The Purpose of this blog is to promote The Dyspraxia Foundation E book' "Dyspraxic Adults Surviving in a Non-Dyspraxic World" self
help book for dyspraxic adults. All proceeds go to the Dyspraxia
Foundation Adult support groups. Available on Amazon for £9.99
Today’s blog
definitely gives the views of the Dyspraxia Foundation and is an attempt to
answer some of the views and awkward but relevant questions that I have heard
from other Dyspraxic Adults, before I became Adult Adviser
On Friday I attended my First Dyspraxia Foundation Trustees
Away day. The main focus was to raise funds for the DF as they have become
short of funding, partly due to not getting more Lottery Funding for the
Helpline. We are also raising funds for core costs of running the Dyspraxia
Foundation.
I
am fully aware that Dyspraxic Adults don’t see the relevance of joining the DF
or supporting the DF. Well the DF needs your support because if the DF ceases
to exist it can’t support adults
The DF is a membership organisation and represents the
views of its members. With only a small number of adult members it’s difficult
for the organisation to represent adults and raise awareness of adult issues.
Well 16 years ago when I wanted support in Manchester so I set I didn’t blame
the DF for there not being a support group in Manchester. I’d just been
medically retired so instead of being a passive victim I set up the Manchester
adult support group. There is no reason why other adults can’t do the same if
there isn’t one in their area. We have DF guidelines that I made to help with
this. Some of you if you haven’t done
already could help by raising awareness of dyspraxia or lobbying your MP if
you’re not happy with the adult services in your area.
We were all children once. So why does there have to be a them and us? Do
you really want children and young people to have to endure some of the things
that happened to many adults? I for one had a difficult childhood due to lack
of dyspraxia awareness and wouldn’t’ like young people today to have to endure
the same type of bullying and discrimination.
As Adults you may be thinking the following:
“The
Dyspraxia Foundation is a Children’s charity and Adults are second best. They put on more Children’s conferences than Adult
ones? They are only interested in young children and young people”.
The DF has a three year cycle for its awareness campaigns. Year
1 focuses on Children, Year 2[S2] Young
People and Year 3 Adults, but the adult Advisory panels subject to finances
still put on conferences and devise new leaflets, raise awareness and
participate in parliamentary campaigns every year. They could do even more if more
adults supported us
“They
don’t have a conference in my area They always have conferences in London] Birmingham or Manchester”.
Well these are areas that are highly populated and are
accessible by public transport[S6] [JT7] . We
did try to put a conference on in Newcastle after locals requesting this but
there was not a big enough response so it had to be cancelled. If any adult
knows of a free venue that’s near public transport in their area and we have
more funds by more adults supporting us we could have events in other areas.
There are more Children’s conferences than Adult ones
because unfortunately children’s conferences, especially when professionals
attend bring in more income than adult ones. The surplus from these are used
however.to supplement adult activities.
“Why
are there not free places for Adults at Conferences for adults on a low income
and no bursaries for hotels and travel expenses?”
Adult conferences are subsidised by funding from the surplus
made from children & young people’s conferences and they do not have the
funds to completely give free places to Adults. But if the DF continues I will
try to look at funding bids to further supplement adults. But in with austerity
cuts many charities are after the same pots of money so competition is fierce.
“The
DF is based in Hitchin what has that got to do with us?”
The Hitchin staff
distribute leaflets, organise Conferences for Dyspraxic Adult’s Parents and run
the helpline you may be surprised to know that over 50% of the helpline enquiries are from adults. The
DF staff also organise and take part in fundraising activities and often work
outside of paid hours on a voluntary basis..
 |
| Dyspraxia Foundation reception at Parliament.2nd left Emma Llewellyn Bucks, Michele Lee, Eleanor Howes |
This year the Dyspraxia
Awareness week focuses on adult employment, we are working with the present
Government on the economic impact of adult dypraxics not being supported in
employment. Hence the recent Survey
Monkey to gather evidence for this. We are represented by Dyspraxic adult
shadow MP Emma Llewellyn Bucks. We also have the ebook ‘Dyspraxic Adults
Surviving in a Non-Dyspraxic World that has sold almost 200 copies and there
will soon be a paper copy available on Amazon..
So please don’t
think we do nothing for adults. So please Join the DF and make a donation if
you can so we can do even more for Adults, I’m also looking for Dyspraxic
adults with skills in fundraising, adult education, publicity and marketing,
dyspraxia awareness, employment, health and emotional well-being to participate
on my Adult Advisory Panel.
