which made a positive and tangible difference in people’s lives, and said they should all be proud for taking part.
Obert Dhundu, Leonard Cheshire’s Can Do Coordinator for Edinburgh, said “The students expressed a keen interest in embarking on a project that will be impactful not only for themselves but for vulnerable people in the community, and this led them to choose a project centred on homelessness.
“They showed great commitment in learning about homelessness, as well as the related topics we covered. It was a real privilege to have facilitated this project for them.”
New poll finds disabled workers have been “hit hardest” in the wallet by Covid-19 and have faced financial hardship, increased debt and have been forced to use food banks
Accompanying new TUC analysis finds non-disabled workers are now paid 16.5 per cent more a year than non-disabled workers
And disability charity Leonard Cheshire highlights discrimination against disabled workers, with 1 in 5 employers less likely to employ disabled people
Two in five (40 per cent) disabled workers have been pushed into financial hardship over the last year, according to new TUC polling published today (Tuesday).
The polling – carried out for the union body by BritainThinks – shows how disabled workers’ living standards have been “hit hardest” by Covid-19.
And leading disability charity Leonard Cheshire is today adding its voice to TUC’s, publishing new research which shows the continuing stigma against disabled workers, and calling for action to break down barriers to employment for disabled people.
Financial hardship
Two in five (40 per cent) disabled workers told the TUC that they’ve faced financial difficulty during the pandemic compared to around one in four (27 per cent) non-disabled workers.
They said that they had experienced:
Increasing debt: More than one in six (16 per cent) of disabled workers said their level of debt have increased compared to around one in 10 (11 per cent) non-disabled workers.
Cutting back on spending: Around three in 10 (28 per cent) disabled workers had been forced to cut back on spending, compared to around two in 10 (18 per cent) non-disabled workers.
Using food banks: Disabled workers (six per cent) were twice as likely to have had to visit a food bank than non-disabled workers (three per cent).
Disabled workers (22 per cent) were also twice as likely to say they were concerned about losing their jobs than non-disabled workers (11 per cent).
‘Disability pay gap day’
The poll findings are published alongside new TUC analysis which shows that non-disabled employees earn on average £1.90 an hour (16.5 per cent) more than disabled employees – or £3,458 more a year (based on a 35-hour week).
That means disabled workers effectively stop getting paid today, and work for free for the last 52 days of the year. The TUC has branded today ‘disability pay gap day’.
And disabled women face an even bigger pay gap. Non-disabled men are paid on average 32 per cent (£3.50 an hour, or around £6,370 a year) more than disabled women.
The £3,458 pay gap is the equivalent of:
More than a year (13 months) of the average household expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drinks (£63.70 per week) or
Nearly a year (10 months) of the average expenditure on housing, fuel and power (£83.00 per week) or
Nearly a year (10 months) of what the average household spends on transport (£81.60 per week).
Leonard Cheshire research
Leading global disability charity Leonard Cheshire is releasing new research today which reveals that disabled workers say they have been left behind by the Covid-19 recovery.
The Leonard Cheshire study finds that the vast majority (89 per cent) of disabled young people aged 18-24 years old said that their work had been affected by the pandemic, and that one in five employers (19 per cent) would be less likely to employ a disabled person than a non-disabled person.
The TUC and Leonard Cheshire are urging the government to act now to close the disability employment and pay gap and ensure disabled people gain and retain quality employment.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Disabled workers have been hit hardest by Covid-19. Many have been pushed into financial hardship and left without a safety net.
“With a cost-of-living crisis looming we need urgent action from ministers.
“As we saw with the last financial crisis disabled people are all too often first in line for redundancy, and those who keep hold of their jobs face a yawning pay gap.
“Disabled people deserve much better. We need mandatory disability pay gap reporting to shine a light on poor workplace practices that fuel inequality at work.
“Without this, millions of disabled workers will be consigned to years of lower pay and in-work poverty.”
Director of Policy at Leonard Cheshire Gemma Hope said: “Disabled people have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and employment support is vital to ensure they’re not further left behind.
“Our research also suggests stubborn levels of stigma amongst employers and that young disabled people remain adrift in the current job market.
“We call on government to increase efforts to support disabled job seekers and recruiters to continue working with us in recognising the depth of talent available.”
Government action needed
The TUC is calling on the government to deliver:
Mandatory disability pay gap reporting for all employers with more than 50 employees. This should be accompanied by a duty on bosses to produce targeted action plans identifying the steps they will take to address any gaps identified.
Enforcement of reasonable adjustments: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) should get specific funding to enforce disabled workers’ rights to reasonable adjustments.
A stronger legal framework for adjustments: The EHRC must update their statutory code of practice to include more examples of reasonable adjustments, to help disabled workers get the adjustments they need quickly and effectively. This will help lawyers, advisers, union reps and human resources departments apply the law and understand its technical detail.
One in five are not connected to the internet, missing out on a simple way to keep in touch with friends and loved ones
Everyone is asked to show solidarity by posting purple pictures
With just four simple steps, more disabled people could get online for Christmas
The UK’s leading disability charity, Leonard Cheshire, is calling on the public to take part in a new social media campaign, raising money to help disabled people get connected with their loved ones at Christmas.
To combat the loneliness around half disabled people feel, LeonardCheshire is asking everyone to show how they see purple, the recognised colour of disability. Posting a purple themed picture, connecting with four friends to do the same, and donating £5, can help a disabled person who feels isolated get online this Christmas.
There are four simple steps to get involved:
Post a picture incorporating the colour purple
Use the hashtag #ISeePurple
Donate £5 to Leonard Cheshire
Tag four friends to do the same
Just £25 is enough to get a disabled person online. Launching the campaign ahead of International Day of Persons with Disability 2020 (3rdDecember), Leonard Cheshire is inviting the public to show how they see purple, whether that’s through their clothing, make-up, furniture, or just out and about in their day-to-day lives.
The coronavirus pandemic means many of us are feeling more isolated. But for one in two disabled people loneliness can be an everyday reality. One in five people with a disability have no access to the internet. Around half don’t have a computer or smartphone. With lockdown restrictions in place, many disabled people face a lonely Christmas[1].
Hugh Fenn, managing director of UK services at Leonard Cheshire said: “It’s been a tough, and lonely, time for us all. No one has felt the impact of this pandemic more than disabled people.
“Technology can help the people we support keep connected and feel less lonely in these challenging times, which is why our #ISeePurple campaign is raising funds ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd.”
