A message from Living Options Devon CEO, Diana Crump
With 2023 now well underway, I am delighted to provide an update of the work being carried out by Living Options Devon.
We ended 2022 with the fantastic news that Living Options Devon was successful in our application for the Big Lottery Community Fund. This £430,000 funding will enable us to support over 2,300 disabled and Deaf people across Devon. This will include delivering disability and Deaf awareness training to wellbeing services, offering access audits to existing wellbeing services, and creating volunteering opportunities.
In January we officially launched our ‘Get Active Together‘ programme. Get Active Together will support people with disabilities and Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users, to become more active, and engage in sports and physical activity.
This project has been supported by a £20,000 grant from the Peter Harrison Foundation. Get Active Together will build on the success of our popular Deaf Get Active project, and encourage physical activity across both the Deaf, and disabled community. A schedule of taster sessions and events is now available.
The ‘Home from Hospital’ team continue to offer support to our NHS colleagues and patients as Devon hospitals experience ongoing pressures. Home from Hospital is a free support service currently available for patients attending or leaving North Devon District Hospital, the RD&E and community hospitals in northern Devon, East Devon and Exeter.
When in hospital an advisor can help prepare for a smooth transfer home. The team of advisors are available by phone, text or video calls. Healthcare and hospital staff can refer patients to the service, as can family and friends along with patients themselves.
2023 is shaping up to be a busy year. The above is a small picture of the work being carried out across the region. We look forward to sharing news of our future projects and the impact Living Options Devon continues to have on the lives of our Deaf and disabled communities.