News and Blogs
Voices matter
For community news, upcoming events, blog articles and reports see below. If you have something that you’d like to see covered then please get in touch by emailing: [email protected]
Unpaid Carers Face Financial Strain and Repayment Demands
Many of us rely on our family members and close friends to provide the support we need to to live our lives – from personal care, to managing finances, to…
April 2024 Newsletter
April 2024 Newsletter Welcome to the WECIL newsletter. Stay subscribed for news from the community, events for your diary, general announcements and more… Leading stories Reflection on the Festival of…
Maximising your benefits with Citizens Advice
Receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP) can act as a gateway for accessing other types of help. If you receive specific rates of PIP you may be eligible for other benefits…
Local Election Hustings Easy Read
What is it? On the 2nd of May people will vote for the political party they want to run Bristol Council. The council make important decisions about things like housing…
Local Election Hustings
Any Easy Read version of this post is available here. Join Us: Speak Up About Disability Issues in Bristol Your Chance to Talk to the People Who Make Decisions On Thursday,…
Reflection on FoSB with Kyrby Brown
Last Thursday, Kyrby Brown, Access Coordinator at WECIL, spoke at Future Leap’s Festival of Sustainable Business Conference, participating in the panel discussion “Leading Change: Brand Activism, Communications, and Business. Kyrby…
Letter from Bristol Disability Equality Commission to Secretary of State on EDI
Recently the UK Government distributed £500 million to local authorities to go towards the national chronic underfunding of social care. Whilst any funds to go some way to easing the…
WECIL Celebrate Success at the Annual Play Awards!
We’re really happy to let you know that we’ve won The Altogether Different Award at the Annual Playwork Awards! This special event took place on Tuesday 5th March at the…
Bristol Youth Council: Youth elections
The Bristol City Youth Council represents the voices of young people in Bristol. It empowers youth aged 11-18 to make change in their communities by having a say on how…
WECIL Celebrates Success at the Bristol Social Impact Awards!
We’re thrilled to announce that WECIL was honoured with the Equity and Diversity Award at last night’s Bristol Social Impact Awards! This prestigious recognition acknowledges our unwavering commitment to fostering…
Food Banks and Cheap Alternatives
Winter and the cost of living crisis can be a tricky time for many, especially in the aftermath of Christmas spending. If you’re struggling with budgeting and affording food or…
Navigating Independence: Nino’s Journey with Direct Payments
Hello I am Nino. I am 25 years old. I have Mosaic Down syndrome which only 1 to 2 percent of people with Down Syndrome actually have. I have a…
WECIL has been shortlisted for two more awards!
This week WECIL have learned that we have been shortlisted for two prestigious awards – having closed 2023 with a big win at the Locality Awards! Locally, we have been…
WECIL calls for legal duty of care for vulnerable claimants after DWP’s shocking refusal
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been accused of failing to protect vulnerable claimants after it refused to accept a legal duty of care. Disability Rights UK, of…
Disability Equality Role at Bristol City Council
Bristol City Council are seeking somebody with direct experience of disability, a good understanding of the Disabled people’s movement and the social model of disability for the role of Inclusive Community…
University of Bristol’s Appeal Denied in Natasha Abrahart Discrimination Case
Natasha Abrahart’s story resonated deeply within the University of Bristol community and beyond. Her untimely death in 2018 sparked widespread outrage and prompted soul-searching conversations about the responsibilities universities bear…
Accessible Housing Crisis: MPs Under Fire for Failing Disabled Communities
For years, Disabled people have faced significant challenges in finding suitable accommodation appropriate to their needs. As the housing crisis deepens, exacerbated by a lack of accessible options, Members of…
‘Fair and Affordable’ Care Policy is Dropped by Bristol City Council
It’s a positive outcome for local Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) in Bristol who have been campaigning against Bristol City Council’s proposed Fair and Affordable Care Policy, a policy which was…
WECIL’s Response to the Launch of the Government’s Disability Action Plan
The Government has recently launched their Disability Action Plan with the aim of making the UK ‘the most accessible place in the world’ for Disabled people, but it isn’t nearly…
The Headaches of Hiring Help
The piece below comes from Wheels to Wander, a blog by Kyrby Brown who works as WECIL’s Access Coordinator within our Disability.Inc. team. In it, Kirby shares her personal learning around the…
BNSSG Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership – Antenatal Survey
Have you been pregnant in the last two years? If so, MNVP would like to get your thoughts on antenatal education. The Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP), an NHS…
5 Accessible Activities to do this Christmas Holiday
The Christmas holidays are nearly here, a time for many families to celebrate, get together with friends and family and enjoy the festivities.Every parent wants their child to have a…
Trustee Statement to Members on Bristol draft Fair and Affordable Care Policy
12th December 2023 You may be aware that Bristol City Council is currently consulting on what they are calling a ‘Fair and Affordable Care Policy’ . You can have your…
December 2023 Newsletter
Greetings from Dominic Ellison
This year’s Access All Areas event at the Trinity Centre in Bristol was a huge success and it was fantastic to see so many people…
Celebrating the Power of Community: WECIL Wins Locality Award
We are delighted to share the fantastic news that WECIL has won Locality’s Power of the Community Award! The annual Locality Awards ‘23 Ceremony took place at the Bristol Marriot…
Disabled Women Take Action: Sign up to the Community Toilet Scheme!
Disabled Women Take Action is a partnership project from WECIL and Bristol Women’s Voice (BWV), who are proudly coming together to campaign for the importance of the Community Toilet Scheme…
The Importance of Authentic Representation of Disability in the Media
We all often turn to TV, books, films and the media for entertainment, inspiration, learning and as a point of reference, particularly as a young person learning to navigate the…
Empowering Communities: Meet Maya Knowles, Our Community Navigator for Disabled Minority Groups in Bristol
My Name is Maya Knowles, I have worked in Health and Social Care over Eighteen years. I joined WECIL recently. My role is Community Navigator for Somali, Refugees and Asylum…
5 ways to support your family’s mental health this half term
The school holidays can be a challenging time for families, with a new routine and different support system to term time. For Disabled children and young people, these changes can…
Essay from WECIL’s CEO features in new Bristol Ideas book
WECIL’s Chief Executive, Dominic Ellison, features in a new book from Bristol Ideas bringing together essays from over 30 contributors, addressing some of the challenges Bristol faces and sharing ideas about how we…
Access All Areas is back!
WECIL’s annual celebration event, Access All Areas, is back on Thursday 19th October from 2-5pm at the Trinity Centre, Bristol! (map) Access All areas is our biggest event each year. Previous highlights…
WECIL shortlisted as finalists for 3 national awards!
We are utterly thrilled to have been shortlisted as finalists in three categories at this year’s Locality Awards! The Locality Convention is an annual highlight for a number of the WECIL team….
The Disabled People’s Manifesto Launched
WECIL is a member of DPO Forum England, a national collective of Deaf and Disabled people’s organisations, and Deaf and Disabled people-led groups across the UK which aims to raise our…
Disabled women come together urging for greater access to toilets in Bristol
A new film launched today by Bristol-group, Disabled Women Take Action (DWTA), aims to get more businesses signing up for the Community Toilet Scheme. Under the umbrella of Disabled Women…
Have your say on Bristol Council’s Fair and Affordable Care Policy
Bristol City Council have released a draft of their new Fair and Affordable Care Policy for public consultation. The policy was developed in response to current financial pressures and the…
A day in the life of a Personal Assistant
Are you looking for a job where you can make a difference? A role that is fulfilling, where you can connect with people and no day is the same? Well,…
Make an impact this academic year!
With the start of the new academic year about to commence, you may be looking for opportunities alongside your studies to learn new skills, gain experience and make new friends…
Paid opportunities for Disabled creatives at Bristol Museums
The Learning Team at Bristol Museums is developing teaching and learning resources that explore the work of creative practitioners from diverse backgrounds. They are currently looking for 4 creative professionals who are…
A window into the world of volunteering: A conversation with a long-standing volunteer
At WECIL, our volunteers are at the heart of what we do, they have an incredible impact on both our services and the Disabled people that we support. Our befriending…
Paid opportunity for Disabled people to collaborate on Virtual Reality (VR)
Applications are now open for an exciting paid MyWorld Micro-Residency for up to eight people to spend approximately four days over three months in residence with the Pervasive Media Studio, a…
Fun, accessible activities for your child this summer
With the summer holidays in full swing, making sure your child has a fun and enjoyable break is likely to be on your mind. For families, the summer is often…
The Importance of Inclusive Play
Children being able to play, use their imagination and explore the world around them is a vital part of growing up. Disabled children should be given the same opportunities to…
Disability Rights UK seeking stories of your experience as a Disabled Consumer
Which? (the independent consumer association) is funding projects which address harm done to consumers, which takes many and varied forms, and is often difficult to spot. Which? wants to make…
Celebrating Disability and Pride from the Listening Partnership
With Pride month in June it is important for everyone to feel safe, included and welcomed no matter your sexuality or identity. At The Listening Partnership, WECIL’s Disabled youth forum,…
WECIL Community Conferences
WECIL are excited to be launching our quarterly Community Conferences! We are committed to having a strong connection with the people who access our services and support and want to…
Celebrating Time2Share
This Volunteers Week we are thanking every single one of our volunteers who have helped to make WECIL’s services what they are today. Without each of you, we wouldn’t have…
What support is available to me and my Disabled child?
Whether your child has recently been diagnosed or is in the process of being diagnosed, it is totally normal for them to face struggles – whether that is at school,…
Voter ID requirement
Did you know that from 4 May 2023, voters in England will need to show photo ID to vote at polling stations in some elections? If not please read on…
10 Reasons you should become a volunteer!
Do you want to help your local community but don’t know how? Interested in making a positive impact on a young person’s life? Want to spend your time in a…
Free Save Money Save Energy Workshop
Wednesday 1st March 2pm – 4pmorTuesday 14th March 10am – 12noonatThe Vassall Centre, Gill Avenue, Fishponds, BS16 2QQ WECIL are hosting two FREE workshops for Disabled people. With thecurrent cost…
Listening Partnerships: Our Past, Present and Future
We are the Listening Partnership (LP), WECIL’s participation group that gives Disabled young people a voice on important topics that matter to us. Led by young people, for young people,…
Celebrating the life of Jayne Carr
We are very sad to announce the passing of our Honorary President Jayne Carr. Jayne was at the very heart of WECIL since the beginning, involved in the Disabled People’s…
Come to Know Your Right’s Open Meeting – 13.1.23
We are Know Your Rights, a voice and speak up group within WECIL. We are a welcoming community of adults with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism working together to break down…
Pop up clothes Swopz Shop – 30.1.23
WECIL are hosting a clothes swopz shop for Disabled adults, children and young people. Join us to clear out your wardrobe and make room for some fresh pre-loved finds. Swap…
A Platform for Change: By Dominic Ellison
There is currently a massive reorganisation in England of health and social care delivery. It is now more important than ever that Disabled people and their organisations have an influential…
Celebrating 50 Years of Befriending
This year we are celebrating 50 years of our Children and Young People’s Befriending service and the incredible impact it has on the lives of Disabled people and volunteers. From…
Warning that “Austerity Kills” ahead of financial statement
What: A coalition has warned that further austerity will cause further avoidable deaths. The Disabled People’s Organisations Forum, a group of 40 Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPOs), claims that…
No to austerity campaign plan
Financial statement: protect Disabled people’s rights and lives This briefing is from Disabled People’s Organisations Forum – a coalition of 40 Deaf and Disabled people’s led organisations working in different…
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