NMC Training’s Exciting Developments by Dee Valkering

New room

The training department has gone through lots of exciting developments in the last couple of months. We have currently moved into a new, larger training room. This will give us the possibility to expand our work stations and deliver training to more students at any one time. It also gives us the opportunity to run more courses and/or workshops along side each other.

More courses on offer NMC

Training has expanded their course offer to Life Skills, including English & Maths and personal skills, Animation, Digital Music and a soon to be started Photography workshop. Currently we run Graphic design and Digital Music courses at the same time. It is great to see how the graphic design students are also keen to try the digital music course once they see their peers working on a piece of music. The digital music course is a fun course for anyone who enjoys music and would like to compose a piece of music themselves. Candidates work on a computer with a piece of music software called “Garageband”. This easy to use program allows users to put together music from pre-prepared loops in a variety of styles. Newcomers will be guided through the early stages of making something simple, but sounding good. Equally, users with more experience are coached through more advanced skills and using more complex combinations of music.

New tutors

We would like to officially welcome Steve Gaffney and Chris Burden as new members of the training team. Steve Gaffney is an experienced tutor and talented musician. Steve delivers Life Skills and Digital Music on Mondays and Tuesdays. Chris Burden graduated with a BA in Animation at Edge Hill University last year and currently delivers a 20 week Animation course, which is held once a fortnight on a Monday.

Taster sessions for ALL ages

The courses at NMC Training are for ALL ages and no previous experience is necessary.  Would you like to try any of the courses? Feel free to come along for a taster session and gain new skills in a friendly and informal environment. Suggestions for new courses/workshops welcome We welcome everyone with suggestions on other skills they would like to gain as we are currently looking for more ideas on a range of workshops/courses.

Or do you have a particular skill which you would love to pass on to other people? Please do pop into training and have a chat with us as we are open to delivering a wide range of workshops/courses. You can also email Dee dee.valkering@nmcentre.com

Animation Courseat NMC by Andrew Woodvine

On the Animation course my experience, at first, was I thought it was boring. But as I pressed on, I got to know Chris and what animation entailed, and now I’m enjoying it so much that I’ve started animating at home! So far I’ve achieved 7 out of 10
seconds of my animation - it’s taken a while but I’m pleased with what I’ve done.

I would recommend this class to other people because I felt that I was given freedom to use any program and any technique to complete my work. This is unlike previous courses I’ve done where you’re sometimes limited to what has been set in a brief, or by the tutor. I felt happier choosing how I went about animating. I like doing the course at the NMC because it’s a familiar place as I also attend for physio there and know a few people. That makes it more comfortable as sometimes it can be difficult talking to new people, but as I say the NMC is a familiar place so it makes talking to people easier. I also feel I’ve made friends on the course so that makes going more fun. By the end of this course I hope to gain some knowledge and skills in Photoshop as well as animation and I hope to have maybe gained some friends. All in all I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the course and would do it again.
Do you fancy creating an animation like Andy? Would you like to do a taster session? Please go and see Kay in the training department or drop us an email: dee.valkering@nmcentre.com

Animation by Chris Burden

I have played games on many different games consoles. I was fascinated by the way they had been designed. This interest developed while I was in Secondary School, but there was a lack of software in school and the teachers at school only taught I.T. The school’s career advisor was aware of the NMC and the types of computer study that were available there, and eventually I attended the NMC 1 day per week over a period of three years. It was here where my horizons widened! I became adept at designing and producing posters, leaflets etc. Upon leaving school I went to Hereward Residential F.E. College, which was primarily for disabled people. It was here where my graphic skills went to a new level, and I was working from briefs and working to deadlines. It was at Hereward that I got certificates in design and graphics.

I stayed at Hereward for three years. I have to say I enjoyed every minute of my time there, not only learning about graphics, but I learnt how to live independently, and the social life was excellent. After leaving Hereward I returned to my family home, and Knowsley Council appointed a social worker (Ruth Jones) to me. She persuaded me to continue my studies. I visited a few local F.E. colleges, Knowsley Community College and Hugh Baird College in the borough of Sefton. I chose Hugh Baird College because it had a wider range of courses that would add to my graphic skills. The course was Art & Design leading to a H.N.D. The course was a ‘condensed one year course’, but I completed it over two years. The reason why I completed the course over two years was because my work rate was quite slow due to my disability, and my tutor wanted to assess what equipment and software I could use to help me complete the course. It was the teaching assistant at Hugh Baird who got me to try creating animation. I produced a short animation and I also developed directing skills which was useful in producing diary type videos depicting everyday activities. I had to produce a portfolio of work in support of my H.N.D. At the end of the course all the students displayed their portfolios to the general public.

I went to Hugh Baird with no intention of doing a degree in Animation, but whilst on the course the tutors used gentle persuasion to get me to do the degree course. It helped that I enjoyed the H.N.D. Course in Art and Design, so I applied for an animation degree course at Edge Hill University.

One of the criteria for the degree course was G.C.S.E. in English language. I studied for this in parallel with my H.N.D. Course. I was accepted by Edge Hill onto the animation degree course. I lived on campus throughout my degree. I learnt how to produce animation to a professional standard and learnt how to write scripts and introduce the necessary elements that go into producing an animation.

For my final project I had to produce a promotional video for a company. So I contacted Matthew Lanham, the Chief Executive at the NMC, and discussed producing a video promoting the Centre and to install it on their website to attract new clients.

Upon Graduation I contacted Dee Valkering (Head of Training at the NMC) to suggest teaching my animation skills to any of her students who may have been interested in learning about the subject. I presented a ‘tester workshop’ to gauge the level of interest in the course, and there appeared to be a keen interest from the students. So now I am teaching one lesson per fortnight at the NMC!

My life at the NMC has come full circle from a student to a teacher! At the end of the course the students will have produced a ten seconds animation. Different students work at different paces, which is understandable, but all the students appear to enjoy being on the course.

A Drone at the NM by Mike Brown

After my FSD kicked in some fifteen years ago I lost my job in the hospital, and concentrated on my work as a professional photographer.

Many years and many weddings and portraits later, the condition was also to relieve me of that job too as the camera became too heavy to carry, and my legs did not want the workout any more.  I turned to taking landscape images, as I had all the kit, and I could take my time setting up on a tripod, and perhaps do ten or twenty a day instead of a thousand. But I was also limited to where my stick or wheels could take me until along came drones. There can be hardly anyone who has not heard of them, if not seen them. But a camera drone would allow me to go where I could not with my legs, and still take the images I wanted to. It would also allow me to take my image taking to greater heights, literally.

The choosing of a drone and the legalities of it all could complete an article all on its own, so I will not go in to it here, but a chance conversation whilst at the NMC led me to photograph the building and its surrounds from the air. A “mission” as they are now popularly called, requires planning and luck. Planning what images you want to take, planning how you will take them, and of course planning around the weather. That is also where the luck comes in. The drone I have, a DJI Phantom 3Pro, will fly in winds up to around 15 knots. The lower the wind the better the pictures though. Lighting is important too. As you will see later. On top of that other things need to be checked and planned for. Is there any aerial activity nearby? Are there any power cables or trees? Are there any prohibited zones like schools or nuclear power stations?

On the day of the “mission”, the weather was very kind with patchy sun and little wind. Early fog had dissipated. However, there were a couple of problems before I could fly. The school next door firstly. They were most kind and co operative when informed about the flight , and requested an image from me. Secondly, there was a restriction on flying because of a nearby airfield, and I do not mean Speke or Manchester. I had permission to fly no higher than 120m, and always within sight.
So I trundled the drone in its converted suitcase on wheels down to the summer house, pulled up a chair and assembled it all. Yes it can all be done sitting down. Taking off from the wooden walkway
and then off to take the pictures. First the still images and then the movies. Some of the images are here, and others can be seen at https://mikeeaa6.myportfolio.com/disabledphotographer

NMC Titans Progress by Mark Chapman

We  have been training regularly for over two months now, it’s going really well, everyone is enjoying it and developing well.

I have also enjoyed coaching the players, it has been a privilege and it is very fulfilling seeing them improve, develop and grow. Not only as players but as people as well, each week we train I have noticed a considerable increase in everyone’s confidence and in myself also. Being part of a football team also benefits everyone socially; we have all become good friends and I don’t think I just talk for myself here, but I look forward to each session. To have a catch up and banter with friends and have a kick about. 

We have got eight players including myself that train regularly. Sessions consist of getting used to the wheelchairs, first by weaving in and out of cones with and without the ball. Learning to hit the ball for passing and shooting. Learning to take a touch and then hitting the ball. This is then put into practice during different drills such as; tennis, where we split in to two teams and each team works together to hit the ball over the baseline, then piggy in the middle, where we make a big circle around the hall and have to pass the ball between us trying to keep it away from the defender in the middle and then we play a game, where we work together to score against a goalkeeper.

“These are very exciting times for us and the future is looking bright!”

The NMC have strong links with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), who have been working with the physiotherapy team for a while carrying out research on Muscular Dystrophy. Due to these connections they are letting us use their sports hall for training and have allowed us to place a storage container to store all our equipment.

Once we knew we had a place to train we started fundraising for the container and equipment, sports wheelchairs, goal posts and footballs. The fundraising went really well and we were able to order the equipment. Once we had all of this in place and we had five sports wheelchairs we could commence training and I could start coaching the players.  We had our first AGM the other week, where we discussed the club moving forward.

Everything is going to plan. We plan to enter the North West championship regional league in October, which will give us a few months to be ready. We also plan to organise a few friendly matches, these matches will be our first competitively. We are in the process of getting a kit; we have decided that it will be blue with an orange stripe across. We have had discussions with MMU and we are going to have them as our shirt sponsor, to mark our thanks and gratitude for all their help. Another good thing to come out from us creating a football team is the research opportunities for Matt from MMU and his colleagues, on people with Muscular Dystrophy participating in sport, and how it has a positive effect on our health and wellbeing.

If you are interested in joining please contact Bryn bryn.edwards@nmcentre.com, James james.taubman@nmcentre.com or myself mark.chapman@nmcentre.com.

Useful Gadgets

Electric underblankets
The bees knees I was introduced to electric under blankets following a lucky escape when a hot water bottle burst.  I have a profiling bed and use the back support daily.  The best one I found was the Dreamland fleece fitted electric under blanket.  It’s been fine whilst others kept breaking after a few months.  It has 6 heat settings and can be on for either 1 or 9 hours. I plug it into a timer switch to keep on for 2 – 3 hours, which is enough for me!  You can get them from John Lewis (single bed £40) with a 3 year guarantee. Well worth it!
http://www.johnlewis.com/dreamland16295-heated-fleece-fitted-single-electricunderblanket-white/p2999603#prev 

Message in a Bottle
A free and simple way to ensure that essential information is readily available to the emergency services should you suffer an accident or sudden illness at home. Free bottles are available in participating GPs surgeries, pharmacists, libraries, voluntary organisations and community groups.

Where’s My Droid
Having knocked myself out after a fall it seemed a good idea that I had some way for people to find me. The last thing I wanted was to lose my independence. I installed a free app called Where’s My Droid on my phone. It uses the GPS on the phone to shown the location on a Google map. If the battery runs out it records the last location. Also great if you lose your phone. www.wheresmydroid.com

Samsung phone voice activated camera mode
Do you struggle taking photos with your smart phone?  Keeping a steady hand, shaking it when you press the shutter button?  If you’ve a Samsung phone, you might have a ‘voice activated’ mode built in.  It’s great – you just say the word ‘smile’ or ‘cheese’ and it takes the photo automatically.  It can be used to take videos, use the timer mode or go to the gallery too. To switch it on, open the camera and click on settings (the cog) then the 3 dots.  Look for a microphone symbol that has ‘voice control’ under it – then tap it to switch it on.  Or depending on the model you have, touch the > in camera mode and then an icon with a microphone. Simples!   
More details are on the link below http:// www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ ANS00040476/ 

Do you have any items that are great that you’d like to let us know about? Please contact the One Voice team!

Listening Books

Reading a book can be difficult if you are not able to hold a book or if you have difficulty holding it for a long period. If you have an illness or disability which makes it difficult to read the printed word in the usual way, you can join Listening Books to gain access to over 8000 fantastic audiobooks for leisure and learning, and you can choose from 3 ways to receive your books: downloads; streaming to an iPod or other portable device to listen on-the-go; or if you prefer you can receive CDs through the post.¨

If you choose to download the books, membership costs £20 a year which allows you to download up to two new books every day. For more information visit listening-books.org.uk

Useful websites - Sports Hobbies and Wellbeing

www.wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk
Think you can't cycle, think again. Wheels for Wellbeing (WfW) is an award-winning charity supporting disabled people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the benefits of cycling.

www.wheelpower.org.uk
This website enables people with disabilities find a sport they enjoy. They advertise opportunities throughout the year to try wheelchair sports.

www.limitlesstravel.org  
Angus Drummond, who has muscular dystrophy recently launched this disability travel website with the ability to rate holiday destinations in terms of accessibility and disability "friendliness".

www.zipworld.co.uk
Fancy plunging to the ground on the worlds fastest zipwire. The Velocity at Zip World Penrhyn, Bethesda is suitable for wheelchair users but only by prior arrangement.

www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk/leisure/equipment 
Living made easy's leisure section provides free impartial information on various items of equipment and some adaptations available to help with a range of indoor and outdoor hobbies.

www.the-dps.co.uk
The Disabled Photographers' Society promotes and supports people with a disability and want to enjoy photography.

Kitchen Tips - My New Kitchen Design by Rodger Marshall

I have recently had an extension to my bungalow to accommodate a new kitchen. I am fortunate in that I had the funds to do it, but I found it very difficult to get any meaningful advice on what to do and what my options there were.  My Local council Occupational Therapist would not help even with the planning stage as I was effectively too well off!  She suggested AKW who install kitchen solutions for people with mobility needs or get some private OT advice.  I called around and became more and more disillusioned with lack of advice in my locality, West Sussex.

I remember visiting the NMC and seeing some of the measures you had incorporated into your kitchen. 

Of all the people I spoke to recently Matthew was the most helpful. He gave me some excellent advice regarding worktops, cupboards and drawers and general accessibility which I incorporated into my design. 

To get some inspiration I persuaded my family to wheel me around the Ikea Superstore in Croydon and looked at online videos. 

I did get some ideas but my budget did not stretch to AKW. In the end I chose a local builder who also happens to be my neighbour to build the extension and fit the kitchen.

My builder uses Howdens to supply the kitchen units and they offer a free kitchen design service. Needless to say that their free service is limited and they have minimal experience designing a kitchen for somebody with mobility issues. 

Prior to the building work I had given the layout a lot of thought and produced my own draft before looking at Howdens plan.  I was able to sit with their planner and their more sophisticated programme and between us we came up with a suitable workable design for the units/cabinets etc.

I believe I have some practical and money saving tips to share with anybody contemplating refitting their kitchen.
   

Matthew strongly suggested having taps at the front edge of the sink rather than the traditional setting at the rear.  After a lot of searching I believe I have sourced a cheaper alternative to the VOLA taps he suggested, saving or rather not spending £400 yet achieving the same outcome.

 

FSH for me means that raising the arms above my head is becoming more and more difficult. Hours and hours searching on internet for remote controlled cooker hoods yielded nothing suitable, but I did find one that will restart on the previous settings if turned off at the mains.

I have found and installed cheap functional plinth heaters to keep me warm and which can be controlled by wall switches.

Pull switches rather than traditional rocker switches are easier to grab hold of and reduce the likelihood of a fall when twisting to turn on the lights on entering a room.   

We utilised the cutouts for the sink and hob to manufacture the pull out shelves and by buying a pair of extension runners from www.IronmongeryDirect.com my builder installed 2 bespoke pull out worktops for less than the 'off the shelf' Howdens price.

Similarly I found that it is possible to install two pull out waste sorting trays side by side under the sink. 

I find the pull out larder units easy to use and access, well worth the investment.

I am sure that like me most sufferers have developed coping mechanisms. But just maybe some of the tips and tricks I have found may help others. Nothing that a competent, empathetic, OT specialist might suggest, but working without this support these are some of the things I incorporated in my new kitchen.

The Shed Club, an interview with Sajay Vaja

 I've been hearing a lot about this 'shed club' at NMC. I've seen the grey 'shed' with the shutter door in the car park. I've seen a variety of good looking, accessible items and really creative ideas for sale too. I was curious, so I caught up with some of the clubbers to find out more....  

Where did the idea come from? 
Sue Walker and Matthew were looking for an outdoor table for the Centre, suitable for both able-bodied and wheelchair users. The cost was just crazy so they approached me (Melvyn) and asked if I could make one for less than that price. So I had a go, and others joined in to help. It went really well...and that's where the idea came from.  

 

Who's in the Club? 
There are 6 of us at the moment and we have many different skills and abilities...we have a builder, a master roofer and a smasher and also others with no previous experience.  

A smasher? 
Yes, Peter - he breaks up the pallets we use for planters. He was a draughtsman and a carer, and used to sit in his car but began by helping us to build the table. We would be lost without him and he loves being involved - like we all do!  

What sort of things have you made to date? 
Well, after the table we've made many planters of various sizes, shapes and colours. We have also made a duck-hut, a very large log storage unit, an electric scooter storage unit, sand pits and planters which are wheelchair-friendly and also a large treasure chest. We have also made a Leopold garden bench, a bird-table and more recently a tray and a vase. We prefer to make smaller items like planters as they are easier to handle and are more cost-effective.  

When do you meet and can others join? Do you need any special skills? 
We meet every Tuesday and Friday, with a 'no lone worker' policy. Our door is open to anyone interested, although there is limited space. No special skills are required other than a good sense of humour!  

Anything else you'd like to add? 
We've raised well over £3000 for the NMC to date and, yes, we do take orders although at times there may be a delay for completion. It has given us all a purpose and a sense of achievement. We have great camaraderie and have all learnt new skills while overcoming physical problems. And we turn trash into treasure along the way. By using pallets and second-hand wood we are helping the environment, and we sell what we make which is a bonus for NMC. If you'd like to get in touch, please come and say hello at the Shed, or through Denise Boyall. 

NMC Titans

The NMC Titans is a newly established powerchair football team based at the NeuroMuscular Centre. The team was set up in January following very successful taster sessions run as part of the summer’s sports days. The team is being co-ordinated by James Taubman (Manager) and Bryn Edwards (Chairman).

Sara Dickinson, a development officer from the Wheelchair football association, helped kick-start the team by providing wheelchairs and other necessary equipment on a fortnightly basis allowing for some initial sessions to go ahead, sparking a fantastic amount of interest from a variety of people associated with the NMC. Unfortunately this has now come to an end and the club now needs to become self-sufficient with their own equipment and storage space, which as you can imagine doesn’t come cheap! Lyndsey Cannon, from the fundraising team at the NMC, is doing a fantastic job applying for and securing funding from various sources.

The team is soon to be affiliated with the Cheshire FA and will soon also be affiliated with the WFA allowing us to make connections with other local teams and begin to look at competing in the regional or national leagues. 

The Titans currently use the sports hall facilities at Manchester Metropolitan University campus in Crewe and are looking to make this the long term training facility with the possibility of on site storage.  

The team so far has had a wonderful response from those involved and others who have heard about it and the Titans are gaining momentum very quickly. It has attracted many people, men and women, from 18 to 53 and keeps on attracting new very enthusiastic members. It is a very exciting and worthwhile venture for the NMC to develop and we hope it will continue to grow into a top league team in the not too distant future.

The NMC Titans are still gaining momentum in preparation to become a regular fixture in the NMC calendar. The team is very grateful for all the money that has been put towards the running of the team and have bought the necessary equipment to begin regular training including sets of goal posts and cones. The only thing missing now is sports chairs. As these are slightly more expensive funding them will take more time however as soon as we have them the Titans we be in full force training in preparation for a competitive future. We hope everyone can get behind the team and the NMC Titans can achieve great things. 

Are you interested in either joining as a player or coming to watch?  The Titans are the NeuroMuscular Centre team and meet at MMU, Crewe Sports Hall. For details contact 01606 860911, james.taubman@nmcentre.com, bryn.edwards@nmcentre.com or see James Taubman or Bryn Edwards at the NMC

Downhill Adventures - James Taubman Sit ski

During the summer at the Neuromuscular Centre, Disability Snow Sports came to give a demonstration of the “Sit Ski” and to give our clients here the opportunity to try it out at the centre.  James was enthusiastic, and gave it a go!  A few other people in our community also tried it out and enjoyed the very positive and informative demonstration.

James wanted to take this one step further, and a week later he had booked himself at the “Chill Factore” in Manchester to make his dream a reality!  James tells me he had very little time to dwell on it which he felt was for the best!

James wrapped up warm in plenty of layers and went with his career to Chill Factore - His carer also went on the slope. The experience was a one hour session - up and down the slope roughly about eight to ten goes.

James was very confident as the staff at the Chill Factore made him feel comfortable and reassured him that his safety was paramount.

James was attached to a lift to take him to the top of the slope.  He tell me he was nervous the first time but after this he was buzzing and was ready to go again ! James also had a guide behind him doing all the steering and manoeuvring. He soon got over his fear!  He tells me It was an unforgettable experience.

James would highly recommend trying out the “Sit Skiing” at Chill Factore.  He found it something out of the ordinary.  He was also pleased that he could participate in this sport and take on the challenge and that his disability was not a barrier to him taking part in such an activity. James would like to take on a mountain and a skiing trip in the future!  Go James - we look forward to hearing all about your next adventure!

Steve Bebe on the Radio

Many people have said over the years that you should be on the radio.  How did you get the opportunity to be on the radio? I was asked by our Community Fundraiser Amy Swatkins to join her on the “Charities Today” show on RedShift Radio to talk about the NMC, and after the show I asked the presenter about how you go about becoming a DJ on RedShift.  She told me to email Liz Southall who runs the radio station. So I emailed Liz and we arranged a meeting at the station to discuss what type of show I would like to do and straight away she offered me a time slot - which was fantastic. So I went back the following week for my training which including showing me how everything works and then I went on air for a short 20 minute trial, firstly talking to her on air and then leaving me on my own for about 10 minutes to play a couple of songs and do a few links, and then after that I was told i could start my own show! 

What does it involve and what do you actually do? I present a community news and music show called ‘What’s Happening with Steve Bebe’ which initially started on a Monday afternoon between 2 and 3 pm before moving to a new slot. In my first few shows I spoke about the different areas of the NMC and now I talk about upcoming fundraising events every week. I also did a spot about Nantwich Cricket Club (where i do the cricket scoring) during the cricket season, talking about the previous weekends results. I promote events going on in Crewe and Nantwich and also Redshift Radio events and other Redshift shows.

What have you learnt? I’ve learnt how a radio station works and how to set up shows with music, hub sweepers (which play over the start over an intro to a song before the vocals start) commercials and community highlight news at the top of the hour. I’ve also learnt about how to speak properly on air including remembering to give time checks and learning how to talk over songs, especially how to get the fader levels right - all very technical and very radio geeky things...Haha!!

What do you get out of it? The opportunity to finally fulfil a boyhood dream to be a radio DJ, following in the footsteps of my radio heroes like Steve Wright, Mark and Lard, Terry Wogan and Chris Moyles. It’s a lot better than playing your tape cassettes and CDs at home while talking to yourself (which is exactly what I used to do as a kid....and in recent years using my iTunes if I’m being honest...Haha!!) Also the fact that I get the opportunity to spread the word about the fabulous work that we do here at The NeuroMuscular Centre.

Has it impacted other areas of your life? Like I said above, giving me the chance to talk about the work that I do at the centre, and also promote The NMC on radio, gives me a huge sense of pride. Also it’s made me an even more confident person (and those of you that know me know I’m a very confident person)

Tell us about the new things you’re learning about radio editing and production? At the end of August, Redshift Radio relocated studios from Crewe to Nantwich and Liz asked me if I was interested in getting involved with the production and editing side of RedShift in addition to doing my radio show.  I was only too happy to do so. I started doing my additional role at the end of September, editing the community news and also adding backing tracks to our new Jingles...including my own....a very proud moment.

How and when can people listen in, make requests, and how can they catch up with shows they’ve missed? Since we relocated I’ve moved my show so now I’m on air every Tuesday evening between 6 and 8pm. We are an internet station so you can listen online at www.redshiftradio.co.uk/player or you can download the RedShift Radio app for free from your mobile app store (just search for ‘RedShift Radio’). You can also find us on the ‘Tune-In Radio’ app. You can send requests to my Twitter account which is @StevenBebe or www.twitter.com/ StevenBebe or message me on Facebook  www.facebook. com/steven.bebe but you may
have to add me as a friend if you’re not already. Alternatively you can call or text the RedShift studio on 01270 262 262 when I’m on air.

If you cannot catch me live, I always upload my show to Mixcloud for people to listen to the following day www. mixcloud.com/steven-bebe/ (you may have to create an account to do so, but it is free

Riding For The Disabled – Susan Moore

I joined my local “Riding for the Disabled” group in 2002 at the age of 54, having never having sat on a horse before! After completing a rider application form, and a medical questionnaire (that my GP completed) I was placed on a waiting list. It was some weeks before I was offered a place to ride each week.

Getting on
The first hurdle that I had to overcome was actually getting onto a horse. I was able to stand, and with lots of help (it took four helpers) I managed to get onto the mounting block. Dismounting proved to be somewhat easier, but still required three helpers. Initially the whole procedure seemed awkward and clumsy but it soon got easier when the mounting team became familiar with the type of assistance that I required.

Some groups do have wheelchair mounting blocks with ramps and some groups have hoists. However I have not had experience of using either of these so I am unable to say how easy/difficult they are. My group now have a higher mounting block. It has an extra step but a much bigger area for rider and helper to stand on, so it does make the process much easier and safer.

First session
At my first riding session I was led on a kind, well-mannered horse at a gentle walking pace. I was riding in a group with four other riders and after a few weeks I experienced my first trot! It gave me a sense of freedom that I hadn't
experienced in a long time and I went home feeling so much better both physically and mentally. Physically my posture improves at least for the hour I am sat in the saddle, and the movement of the horse actually helps to loosen me up. Over the years I have lost even more muscle strength but with the help of an experienced, sympathetic instructor and helpers I have been managed to overcome any issues as they have occurred. Due to the muscle wasting effects of FSH I have only partial use of my right arm and learnt to ride with adapted reins that have a bar across the centre which I can hold with one hand.

Time to compete
In 2009 I competed for the first time in an "Introduction to Dressage" class at the RDA West Mercia Regional Dressage competition. As this was an introduction class I was able to do the class being led, however, I still had to do all the work without the leader influencing my movements. I achieved a second place and my first rosette!

This success spurred me on to want to do more competing and the following year I applied to the RDA national office to be profiled and graded as a para rider. This involved being assessed and classified by an RDA physiotherapist trained in the para equestrian classification system. I was graded as a 1a rider which enabled me to compete in grade 1a walk only dressage tests. The grading assessment is not dissimilar to the muscle assessments carried out by the physiotherapists at the NMC!
 
In 2011 I won the grade 1a class in the RDA Regional Dressage championship qualifying class and two months later I qualified to compete in the RDA National Championships where I gained a respectable 5th place. I qualified again in 2013 and gained 7th place. In championship qualifying classes and the championships themselves you are required to ride completely independently - it's just you and the horse alone in an empty dressage arena for what at the time, seems like an eternity.

Volunteer
As well as being a rider I am also a volunteer with my group. In 2008 I was invited to join the committee as the group’s rider representative and a few months later I became the groups Volunteer Co-ordinator, a role I continue to do today.

Being a volunteer as well as a rider, I do feel that I am giving something back, even
if it is only my time. It is very enjoyable and rewarding knowing that in a small way you are helping others to enjoy what you enjoy yourself. On occasions it can be frustrating too, but knowing that without the committee and an army of willing helpers, people like myself and my fellow riders would not be able to participate in a very enjoyable and for some, challenging activity. Last October I was approached by the chair of the West Mercia Regional committee asking if I would consider taking on the role of Regional Rider Representative. After much thought and pondering, I thought 'why not', so now I have another new challenge to get to grips with.

Why did I choose to learn to ride?
So why did I choose to take up riding? I was finally diagnosed with FSH at the age of 46 having had unexplained symptoms from birth and spending huge chunks of my childhood/teenage years backwards and forwards to various hospitals. In the same year I was also diagnosed with diabetes. At this stage I was still reasonably mobile and with my diet, managed to keep everything under control until 2001 when a sudden and rapid change in the diabetes meant I had to go on to insulin injections.  I was told some sort of gentle exercise would help too. Walking and swimming were non-starters. I was using a wheelchair outdoors and had lost partial use of one arm and I had never learnt to swim anyway. I had always wanted to ride, so it seemed like an obvious choice.  

Pleasure and enjoyment
Riding for the Disabled has given me so much pleasure and enjoyment as well as enabling me to achieve in a sport. Something I never thought possible. It has also given me some wonderful opportunities, far too many to mention and I have made many good friends along the way. All riders whether physically or severely learning impaired, young or old are on a level playing field and equal to each other. This applies whether riding in a group session or competing. To quote the RDA motto, "It's what you can do that counts".

Anyone wanting to know more about riding or volunteering with the Riding for the Disabled Association should consult the RDA National website at www.rda.org.uk

Out and About - Marc Chapman – My indoor skiing adventure

Lately I've been feeling quite of an adrenaline junkie so I started searching the internet for activities that I could try. The first thing I found was skiing at the ChillFactore, which is the home of British Paralympic snow sports. I discovered that it provided people like myself the opportunity of skiing using equipment called a sit-ski. 

As soon as I found out about it, I rang them to see how soon I could get a slot to ski. The reply was “Thursday”. I took them up on their offer. I was really excited and couldn't wait to go skiing! 

I was told that we would need to bring my sling and some warm clothing. As luck would have it, it was on a promotion at half price so instead of being £50 it was only £25! 

On the actual day we had to be there for 11:30am so we set off early to make sure that we arrived in good time. When we got there we put my sling on, ready to be hoisted onto the sit-ski. They had a hoist there. As it was my first time they took their time making sure I was comfy and strapped in securely. Once we were all satisfied that I was secure and comfy, they took me out onto the snow and to the top of the slope using the ski lift that they attached with a strap to the sit-ski. At the top it looked quite steep, I started to get butterflies in my stomach as I was excited. Please note that they don't send you down the slope on your own, you have a skier attached to the back of the sit-ski to steer, so there is nothing to worry about. 

We set off down the slope sweeping from side to side picking up speed all the way. I enjoyed it so much that once I got to the bottom I wanted to go again so off we went back up to the top. 

It was an amazing experience and one that I'll never forget, I'll definitely be going back to do it again and I highly recommend it even if it is back to full price. It's so
good it would be worth it!

Zipwire Challenge – Paul Baddeley

Earlier on this year I had a big idea but didn’t really think that it would happen! Well it did and I have lived to tell the tale. A Zip Wire challenge!!

In August along with Katherine, Bev and Chris we went to ZipWorld in North Wales to do the challenge and try and raise some money for NMC. 

On the actual day I was very nervous as it was way beyond my comfort zone. Once I was all strapped up it was time to go. Wow! We zip wired over the lake. It was totally exhilarating and hugely satisfying. I’m not sure that I would do it again though. We raised £    for NMC.