Page 4 - Newsletter

Steven Harrison (known as Harry), who is supported by our team in Wakefield, is undertaking a gruelling challenge to raise money for forces veterans. Harry is going to cover the distance of a Channel swim (122 miles) over 48 days, which began on 11th April. He is going to push 100 miles and swim 22 miles!

Former soldier Harry was in the US when he broke his neck in a diving accident. Since his injury, Harry has been paralysed from the shoulders down with limited arm movement and is a wheelchair user.

To complete the 100 mile land distance, Harry is using a specially designed rugby

For more information, please visit Harry’s website at

www.art-and-paralysis.com where you can also see Harry’s collection of artwork that illustrates his own experience of paralysis over the past 13 years.

wheelchair on an outdoor running track and will swim a backwards butterfly stroke at an indoor swimming centre, both based in Wakefield.

Harry is raising money for four charities: Help for Heroes, SSAFA Forces Help, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and The Royal British Legion.

Harry said “The purpose of this challenge is to raise awareness and provide funds to help the forces veterans who have suffered major physical and emotional trauma. I intend to use every muscle I can to raise money for the ex-servicemen and women who have made such a sacrifice for their country.”

Charity Challenge for Harry

Sometimes it is more

appropriate for someone other than the direct payment recipient to manage the care funds and act as the employer.

Clive Edens does just this on behalf of his mother, Marjory. Clive and his partner supported Marjory themselves until her health deteriorated to such an extent that they realised they needed additional support from outside. Majory now requires over 20 hours of daytime support and 3 waking nights of care per week.

As from April 2011, agency workers who have been

contracted for 12 or more weeks are entitled to the

same pay, conditions, childcare flexibility etc as their permanent /employed colleagues.

The web link at

www.fairtoagencyworkers.org.uk gives a good basic overview of the changes. This may affect you if you use an agency to cover sickness, maternity leave or recruitment difficulties.

Clive says that he is sure his Mum would now be in a home if it were not for the support Penderels Trust has given him with the whole process of managing the direct payment funding, recruitment and ongoing support including the payroll service. He also says

“having Penderels behind me has made the whole process of being an employer far less daunting.”

Clive wishes to thank his Independent Living Adviser, based at our Lincolnshire office, for her ongoing support.

Clive Edens

Fair working conditions for agency workers