We would love to say that Spring is in the air, but as we are still in February, that is probably a little presumptive!
The weather has been interesting to say the least and may have stopped many of you getting out and about, however our Staying Active blog has got lots of top tips to stop those Winter Blues kicking in!
We are also very excited to be working with Care Radio UK to further support the caring community, whilst listening to great music and hearing inspiring stories.
Staying Active in 2019
There has been much reported over the last 12 months about how the benefits of keeping active can help improve both your health, emotional and mental well-being. Whether you are training for a marathon, attending a yoga class or spending a few hours gardening, being active can bring many benefits.
Having a disability, whether it is visible to other people or not, may have stopped you being active in the past, but please don’t let it stop you in the future. A member of the MyLiferaft team was invited to attend the National Junior Games at Stoke Mandeville Stadium a few weeks ago with Wheelpower, and was amazed at the different activities that are now fully accessible to all. Read our Active blog on more ways of staying active and how MyLiferaft can help support you in achieving your goals.
Local Offers
We are rolling out MyLiferaft across more areas around the UK by becoming part of the Local Offer. Each Local Authority has a list of resources, called a “Local Offer”, and this is generally accessible via the family information services. These resources are designed to help support families and young people with special educational needs. MyLiferaft was founded by Nicola Murgatroyd following her experiences in caring for her daughter, so she is no stranger to the difficulties parents face in getting support from local authorities. Read more about Nicola & Faith’s story.
MyLiferaft has recently been added as a Local Offer in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Gloucestershire and West Berkshire.
Care Radio UK
Turn on and tune in to Care Radio UK – wherever you are! We are so excited to be part of a new venture working alongside Care Radio UK helping to support the care community.
“Care Radio UK is a music-based on-line radio station that caters for Carers and those they care for, in addition to non-carers and anyone who wants to support the care community. It’s an upbeat, entertaining and informative listen that celebrates Carers and the work they do every single day.”
One of their unique features is their podcasts. Recent podcasts include Kay Smith who lives with Lupus, where she talks frankly about her life, how the discovery of virtual reality technology eases her pain and why she is determined to live her life to the full while helping others through her campaigning.
There is also a moving interview with Alison Carr who talks about her son Fraser who was nine years old when he contracted encephalitis. Alison talks openly about her family’s struggle and gives her views on funding for Carers and the testing of her personal resilience.
Translation comes to MyLiferaft
If you or someone who supports you doesn’t speak the same language, then information can sometimes get lost or misunderstood. With MyLiferaft, you can enter information in your language of choice, share with others who can then choose what language they read it in. This feature is also helpful when carrying out an assessment, as MyLiferaft can act like a translation tool during a face to face meeting.
Additional new functions also include the ability to choose when you want to receive notifications/reminders and you can now message those you share with.
And Finally…!
If you have half-term approaching in a few days, don’t forget to check out our Resources for child-friendly activities for all ages and abilities!
We love hearing from our MyLiferaft community so if you have something to say, something to share or need support using MyLiferaft, then please contact us via:
- Email info@myliferaft.com
- Call us on 03302 231192
- Complete the Contact Us form
It has been a great start to 2019 and we are excited to be moving forward and keeping you updated on our journey.
Regards
Nicola Murgatroyd
CEO and Founder of MyLiferaft
