Sense

Back in August, Deaf Chef and TV presenter Scott, AKA Punk Chef stopped by one of our residential services to cook up something special with Gakleen, a resident Sense Supports. On the day, Scott taught Gakleen, who is also Deaf, how to cook a meal from scratch in British Sign Language. Gakleen had a blast learning new cooking skills and sampling the delicious meal they whipped up together. Scott is a trailblazer in the culinary world, passionate about championing Sign Language and making food preparation more accessible. Like Sense, Scott believes in the importance of breaking down communication barriers to ensure that everyone, no matter how complex their disability, has equal opportunities. Thank you Punk Chef for delivering such an amazing cooking lesson. We hope you enjoyed seeing our work first hand and witnessing how Sense supports thousands of people who are deafblind or who have complex disabilities to communicate, experience the world and fulfil their potential.

Did you know that 80% of disabled gamers feel less lonely and isolated when gaming? Our event at the Virgin Media O2 Gamepad yesterday brought together disabled gamers and passionate volunteers to break down barriers and tackle loneliness through the power of play. Throughout the day, gamers had the opportunity to play for prizes, enter competitions and make new friends - all in an accessible environment. A huge thanks to Virgin Media O2 for the fantastic day!

We're delighted to announce that as of February next year our new CEO will be James Watson-O'Neill. James will take the reins from Richard Kramer, who has led Sense since 2018. James, who is deaf, will be joining us from SignHealth. James said: "I am honoured to be appointed as the new Chief Executive of Sense and Sense International. For 70 years, Sense has delivered vital support to disabled people and their families, working alongside them to campaign for a fairer society for disabled people."

Meet Vicky! Vicky has been at Sense for 9 years. When asked about her time at Sense, Vicky said: "It’s a real privilege to work for Sense because it’s a charity doing such important work for people with complex disabilities. It makes you feel really proud of the place you work. Add in the supportive environment and the fact that there are always lots of job opportunities and options to further your career within Sense…It’s a great place to work." “Although I don’t directly work within a Sense service or home, I still have a strong sense my role contributes towards the great work the organisation does supporting people in residential care and the community.”

Thank you to Indeed Flex who organised a charity golf day in aid of Sense! It was a fantastic day with over 40 golfers at the Celtic Manor. There was entertainment, dinner, and of course, amazing golf. They raised £1,000 to support our services and we can not thank them enough! Interested to host your own golf day in aid of Sense? DM us! Images: Valley Boy Pics

We’ve had a brilliant few days at Labour party conference talking about the need to fix social care, specialist education and access to employment for disabled people. Thank you to the 60 MPs and ministers who came to visit us and pledge their support!

"Unbelievable Jeff" Our Active Lifestyles Lead, Laura, had a great time at Wakefields first ever Inclusive Sports Festival. There was a great mix of different sports on offer for people to try along with lots of key partner organisations in the local area. Not to mention a visit from local legend Chris Kamara showing his support for such an important event! Thank you Yorkshire Sport Foundation Sport Foundation, Wakefield Wellbeing, Wakefield Council and Aspire Health Wakefield!

Happy Remember A Charity Week! Sense Friends, we have a simple question for you - Will you bring joy to deafblind children? After taking care of your loved ones, a small gift in your Will can go a long way in helping make sure we can be there for anyone who needs our support now and in the future. To find out more visit: https://lnkd.in/esQXf3_Y #RememberACharityWeek

It's been great to host Katie Farrington and the team from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) today at our flagship service, Touchbase Pears. It was brilliant to explore how we can work more closely together to help more disabled jobseekers get into the jobs that work best for them.   Our Associate Director of Operational Programmes Rachel Perrin spoke on their panel about Sense’s employment service, and the importance of putting people first and at the heart of the way services are designed. We also shared our recent research that found half of people with complex disabilities who didn’t have paid job wanted more support to look for paid employment.   There is a long way to go, but together we can help more people and tackle these challenges head on. Thanks for visiting!

Are you a local business that wants to fundraise for a good cause within your workplace? Well take inspiration from our partners, Cybertill. Brave employees abseiled down the Anfield Stadium in Liverpool this Summer. They conquered their fears and challenged themselves, whilst knowing they’re making a huge difference! And they have been even more amazing, by having a 10K fundraising target. Thank you for your incredible support Cybertill! DM us or comment below if you fancy giving it a go!