South Wilts Mencap Pizza Quiz and Pizza Evening
South Wilts Mencap is hosting a Quiz and Pizza evening.
Wednesday 8th November – 5.30pm-7.30
Statford Sub-Castle Social Club, Stratford Road, Salisbury
£2 per person, payable on the night (cash only bar available for drinks)
Booking for essential by Monday 30th October
Available from the British Dyslexia Association
A new FREE downloadable guide for parents and carers to support a child or young person with dyslexia:
Recordings to recent FREE webinars:
All of these links are available in the next newsletter, If you would like a copy, please email
Nessy website resources – How to Help Dyslexia (3-18 years)
The [Nessy Website] has lots of information on dyslexia and plenty of useful resources for parent carers to help their children to read, spell and write; many of these are free.
They’ve also updated the ‘How to Help’ section, which is broken down into age ranges from 3-18 years. Each section contains hints and tips for how you can support your dyslexic child. There are also some articles/blogs for teenagers by Nessy’s Youth Ambassador, which have some good practical advice such as exploring assistive technology, but also talks about how it feels to be dyslexic. Click [here] to take a look.
Free e-books about dyslexia from Nessy
Learn more about dyslexia and read along to ‘Dyslexia Explained’ with your child. Empower yourself and your child with ‘What I Need’, and the knowledge they need to self-advocate. Learn about dyslexic children and adults all around the world and their successes in art, sports, advocacy, and more!
Click on the links below to download the FREE eBooks:
More information on Dyslexia Resources can be found on our website HERE
Learning Disability Tea and Chat
Come and meet people from Wiltshire Council and Health – share your ideas and experiences about Learning Disability services in Wiltshire.
Tuesday 31st October 10.30am – 12pm, At Fisherton Hall, St Paul’s Church Centre, Off Fisherton Street, Salisbury, SP2 7QW
Silverwood Prospective Parent Tour Dates
Please see below a list of prospective parent tour dates for Silverwood School.
Please note the tours will start promptly at either 9.30am or 10.00am depending on the campus. The time will be confirmed upon booking.
The tours are to be attended by parent/carers only and not the child/ children.
New Wellbeing Accommodation for Adults Experiencing a Mental Health Crisis
Bath Mind has opened a non-medical house, offering wellbeing accommodation for adults experiencing a mental health crisis.
Orchard House, located on the edge of Midsomer Norton provides a step-up service for people living in the community who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health and need support to avoid hospital admission. It also provides a step-down service for those leaving an in-patient setting who would benefit from additional support before returning home.
The house has been fully refurbished to provide a calm, welcoming environment for up to four people to be supported at a time. Staff work with each person to create an individualised support plan, to develop their coping skills, regain confidence in daily activities and enable them to safely return home; as well as working collaboratively with the individual’s mental health team to ensure they have the right support in place when they leave Orchard House.
This service is only available for referrals via Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust (AWP). They accept referrals for people living in B&NES, Swindon or Wiltshire. For more information please contact the Orchard House Team at orchardhouse@bathmind.org.uk or 01761 252770.
More information and contact details are also available on the Bath Mind website HERE.
Young Carer Opportunity
The national Commitment to Carers Team have a Task and Finish group of mentors working on the Young Carers 5 Top Tips for GPs, an opportunity to join this group has opened up.
They are looking to have these Top Tips designed and published before the end of the year. The Task and Finish Group is to explore ideas on how we can do that i.e. posters, videos, audio etc.
If you are interested in joining the meeting and would like to have a chat, please contact Steve at steve.mbara@nhs.net
Top Tips and a brief background of the young carers Health Champion and Mentor role are included in attachments (NHS England Health Champions Group and The Mentor Role.pdf and Top Tips for GP.pdf).
Listening Books
Listening Books is UK charity providing an audiobook lending service for anyone whose illness, disability, learning or mental health condition impacts reading or holding a book. We offer free membership for those who would find our fees an obstacle to joining. Our service is available for both children and parent carers who are eligible. With over 10,000 books, newspapers, and magazines in our catalogue, there is something for everyone to enjoy at Listening Books.
For more information and to apply, please see flyer on our website
Experts to share knowledge and support at Carers Rights Day Expo
This November, to support Carers Rights Day (23 November), join Carer Support Wiltshire at the Civic Centre in Trowbridge for an empowering expo designed to support unpaid carers. They will be bringing together experts from local government and the voluntary sector to share their knowledge on a range of topics that provide guidance and advice helpful to carers.
The event includes a variety of sessions, including building support networks, navigating the benefits system, and looking after yourself while caring for someone. There's even a practical first-aid tips session to help carers be better prepared in case of emergencies. The information hall will host many organisations from across the public, voluntary, and commercial sectors to provide advice and guidance about your caring role.
The expo is free, with an optional donation, and will take place on Tuesday 21 November, from 10.00am-6.30pm. Register for tickets in advance and discover the many ways help and support is available for unpaid carers.
Community Connecting Newsletter
Please see our website for the latest newsletter for Community Connecting.
Private Fostering - Caring for Somebody Else’s Child
Wiltshire Council would like to reduce the number of children in un-notified private fostering arrangements across the county. They would be delighted if you could help.
Are you caring for somebody else’s child?
If you are caring for somebody else’s child*, are not a close relative and the child* has been living in your home for 28 days or more, you must let the local authority know as they can provide support and advice.
(*Child = under 16 or under 18 for a child with disabilities)
Please see our website for more information.
Family and Community Learning Autumn/Winter Courses
Autumn courses available with Family and Community Learning Shop for less and Saving Energy to help families struggling with costs that continue rising and will help families make changes as the days grow shorter into the change of season. Balance Your Budget is full of helpful advice about how and why to plan expenditure. Learners can join one or all of these courses.
Manage Your Mathes Part 1 - Tuesday 31st October
Saving Energy – Thursday 2nd November 10am – 12pm
Balance Your Budget – Thursday 9th November – 10am – 12pm
Manage Your Mathes part 2 - Friday 17th November
Also available is an online:
Community Smart Course - 9th November - 7th December 2023
Understanding School Avoidance - 16th November, 23rd January and 6th March
There are a number of new course dates that have been added, for more information please see our Website
Parent Carer Support Group in Melksham
A face to face group for anyone who cares for a child or teen with SEN (diagnosis not required). They can offer support and signposting if you are struggling at home or at school.
Mondays (term time only) 10am – 12pm
Queensway Family Centre, Pembroke Road, Melksham
It is a drop in group, so you can come at the time that suits you. It is for anyone, you don't have to live in Melksham or have any kind of diagnosis to join them. They are a friendly group who just want to support to each other. For further information call Terrie-Anne on 07944153992 or email terrieannecoe@gmail.com
You can also keep updated on the group by joining their Facebook page HERE
South Wilts Mencap Newsletter
South Wilts Mencap supports people with learning disabilities in South Wiltshire; inspring them to achieve their full potential and enabling them and their families to lead fuller lives. They support families in the South and Salisbury region of Wiltshire. They support with clubs, activities, fun days, short breaks and more.
CLICK HERE to have a look at their recent newsletter.
