Exceptional results and value for funders every year

The Disability Resource Centre prides itself on always working closely with its many funding bodies to ensure it provides exceptional value and results for every pound, every year.

DRC logo white

 

We are here so that disabled people and their families have somewhere to turn if they need help in any situation.

Read about our purpose, values and our history.

Working with local communities to support anyone with a disability or health condition in Milton Keynes, Luton and across Bedfordshire.

Melanie Hawman

To discuss working with our charity on your next project then please get in touch with our CEO today

Email: melanie.hawman@drcbeds.org.uk

Key funders

Key data

Able Williams donating disability equipment to those in need in Pakistan

As an Anchor institution, one of our key aims is to help tackle health inequalities. We provide opportunities for those who access support, which aims at early intervention and prevention of further health concerns.

With your funding we can reach more local people with our support and services aimed at reducing health inequalities.

 

Disabled households need an additional £1,122 a month to have the same standard of living as non-disabled households according to the latest data from SCOPE.

It showed that for disabled men, the suicide rate is 48 per 100,000 people compared to 15 per 100,000 non-disabled men. For women, it is c19 per 100,000 people compared to 4 per 100,000 non-disabled women in areas of deprivation.

 

Our charity supports some of the most deprived areas in the region.

Our customer centre, in the Downside Estate (LU5 4AP) is in one of the most deprived areas of Dunstable; part of the Manshead 594 ward, one of the top two most deprived areas of Central Bedfordshire.

Community Central icon pattern for the Open Day

40% of enquiries from our service users are for money management and benefits advice, with a 25% increase compared to 2022.

Our service users told us that mental health and wellbeing support was the third most important service we offer, with 38% of responses via a survey we ran in August 2023. In first place was second-hand disability equipment and the second most popular service we offer is benefits advice/form-filling support.

Hands holding a smiling face badge

The Disability Resource Centre supports people who have mental health disabilities as well as people with physical disabilities

Q&As

Our funders ask us lots of questions, here are just a few…

What is your organisation’s purpose and core activities?

The Disability Resource Centre is a charity led by people with lived experience of disability, who are at the centre of its decision making. Our vision is to empower people of any age with poor physical or mental health, to fulfil their full potential and aspirations. 

We provide professional, emotional, practical support and solutions to meet the needs of our users; through personalised services, information and advice, equipment, training, mental and physical wellbeing support.

As an NHS anchor institution, one of our key aims is to help tackle health inequalities. We provide opportunities for those who access support, to gain early intervention and the prevention of further health concerns.

Describe how your organisation is user-led?

The Disability Resource Centre is a user-led charity and is led by or for people with lived experience of disability or long-term health conditions. Annually supporting over 13,000 people a year, we have 28 years of experience supporting those affected by disability. The charity has a diverse and inclusive workforce of staff and volunteers, many with lived experience. This includes 75% of trustees on our board, and 60% of staff with disabilities, using mental health services, learning disabilities, older people, their families and/or have caring responsibilities. We have a panel of around 100 ‘Experts by Experience’ with lived experience that help shape our own and other local services through feedback, consultation, co-production and the delivery of a range of peer-led research groups.

How will this project be managed and how will you ensure the activity, including all learning or training, is completed within the advertised timescales?

Project management principals will be applied with project plan in place, managed by the Operations Manager, who has over 20 years of experience including project-based employability training, work-based learning and 6 years of the Care Academy delivery experience. The project plan will identify SMART targets, actions and milestones with agreed responsibilities and time frames. Business continuity plan and risk registers will manage any potential risks, ensuring continued service delivery and provide an agile response to any changes or external influences. The marketing plan will identify promotional activity, which will take place from August 2023 including a schedule of dates with all activities concluding by mid-March 2024. Planned Interim Reports will be completed by 31 October 2023 and the 30th January 2024, followed by performance review meetings. These will explore planned and actual activity and spend. A final evaluation report will be completed by 31st March 2024, providing the opportunity to report on activity, successes, challenges, lessons learnt and recommendations for other ULO’s. 

Tracking and data management systems are in place, enabling accurate and timely reporting. Scheduled weekly team updates, monthly team and project meetings, and reports monitoring are in place, which will evaluate actions to date.

What services does your organisation provide?

The Disability Resource Centre’s services include advice, equipment retail and hire, benefits advice, carers support (Carers Central), training, wellbeing, and health and fitness. The cornerstones of the services are to provide people with financial, emotional, and practical support with an understanding of the individual need, working collaboratively to provide a range of solutions for their situation. The direct payments team delivers support planning, information and advice to potential and new Individual Employers and Personal Assistants (PAs), PA recruitment services, and payroll and managed account services. The charity receive referrals from four local authorities for direct payments, with plans for Individual Service Funds and third-party employer services. The charity runs several co-production programmes every year with partners including local councils, fundings bodies like the Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation, Sport England, Skills for Care, University of Bedford, NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, and NHS East London NHS Foundation Trust.

Now it’s your turn: Please send us your questions by email to our Operations Manager, Clare Copleston

Contact us

Email or call our CEO, Melanie Hawman, to arrange an introductory meeting

News

The Disability Resource Centre logo on a colourful striped background

Sign up for our fabulous free newsletter

Sign-up to read our latest newsletters that are full of events, news and all the ways we help disabled people and carers every week of the year. Over 1,500 people across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have signed-up to receive our newsletter. Sign-up for free today with just your email address…

Read More »

MSK ActiveWell: A new and free musculoskeletal condition support programme

If you are struggling with a musculoskeletal condition, feeling stuck on waiting lists, and unsure of how to manage your pain, and regain control of your life, then our new MSK ActiveWell programme could be the answer. Within a week of joining, you’ll start your wellbeing journey, designed specifically for your needs, guided by our qualified Health and Wellbeing Practitioner.

Read More »

Please share your story today to help us mark 30 years of The Disability Resource Centre

Share your journey of living with or caring for a person with a disability or long term health condition. Whether it’s a tale of triumph, a reflection on challenges overcome, or a call for change, your stories are a powerful testament to the journey of the disability community and we would love to support you in sharing them. By sharing your experiences, you can inspire others, raise awareness, and advocate for a better future for disabled people everywhere.

Read More »

The difference we make

Zaqia told us how she has been using the many free services offered by The Disability Resource Centre

See how we helped Cathy and Roy to live independently at home

Students at Central Bedfordshire College filmed this video in Spring 2023 of our brilliant volunteer, Rohin, as part of their course. It’s a really great film and great example of the varied roles of our volunteers. 

Find out more about volunteering for our charity.

Case studies

Read our latest stories and case studies that illustrate the way we achieve exceptional results for our funders…

Co-production in health and social care settings

Related posts and pages:

Mrs W is losing her sight

Mrs W is losing her sight

Mrs W is managing to live independently in most ways but she was finding it increasingly difficult to set her gas oven temperature correctly. We helped her find a solution with the charity REMAP, who came up with an ingenious design to fix safer controls to her oven.

Read More »
The Disability Resource Centre logo on a colourful striped background

Sign up for our fabulous free newsletter

Sign-up to read our latest newsletters that are full of events, news and all the ways we help disabled people and carers every week of the year. Over 1,500 people across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have signed-up to receive our newsletter. Sign-up for free today with just your email address…

Read More »
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