Amaze

We have two relaxing and reviving wellbeing sessions for parents and carers next week: one in Woodingdean on 13 June, the other in Lewes on 14 June. Come along for a cuppa and a chat and do some Pilates, gentle movement, mediation and creative arts. It's all very gentle and safe and no experience is needed.

https://amazesussex.org.uk/events/your-wellbeing-session-woodingdean/
https://amazesussex.org.uk/events/your-wellbeing-session-lewes/

Spaces are limited so please email [email protected] to book.

This , we want to say thank you to all the volunteers that help keep Amaze amazing, we couldn't do it without you!

Trustees, Ambassadors, Young People, Students, Befrienders, Supporters, Community Champions, Corporate Volunteers... anyone who gives us the gift of their time, we THANK YOU!

Play the Amaze lottery from just £1 per week and put yourself in with the chance of winning £25,000 while supporting families with disabled children. 💚

https://loom.ly/-OWN4tc

Two opportunities to see us in person for Carers Week 2024 next week (10-16 June):

Come along and meet Amaze, other carers and carers organisations at two locations; one in Brighton & Hove and one in East Sussex.

🌊 In Brighton Amaze and Pacc will be running a stall at the Carers Festival in the Brighton Open Market on Weds 12 June 10am - 4.30pm with The Carers Centre for Brighton and Hove. Drop by and say hello!

➡️ In East Sussex Amaze will be at the Annual Carers Voice Conference, 11 June 10am - 4pm at the Kings Centre, Eastbourne. Annual Carers’ Voices Conference 2024 Care for the Carers. Amaze will have a stall with East Sussex Parent Carer Forum - ESPCF and we will also be running a workshop about planning the transition to adulthood for a young person with SEND. This short workshop will start after lunch and end before 2.30pm - aiming to help you to find out the support available for families in East Sussex and discuss your views and experiences with Amaze and East Sussex Parent Carer Forum, to help develop and improve local services.

Book your FREE place for the Annual Carers Voice Conference: https://loom.ly/R4EKILM

Care for the Carers

Carers Week

Day 2: Power of Youth Day, showcasing young volunteers and supporting the campaign to . Our Amazing Futures groups for young people with SEND thrive thanks to young volunteers aged 18-25.

Volunteering as a peer supporter or peer coach can be a good way for you/your young person to grow confidence and learn new skills, plus it looks great on a CV. It’s also a lot of fun!

Find out more about becoming a volunteer with Amazing Futures: https://loom.ly/2rR0bjU

Do you have an hour or two to spare a week and have the knowledge and experience to support other families? What better time to sign up to become a volunteer befriender with our Parent Groups and Befriending project in Brighton & Hove or East Sussex - than !

The training is free of charge, and will run for 6 weeks on Zoom, Mondays 9.30am to 1pm, starting Monday 10 June. It will set you up with the right skills to become part of a close-knit team of parent carers supporting others on their SEND journeys.

Learn more about being a volunteer befriender: https://loom.ly/REh11ZA
Interested or have questions? Email Marie Baker at [email protected] or call/text 07484 051755.

As a member of the Disabled Children's Partnership we’re pleased to share their new report - This Is My Life: Hear Me, Help Me.

Just 1 in 5 disabled young people feel that they have the right amount of formal support to achieve the things that they want in life.

Read the report: https://bit.ly/DCPHMHM

Happy 40th Anniversary to ! We have lots of things planned for this week, celebrating and thanking our wonderful volunteers, as well as recruiting for more!

Volunteers' Week ❤️

You may have read about the government's proposed changes to PIP. These proposals include providing vouchers instead of money, directing people with mental health conditions towards treatment rather than providing payments, and more.

We are supporting Contact’s campaign. Amaze will be responding as an organisation but we urge you to respond as individuals too.

https://loom.ly/9Acs6j8

Government consults on squeezing access to key disability benefit The government launches a consultation setting out plans to make it harder for disabled people to claim personal independence payments.

Do you enjoy the music of Kate Bush? Fancy a fun-filled evening, whilst raising funds for Amaze?

If your answers are yes, then please join us at The Brunswick in Hove on Friday 5 July for Fake Bush!

Fake Bush is excited to do a big, bushy fundraiser for Amaze. True to form – she will be romping her way through the back catalogue of the immensely wonderful Kate Bush. She hopes very much you will come and join her and the Amaze team to enjoy some Kate classics – all treated with a playful twist.

Tickets are £15 per person and proceeds from the sales go straight to Amaze to help us help families of children with SEND.

Buy your tickets: https://loom.ly/34zeAsw

📅 SAVE THE DATE: Sunday 9 June 11.30am - 4pm in Hove Park The Big Help Out.

Join us and other local organisations for this fun FREE event in Hove supporting campaign, to raise awareness of volunteering and provide opportunities for people to make a difference in their communities.

Get ready for a day of making memories, making a difference and miles of fun, with children's activities, music and a dog show!

Pop by to see us and enter our "guess how many sweets in the jar" competition, buy preloved toys/books, take part in our fidget toy lucky dip and find out more about what we do and how you can get involved!

Brighton and Hove Soiree Rotary Club

ND, SEND, EHCP, PMLD, OT, EBSA, BHISS, SPOA. Confused yet? We don’t blame you! The SEND world is chock full of jargon. If you feel like you need a code to decipher it all, use the Jargon Buster on our website. You can search or scroll but if you can’t find the term you are looking for, email [email protected] and we’ll be sure to add it.

Jargon buster: https://loom.ly/ZLBej1I

⛰️ Snowdon at Night Trek for Amaze... book today/tomorrow and get £20 off the registration (£45 instead of £65)!

The trek is Saturday 3 August to Sunday 4 August 2024 and the minimum fundraising target is £290 – register here for an exhilarating experience whilst helping Amaze: https://loom.ly/os5Te-o

Carers Week 2024 is 10-16 June and we will be attending two carers events:

Come along and meet Amaze, other carers and carers organisations at two locations; one in Brighton & Hove and one in East Sussex.

🌊 In Brighton Amaze and Pacc will be running a stall at the Carers Festival in the Brighton Open Market on Weds 12 June 10am - 4.30pm with The Carers Centre for Brighton and Hove. Drop by and say hello!

➡️ In East Sussex Amaze will be at the Annual Carers Voice Conference, 11 June 10am - 4pm at the Kings Centre, Eastbourne. Annual Carers’ Voices Conference 2024 Care for the Carers. Amaze will have a stall with East Sussex Parent Carer Forum - ESPCF and we will also be running a workshop about planning the transition to adulthood for a young person with SEND. This short workshop will start after lunch and end before 2.30pm - aiming to help you to find out the support available for families in East Sussex and discuss your views and experiences with Amaze and East Sussex Parent Carer Forum, to help develop and improve local services.

Book your FREE place for the Annual Carers Voice Conference: https://loom.ly/R4EKILM

Care for the Carers

Carers Week

We’re on the lookout for more parent carer volunteers in Brighton & Hove or East Sussex to train up as befrienders with our Parent Groups and Befriending service. Do you have an hour or two to spare a week and have the knowledge and experience to support other families?

The training is free of charge, and will run for 6 weeks on Zoom, Mondays 9.30am to 1pm, starting Monday 10 June. It will set you up with the right skills to become part of a close-knit team of parent carers supporting others on their SEND journeys.

Learn more about being a volunteer befriender: https://loom.ly/REh11ZA

Interested or have questions? Email Marie Baker at [email protected] or call/text 07484 051755.

📣 East Sussex Parent Carer Forum (ESPCF) is hiring! They’re seeking an Engagement Worker to play a key role in two new initiatives – Autism in Schools (AiS) and Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) projects.

To be part of this project, it is essential that you have lived experience of neurodivergence, health conditions or disabilities – yourself or as a parent carer. Beyond that, please be reassured they will support applicants in understanding the work of Parent Carer Forums and fulfilling the job requirements – do not let the list in the person specification put you off.

The role has highly flexible hours, between 7 to 14 hours a week, including potential for term-time only working. You can work from home, Amaze’s Eastbourne office, or hybrid. They are advertising this position highly flexibly, to suit parent carers’ commitments and responsibilities.

The deadline for applications is Monday 17 June 2024.

Find out more and apply: https://loom.ly/0-NiJcQ

Snap up a reward this Bank Holiday weekend and support Amaze: our crowdfunder closes Tuesday 28 May! We are raising funds for Amazing Futures, our groups for young people with SEND aged 14-25.

And thanks to the support from Aviva, your donations will be doubled, meaning for every £1 donated, Amaze receives £2!

Don't miss your chance to grab some great rewards, we've still got a tea blending workshop for two with Bird & Blend Tea Co.. a family pass to Monkey Bizness Lewes, dual rider voucher on Brighton Zip and much more...

Donate today: https://loom.ly/Qc93FBU

The May issue of our Out of Amaze e-newsletter for parent carers made its way to your inboxes yesterday (check your junk mail folder if you can’t see it). This issue includes:

• Help support Amaze and win amazing prizes
• New parent groups and befriending service
• Conditions and concerns on Amaze website
• Video: help your child feel comfortable with food
• Free parent carer groups and workshops
• SENDIASS in-depth guides
• Amazing Futures latest
• Fake Bush fundraiser
• International research project "Balancing Act"
• Offers from the Compass Card and i-go card
• Updates from parent carer forums PaCC and ESPCF

And more!

Check it out here, and sign up to receive future issues in your inbox: https://loom.ly/G4Lttl8

Less than one week left: our crowdfunder closes Tuesday 28 May! We are raising funds for Amazing Futures, our groups for young people with SEND aged 14-25.

And thanks to the support from Aviva, your donations will be doubled, meaning for every £1 donated, Amaze receives £2!

Don't miss your chance to grab some great rewards, we've still got a tea blending workshop for two with Bird & Blend Tea Co.. a family pass to Monkey Bizness Lewes, dual rider voucher on Brighton Zip and much more...

Donate today: https://loom.ly/Qc93FBU

Amazing futures for disabled young people We are raising money to help young people with SEND in Sussex be unapologetically themselves.

STOP PRESS: Amaze’s Face 2 Face service for parent carers is changing! Reshaped and renamed ‘Parent groups and befriending’, the new service is a partnership between Pacc, East Sussex Parent Carer Forum - ESPCF and Amaze. Together, we’ll be delivering regular, friendly, free support groups for parents of children with SEND at venues across Brighton & Hove and East Sussex.

Amaze CEO, Sally Polanski, says: “We already work closely with our local parent carer forums, so we’re really excited to start this new partnership. It will enable us to protect and strengthen crucial support for families at a time when both need for our services and funding pressures are rising. It’s also an opportunity to engage with families on the key issues that affect them, so that the parent carer forums can represent this to services in the hope of bringing positive change."

Read more about the partnership here: https://loom.ly/2w_AGPA

One week left: our crowdfunder closes Tuesday 28 May! We are raising funds for Amazing Futures, our groups for young people with SEND aged 14-25.

And thanks to the support from Aviva, your donations will be doubled, meaning for every £1 donated, Amaze receives £2!

Don't miss your chance to grab some great rewards, we've still got a family pass to Monkey Bizness Lewes, cinema tickets, ride on the Brighton i360 and much more...

Donate today: https://loom.ly/Qc93FBU

Amazing futures for disabled young people We are raising money to help young people with SEND in Sussex be unapologetically themselves.

A huge thanks to mental health nurse Ben for joining us at our breakfast club parent group at Al Campo today, for mental health awareness week. Ben had loads of useful advice to share around parent carer burn out, anxiety, and PTSD. It was a full session, with 20 parents in attendance, and we had some really interesting and productive discussions.

🗳️ We know the local elections have just passed, but now’s a great time to make sure you’re registered to vote, and have ID, in advance of the general election later this year.

📖 Easy Read guides to registering to vote, applying for voter ID, and voting: https://loom.ly/RiDukdA
✔️ Easy Read form to register to vote: https://loom.ly/-Zq9qWY

Brighton & Hove Speakout are holding an open advocacy meeting on Friday 21 June for adults with learning disabilities. The meeting will include a workshop about voting, with the upcoming general election in mind. There will also be an update about Speak Out's housing campaign. See their flyer for more information or call Speak Out on 01273 421 921.

Did you spot us in Ross Care's East Sussex Wheelchair Service Spring newsletter?

The page shared information on who can use us and how to use us. You can also find out this info via our website: https://loom.ly/tBmmVk8

Support Stay Up Late's latest campaign this Friday 17 May:

A new campaign from Stay Up Late called 'Big Night Out' launches this Friday - with the aim of emphasising people's right to stay out late, including people with learning disabilities.

They're asking you to join in the fun wherever you live. All you need to do is arrange to go out with a few friends locally and make a night of it on Friday 17 May. Whether you’re a person with a learning disability, a support worker, friend, carer, ally or volunteer why not join in the fun?

More info: https://loom.ly/dMHNO2I

Have you seen the new section on our website all about specific conditions and concerns? We’ve got information and about advice about autism, ADHD, executive function, behaviour and sensory processing. And you can download our Masking explainer and factsheets on these pages too: https://loom.ly/MV9RSzE

We created this content together with parent carers of neurodivergent children and people with lived experience of neurodivergence. We’ll be building more over the coming year, so do reply here if there’s a topic you think we should include.