Phab Lifeline


Phab

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Isolation, the feeling as if you have no-one to talk to,

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no friends to meet, can be hard enough for most of us, but when you

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have a disability, it can make life even more difficult to deal with.

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This is where Phab comes in,

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a UK-wide charity that supports regular

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activity clubs like this one and has been doing so for over 60 years.

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They're open to everyone of all ages and abilities

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to do what most of us take for granted, have an

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opportunity to play games, talk and make friends.

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-Hiya.

-Hiya.

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The charity's clubs are special, like this one in Epping Forest.

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Adults, as well as children like Keana,

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can come to interact with like-minded friends,

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which can help with their social interaction and confidence.

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So what is the best thing about coming to Phab?

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Like, I get to have fun there and there are all these

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-people in wheelchairs like me, and things.

-And do you make friends?

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Yeah. I've made quite a few.

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-Today, we made, like, things out of pipe cleaners and stuff.

-Ooh!

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And about this wheelchair dancing, do you think it's possible

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-I might get to see some of your moves?

-Sure.

-Fantastic.

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Give me a high five. Yes!

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# Don't blame it on the sunshine

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# Don't blame it on the moonlight

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# Don't blame it on the good times

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# Blame it on the boogie

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# Don't you blame it on the sunshine... #

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Hi, Sandy, I've just been having the most wonderful chat

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with your little granddaughter, Keana.

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I'll bet you have!

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She's just adorable! Tell me a little bit about her.

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She has cerebral palsy. She was born three months premature.

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It wasn't until she was about a year

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and a half that we really found out what was really wrong with her.

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With Keana, she is always very wary of people that she don't know.

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But she's actually got on so well.

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She was chatting to other people in there and that, it was lovely.

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So, would you say it has benefited Keana coming here to Phab?

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Leaps and bounds, Anita.

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Confidence like, you know, generally at ease and quite happy.

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All the children in there seem very happy.

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You know, Phab isn't just for children or those with

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disabilities, everyone is welcomed into the Phab family,

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from seven-year-olds to 70-year-olds, and beyond.

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Natalie's story really shows what's possible being a part of Phab.

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At the age of 25, Natalie was working, walking

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-and having adventures.

-But, then, tragedy struck.

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Life kind of stopped, as I knew it.

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I went into hospital as a working, able-bodied person

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to coming home as somebody completely different that kind of...

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..had gone back to babyhood, in a way,

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and being dependent on my parents for everything.

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You kind of think, well, how do you start again?

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Natalie was severely affected by Guillain-Barre syndrome,

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a very rare and serious condition that affects the nerves,

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and is now paralysed from the neck down.

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Before I was ill, I was always busy, always doing everything.

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I also did a lot for other people, and all of a sudden,

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that all stopped,

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and I'm completely dependent.

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I lost a lot. I lost a lot of confidence.

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I just felt, "Who needs me now? Where do I fit in?"

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I kept my really, really good friends, and they stuck by me,

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but I also lost quite a lot of friends.

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So, I did start to become quite isolated,

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and I didn't want that, I wanted to be the person that I was before.

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I found out about Phab through a friend who had also

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been in hospital with me.

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Everybody was really friendly and nobody asked me questions,

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nobody really wanted to know what had happened,

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where I had come from, and I instantly felt really at ease.

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Nobody knew me before and that was really nice,

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to be able to just be me from the start.

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I found who I was again, really.

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You make friends, you talk to different people

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and you share experiences,

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so it really has given me my social life back in every way, really.

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Since I have been going to Phab, I've actually, as myself,

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I've got a lot more confident, I've done some things at Phab that

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I never, ever thought I would do. It doesn't have to be that your life is

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finished, that's it. You can still go out and do all these things.

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And it really has given that back to me.

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If you were looking for a role model for somebody who copes with

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a serious disability, then I would point you in the direction of Nat.

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Her disability doesn't define her, it's just part of who she is.

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If you watch, during the course of the evening,

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most of the members of Phab will speak to her.

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She has a smile and a good word for everybody.

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We are about enjoying ourselves, we are a social club, we are

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about having a good time. There isn't the support out

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there for disabled adults,

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and Phab, to some extent, fills that hole.

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Without the help of volunteers,

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Phab clubs just wouldn't be able to exist.

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And donations can help fund life-enhancing activities

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like games, arts and crafts, and musical workshops.

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Yes!

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You know, one of the most life-affirming experiences

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that Phab run are residential summer trips,

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often an opportunity for young people with special needs to

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get away from home for the first time without their parents.

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Caitlin, who has cerebral palsy, and her brother Cameron, spent

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a week at an outdoor residential centre in the New Forest,

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away from Mum and Dad.

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It was different. I got to do stuff that I don't normally do.

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It just gave me the independence that I know I needed.

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Knowing that I can do different activities gives me

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that confidence that maybe I don't get in school or at home.

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Often, people don't see her for what she knows that she is,

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so she is proud of what she has been able to do.

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And a lot of it is people of a similar age

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so she has got that peer support.

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So it gives her friends that are similar to her.

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It's that sense of belonging, it gives them a big sense of belonging.

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It has inspired me to go out and meet new friends

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and it's inspired me to...erm...

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..go to different clubs and try new things.

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In terms of brother/sister going together,

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it is quite important because, Cameron being that bit younger,

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it gives him the opportunity to feel independent.

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It gives Caitlin responsibility as well.

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That's it, we try, where we can, to say, "You are the big sister."

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So, for her, she's got an important job there.

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Since 1957, the charity has inspired and supported disabled children

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and adults to make more of life together.

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This can be key in improving their quality of life and wellbeing.

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Now, with your money,

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Phab will be able to offer more residential projects

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and open up new clubs where the demand is greatest, across the UK.

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Think about how important these clubs are to those who

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don't have the opportunity to leave their home with ease.

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With your generosity, Phab will be able to provide safe

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and fun places for people to feel independent,

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meet new friends and gain confidence, together.

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So, please do give what you can.

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To give by phone, call:

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Calls are free from mobiles and landlines.

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Texts cost your donation, plus your standard network message charge,

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and 100% of your donation will go to Phab.

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For full terms and conditions, or to make a donation online,

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visit the Lifeline website at:

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Or if you would like to post a donation,

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please make your cheque payable to Phab and send it to:

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Write Phab on the back of the envelope.

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ALL: Thank you!

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