The following article is by Jim Blair and published by the British Journal of Family Medicine, March/April 2016

Many people with learning disabilities are not getting their annual health check, facing increased risk factors to a number of diseases as a result. This article considers what more can be done to help those most at risk

In March, the Alliance and Mind hosted a drop-in session at Parliament to meet MPs and Peers as part of activity around the one-year anniversary of the Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation. We were incredibly pleased that 24 Parliamentarians came to see us, including Ministers and Shadow Ministers and we asked them to become Charter Champions to help us promote positive messages around physical activity and mental health.

We have a selection of 12 books for you in our spring sale, all for only £7 each*. We have also bundled these into a limited book set at only £80, saving you £38. Please follow the links below to see 6 of the selected titles. This special offer will be available for a limited amount of time so make sure to take a look now while stocks last! You can browse the full list here.

I’m wearing a different volunteering hat today – It’s the Volunteering with East Sussex County Council Libraries Service Hat! I thought I’d share with you a brilliant initiative, which is currently being run in many libraries across the country. Maybe it is something you could get involved with?
Over the past couple of years I have been involved in the setting up of a reading group for people with communication difficulties at a local library here in East Sussex. For me it was my first step in coming alongside those with learning difficulties or communication problems. I believe it has been as empowering for them as it has been for me.

The final editorial meetings have taken place. Our advisors, including people with learning disabilities, have reviewed, edited and OK’d the final selection of images for two new Beyond Words books. The final is in production, and artists Beth Webb (Going to the Dentist) and Mike Nicholson (Rose Gets in Shape) get to finalise over 15 months of work. During the production of these two books we have hit an all-time record with our trialling, reaching over 200 people, who have had an input in shaping the final products.

Uckfield book club have celebrated their first birthday in style gaining some coverage in the local press. Volunteers Stuart Gill, Katie Scott-Wilds and Diane Davis have been running the Beyond Words Book club at Uckfield library for over a year now. They celebrated the success of the book club, plus the achievements of a number of members who completed their ’12 book challenge’. The certificates were presented by Cllr Louise Eastwood, Cllr Chris Dowling, Cllr Colin Belsey and Stephen Potter, which made for a very special occasion indeed.

We recently teamed up with The Grange, a friendly and welcoming organisation supporting people with disabilities to achieve their potential and live independent and fulfilling lives.

In order to have people with learning disabilities at the heart of everything we do we have joined forces to create a team who fulfil orders. We now have people with learning disabilities present through every stage of our business, from inception, to publishing and to getting the final book through your letterbox.