Sense Huntingdon

So, this is our good friend named Páuric and he's great!

He's seven years old and has cerebral palsy and severe visual impairment. His support worker Katie comes over to the house with all sorts of cool sensory toys to help him play, learn and just connect with the world. With this support, he made incredible progress.

A Gift in your Will can go such a long way to ensuring we can keep offering this support to Páuric and any other child who need us.

Find out more about leaving a Gift in your Will to Sense, click on the below: https://www.sense.org.uk/get-involved/support-us/leave-a-gift-in-your-will/

Why are gifts in Wills so important to Sense?

“I only learnt about SENSE's work a few years ago and was very distressed to hear there were children who could neither see nor hear and in some cases also had a physical disability. I was invited to visit a local Sense Centre where staff graciously showed me around explaining the work they did. I was sent information about leaving a Will and I felt this would be an ideal way of donating. The process was very simple and quick. I was sent name of a local Solicitor who helped me make my Will and include a Gift to Sense.”

Find out how you can include a Gift in your Will to Sense by clicking here:
https://www.sense.org.uk/get-involved/support-us/leave-a-gift-in-your-will/

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://www.sense.org.uk/get-involved/support-us/leave-a-gift-in-your-will/

A huge thank you to Ben for donating £3,750 to Sense after winning BBC quiz 'The Answer Run'!

Ben said "I wanted to donate to Sense because I have disabilities myself and I just want to give some back."

Good luck to all our amazing runners participating in the Great North Run this weekend! We know you’ve trained hard, and we can’t wait to see you cross that finish line.

We also have some exciting news, the ballot for the 2025 Great North Run is now OPEN! If you’re considering joining this iconic race, why not enter and run for us? https://www.greatrun.org/events/great-north-run/

Today is the goalball final, did you know that goalball is the only Paralympic sport specifically created for people with visual impairments? Amazingly, one of our young Virtual Buddies is a very skilled goalball player. Imogen, has been playing for a couple of years, both for the Cambridge Dons and at a national level through the UK Goalball Academy.

Imogen says: "It’s fun and a very friendly community and I like that it’s a team sport - goalball is about you and your team working together to achieve something."

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!

Have you been thinking about taking on a fundraising challenge recently? Don't know what fundraiser suits you? Take a look at our some of our suggestions below.

Remember: fundraising is supposed to be fun, make sure you pick an activity you'll be passionate about! ✨

Our research shows that 28% of disabled people find it difficult to book event tickets. This was the case for many disabled Oasis fans who were simply unable to buy accessible tickets this weekend. You can read more here:

Deafblind man left ‘disappointed’ after calling Oasis ticket line 800 times Steven Morris’s excitement turned to sadness, when he was left feeling ‘a real sense of disappointment’ after having ‘no success’ in getting tickets.

We are delighted to be welcoming Andrew Miller to Sense Arts Fest next week. Andrew is recognised as one of the UK’s most influential disability advocates. Fancy coming along? Book now: https://www.sense.org.uk/shop/online-shop/sense-arts-fest-2024/

The Paralympics are well on their way, with 9 days of swimming left!

One of our Virtual Buddies, Imogen is also a very skilled swimmer who competed in the Brazil World School Games. She said: "I competed in the breaststroke and fly, winning medals in both, gold in breaststroke, which I was very proud of. I want to aim for the highest level I could get to, as then I would feel like I’d tried my best!'

Are you court up in the thrill of Badminton being at the Paralympics? Jay certainly is!

His mum said “I wasn’t surprised at all that he wanted to play Badminton at Sense. It’s wonderful that it can be adapted to his needs and abilities. It gives him such enthusiasm to try new things and the range of things he can do is only growing.”

Thank you to Keon Homes Limited, The Noel Sweeney Foundation, and our charity champion Lydia Evans for hosting an incredible Football Family Fun Day in aid of Sense and in celebration of Keon Homes Limited 5th anniversary in October.

Our 5 a side football team had a great kick around all, part of a fabulous day of good food and entertainment hosted at Chasetown Football Club! Thanks to all the came down to support and donate, it is always wonderful to grow our network of friends in the area!

Have you ever thought about offering to guide someone but don't know how? If you’ve never offered your support to a blind or partially sighted person before, here are our tips on what to do, and what not to do!

Our research shows over half of people with complex disabilities find it difficult to afford their energy bills. The government must urgently implement a social energy tariff to ensure disabled people get help to pay their bills. Read more: https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/energy-price-cap-ofgem-bills-winter/

3 photos for 3 Reasons to run the 2025 TCS London Marathon with us!

1. Receive an epic, personalised marathon training plan through Full Potential with in person running days to meet your fellow running besties.

2. Access our fundraising hub, giving you everything you need to stay motivated!

3. You get to be part of the amazing community that is helping ensure that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, is left out of life.

Will you join ?

Our Artistic Director Tanya Raabe-Webber led an exciting day with our amazing freelance visual arts team. During the day they shared what 'This is My Art' means for the people we support.

We know fundraising isn't always easy! But if you're thinking about taking on a sponsored event to raise some money for Sense, we're here to help! Here are five tips to fundraise like a pro from Guni, one of our top fundraisers!

Do you have any other tips? Comment them below!

Today is , we're very excited to see all the fantastic images today, but this is your reminder to make sure your images are accessible. Don't know how to do alt-text? Read our blog for our six top tips:

How to write good alt text - Sense Alt text makes images accessible for people who use screen readers. Find out more about how to use it.

Toxic conversations about people out of work needs to stop. Terms like workshy demonise disabled people and ignore the countless barriers they face getting into work.

At Sense we found that half of jobseekers with complex disabilities don’t feel they get the support and equipment they need to look for work. You can read more here: https://www.bigissue.com/opinion/disabled-people-work-benefits-welfare-toxic-conversation/

As a parent of a disabled child, it's easy to get caught up in thinking how behind they are, and what they won't be able to do. Emily's parents thought she would never be able to kick a football around the back garden with them.

But thanks to our sessions, now she can.

With the support of our amazing team, Emily went from needing help to connect with the ball to confidently kicking it on her own. Her journey on the football field has also boosted her overall confidence, and now she’s even learned to ask for "more" using Makaton.

This incredible progress wouldn't be possible without the support of our corporate partners like Tara Group, who are sponsoring Sense Active this year.

Together, we’re making sure that more young people like Emily have the opportunity to get active, increase their confidence, and take part in things that matter to them.

And everyone is a winner, as Emily’s Mum puts it, "Without Sense, Emily would miss out on life. And the world would miss out on Emily." 🧡⚽

Recently, Wendy completed 31 miles along the Tarka Trail in North Devon in memory of her sister, Debra, who was deafblind. Wendy completed the challenge on her tricycle, with work colleagues who cycled, walked or ran beside her.

Wendy raised just short of £1,500! Could you be next in line and fundraise? Drop a comment below and let us help you get involved!

Everyone's entitled to a break, that includes people with disabilities and the people who care for them.

We know that respite care can stop a family from going into crisis, but often people don't know what they are entitled to or how to go after what they need.

We've put together our six top tips for seeking respite care from your local authorities.

Inspired by the incredible Olympic marathon race over the weekend? We certainly were!

Why not sign up to a local run, whether it’s a marathon or 5k park run, or set your own weekly step challenge goal! Fundraise along the way and make a huge difference to Sense and the people we support.

Fancy the challenge? Comment below or DM us so we can help you with your journey!

Could you be the next Anthony Joshua or Nicola Adams? These two have inspired a generation of fans, but YOU could make a difference to our Sense family.

In April, Leonie completed her own boxing fundraiser and raised a fantastic £400.00

Why not challenge yourself to host a safe boxing match or simply pop on a pair of gloves and spar with a bag over a sustained period of time. How long can you last?

If you're inspired, comment below or DM us and we'll help you pick a challenge and support you on your journey. 🥊

Our services have been taking part in our annual Tour De Sense!

The people we support cycled for 48 hours and 24 minutes. This is approximately 576miles! The route cycled travels through all the services that took part in the sessions and finished at the Eiffel Tower Stadium one of the stadiums to be used in the Paris 2024 games.

Not us giving you two announcements in one day...

Our final four judges for our annual are Joe Kenny, Paige Barnes, Matilda Feyisayo Ibini and last, but certainly not least, Lisette Auton!

We hope you're as excited as we are! 🌟

🌟 It's the moment you have all been waiting for...(well we have!)

We're really excited to announce the first wave of our judges are...

Jaina Mistry, Crip Ladywood and Shelby Lynch. We're delighted to have you on board for our awards!

Our very first Sensory Badminton session is underway in Exmouth with the amazing coaches from Visions Badminton Academy! Thanks to our partnership with BADMINTON England, Sensory Badminton allows people with complex disabilities to take part in the sport in a completely accessible and person-centred way. For more details take a look here: https://bit.ly/3S9q7p7

It's Deafblind Awareness Week 2024 - 24 June – 30 June

We're raising awareness of the people with multi-sensory impairment, or deafblindness.
It’s all about learning about what life is like for those who are deafblind, challenging misconceptions about what it’s like to be deafblind, and celebrating the achievements of people who are deafblind.

Please visit our website to find out more information - sense.org.uk/dbaw

Like and share to help us raise awareness

It's Deafblind Awareness Week 2024 - 24 June – 30 June

We're raising awareness of the people with multi-sensory impairment, or deafblindness.

It’s all about learning about what life is like for those who are deafblind, challenging misconceptions about what it’s like to be deafblind, and celebrating the achievements of people who are deafblind.

Please visit our website to find out more information - sense.org.uk/dbaw

Like and share to help us raise awareness

At Sense, we are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of individuals living with complex disabilities.

You can play a vital role by donating your preloved clothing to your local Sense charity shop. 👗 👖 👜 👠

To find out where your local sense charity shop is, please visit https://www.sense.org.uk/shop/charity-shops/donate-items.

Thank you for supporting Sense. 🧡 💜

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We are currently looking for 3 or more volunteers!

Volunteer roles can vary to what your capabilities are, for example:
Sorting of stock, dressing mannequins, researching vintage or collectibles, designing window displays, jewellery sorting or being a cashier at the till!

We have space and would love for you to apply below or if it’s easier please pop into our store and we can assist you further!

Days and hours can also be very flexible!

Charity Shop Volunteer - Huntingdon Shop - Sense Volunteering for Sense Our amazing team of volunteers help us run over 100 shops across England and Wales. Every donated item that you sort, prepare and sell helps to raise vital funds to support…

WE ARE READY!

We are at Godmanchester Community Plant Nursery today 10-3 with lots of goodies, come down and see us!

There’s also 29 other stalls plus the plant nursery itself has amazing stock

BONUS - the cafe is open too 🌿🪴🪴🪴

It’s and we want to celebrate the amazing work our volunteers do.

We just wanted to send a big thank you to all our wonderful volunteers for everything you do!

If you want to find out more about volunteering for Sense, please click on the link below or pop into one of our shops.

https://www.sense.org.uk/get.../volunteering-with-sense/

Thank you for supporting Sense. 💜🧡 We couldn’t do it without you !

♻️ Final Reminder: our Eco Fair takes place tomorrow (Saturday 8 June), 10am - 3pm here on Park Lane, PE29 2AG. As well as 30 stalls we have live music, face painting, free kids activities, plants for sale and the Muddy Trowel Cafe will be selling amazing homemade cakes and savouries 🍰

Don't forget to bring your donations for Sense Huntingdon and your own bag 👜

🚴‍♂️Parking will be limited so please walk, cycle or get public transport to us if you can. If you do have to drive please be considerate to our neighbours when parking.

☀️ GOOD MORNING ☀️

This Saturday we are having our own stall at Godmanchester Community Plant Nursery
From 10-3 - we have lots of eco friendly clothing, products and toys PLUS lots and lots of garden items too!
We will also be having a few fun games for adults and kids to enjoy!
We will be CASH only so please bring your pennies!

We can’t wait to see you!

OH and also we are accepting any donations on the day so please if you have any items or things you no longer want or need please drop to us at the ECO FAIR and we will gratefully accept these!

Thank you in advance 🌿🌿🌿

We can't wait for our Eco Fair in just a couple of weeks and we're really looking forward to seeing these great stall holders:
anjowellness
Etching For You
Godmanchester Community Academy
Wild About Huntingdon
Fauna Green Living
Butterfly Legacy Project
The Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants
The Flour Tub
Glitter by Jazz
Huntingdonshire Recycles
The Savvy Herbalist Apothecary
Ubhejane
South East Cambridge Badger Group
Trefoil Guild - Godmanchester Team
Town Clerk Godmanchester
Your Peachy Self
Heather's Hedgehog Hostel
Monach Farm / Forelock & Flowers
Godmanchester Litter Pickers
Creating Natures Corridors
Oldies Club Elderly Dog Rescue
Huntingdon Community Swap
Woodland Wishes
Sarah Orbell - info on RSPB, Froglife, BTO, Butterfly Conservation, HFFS and more!
Cambridge Juice Company (where we get the delicous juice with sell in the cafe)
Parents for Future UK - Godmanchester Team
Sense Huntingdon - don't forget to bring your donations