Agenda and minutes

ATTENDANCE: Martin De Rosario (MDR, Co-Chair), Cllr Phil Larratt (PL, Co-Chair), Luisa Jepson (LJ, NIFF/Keep Safe), Debbie MacColl (DM, NBC), Beverley Mennell (BM, NBC), Alan Eagle (AE, Northampton U3A), Barbara Barber (BB, Individual), Larry Barber (LB, Individual), Carl Weininger (CW, Northants British Polio Fellowship), Gill Chittenden (GC, NBPF).

MDR opened the forum.

Minutes accepted by the forum. Beverley Mennell gave apologies for the last forum which was not recorded.

Talked through hate crime reporting and how NIFF, the council and people like Rukhsana from the police can be spoken to.

Keep safe card – how this works for people with disabilities. People can register from the beginning of June. The info you add on the form will be added to a database that can be accessed by emergency services – this gives them more information on you.

The keep safe card has important information about you which will help people understand the needs of the person with the card. It also has space for a person’s emergency contacts.

The Herbert Protocol is in place to help people with dementia.

BM: There are many people with poor mental health issues who are abusive through no fault of their own.

CW: People need to be mindful that this happens in society.

LJ: We are working with Mind and NHFT – these organisations will be registering people with the KeepSafe scheme, so if someone is offended by a person’s behaviour and the police are involved, they can see more information about the individual and recognise this behaviour is linked with mental health.

CW: Can people apply themselves? People could apply for a card and act up on purpose.

LJ: There are a group of people who are well known within the emergency services who behave like this, it doesn’t stop people applying for the card but it is another way we can keep updated on these people.

AE: U3A stands for university of the 3^rd age. There is an international network of U3A’s. There are over 1000 U3A’s across the UK and there are 400,000 members across the UK. “It is where the teachers learn and the learners teach”. 3^rd age doesn’t mean a particular generation, it is defined by you being in the stage of life where you are not expected to work again. Northampton has over 1000 members with over 100 different activities taking place. There are quizzes, lunch clubs, knitting groups, language learning groups, leather crafting etc. You do not have to be an expert to join or teach. U3A takes place in both people’s homes and also in public rooms. U3A+ are trying to make U3A more inclusive. The motto for U3A is “learn, laugh, live”.

Q: Are these activities on set days and at set times?

A: The schedule for the events can be found online.

BM: People become isolated after retirement, so this organisation is great. May be useful for AE to contact Heather from Heather’s Café – she is trying to build up things for people locally. Broadmead Church is also being renovated so there will be more rooms and a better space for groups like U3A and the community.

AE: Many people once they are retired move closer to their children, but as their children are working they are often lonely throughout the day.

Q: Does it cost?

A: It is a membership group - £20 a year then the individual groups will contribute towards the cost of their activity. For example, the wine club would buy the wine and if necessary pay for the room if it is not held at a members house.

Q: Do these coach trips accommodate for wheelchairs?

A: Unfortunately no, I am in a wheelchair and I have to make my own way there.

BM: Poor conditions of the roads and paths effect people with disabilities. It makes it hard for wheelchairs, people with poor balance etc.

CW: There isn’t many dropped pavements that is easy for people to access.

ACTION: MM to invite relevant members from the County to talk about transport strategy.

The council is pushing for a second lift in the train station as there is only currently one which isn’t enough.

DM: There isn’t anything new to add to this.

BM: This shouldn’t be on the agenda as it is political.

DM: It was more for an update, not anything political.

CW: Daventry District council have dropped a lot of their projects due to the cost.

The report has recommended that Northamptonshire councils split into 2. Northampton has requested to be its own authority but as there not 300,000 in Northampton alone, it has not been considered. Cheshire/Chester are the most comparable councils.

There are big issues about who is going to pick up the county council debt.

There will be a consultation exercise. Is it worth pursuing a Northampton Unitary council which has be rebuffed twice already?

BM: It could go back to a Northampton County Borough Council.

PL: That how it was before 1974 – County Borough of Northampton.

PL: Parish councils may continue and then there may be a central town council.

Q: With the unitary authority, will the MP’s stay the same?

A: Yes, they should do.

DM: We are looking to put on event in the great hall to show the difficulties disabled face but also the ability of disabled people and what they can do. Phileas Fogg – old pop group. Certain disability choirs, Rockin Roadmender, Ellie Robinson to speak etc.

CW: BBC Radio Northampton would possibly plug this if contacted with more information.

BM: Contact Look East to see if they can get it out.

BB: Northampton Carers have both a choir and a ukulele group and they are very good.

BM: Northampton Borough Councils have everything at their fingertips to improve the attendance of these meetings. This needs to be promoted on BBC Radio Northampton so more people know about them.

CW: It is good for new people to come so more points of view can be given.

BM: The One Stop Shop can be used as a point of advertisement, as well as Northampton Look East and The Chronicle and Echo.

DM: We have taken these notes on board, the event in December can be a good launching point to promote the forum.

DM: We want to have a day to help broaden peoples understanding of what it is like to have a disability and also a day to celebrate what disable people can do.

BM: Most disabled people want to be treated the same as those people who do not have a disability. It would be good to involve the Samaritans within the event in December too.

MDR: Digital Eagles would be good to come along and help people learn to use computers and how to deal with their Universal Credit account.

Forum members discussed how it would be a good idea for digital eagles to come into the forum and how technology is now more accessible than ever. Voice recognition has improved and can be a useful tool.

The Last Night of the Proms – To celebrate Netional Carers Week 2018. Tickets are £10 and is on Saturday 9^th June – 7:30pm at the Castle Theatre in Wellingborough.

Colours of The World singing competition taking place on 20^th June at the Deco Theatre. Rehearsals from 4:30pm and competition at 6:30pm.

International Day for People with Disability 2018

13^th July 2018