Useful services and external resources, for your care and career.
This is an expanding directory and current community suggestions are not definitive. Know of a service or resource that should be featured?
Access Sport
Access Sport enhances the life prospects of disadvantaged children by providing opportunities to experience and enjoy the power of sport. Our unique experience across a wide range of sports in London, Bristol, Manchester and Oxford have led us, in the twelve years since we were established, to become nationally recognised as an innovative leader in the field of community sport.
Our work supports young people aged 5-25, with a particular emphasis on under 18’s who are disabled, disadvantaged or excluded from society. We do this by building thriving community sports clubs, led by inspirational volunteers, in the most disadvantaged urban areas. These clubs then provide life-changing opportunities for local, vulnerable young people, whilst creating a lasting, locally-owned community resource.
We have a multi-sport approach, which recognises the importance of different sports in different settings for different participants, enabling maximum inclusivity and impact - from BMX to boxing; from running to rugby; from sitting volleyball to sailing. To find out more information please visit our website or find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
[UK CHARITY]
AccessAble
AccessAble is here to take the chance out of going out. To give you the information and detail you need to work out if a place is going to be accessible for you. We've surveyed 10,000s of venues across the UK and Ireland, including shops, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, railway stations, hotels, universities, hospitals and more. AccessAble is Your Accessibility Guide. Download our free App to use AccessAble on the go.
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[UK-WIDE SERVICE]
Creative Minds
A social enterprise and nationwide community of artists, delivering empowering and therapeutic art sessions to care homes, learning disability services and day centres across the country. Our community of over 30 artist licensees deliver over 350 art sessions, to 1500 people a month, working with older people and people with learning disabilities.
Creative Minds is expanding all the time. We currently have passionate artists delivering art sessions from London, East Sussex and Kent, to the West Midlands, Leicestershire and Yorkshire. For a full list of locations and further insight into our work, visit our website and follow us on social media.
[UK SOCIAL ENTERPRISE; SERVICE AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE]
Garry Burge - Asperger Syndrome and Autism Advocacy
Offering personal experience, through trial and error, to help raise awareness.
Garry Burge was born in Brisbane, Australia in August 1972 and was diagnosed as having Asperger Syndrome in July 1998. Being diagnosed has helped him to understand who he is as a person and explained why he was different from other people and the world around him.
His diagnosis helped to answer some of the following questions:
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Why it was difficult for him to make friends
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His constant obsessions in trains, pocket watches, orchids and history
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The difficulty in not being able to fit into and adjust to the school environment
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Why he was bullied and teased within secondary school
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Experience of having depression and social isolation earlier in his life
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Not having a lighter side
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Seeing things and taking comments from other people very literally
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Unemployment issues and not being able to find employment
Visit Garry Burge's website to find out more and learn from his experiences. This includes autism and employment, Asperger Syndrome advocacy, links and support.
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[AUSTRALIA-BASED; INFORMATION APPLICABLE WORLDWIDE]
LGBTQ and OT
This website is designed to connect OT practitioners, educators, and students to the resources and information that they need to improve OT services for LGBTQ clients in many settings. This website offers cultural awareness resources, information on how LGBTQ identities can impact occupational performance, advice on how to make clinics more LGBTQ friendly and more.
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[INFORMATION RELEVANT WORLDWIDE]
Maisha Outreach Therapy Organisation (MOTO)
We aim to make rehabilitation services in Africa more accessible and enhance the lives of vulnerable and marginalised people through quality care, therapy and advocacy. We facilitate volunteer placements and use occupational therapy as a tool to support and empower.
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[AFRICA-BASED; SERVICE AVAILABLE CONTINENT-WIDE]
Ocupando los Márgenes
Ocupando los Margenes - or Occupying the Margins is a website that promotes critical reflection in and from the margins of occupational therapy; it explores practice and principles outside conventional settings or countries.
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Occupational therapy is explored in relation to human rights, equality, occupational justice and social transformation. Content includes perspectives from life in Rwanda and interventions with child refugees in Greece. The blog aids to improve reflexive thinking about principle concerns which ought to be approached by occupational therapy.
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This website is in Spanish, but can be easily translated, through a Google Translate pop-up on your browser.
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[FOUNDED IN SPAIN; INFORMATION APPLICABLE WORLDWIDE]
St Wilfrid's Centre
A day centre open to all homeless, vulnerable and socially excluded adults aged 18-65 years old.
We are open Monday to Friday (10am-4pm), with a skilled staff team that offer basic Welfare services, as well as Personal Development activities to promote wellbeing and independence.
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Hygiene services - showers, hairdressing, laundry, clothing repair and clothing bank
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Hot meals and snacks
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Finding accommodation
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Somewhere safe to go regularly and meet others
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Advice, advocacy and signposting - including benefits, housing and personal advice
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Social activities, games and groups
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Personal Development Programme - offers a wide variety of personal development activities structured to help facilitate recovery, life-skills & work-based skill
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[UK: SHEFFIELD CENTRE]