|
|
LATIN AMERICAN DISABLED PEOPLE’S PROJECT
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008
17 YEARS WORKING WITH DISABLED SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE SPEAKING PEOPLE LIVING IN LONDON
PO Box 43412 London SE17 3WZ
Tel: 020 7793 8399 Fax: 020 7793 1599 |
Aim:
To improve the quality of life and
independence of disabled
Spanish and Portuguese people living in
London through information, training, advice,
advocacy, social and cultural events as
well as volunteering opportunities.
  
 
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAIRPERSON REPORT
COORDINATION REPORT
FINANCIAL REPORT
ADVICE SERVICE REPORT
HEALTH ADVICE SERVICE REPORT
VOLUNTEER AND USER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
ANNEX 1
List of management committee members, paid staff and volunteers.
ANNEX 2
Organisational flow chart
INTRODUCTION |
Welcome to our annual report 2007-2008. The report provides information about our work as well as an opportunity to see how our activities and services have developed throughout the year.
LADPP is the only charity in the UK serving disabled people, their carers and families from Spanish and Portuguese speaking backgrounds. Throughout the past seventeen years, LADPP has been delivering different projects towards the well being of its members and users.
This report shows in more detail all the activities and work done during 2007-2008. It is a summary of the work that LADPP has done over the past year in all its projects, including the reports of the Advice Project, the Health Project and the Volunteer Coordination and User Development Programme.
 |
This annual report also includes a summary of LADPP’s financial report for this year and a description of all the activities planned.
We hope this report will give you a clear understanding of the work LADPP has done for its users and members.
Thank you to all the people and organisations that have been supporting our work throughout 2007-2008.
|
As Chairman of the Latin American Disabled People’s Project, I am pleased to introduce our annual report 2007-2008.
During this year, the Management Committee members, staff and volunteers have been working together to deliver the services to members and users of the organisation - helping them to access the services and giving them the help and support that they require
We continue working on the development of skills and training that all the staff, Management Committee members, volunteers and member users require to deliver a quality service. Our aim is to benefit the organisation through the personal and professional development of all the people involved with LADPP.
The people at LADPP have been working on their projects with the support of organisations such as Evelyn Oldfield Unit, London Volunteer Services Action, MODA and Southwark Community Care Services. By evaluating the needs of the disabled Spanish and Portuguese speaking community living in London, we can implement new strategies and projects in response to those needs. |
LADPP continues to deliver its services through the Advice Project, the User Development and Volunteer Project and the Health Project. These are supported by our partnership services and well established referral system with organisations such as NHS Lambeth PCT, Shelter Housing, social services and other Latin American and Portuguese organisations. This results in the continual expansion of the services available to our members and users.
This annual report aims to show all the achievements and services delivered by LADPP through these different projects. We hope this will give you a good understanding of the excellent work done throughout this year.
Finally, I would like to thank all the staff, volunteers and Management Committee members for their dedication, commitment and hard work over the last year. I would also like to thank our funders who have made it possible for LADPP to achieve quality management and service delivery.
LADPP Chairman
Eddy Daniel Da Silva |
STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROJECT
MANAGER REPORT |
Throughout 2007-2008, with the cooperation and collaboration of other organisations, we have been able to deliver our services through the Advice and Advocacy Project, the Health Project, the User Development Project and the Volunteer Project, as well through our interpreting services, social and cultural activities and English and IT classes.
We have also been developing a support programme for all members and users who are going through their naturalization process to become a British Citizen. We are preparing and assisting them with the “Life in the UK” test as well as offering support and advice on the new bidding process that the majority of boroughs have implemented, helping our members and users through all their housing needs. Our partnership with Shelter London has allowed us to tackle homeless and housing issues.
With the Refugee Health Team LSL from the NHS we have been able to deliver alternative therapies, nursing consultations and workshops, helping LADPP deliver its aims on behalf of our members and users. Networking and the referral system with other Latin American and Portuguese organisations has been very important when delivering services on behalf of the disabled Spanish and Portuguese community living in London.
During this year we have been working on updating and improving our services with the help and guidance of London Voluntary Service Council, MODA, Evelyn Oldfield Unit, Southwark Community Care Forum and Community Action Southwark.
We have spent a lot of time looking at our future strategy and have come to the conclusion (with the full support of our users, volunteers, trustees and staff) that we need to focus on certain areas – one of which is the ‘Pathway to Independence’ for our users, responding to the changes of welfare benefits, especially in areas relating to disability welfare. |
LADPP has 729 members and users registered. During this year around 1200 people have benefitted from the services of the organisation, responding to the needs of the disabled community, their carers and family members in London.
Due to the high demand of the services, we have been working towards expanding our services. We are now in the process of setting up a general advice line and an email advice address which will help to reach housebound disabled people who are unable to access our offices.
LADPP is a member lead organisation and the work we do is dependent on the commitment of the members, users, staff, volunteers and Management Committee members towards the well being and progress of the organisation. On behalf of the disabled Spanish and Portuguese speaking people living in London, we have to thank the staff of the organisations and sponsors that have believed and supported our projects throughout the year.
Many thanks to all the sponsors during this time: London Council, City Bridge Trust, City Parroquial, Big Lottery, Exmoor Calvert Trust, Leonardo Da Vinci Programme through Becas Faro and Querco and Foundation for International Education. With your support, LADPP has continued working towards the improvement of the quality of life of the Spanish and Portuguese disabled people living in London, their carers and families.
Jhon Jairo Marulanda G
Strategic Development & Project Manager
|
FINANCIAL REPORT
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR
THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2008 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Total |
|
|
Unrestricted |
Restricted |
Funds |
Funds |
|
|
Funds |
Funds |
2008 |
2007 |
|
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Incoming Resources |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Incoming resources from generated funds: |
|
|
|
|
|
Voluntary income |
|
153 |
- |
153 |
531 |
Activities for generating funds - fundraising income |
678 |
- |
678 |
962 |
Investment income - bank interest |
|
621 |
- |
621 |
262 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Incoming resources from charitable activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
Grants and donations for support and advice |
|
- |
90,398 |
90,398 |
116,051 |
Membership fees |
|
1,210 |
- |
1,210 |
1,050 |
Trip fees |
|
2,450 |
- |
2,450 |
2,001 |
Other incoming resources |
|
451 |
- |
451 |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Incoming Resources |
|
5,563 |
90,398 |
95,961 |
120,857 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources Expended |
|
|
|
|
|
Charitable expenditure |
|
5,788 |
77,735 |
84,937 |
103,876 |
Governance costs |
|
2,521 |
- |
2,521 |
2,769 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Resources Expended |
|
8,309 |
77,735 |
87,458 |
106,645 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net (resources expended) for the year |
|
|
|
|
|
- net income for the year |
|
(2,746) |
12,663 |
8,503 |
14,212 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transfers between funds |
|
5,000 |
(5,000) |
- |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Movement in Funds |
|
2,254 |
7,663 |
8,503 |
14,212 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total funds brought forward |
|
16,606 |
41,434 |
58,040 |
43,828 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total funds carried forward |
|
18,860 |
49,097 |
66,543 |
58,040 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. |
|
|
|
Explanations of restricted funds:
City Parochial Foundation – funds, salary, and running costs of a Portuguese Advice Worker.
London Councils (formerly the Association of London Government) funds an advice project for general help and casework to disabled people with Spanish or Portuguese as their first language.
Big Lottery Community Fund - funds a Health advice Worker.
City Bridge Trust (formerly Bridge House Trust) provided a grant to fund the salary of a part-time User Development Worker and running costs.
The complete final Audit Report 2007-08 can be viewed at the LADPP office on request.
Aditors: Susan Field, Chartered Account, Neptuno House, 70 Royal Hill, London. SE10 8RF
|
Through advice, advocacy and representation, the Advice Project continues to offer services to all members and users of LADPP. Since the start of this year, the advice service has had a new advice worker, Jeremy-Gordon Smith, to work with our clients who speak Portuguese.
During this period we have had the support of three volunteers who have helped us to deliver our advice project: John Shanks, Daniel Da Silva and Sara Coffe.
This year we have had our annual visit to Exmoor Calvert Trust (from 6/10/07 to 13/10/07): An example of us working in conjunction with other projects and organisations to allow members to participate in different social and cultural activities that improve their lives.
As part of our training programme, we had 10 workshops on the system of social benefits for users and volunteers. Also, the advisers and volunteers continued their training on welfare benefits, housing and disabilities issues so that they could offer a better service to all of the members and users.
|
We are continuing our partnership with Shelter London, which is assisting with everything relating to accommodation. This is lead by Richard Lee and Gilda Flores every two weeks. There have been 24 sessions and 115 people who have used the service. We have also been working closely with Naz Latina delivering training and workshops to all members regarding disability benefits, housing and HIV issues relating to rights and entitlements.
Using our referral system of communication and shared advice, we continued to keep in contact with other Latin American organisations, governmental organisations and non-governmental organisations with the aim of offering a better service to the users of LADPP. |
During 2007 we had 84 drop-in sessions, in which we helped 739 members and dealt with 1394 enquiries regarding benefits’ issues. We also had 80 appointment sessions in which the advice service followed up the casework of 282 members regarding benefits’ issues. We are currently continuing to increase our services; the organisation is growing, attracting new clients (58 new members this year) and providing an excellent service.
The majority of problems that our clients are encountering are related to housing and housing benefit issues, as well as DLA and AA application and renewal forms, council tax benefits, income support, incapacity benefits issues and tax credits.
Due to the high demand of the services, the advice project has been working towards expanding the services by providing a general advice line which members, users and the community can access. We have also set up an email address where anyone from the community can write to us regarding any inquiry about welfare benefits and disability benefits.  |
Our aim is to give initial advice to members and users over the phone on issues that do not require them to come to our offices. We also want to reach all the housebound people, who have mobility difficulties when accessing our offices.
Carila, Latin American Women’s Rights, IRMO, Naz Latina, Casa Latinoamericana, Grupo de la Tercera Edad,
Migrant Resource Centre, social services, Centros de Salud, LASA, Advice UK, Child Poverty Action y Evelyn Oldfield Unit have been a great support to us in our work for the benefit of all our users, carers and family members who access our services.
Finally, a huge thank you to our sponsors London Council and City Parroquial - with your support we can continue to give advice services to all the users of LADPP.
Advice Worker Team |
HEALTH ADVICE SERVICE REPORT |
The health project started on 15th April 2006. Its objective was to facilitate access for the users of LADPP to the health services of the NHS.
The health service is offered three times a week; Mondays are dedicated to appointment sessions and Tuesdays and Thursdays are drop in sessions. During these sessions, clients have wanted information about disability living allowance, incapacity benefits, social services and community care, disabled freedom pass application, help with health costs, appointments with a GP, dentists and specialists and how to register a complaint.
We continue to have the support of Lambeth’s Refugee Health Team and through the help of Dr. Andreia Negron we are able to continue to offer the members of LADPP two sessions per month of therapeutic massage and aromatherapy.
In total, 20 sessions were offered in 2007. The sessions were every other Friday, and each one helped 6 people. This service has proved to be very successful - demand is so high that an appointment needs to be made at least 4 weeks in advance.
As part of the project that we do with Lambeth’s Refugee Health Team, we continue to offer health talks once a month. Every month, we tackle a different theme that affects our members. |
Dr. Andreia Negron continues to be responsible for giving these classes. During 2007 there were 12 classes on various themes such as cancer, stress management, memory problems, muscular problems and allergies.
Sexual health: We have offered four sessions about sexual health for women given by the Family Planning Association of London. The facilitator was Pat Grey.
Healthy Eating: Theresa Moses from Southwark Health & Social Care gave three classes on the theme of healthy eating and the positive effects it can have on your health.
Classes on healthy eating
The Expert Patient Programme is directed towards patients, their family members, carers and professionals. The principal objective is to promote self-care following the Self-Care for Chronic Illnesses course by the University of Stanford in the United States. With the support of Lambeth PCT we were able to give six sessions lasting three hours each. |
Two Mondays a month, we have gone out in groups to parks to go for walks together lasting about two hours. We use these activities to promote the benefits of physical activity and fresh air for physical and mental health.
Park walks promoting the benefits of physical activities
We also use these sessions to try to break the feeling of isolation that many of our members suffer from so that they can meet other members: This encourages human contact and relationships.
Since September we have started to offer individual sessions with the nurse from the Refugee Health Team of Lambeth. These happen on the last Thursday of every month and it is necessary to make an appointment to be seen.
This is a personalised and very efficient service, where each person gets at least 20 minutes of individual attention, dealing with things such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels, medication, weight control and referrals to other medical professionals.
Also during this year, we have run a support group twice a month called ‘Learning to Live’. It was formed with the purpose of providing information to our users about conditions that affect them. We suggest tools on how to manage these symptoms and in this way improve their health and life.
15 sessions have taken place under the supervision of Dr. Andreia Negron from Refugee Health Team. In these sessions, the attendance has been high and they have proven to be very gratifying for our users who have |
shown a positive change in their management and attitude towards their illnesses and daily tasks.
The interest shown for this activity has made it possible to formally establish it and therefore the continuity for this year is secured.
Attention to a good diet and lifestyle is fundamental in our meetings so we have designated a certain amount of time in each session for physical exercise and relaxation. We also provide a variety of fresh and healthy foods so that we can encourage good eating habits and the importance of physical activity in our lives.
After nearly three months of rehearsals, the members of the support group will take part in a play called ‘Musicians, Lunatics and Poets’, which will take place on 15th July in the Young Vic theatre.
This year, the users of LADPP have had the opportunity to participate in a variety of cultural activities such as visits to The Science Museum, The British Museum, Greenwich, The V&A and arts and crafts classes.
Users posing for the camera during a visit to the British Museum
The support of the volunteers has been indispensable to this project. The time and dedication that they have given to the project and their different activities have contributed greatly to the great service offered to our community, and those who made it possible are: Rafael Fuentes, Julisa Sumari, Belén Robayo and Liliam Ruiz, Maria Jose Sanchez y Gilberto Gil and Irene Alzas. Emer Coyle and Rocio Cardenas have been incorporated into the project since February 2008 |
We would like to thank the Big Lottery Community Fund programme for letting us develop this valuable health project that has benefitted our community in so many ways.
Report by the Refugee Health Team given by Dr. Andreia Negron.
During January-December 2007 the Wellbeing and Self Care Service provided sessions about soft tissue manipulation to treat musculoskeletal pain, and training in self-help techniques (self-massage, stretching):
LADPP users stretching during a health workshop
20 sessions were provided on the premises of LADPP.A total of 91 therapeutic sessions were carried out. 22 clients were attended to for the first time. 69 follow up sessions took place.
After the sessions the clients said that they felt better, relieved, and relaxed.
From January to December 2007, the RHT LSL facilitated health promotion sessions for the LADPP support group. 18 sessions took place, and an average of 15 clients participated on a regular basis. A comment of a participant: ‘I have learnt how to control my pain and improve my health’
The RHT LSL Wellbeing and Self Care Service carry out one to one sessions of soft tissue manipulation using blends of essential oils diluted in a base oil (when appropriate), and training in self-help techniques, in partnership with the LADPP, for clients who |
suffer from musculoskeletal pain related to stress.
Aromatherapy with Dr Andreia Negron
There is a support group for users of LADPP, to improve their capacity to deal with long term health conditions and chronic musculoskeletal pain.
A health improvement specialist provides the service. Sessions take place in LADPP’s premises, and are adapted to the particular needs and availability of space.
The service is evaluated continuously, recording feedback from clients after each therapeutic meeting. A pain scale is analysed comparing the position of a tick on the scale before and after therapy is carried out.
Clients are requested to provide information about the results of the therapy in follow-up meetings, the duration of the effect, and how much they practice the self-help techniques.
Mariana Gimenez
Health Advice Project |
USER DEVELOPMENT AND VOLUNTEER
COORDINATION |
The User Development Project is focussed on the delivery and development of LADPP’s services, its staff, and its strategic development. During this project we have been coordinating different activities on behalf of the well being of members and users of LADPP.
Working with the other LADPP projects, we helped with the Exmoor trip 2007 which was a highlight in many of our clients’ lives. The trips were a fantastic experience for them, giving them a chance to socialise with other people who are in similar situations to them and learn about and experience a different part of England.
We planned and organized a Christmas gathering where we shared a meal together and enjoyed Latin American food and music. Approximately 200 users attended. |
Christmas gathering where 200 users and their attended
We held a feedback meeting with users, volunteers, staff and management committee members where we discussed the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of the User Development Programme. The outcomes of this meeting helped to focus our work plan for 2008-2009.
We assessed our users’ needs in discussion focus groups, gathering ideas about new training and social and cultural activities that would interest them in 2008. Additionally, we held individual interviews and sent out questionnaires to all our users focussed on assessing their needs.
We planned the Annual General Meeting and started training potential service users regarding Management Committee roles and responsibilities. |
Training for the Management Committee
We attended networking and training events held by Southwark Community Care Forum, Evelyn Oldfield Unit and University College London.
We continued networking with latin american charities such as Latin American Elderly Project, LAWRS, Los Años Dorados, Carnaval del Pueblo, Carila and other organisations.
LADPP gardening club
We researched potential charities with which we could work with in the future to include English charities that work with disabled users.
We networked with key people who organize festivals in London such as Carnaval del Pueblo, Capital Age Festival and Festa (Young Vic Theatre) to encourage a group of users to attend. |
English lessons with James Rees
We re-established the English lessons project with the support of James Rees, our English teacher. The lessons started in January 2008 and take place every Wednesday on our premises. We have three levels: beginners, intermediate and advanced in order to meet our clients’ needs.
Additionally, James has been giving one-to-one conversation lessons for the LADPP English students and pronunciation lessons to members of staff.
We updated and improved our website with Stephen Bishop, our IT volunteer who joined LADPP in December 2007 and has been developing a new IT one-to-one training programme tailored to our users. The topics covered in these lessons are: Word, Excel, the internet, email and Power Point. We created an IT training area for this purpose on our premises and it has been a huge success. Additionally, Stephen has been showing users how to access the “Life in the UK” test website.
Stephen Bishop giving IT lessons |
We have continued to use our referral systems to other volunteer organisations and college ESOL programmes.
We have continued the Spanish and Portuguese interpreting service.
We continued our partnership with Tate Modern Museum – ‘Art into Life Project’. We successfully completed our first visit of the year on 1st February 2008 and we have three more sessions available for 2008. An approximate number of 40 users will benefit from this project.
We researched and networked with local cinemas to provide film related activities for our users in the near future.
Finally I would like to remind you to send back the questionnaires I’ve sent in |
the post to you so I can take into account your interests and preferences when I am planning the activities.
I also want to ask you to keep participating in the activities and to join the new clubs that I am going to set up: swimming club, dance club, gardening club, Art in the Park club, embroidery and crochet club, cinema club, personal growth development workshops and a museum club.
We want to acknowledge the support and help of our very special group of volunteers and take this opportunity to thank you all for your ongoing energy, commitment and support. Without your help we wouldn’t be able to continue with our project. |
ANNEX 1
LADPP ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
15/03/2008
The following members have been elected members of the Management Committee by the LADPP general assembly for the year 2008-2009.
Eddy Daniel Da Silva Chairman
Luis Antunes Vice Chair
Pedro Beramendi Treasurer
Maria Marin Secretary
Sonia Roldan Ex-Office Member
Comitee Members:
Huber Arias
Alexandra Saavedra
Belky Verduga
Luz Miriam Peralta
Luis Serna
Brumilde Hermosa
William Londoño
Isabel Rodriguez
Co-opted Members:
Alexandra Givons, Maria ester Sierra, Magdalena Santana
STAFF
Strategic Development & Project Manager: Jhon Jairo Marulanda Garzon.
Volunteer and User Development Co-ordinator: Camila Ordoñez.
Advice Workers: Jeremy Gordon-Smith.
Health Advice Worker: Mariana Giménez
Accounts: Martha Silva.
Thank you to all LADPP volunteers for all your support and work done through this year!! |
ANNEX 2
I. Organisational Flow Chart
LADPP FUNCTIONAL ORGANISATION CHART
AGM GENERAL ASSEMBLY
|
|
