Partners
The Disability Resource Centre has an outstanding record of supplying high quality information, advice and support services to disabled people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Northamptonshire over the past 20+ years.
We are pleased that our standards and rigour have been recognised in our award of PQASSO level 1, endorsed by the Charity Commission.
Along with our partners, we deliver:
- Advice and Information Services to Disabled People and their families
- Advice and Information Services to Carers of Disabled People
- Support under our Personalisation Services
- Support to enable disabled people to work
- Improving Health, Learning and Work opportunities
- Disabled Sport
New Partners
We welcome the opportunity to work with new Funding Partners, Supply Partners and Customers.
Big Health and Fitness – Gym for larger people
Watch this space – The Disability Resource Centre is going to be working with Graham and Jude from BIG health and fitness to make a healthy lifestyle accessible to our service users who wish to lose weight and get fitter.
Fitness is an essential tool in managing many different health conditions, but people that are disabled, obese or mobility impaired can feel intimidated or unsure that exercise and healthy eating is achievable for them.
There are many situations where people feel that they lack the confidence to try a mainstream gym or fitness class. It may be that you have left hospital and need to build up your fitness again or perhaps you have gained weight through injury and therefore do not feel ready to go back to the gym.
We are working together to make BIG’s approach to fitness accessible for all of our service users.
As the programme develops we will issue more information. In the meantime please contact Big Health and Fitness directly.
The Social Care Sector Skills Agency, Skills for Care are one of DRC’s funding partners. We work closely with them to assure that the wealth of educational and training resources they produce are provided free of charge to both aspiring and experienced Personal Assistants. This in turn benefits our service users, who are individual employers, by providing qualified Support workers. It adds value to the other services that we provide on behalf of local authorities, which ensure the smooth facilitation of Direct Payments.
As we continue to grow our Personalisation Service offer ,we are bringing in other partners who we work with in other departments to join in and grow the service that we can provide to service users, local authority partners and each other.
Recently we created a project using existing funding streams between Skills for Care, DWP and unemployed residents of Luton and Dunstable. We were delighted when we were invited to present this at Skills for Care Link-up event, which encourages partnership working to produce results for individual employers.
If your organisation would like more information about working in partnership with the DRC then please contact: Melanie Hawman, Head of Operations and Development on 01582 470900 or melanie.hawman@drcbeds.org.uk
Funding partners:
| Luton Borough Council |
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| Skills Funding Agency |
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| London Luton Airport Limited |
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| European Social Fund |
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| Skills For Care |
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| Bedfordshire and Luton Community Learning Trust |
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| Bedford Borough Council |
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| Central Bedfordshire Council |
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| Bedfordshire Clinical commissioning group | |
| Luton Clinical Commissioning Group |
Associated Partners
We have a supply chain network that includes charities, training companies and colleges. For our supply chain partners we offer excellent management; resources including training and marketing and a partnership culture of collaboration and cooperation.
| Luton Law Centre |
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| Luton Carers Network |
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| Member of Disability Rights UK |
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Corporate Social Responsibility
We are pleased to work in partnership with companies fulfilling their Corporate Social Responsibility roles, and companies offering us charitable rates for their work.
Thank you to:
| Whitbread for painting our offices |
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Partnership working in Northamptonshire
We have been working together with other local agencies in the following ways:
Our partnership Network includes:
- Independent Living Scheme – Northampton Borough Council
- South Northants Homes – Housing Association
- Northamptonshire Carers – ‘Drop in Café’
- Alzheimer’s Society Northamptonshire – Dementia Café
We are regularly involved with the following Organisations/services:
- Oakley Healthcare – for equipment
- Shire Mobility – for equipmentNorthampton Audiology Department
- Kettering Stroke Association
- Cynthia Spencer Hospice – Northampton
- Lakelands Hospice – Corby
- MS Nurse – Northampton
- Deafconnect
- Olympus Care
- Learning Disability Partnership Board
- Disability & Sensory Impairment working group
- Hate Crime group (REC)
- RDAC
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Places available on our free online wellbeing courses
New free online training courses starting soon. We have places available on our free wellbeing, employment and learning support programmes.
We have reopened our centre, by appointment only
By popular demand we have reopened our disability equipment shop by appointment only. Read about all the changes we have made to make the centre safe for visitors and staff.
Employment support programmes
Choose from 5 brand new and free employment support programmes from our award-winning team…
The Best of Me programme is a series of free online courses for Bedfordshire residents. We can help improve your health, confidence & wellbeing.
Important information for individual employers and PAs
Please see some important information about PPE, Personal Health Budgets, shielding, COVID 19 testing for PAs and more up to date information to support PAs and individual employers.
Help for carers in Luton
Introducing the free support service for unpaid carers in Luton, Carers Central. We offer lots of free 1-2-1 help and advice by phone, email and online meetups.
Donate
Please consider donating to The Disability Resource Centre today so we can continue our vital services.