Author Archives: wendy
Britain on the breadline as thousands face food poverty
thousands face food poverty
Penny Marshall: Social Affairs Editor
The impact of Britain’s economic downturn is forcing tens of thousands of ordinary families to queue up for food handouts.
One charity said today the number of people going to foodbanks has doubled in the last year.
Our Social AffairsEditor Penny Marshall has been to one in Coventry, which is among the fastestgrowing in the country:
Not many families say grace anymore, few even eat together. But as the church intervenes to guarantee thousands of families don’t go hungry, perhaps a few are whispering it under their breath.
The news that two new food banks are opening in Britain every week as people struggle to make ends meet should make each and every one of us pause and think.
In the shoes of Karen… supporting both of my parents with dementia…
In this series of occasional “guest blogs” I am therefore very honoured to introduce you to ‘Karen’ (not her real name). Some of you will know Karen as ‘DazeinourLives’ on Twitter, posting regularly “nuggets” of information, moving insights into family life supporting both of her parents with dementia. This post was written shortly before Karen’s father’s recent death.
Background:
Karen expected to return to her palliative care nursing career once both children were at school, but her parents’ Alzheimer’s escalated. For the next three years she was their sole carer. As her Dad’s symptoms advanced, her Mum was unable to cope, even with Karen’s help. Karen comments:
“The impact on my own complicated family became intolerable, not least for my long-suffering husband. Last Spring, Dad was hospitalised; it became heartbreakingly clear that it would no longer be safe for him to return home. Dad went into a nursing home, and we found Mum part time help at home. Mum’s mental deterioration, which she does not accept graciously, combined with her need to see Dad every day without fail keeps the pressure on…
Royal Wedding grants for carers
GROUPS supporting carers will receive grants from the Royal Wedding Fund.
Published 26 Apr 2012 12:30
Bracknell Forest Voluntary Action (BFVA) will receive £4,000 and Wokingham, Bracknell and District Mencap will receive £2,000.
The money has been distributed by Berkshire Community Foundation, a grant-making charity, which was one of 26 organisations chosen by Prince William and Catherine Middleton to benefit from a charitable gift fund set up to mark their wedding in April last year. Staff and trustees met on Friday to choose 13 voluntary groups.
Chris Bounds, care services manager at BFVA, said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded money from the Royal Wedding Fund! Our £4,000 grant will supplement the services that we provide to unpaid, informal adult carers in Bracknell Forest borough. We will be setting up regular events to allow carers to socialise and benefit from the peer support that they get from each other.”
