Sound Therapy

It’s only a few weeks now until Voice 09, the conference and exhibition for the social enterprise sector. This year for the first time it’s being held in Birmingham at the ICC on February 10th and 11th.

The beauty of the Voice conference is that you can make of it what you want. If you like to listen to politicians then there’ll be a spattering of those; if however you prefer to meet other social entrepreneurs there’ll be many opportunities for that - in the exhibition, at the Tuesday evening reception, or through the Make a Meeting facility. There’s also an interesting programme of seminars ranging from Social Enterprise 101 for those who want to know the basics through to ones on co-operation and how to approach the challenge of an economic downturn. If you need even more input then you can book a free surgery with some very impressive experts including Bates, Wells and Braithwaite dispensing legal advice and Red Ochre offering business support.

Finally, there’s the exhibition - and in the heart of that, in one of the “inspirational igloos” you’ll find Decoda. We’ll be offering delegates the opportunity to take a few minutes out from thinking and talking to play instead by changing the images on the walls of the igloo. We’ll also have details of the Futurebuilders-backed maze for people with profound disabilities, which will soon be available. So, if you’re at Voice 09 please come along and find us.

All details of the exhibition are on the Voice 09 website. To contact Decoda please use the form or phone us, either on 0424 439192 or 0845 2938354.

Here’s Gary, back in the office the day after the Hastings centenary marathon, holding his medal to prove that he really did run the 26+ miles on a shiveringly-cold day in December.

He was disappointed with his time - over 5 hours - but delighted to have finished when so many fell (literally) by the roadside. He chose to start at the back of the field and passed many casualties, some being taken away by ambulance!

The best part for Gary was the response of the people on the route. The runners appreciated that in the middle of the countryside residents had turned out to hand out drinks or simply applaud the effort being made. From the five mile mark, into Battle, they also had an escort of motorbikes ridden by Santas shaking bells.

As a result of Gary’s efforts there’ll be an extra bursary fund next year for people who might want to attend the Music Gym but can’t on the grounds of cost. So, a huge thank you to Gary and to all those who sponsored him.

Thank you to everyone who visited the Arts Zone last week at Learning Disability Today. Our aim was to provide fun activities and I think we achieved that. We could only take elements of the Music Gym - the Soundbeam linked to vibrating seats and the dancing squares. These were a huge success and we had so many requests from people wanting to buy them that we’re now looking into making them available. Some very talented dancers visited the stand, I just wish we’d had the camera ready to put the film on youtube. One young man had the staff of the nearby coffee stall  mesmerised and table-clearing came to a complete halt while he was performing.

If you weren’t able to visit the exhibition or you were too exhausted to step across to us then you can find out more about us on our website www.decoda.org or by calling us on 0845-2938354 or 01424 439192.

If you’d like to find out more about us at Decoda there’ll be an opportunity to visit us at the Learning Disability Today exhibition later this month.

If you’ve never been to the Learning Disability Today exhibition then you’re missing a treat -it’s an action packed day of seminars, stands and zones visited by about 2,500 people.

The seminars cover topics such as Living Safely in Your Community and Access to Health. The zones this year look particularly interesting  and include Heavy Load in the Media Zone, a Film Zone highlighting the Oska festival in Brighton and the Rix Centre demonstrating new assistive equipment in the Smart Technology Zone. Plus of course ourselves in the Art Zone.

We’ll be using the space to show how we use sound and imagery to engage people with profound disabilities. Please drop in and have a play.

Learning Disability Today is on Thursday November 27th, at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. I know from my experience as a visitor that it’s a good idea to register in advance. You’ll find all the details on the Pavilion website.

We’ve just heard that we’re to get funding for a hoist and changing table for the Music Gym. This is wonderful news as it will mean that new members will be able to visit the activity in Hastings and some current ones will be able to stay longer.

Apart from carers, people don’t always appreciate the problems involved in taking out individuals with profound disabilities who can’t use a standard accessible toilet. They need support from one or two carers to use the toilet, or a height adjustable changing bench where a carer can safely change their continence pad. They also need a hoisting system so they can be helped to transfer safely from their wheelchair to the toilet or changing bench.

Mencap has been highlighting the problem for some time through their Changing Places campaign. We were aware this could be an issue for people who wanted to come to the Music Gym but didn’t have the money for the equipment. It’s now become possible thanks to the Hastings Round Table and the funds they distribute from the Hastings Beer and Music Festival. It seems very fitting that those enjoying the festival in the summer are now in turn enabling others to come out and enjoy the Music Gym.

If you’d like to know when the equipment’s installed so that you can bring someone along to try out the Music Gym then please contact us. You can also phone us on 0845 2938354 or 01424 439192  or email gary@decoda.org

Decoda has moved. The Music Gym is still at Horntye Park, as usual but if you need to write to us the address is now

Theaklen House

Theaklen Drive

St. Leonards on Sea

TN38 9AZ

The phone number has also changed - it’s now 0845 2938354 but if you get free or cheap calls you can phone the landline on 01424 439192.

For any enquiries about the Music Gym you can also email  gary@decoda.org.

 As you can see from the photo, we now have the new castle at the Music Gym, thanks to the Lady Taverners and the Isabel Blackman Foundation. It dwarfs our first one which is now a “sitting” castle for the members who enjoy the gentle movement of the inflatable but aren’t able to bounce. The new castle is for the members who want to be as energetic as possible. As long as they’re near the back of the castle, and moving, there’ll be the added bonus of triggering music.

The new obstacle course has turned into a maze - it’s on its way and will be appearing in the Gym in a few weeks time.

The SwanFest at Lamberhurst at the end of July was a huge success again and raised £1300 which will go towards bursaries for Music Gym members, where needed.

The Music Gym facility for people with profound disabilities will be starting again this coming Friday, September 5th, at Horntye Park in Hastings. We already have quite a few new members coming, so if you’re interested in trying a session please phone Gary on 0845-2938354 or 01424-439192 or fill in the contact form.

This year’s Swanfest will soon be happening. It’s on a Saturday this year, July 25th, in the garden behind the beautiful Swan pub in Lamberhurst.

If you want to buy your ticket in advance they’re available from the Swan itself or from  the Smugglers in Hastings and cost £7.50 with children free.

To see lots of photos from last year’s festival take a look at fourseasonsevents on myspace.

As you can see, all proceeds from the festival go to the Music Gym, the facility for people with profound disabilities in East Sussex and Kent. Last year it provided several bursaries that ensured no-one was excluded from coming to the Gym on the grounds of cost.

If you’d like to volunteer for the event we still need people so please get in touch or phone us on 01424-444322. There’s more information about the Music Gym either here or on our main website.

At the Music Gym we do our best to provide meaningful and fun activities for people with profound disabilities. We’re delighted therefore that Decoda’s been awarded a grant by Awards for All to develop an inflatable “obstacle course” specifically for wheelchair users. It will be for all our members to use but will provide an activity for those in particular who can’t use the bouncy castle.

Some equipment which currently stands alone, such as the bubble machine, will be incorporated into the obstacle course and triggered by sensors.

The idea came from a support worker who has been bringing students from a local school to the Music Gym for over two years. She recognises the value of the large space and has sometimes used it to teach students to operate their wheelchair themselves. She also believes that all young people need the thrill of something unexpected and unknown, regardless of their disability.

The design for the castle is being developed with an inflatables manufacturer. Unfortunately this is their busiest time of year, so it may not be in the Music Gym until October. We’re confident that when it does appear it will be well worth the wait.

It must be the week for awards - we’ve also learned that Decoda is in the final of the Edge Upstart Awards for Social Enterprise, run by the New Statesman. The winners will be announced at the ceremony on June 18th and in the meantime there’s more information at http://www.edgeupstarts.org/2008/awards

If you’d like to know more about bringing someone to the Music Gym, please contact us by phone 01424 444322 or by filling in the contact form.

In case you’re wondering if the Magic Cake is a cake you can eat without adding to your hips - sadly, no. It’s the name given to a day of interactive activities on Saturday, June 7th at Mountfield Village Hall. Tom from the Music Gym will be working with MJM-Access to provide fun, interactive installations, designed for everybody to enjoy and to show how in this age of rapid technological growth people with disabilities need no longer be excluded.

Besides The Magic Cake you can try out “The Four Stones”, “The Speaking Room”, “Mountfield Hall of Mirrors” and “21st century Music and Movement”.  MJM Access will also be running two short 45-minute workshops exploring how disability affects people’s lives at 1.30 and again at 3. Continue reading ‘The Magic Cake - interactive day for people with disabilities’