East Sussex Disability Association have been directly helping disabled people in East Sussex for longer than the NHS, we are a vital charity that may not recieve the same media coverage as the "larger" charities but directly assist disabled people in being equal members in society
The current economic crisis has made it more vital than ever that we are in a position to provide support and advice to disabled people in East Sussex
We are in the privalaged position that we have been kindly offered support by a lottery winner who has offered to match fund in August 2011 any donations ESDA recieves throughout the month of August 2010 up to an increadible maximum of £350,000.
If ESDA was able to raise £350,000 it would enable us to consider the following services/improvements:
- Provide ESDA with an additional £350,000 in 2011 that will enable us to expand our services to the needs of disabled people in the future, vital in these difficult financial times. - Fund our DEBS ( Disability Elements Benefits Service ) for three years which provides support and assistance to those that need it and find the filling out of the complex paperwork difficult to complete. This service will raise a massive £18 million directly for disabled people over the next three years, we would also include a specialist Welfare Rights Service that will enable us to represent disabled people who require assistance in representint them in court
- Update our sensory garden at our offices in Eastbourne which is used amongst other events for our volunteer barbeque where we reward our volunteers that have assisted us over the year
- Provide a series of training courses in our fully accesible computer Karten Centre Suite at our ESDA offices. This will include employment training, access to the internet, basic computer skills and European Driving Licence courses for our members
- Develop our Disabled Living Centre which allows disabled people to try equipment they may require in an impartial environment. This will include employing an additional Occupational Therapist to cut down waiting times ( currently 4 weeks ) and to improve the facilities within the centre. This is a vital service as we hear many stories from disabled people who have purchased equipment at a huge cost only to later discover that they have equipment that is not suitable for their needs
- Increase our Information Service from 3 days to 5 days a week, this will allow us to specialise our service and to provide a better level of accurate information for disabled people. The Information Service provides confidential advice on topics ranging from blue badges to accesible holiday locations.
-Promote a new range of initiatives to improve health and wellbeing amongst disabled people in East Sussex, this would include promoting access to sport programmes as well as health programmes such as healthy eating/quit smoking guidance
- Assist in Enabling ESDA to replace its roof which is over 20 years old now and leaking and provide ESDA with future year on year income generation through our Solar Panel project which will not only mean that we will never have another electricity bill again but also generate a minimum of £250,000 for ESDA over the next 25 years through the Feed In Tariff
- Ensuring that the the voice of local disabled people is heard and listened to by statutory service providers in the county. This helps to ensure that the services provided really meet their needs.
If you are able to donate anything to our appeal, whether big or small then please do as it will make a Big Difference to disabled people in East Sussex. We have never had an opportunity before where we can make such a difference to the way we operate and are hoping that if we are lucky enough to raise anywhere near the total we can
www.justgiving.com/matchfundchallenge
