:00:00. > :00:00.Sunday. Make the most of Saturday because Sunday looks pretty
:00:00. > :00:13.This is South Today from Exford. Claims more disabled should be
:00:14. > :00:17.working. Falkland war veteran Simon Weston backs the government's aims
:00:18. > :00:22.at an event encouraging employers to take on disabled workers. Tonight
:00:23. > :00:26.the charity has the has helped more than 200 people, most of them
:00:27. > :00:30.homeless to rebuild their lives. Freedom of movement. For a woman who
:00:31. > :00:34.Brock her back in childbirth ten years ago.
:00:35. > :00:49.Good evening. More disabled people should be working, according to the
:00:50. > :00:54.Government. Today the Minister for Disabled People has been in Swindon,
:00:55. > :01:00.at an event aimed at encouraging businesses to take on more workers
:01:01. > :01:05.with a disability. There are 118,000 disabled people of working age in
:01:06. > :01:10.the area. Out of those, 62,000 are working, that is almost 53%. But
:01:11. > :01:13.some charities say tough ability tests are forcing some people to
:01:14. > :01:20.look for work when they are not up to it P Like thousands of people in
:01:21. > :01:24.our region, Chris works in construction. Despite having
:01:25. > :01:30.learning disabilities getting a job has been just what he needed. It is
:01:31. > :01:35.something his mum is right behind. Very important for him as a person.
:01:36. > :01:44.To keep him busy and give him something to do an aim for in life.
:01:45. > :01:50.It gives him a purpose. Of almost 120,000 people of working age in the
:01:51. > :01:53.area, just over half work. The Falkland war veteran Simon Weston, a
:01:54. > :01:58.guest speaker after the disable conference in Swindon, says that
:01:59. > :02:05.number can and should rise. Employers have to look at disabled
:02:06. > :02:08.people and see them as an asset, not something negative, or something
:02:09. > :02:14.that should be ignored, because they can fulfil most job roles, give them
:02:15. > :02:17.a chance. The Government has made big and unpopular changes to the
:02:18. > :02:22.benefit system recently but it insists it is not doing it without
:02:23. > :02:28.good reason. I spend a billion a week, on disability and sick
:02:29. > :02:32.benefit, a billion a week. If that can be reduced that is fantastic, if
:02:33. > :02:37.we can have people go back to work, not only do they get the confidence
:02:38. > :02:42.they become taxpayers themselves. So as the Government tries to rebuild
:02:43. > :02:47.the UK economy, it will be hoping its moves to get more disAin abled
:02:48. > :02:52.people disabled people like Tom into work will pay off. Peter Turville is
:02:53. > :02:56.from Oxfordshire Welfare Rights. I asked him what he thought of events
:02:57. > :03:00.like the one in Swindon. We would support vents like this, but it is
:03:01. > :03:04.important both the advice to the disabled person and to the employer
:03:05. > :03:08.is tailored to the needs of the individual, both the disabled person
:03:09. > :03:11.and the employer. It is important they understand the complexities of
:03:12. > :03:16.the benefit system and how taking work could impact on the disable's
:03:17. > :03:20.person's benefit. If they can't sustain the job or they can't do the
:03:21. > :03:22.required number of hours, they can find the benefits are stopped
:03:23. > :03:26.without warning. Have you seen an increase in the
:03:27. > :03:30.number of disabled people looking for work since the benefit changes
:03:31. > :03:37.were brought? Yes, because of the number of people found fit for work,
:03:38. > :03:42.many of those people find they need to claim Job Seekers Allowance
:03:43. > :03:45.instead. Nationally, four out of ten appeals are successful and we are
:03:46. > :03:50.successful in nine out of ten appeals because decisions by the DWP
:03:51. > :03:53.are so bad. Where do you think the assessment is going wrong, in terms
:03:54. > :03:58.of who needs benefits and who doesn't? The assessment process
:03:59. > :04:01.doesn't gather relevant information, particularly medical information,
:04:02. > :04:06.that allows the person to be filleted into the relevant benefit
:04:07. > :04:09.rule, and that is what we do. We get the evidence the DWP could have
:04:10. > :04:12.gathered in the first place. Thank you.
:04:13. > :04:17.Next tonight, two men have been arrested following the death of a
:04:18. > :04:21.woman in Buckingham. Police were called to a property in Addington
:04:22. > :04:24.Road last night by paramedics, a 24`year`old woman was taken to
:04:25. > :04:27.hospital, where she died. Police say her death is unexplained. A
:04:28. > :04:32.postmortem examination will be carried out tomorrow.
:04:33. > :04:35.Thames Valley Police will have to find an extra ?2 million worth of
:04:36. > :04:40.savings in the next financial year. It is after the Government grant
:04:41. > :04:43.which provides most of the force's funding was cut by almost twice as
:04:44. > :04:47.enough as expected. The additional cuts come on top of
:04:48. > :04:50.?10 million worth of savings it planned to make in 2014.
:04:51. > :04:55.It shouldn't mean anything at all, not for the next two years, I very
:04:56. > :05:00.much hope after that we will have this sorted out. But it is only one
:05:01. > :05:05.four police forces that have taken very considerable cuts and it has
:05:06. > :05:10.not cut the front line so far. Seven people have been sentenced to
:05:11. > :05:14.a total of 52 years in jail. For supplying Class A drugs. The gang,
:05:15. > :05:18.including four from Milton Keynes pleaded guilty after a series of
:05:19. > :05:21.raids where police seized large quantities of high grade cocaine,
:05:22. > :05:28.thousands of pounds in cash and a handgun, with ammunition.
:05:29. > :05:31.Opponents of the HS2 high speed rail route have failed in their last
:05:32. > :05:34.legal challenge to the Government scheme. The Supreme Court has
:05:35. > :05:38.rejected their claim that the Government is cutting corners, with
:05:39. > :05:42.no time to exam tin environmental impact. The alliance claim the
:05:43. > :05:45.Government was in breach of European environmental law, and says it will
:05:46. > :05:49.make a complaint to the European Commission.
:05:50. > :05:53.The number of times Thames Valley Police are called out to find people
:05:54. > :05:58.with dementia has gone up by more than 60% in the last three years. In
:05:59. > :06:02.2013, they were involved in more than 360 searches, often working
:06:03. > :06:04.with charities like Neighbourhood Return.
:06:05. > :06:08.Age UK says the numbers will continue to rise, but there are a
:06:09. > :06:13.number of community schemes to train people in how to handle dementia
:06:14. > :06:17.patients. Charities in Oxford say training for homeless people will
:06:18. > :06:19.suffer, if they lose funding from Oxfordshire County Council. In our
:06:20. > :06:24.second look this week at the problem of homelessness in the city, we
:06:25. > :06:28.focus on attempts to give people education and skills. Adina Campbell
:06:29. > :06:33.has been finding out why charities say that is at risk. Aroom noing
:06:34. > :06:38.working day for Alan, he is taking in the latest batch of recycling.
:06:39. > :06:43.But seven months ago, he found himself without a job, and out on
:06:44. > :06:47.the streets. A marital break up left him homeless and contemplating
:06:48. > :06:52.suicide. . This time last year I was in a bit of a dark spot in my life.
:06:53. > :06:57.To such an extent I planned my own death and living on the street, it
:06:58. > :07:01.was quite a shock to the system. I realised that it is a different way
:07:02. > :07:05.of life. It is a different lifestyle. But Alan has landed on
:07:06. > :07:11.his feet, working full`time in this centre, which helps vulnerable
:07:12. > :07:16.people into work or training, and temporary housing. Round 200 people
:07:17. > :07:22.received help from Aspire and more than a third were living in hostels.
:07:23. > :07:29.Many of their trainees end up with full or par time jobs or doing a
:07:30. > :07:33.training course. But Aspire could see almost a 40% reduction in its
:07:34. > :07:38.funding next year. That is because of potential
:07:39. > :07:42.knock`on effects from the County Council's spending cuts. If you try
:07:43. > :07:46.and change life tiles the worst tinge you can do is sitting round.
:07:47. > :07:49.You need to be getting out. Otherwise you spend a lot of time in
:07:50. > :07:51.your own head and that can be dangerous. The County Council told
:07:52. > :08:07.us: Hostels like this one would also be
:08:08. > :08:14.at risk of losing some of its cash f the cuts go ahead. As well as
:08:15. > :08:18.accommodation Simon House provides careers advice. Trisha ended up
:08:19. > :08:25.homeless after losing her job Particularly for women, they are so
:08:26. > :08:28.vulnerable out on the streets, that, it essential to have place,
:08:29. > :08:36.particularly like this. A final decision on the County Council
:08:37. > :08:40.budget cuts is expected next month. A ten`year`old girl from Oxford who
:08:41. > :08:44.was told she might never walk has achieved her dream of riding a bide.
:08:45. > :08:51.Judith Stickings who has cerebral palsy started fund`raising for a
:08:52. > :08:56.specialist trike last year. Learning to ride a bike is a
:08:57. > :08:59.milestone for most children but for Judith it feels like a miracle. Her
:09:00. > :09:04.parents were told she might never walk, then she took her first steps
:09:05. > :09:08.aged three. Now, she has got her own bike. Seeing her as a normal
:09:09. > :09:12.ten`year`old girl with her first bike and happy, and feeling, even
:09:13. > :09:15.though we have to be with her and walking behind her, she is feeling
:09:16. > :09:19.independent, confident. It is exciting to see her so happy, and
:09:20. > :09:24.enjoying it so much and making such strides already. Judith suffered
:09:25. > :09:28.complication at birth which left her with cerebral palsy and
:09:29. > :09:32.developmental issue, she is one of round 400 children born with the
:09:33. > :09:37.condition in the UK. It took Judith nearly five months to raise the
:09:38. > :09:42.money for her bike, these specialist trikes cost round ?1500. But since
:09:43. > :09:47.it is arrived in November, she has been wried riding it every weekend.
:09:48. > :09:50.The bikes can improve balance and build muscle but there are social
:09:51. > :09:54.benefits, like being able to play with friends or cycle to school.
:09:55. > :09:59.Gillian says it shows what can be done with determination. She is
:10:00. > :10:06.hoping Judith's new found pedal`power might mean she learns to
:10:07. > :10:12.ride by herself. A man from Witney has come second in
:10:13. > :10:17.the world's toughest rowing race. Henry Brett and three friends had
:10:18. > :10:20.barely any experience hen they took on the Talisker Whisky Atlantic
:10:21. > :10:24.Challenge rowing more than 3,000 nautical miles. It took them 48
:10:25. > :10:34.days. And that is all from us for now.
:10:35. > :10:39.Still to come in this evening's South Today: The woman who broke her
:10:40. > :10:49.back in childbirth finds a new lease of life suspended by ribbons.
:10:50. > :10:52.Sophie Bosley, from Midhurst, has an extremely rare blood cancer called
:10:53. > :10:55.Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia. She's been encouraging other young people
:10:56. > :10:58.at Chichester College to sign up to the bone marrow register Our
:10:59. > :11:09.reporter, James Ingham, went along to meet her.
:11:10. > :11:13.Sophie Bosley was in the middle of GCSEs when she was diagnosed with a
:11:14. > :11:16.rare form of leukaemia. Two years later, she is still being treated
:11:17. > :11:20.with chemotherapy, but has managed to continue a relatively normal
:11:21. > :11:24.life. It was a big shock. We were all
:11:25. > :11:28.devastated ` it put a big problem in the works. There wasn't really
:11:29. > :11:33.anything worse we could have imagined. It put me out of place
:11:34. > :11:37.with everything going on around me, because at that time I had exams
:11:38. > :11:43.going on. I missed two of them, and was going to have to come back. It
:11:44. > :11:46.was hell, basically. Sophie will need a bone marrow
:11:47. > :11:50.transplant ` potential matches have been found, but she's very aware of
:11:51. > :11:54.the difficulty some people have of finding a donor. This is why she's
:11:55. > :12:01.involved in this big push to get people signed up to a register.
:12:02. > :12:14.My tutor mentioned it in college, and said it something she's a part
:12:15. > :12:18.of. I thought I'd give it a go. It's worthwhile. It's an opportunity
:12:19. > :12:21.to help someone out that a lot less fortunate than you.
:12:22. > :12:25.People in my class seemed to be into it, and it seemed like the right
:12:26. > :12:28.thing to do. Most of the students here are around
:12:29. > :12:31.Sophie's age, so her story has really struck a chord. And it's
:12:32. > :12:35.these young people that it's so important is to get on the register.
:12:36. > :12:39.Sophie's story highlights just how important it is for people to come
:12:40. > :12:43.forward and register. Currently, we are only finding matches for half of
:12:44. > :12:47.the patients coming to us. Our mission is to be able to find
:12:48. > :12:51.matches for all patients. Only around one in 1000 people on
:12:52. > :12:54.the bone marrow register ever get a call to donate. That would mean
:12:55. > :12:57.going through a simple procedure. But the more potential donors there
:12:58. > :13:18.are, the greater the chance a lifelike Sophie's could be saved.
:13:19. > :13:22.Residents at a sheltered housing estate in West Sussex are angry
:13:23. > :13:27.they're being charged ?40,000 for fire safety improvements they say
:13:28. > :13:30.are not necessary. But the company which runs the housing complex
:13:31. > :13:37.disagrees, and says there's a legal requirement for the work.
:13:38. > :13:41.Sean Killick reports. Residents at the Glebe are inspecting a new fire
:13:42. > :13:53.alarm system, they say they don't want and can't afford. Owners of the
:13:54. > :13:56.23 leasehold flats were told by management company Anchor the new
:13:57. > :14:06.alarm system, costing a total of ?23,000, was needed to meet fire
:14:07. > :14:09.regulations. They were also told their front doors need replacing to
:14:10. > :14:16.meet regulations, costing another ?20,000. But the Residents
:14:17. > :14:19.Association chairman says they were told by anchor's own surveyor that
:14:20. > :14:22.the work is not legally required. The residents are angry.
:14:23. > :14:25.They are absolutely incensed and furious that their hard earned
:14:26. > :14:30.funds, in what is called a sinking fund ` money we have put by for work
:14:31. > :14:38.that needs to be done ` is being taken for work that doesn't need to
:14:39. > :14:47.be done. The residents say they would be happy with ordinary smoke
:14:48. > :14:52.detectors. There is no necessity. The fire brigade have told us that a
:14:53. > :15:00.simple alarm would do. It would cost around ?200 for all six blocks. This
:15:01. > :15:05.is going to cost a small fortune. Ankara told us that the safety of
:15:06. > :15:27.our residents is paramount. That's why the
:15:28. > :15:42.but residents are calling for the work to be halted, and for an urgent
:15:43. > :15:45.meeting with Angkor. A woman from Newbury, who got involved in aerial
:15:46. > :15:49.performances in the run up to the Paralympic Games in 2012, says she
:15:50. > :15:52.wants to leave a legacy that will help other disabled people. Once a
:15:53. > :15:55.professional dancer ` Mel Stevens broke her back ten years ago ` she
:15:56. > :15:59.then discovered that hanging upside down not only helped her physical
:16:00. > :16:02.state but spurred her on mentally too. Now her dream is to open a
:16:03. > :16:07.space where special equipment could allow other disabled people to feel
:16:08. > :16:12.alive again. Dani Sinha reports. Mel Stevens has had many twists and
:16:13. > :16:15.turns in her life ` at 29 she broke her lower back whilst giving birth,
:16:16. > :16:19.leaving her with no sensation in both legs and chronic pain. It was
:16:20. > :16:22.only when she was asked to get involved in aerial displays in the
:16:23. > :16:29.run up to the Paralympic Games, that she realised the benefits of
:16:30. > :16:34.suspending herself in the air. The minute I hang, my spine
:16:35. > :16:38.decompresses. I haven't needed to medicate since I got out of the
:16:39. > :16:51.harnesses and did my first try on trapeze. Practicing here at an
:16:52. > :16:56.aerial fitness studio in Newbury, Mel is able to feel free again ` but
:16:57. > :16:59.this is the space, which Mel wants to transform into a specialised
:17:00. > :17:02.studio for people with disabilities ` she hopes it will be a fully
:17:03. > :17:05.functioning by Easter. Guiding her on her journey is coach and former
:17:06. > :17:28.Cirque de Soleil performer, Serenity Smith Fortune. Arnesses and did my
:17:29. > :17:31.first try on trapeze. For anyone who has any challenges with supporting
:17:32. > :17:35.their weight with their legs, they need to get more fitness, more upper
:17:36. > :17:38.body strength, so they can be healthier and fitter. And happier
:17:39. > :17:42.too ` there are a lot of endorphins that go through you when you get to
:17:43. > :17:45.swing around. I'm dancing, I'm flying. My disability is not who I
:17:46. > :17:48.am. Mel's friend Lyndsay performed in
:17:49. > :17:51.the opening and closing paralympic ceremonies but hasn't been able to
:17:52. > :17:55.practice her sport since then. She's hoping to benefit from a new space.
:17:56. > :18:21.Keeping her feet off the ground ` Mel is able to reach heights she
:18:22. > :18:26.never thought were possible. It looks amazing, doesn't it? It
:18:27. > :18:39.looks so simple, but it's really tough.
:18:40. > :18:41.Southampton Football Club have appointed Gareth Rogers as Interim
:18:42. > :18:44.Chief Executive, with immediate effect. Rogers has been Saints'
:18:45. > :18:46.Chief Financial Officer since March 2011. He's been appointed
:18:47. > :18:49.temporarily by owner Katharina Liebherr, following the departure of
:18:50. > :18:52.Executive chairman Nicola Cortese last week. As we reported earlier
:18:53. > :18:55.this week, former Blackburn chairman John Williams is still a leading
:18:56. > :19:16.contender to fill the chief executive role on a long`term basis.
:19:17. > :19:19.Oxford United are out of the FA Cup, after losing their third round
:19:20. > :19:23.replay to Charlton. Chris Wilder's side went down by three goals to nil
:19:24. > :19:28.at the Kassam Stadium. Charlton go on to meet Huddersfield in the
:19:29. > :19:32.fourth round. Meanwhile, MK Dons lost at
:19:33. > :19:36.struggling Crewe in League One. The Dons were already one goal down when
:19:37. > :19:41.they were awarded a penalty for handball. Shaun Williams' effort was
:19:42. > :19:48.brilliantly saved. Crewe wrapped up the win in the second half. MK sit
:19:49. > :19:52.tenth, eight points off the play`offs.
:19:53. > :19:56.There will be no speedway on the Isle of Wight in the 2014 season,
:19:57. > :19:59.after the Island's club decided to suspend their racing licence this
:20:00. > :20:02.year. The Islanders' shareholders voted to step down from the coming
:20:03. > :20:06.National League campaign, due to ongoing financial issues. The club
:20:07. > :20:10.need to raise 30 thousand pounds for a mandatory new safety fence at the
:20:11. > :20:14.Smallbrook Stadium. But with still more than half of that money to
:20:15. > :20:17.find, the Islanders have taken the decision not to race this season.
:20:18. > :20:21.Perhaps you need to kill something to let people know that it has gone.
:20:22. > :20:27.Perhaps in five years, it might come back and we might see crowds like we
:20:28. > :20:31.used to. There are just over two weeks to go
:20:32. > :20:35.until the Winter Olympics get underway in Sochi in Russia, and
:20:36. > :20:38.today more members of Team GB were announced ` including four athletes
:20:39. > :20:41.from the South. Among them is a skier going to her fourth Games, a
:20:42. > :20:44.bobsleigher who's made a switch from an entirely different sport, and a
:20:45. > :20:50.debutant, competing in the new Olympic event of snowboard
:20:51. > :20:53.slope`style. Jo Kent reports. Slope style is all about big tricks,
:20:54. > :20:58.and Southampton's Billie Morgan carries big British medal hopes.
:20:59. > :21:02.When you can pull off a jump like this, you can see why. He is thought
:21:03. > :21:05.to be the first snowboarder to complete this triple rodeo jump,
:21:06. > :21:09.consisting of three full flips in the air. He suffered a knee injury
:21:10. > :21:13.last year, but was back in action this month in Colorado. He was the
:21:14. > :21:19.top qualifier, but unfortunately the finals were cancelled. This week,
:21:20. > :21:22.he's at the X games in Aspen, hoping to show that he is on top for Sochi.
:21:23. > :21:25.Meanwhile, Andrew Musgrave, who was born in Poole, will represent
:21:26. > :21:29.Britain in cross`country skiing. Fresh from a win at the Norwegian
:21:30. > :21:32.national championships. The course in Lillehammer was pretty
:21:33. > :21:36.similar to the course in Sochi ` so it's long, big hills, pretty hard
:21:37. > :21:39.for a sprint course. That's what I've been training for this year,
:21:40. > :21:45.and it seems like it's paying off well.
:21:46. > :21:48.Winter Olympics veteran Chemmy Alcott proved that she is still
:21:49. > :21:53.Britain's best, despite being dogged by injury. She broke her leg for a
:21:54. > :21:56.third time in August, and hasn't competed on the World Cup circuit
:21:57. > :22:00.this season, after her comeback race was cancelled last weekend. Sochi
:22:01. > :22:02.will be the Hove skier's fourth games.
:22:03. > :22:06.And Craig Pickering from Milton Keynes will become one of only a
:22:07. > :22:08.handful of British athletes to compete in both summer and winter
:22:09. > :22:14.Olympic Games, after swapping sprinting for bobsleigh.
:22:15. > :22:17.It has been a tough couple of years ` I stopped athletics because I
:22:18. > :22:21.needed a back operation. I thought my career was finished, but I just
:22:22. > :22:25.kept plugging away and here I am going to my second games. I'm really
:22:26. > :22:29.happy. In selection, Craig has proved he is
:22:30. > :22:32.as good on the bobsleigh track as the running track. An athlete
:22:33. > :22:50.determined to get a second chance at Olympic success.
:22:51. > :22:56.We are getting into the feel of the Winter Olympics.
:22:57. > :23:09.And now for the weather. There are weather warnings in the
:23:10. > :23:16.next few days. We are keeping a close eye on the situation. There
:23:17. > :23:19.will be some dry periods. We have a day of rain, a day of scattered
:23:20. > :23:44.spells. The afternoon was predominantly dry,
:23:45. > :23:50.a few showers to speak of. Tonight is mainly dry, with one or two
:23:51. > :23:56.showers. There is a chance of a frost in the countryside.
:23:57. > :24:06.Temperatures will fall away to three or four. Perhaps, down to one out in
:24:07. > :24:11.the countryside. Pretty chilly tomorrow morning. There will be a
:24:12. > :24:17.band of showers from the West, which could be on the heavy side.
:24:18. > :24:24.Following that, one or two showers, but few or far between otherwise.
:24:25. > :24:31.Highs of six or eight. A fresh field to things. Through tomorrow nights,
:24:32. > :24:35.the risk of showers, but most places will be dry before this band of rain
:24:36. > :24:40.starts creeping in. That's what we are keeping a close eye on. That was
:24:41. > :24:43.the weather warnings from The Met office is in place for. Chilly
:24:44. > :24:49.temperatures to starts tomorrow night, but warming up slightly
:24:50. > :24:54.through the early hours. We are expecting a wet day on Friday. There
:24:55. > :25:02.is a yellow weather warning in place. We could see an inch of rain
:25:03. > :25:06.fall. Friday will see brisk south`westerly winds, and bands of
:25:07. > :25:10.rain moving in from the west lingering for much of the day. At
:25:11. > :25:18.rain only clears after dark on Friday. We are looking at some
:25:19. > :25:22.showers tomorrow, but they are few and far between through the
:25:23. > :25:27.afternoon. Weather warnings in place for Friday and Sunday. It's later on
:25:28. > :25:35.on Sunday that the rain will push in. Maybe some gales along the south
:25:36. > :25:36.coast. Thursday and Saturday are the days where we will see some
:25:37. > :26:20.sunshine. We all have hopes and fears
:26:21. > :26:24.for the future