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lifeAutumn-Winter 2015

INSIDE : Volunteer stories p2 • Read all about it p3 • Event news p4 • Fearless fundraisers p7

We were delighted to accept an invitation from our Patron Samantha Cameron to attend a special reception in support of Revitalise at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday 13 October.

The occasion was the perfect opportunity to launch our two brand new ‘Sharing Stories’ Impact Reports, packed full of inspiring testimonies from our guests and volunteers that are guaranteed to make your hearts swell with pride.

One highlight of the evening was the presentation by Samantha Cameron of a Point of Light Award to long-serving volunteer Tim Prideaux, who is a former Trustee of over 20 year’s standing and a current VP of Revitalise.

We also took advantage of the occasion to showcase our latest survey findings, demonstrating the plentiful personal and social benefits of volunteering.

The Revitalise research revealed that an overwhelming 95% of the Revitalise volunteers in the 16-25 age group believed that volunteering improved their job prospects. Furthermore, half (49%) of the volunteers in the same age group now in work said that volunteering had helped them get their jobs.

goes to Downing Street!

What's more, 95% of the Revitalise volunteers said the experience had improved their understanding and attitude towards disabled people and 77% said the experience had inspired them to play a more active role in the community.

Revitalise Chief Executive Chris Simmonds commented:

“On behalf of Revitalise I would like to thank our Patron, Samantha Cameron, for inviting us to Downing Street to launch our new Impact Reports, and congratulate Tim Prideaux on a well-deserved Point of Light Award."

In her speech, Samantha Cameron said:

"Looking after a loved one with special needs can be exhausting and all encompassing. Revitalise recognises this. Their centres ensure that disabled guests enjoy the fun and new holiday experiences that other people take for granted, whilst their carers and families are given a well earned break.”

On receiving a Point of Light Award, Tim Prideaux said:

"I accept this award on behalf of the thousands of volunteers each year who give their free time to help Revitalise provide truly transformative experiences for our guests."

RevitaliseOnVideoRevitalisecharity RevitaliseNowJoin the conversation:

Chris Simmonds, Piers Gough CBE, Mindy Sawhney, Samantha Cameron, Linda Beaney & Arthur Smith

Mindy Sawhney, Samantha Cameron, Anne McConnell MBE, Ros Dover & Jean & Denis Green

To donate, please go to: www.revitalise.org.uk/donate

Chloe Merriam, New OrleansRevitalise Volunteer July 2015

“Volunteering at Revitalise has been an amazing experience. Coming into the position, I had no idea what it would be like to work for a charity but Revitalise has given me a real look into how a charity works. In addition, I always felt as if the work I was doing for Revitalise was valuable.

In my time there, I worked on both the autumn raffle and with some large data lists in order to determine what other kinds of groups would benefit from a partnership with Revitalise. In both these cases, I could see how my work mattered. With each new raffle prize received or each new contact made, I felt that I was helping to make a difference for Revitalise.

Furthermore, everyone I worked with was so overwhelmingly nice and welcoming. Especially coming from so far away, everyone went out of their way to make sure I enjoyed the work I was doing and the environment I was in. I would recommend volunteering at Revitalise to anyone who asks.”

Volunteer StoriesKimberley Watson, London Revitalise Volunteer July 2015

“I decided I wanted to do some volunteering work over my summer holidays in the charity sector as charities conduct some of the most important work for society but would struggle to help others as effectively as they do without volunteers. I chose Revitalise as I felt that their work truly made a difference to the lives and well-being of those who went on the respite breaks. I loved volunteering with Revitalise as everyone in the office was so kind and friendly towards me from the start. The work itself was also varied and interesting and it was nice that the staff reassured me of the progress I was making for Revitalise. I'd recommend anyone to give volunteering a go either in the head office or in one of the centres - you won't regret it!”

If you would like to try your hand at volunteering at a Revitalise centre, office or shop, please visit revitalise.org.uk/volunteer or email [email protected]



Read all about it!

Revitalise got on the score sheet in August with a media campaign lifting the lid on poor accessibility at the Premier League’s stadiums.

Our Footie4All campaign was carefully timed to coincide with the start of the Premiership season and was a big hit with broadcasters, who queued up to interview CEO Chris Simmonds.

We surveyed the 20 clubs in the world’s richest football league and collated the findings into an alternative league table. The results were quite astonishing. While lowly Bournemouth was flying high for accessibilty in its first season in the top tier, some of the established heavyweights were languishing in the bottom half of the table. This gave us plenty of ammunition in our call for better access to football.

Chris Simmonds gave radio interviews to numerous radio stations, including BBC Radio Manchester, Merseyside and Solent, and appeared on BBC TV’s North West Tonight and London Live TV. The Times and BBC Sport also covered the story.

Football Focus

That was the question we asked ourselves when we investigated the role of gender in caring back in June. We wanted to find out why there were so may more female than

male carers and the conclusion we came to was that there is a gender bias in caring, which is unfairly pressuring women into caring roles ahead of men.

We turned our survey into a successful media campaign, with our own Jen Ukaegbu

taking the helm for interviews. Jen talked to BBC Radio Manchester and Northampton among many others, plus made her TV debut on London Live.

Gender Agenda

What our survey found:

8 out 10 female carers felt pressured into caring

Twice as many women as men think gender is a factor in caring

Men & women agree that men are just as good at caring as women

Are women unfairly pressured into caring?

Read more about our PR campaigns at: www.revitalise.org.uk/latest-releases


Event news


The 33rd annual Revitalise Women of the Year Awards are a chance to honour women’s outstanding individual achievements in all professions year on year, and we were delighted to recognise the achievements of this year’s winners in October at a glittering gala award ceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel in October. Dr Sharon Redrobe, Twycross Zoo CEO and world-renowned zoologist, was awarded the coveted Businesswoman of the Year Award, in recognition of her leadership of Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire. Baroness Helen Newlove was also recognised for her tireless campaigning work for victims of crime. In a break from tradition, a special Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Baroness Deborah Stedman-Scott in recognition of her work as former CEO of the national employment charity, Tomorrow’s People. Linda Beaney, Trustee of Revitalise and one of the keynote speakers, commented: “Huge congratulations to Sharon, Helen and Deborah on your achievements today. You are all so deserving of your awards and have provided a fantastic example for people everywhere to follow. On behalf of Revitalise, I would like to thank all the women at this fantastic event for your support. In its three decades this event has raised around half a million pounds for our vital work. Your generosity will help us to continue and expand our vital work supporting disabled people and carers from the Midlands and across the UK.”

The Women of the Year Awards in aid of Revitalise

Marvellous Marathoners The dedication and determination we admire so much was in abundance back in April, when no less than 30 marvellous marathoners set out to grind their way to victory as part of Team Revitalise in the 2015 London Marathon. The wave of energy and enthusiasm that surrounded us at our cheering point was palpable as our runners began to filter in from the brisk afternoon air to join us at our post-race reception at the Institute of Directors.

First to join us was returning 10-time Team Revitalise runner Ed Muboro, who completed the challenge in a near-elite time of 03:01:25! Our runners’ friends and family embraced their loved ones and glowed with pride at the sight of them clutching their well-deserved medals. We want to say a huge thank you to Team Revitalise - including our very own Trustee Phillip White. Collectively, you raised over £20,000 for Revitalise. Well done all!

For more info about any of our running or other exciting events, please contact Abbie at [email protected] or call 0207 288 6874


The Ride London-Surrey 100 provides a rare opportunity for non-pro cyclists like you and me to grab our old bikes from the shed, brush off the cobwebs, pump up the tyres and pretend to be Chris Froome for a day. And back in the summer, the 41 brave riders of Team Revitalise, including Trustee Mike Ashton, did precisely that. Starting at the QE2 Olympic Park, they whizzed out along closed roads, following the Olympic route, through the City of London then out into the country. Many of them kindly came to see us at our post-race picnic in Hyde Park. Over well-deserved refreshments and nibbles they told us their stories and posed for pictures with their winners’ medals.


Va Va Froome!

One sunny morning in October, ten runners from Team Revitalise donned their running gear to take part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon in support of Revitalise. Starting and finishing in London’s Hyde Park, over 16,000 runners took part in the 13.1 mile route through Central London, taking in the spectacular sites of the capital and the beautiful Royal Parks. For some members of Team Revitalise like David, the race was a good opportunity to take in some of the sites and build on his previous competitive running performances:

“I did enjoy the race and was very pleased with the time I got - 1 hr 36 mins. The city and parks looked magnificent in the sun. I don't think I have ever run a half marathon quicker.” For newbie Jenika, it was her first time taking part in any type of sponsored run, and upon finishing, she felt a huge sense of achievement and is now looking forward to the next race! Congratulations to Team Revitalise and thank you for sharing your stories and pictures with us.

Parklife

If you feel inspired to take on a fundraising challenge for Revitalise, get in touch with Abbie on [email protected] or call 0207 288 6874.

We’d like to say a huge congratulations to the cycling heroes of Team Revitalise – see you all next year?


Event news Event news

Our own research has revealed that nearly 4.8 million people in the UK (8.5% of the population) have impairments or illnesses which limit their day-to-day activities. Of these, we have identified over half a million people who could benefit directly from the kind of breaks we provide. We currently provide nearly 5,000 respite holidays each year, but this number represents just 1% of those who could benefit from our services. The need for high

quality respite breaks like those provided by Revitalise has never been higher. We aim to establish three more centres across the UK, doubling our current capacity, in order to meet a high and increasing demand for our services. By carefully choosing the location of these new centres, we plan that none of our new or existing guests will have to travel for more than two hours to reach a Revitalise

centre. The resulting economies of scale will enable us to pass on savings to our guests and increase our service investment.

At this moment in time, we are close to finalising the location of our first new centre in Worcestershire. The local council and businesses have assisted us in finding the very best location for the centre. Friend of Revitalise and acclaimed leading architect Piers Gough, CBE of CWZG, is offering his generous support and advice on the design.

A lasting legacy...


Did you know that a third of all the money we raise comes from legacy gifts?No matter how big or small, legacy gifts are absolutley vital to us. What's more, they can be whatever you want them to be. From £100 to £10,000; from the remainder of an estate to anything left over after other gifts have been made - it’s up to you!

How can you help? Your legacy gift will benefit the people we support in so many ways:

Making a Will doesn’t have to be tricky. With the help of a solicitor it can be very straightforward and we are always here to help. To find out more, please get in touch to receive your FREE legacy pack. Without these gifts from generous people like you, we could not provide the breaks that mean so much to so many. If you haven’t already done so, please consider leaving a legacy gift to Revitalise today.

For more info contact Fran on [email protected] or call 0207 288 6888

Exciting plans for our new centres

Fund breaks for those who may never be able to take a break Build new centres so that all those who need to are able to get to us Support our volunteers who give friendship and time to our guests Employ skilled and dedicated care and nursing staff.


Fearless fundraisers!


Jubilee Lodge welcomed six ladies from the Abridge Ladies Golf Group in August, to receive a cheque for £23,000 raised by the Ladies’ Charity Golf Day.

The Ladies also helped Revitalise officially launch a brand new minibus which the centre was able to purchase with the funds raised by the Golf Day.

The Abridge Ladies – Lesley Allsuch, Marion Grant, Pam Levine, Alison Levy, Melanie Shlosberg and Ros Valens – were welcomed by CEO Chris Simmonds and Trustee Linda Beaney, along with Jubilee Lodge Manager Jennifer Hamilton-Smith and guests and volunteers from the centre. Chris commented: “On behalf of Revitalise I want to thank the lady golfers of Abridge for such an astonishingly generous donation. You’ve scored a hole in one with this fantastic gesture!" Melanie Shlosberg, Chair of the Abridge Ladies Golf Group, added: “I was very overwhelmed and humbled to be able to present this minibus on behalf of Abridge Golf Club Ladies Section to Revitalise at Jubilee Lodge."

Ladies who launch

Back in the summer, Revitalise volunteer, Enid Fielden took to the skies to take part in a tandem Skydive at the Black Knights Parachute Centre in Lancashire. Enid has been a volunteer at the Revitalise centre at Sandpipers for over 20 years and explains why she has decided to throw herself out of a plane to raise money for Revitalise: “Revitalise is a charity very close to my heart. It gives great opportunity for volunteers to gain confidence and a sense of community spirit. I don’t spend as much time as I would like volunteering, but I wanted to do something amazing for this superb charity and give something back. Everyone needs a holiday – it’s not a luxury item is it?” Enid’s tireless fundraising and extraordinary efforts have so far raised a magnificent £1,487.20. Congratulations and thank you to Enid from all of us at Revitalise.

You can still donate! Support Enid’s Skydive at: https://www.justgiving.com/EnidSkydive/

The Flying Lady


Ready to support

T: 0303 303 0145 E: [email protected] W: revitalise.org.uk

Revitalise would not be able to keep providing essential breaks to disabled people and carers without the support of some incredible organisations, groups, volunteers and individuals, and for that we are truly grateful. We would like to thank each and every one of you. Disabled people are at the forefront of the continuation of the severe cuts in social care funding. In 2015/16 local authorities have budgeted to make cuts of £1.1bn and this comes after councils have slashed their adult social care budgets by 31% over the last five years. In a survey conducted by us in September, we found that nine out of 10 carers are unable to take a break away from caring, with eight out of 10 carers saying that guilt is a barrier that prevents them from accessing respite opportunities. There are currently 6.5 million people in an unpaid caring role living in the UK. This demonstrates the urgency and importance of Revitalise and how imperative it is for us to raise the funds to make sure that every single disabled person and carer in the UK has access to a break. Give us the gift of care Please support Revitalise and give the most valuable gift of happiness and genuine care. There are so many ways you can get involved and make a difference: • Take part in an event, be it a run, cycle, walk, skydive, bake sale or raffle• Remember Revitalise by leaving a life-changing gift in your Will • Volunteer your time in our centres, shops or in our London office • Get your workplace involved through volunteering, fundraising or corporate sponsorship • Make an online donation at www.revitalise.org.uk/donate

For more info contact Fran on [email protected] or call 0207 288 6888

www.revitalise.org.uk


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