Sponsored walk for Winchester Basics Bank

On 29 November 2012, West View House, a homeless hostel, and Choice Support are doing a sponsored walk to raise money for Winchester Basics Bank.   The Basic Bank provides emergency food and clothes to individuals and families in need. They make these available to the maximum number of people at their point of greatest need.

The homeless people living at West View House are keen to give something back as the Basics Bank is an essential part of their lives. Basics Bank provides residents with five days of food supplies and clothes four times a year.

Residents of West View House say “Basics Bank is a fantastic service and we hope to be able to raise awareness of poverty and homelessness in our local area and to bring some joy into peoples’ lives especially around the Christmas. Any donation big or small will make a big difference to peoples’ lives. Thank you for your time.”

Choice Support’s Chief Executive Steven Rose says “residents of Westview are supporting such a good cause. I am pleased that Choice Support is able to support this fundraising and to demonstrate this I’ll be joining them on the walk.”

How to make a donation?

You can donate to Just Giving here

By text message: To donate £10 Text DEOC76 £10 to 70070

Peoples Lottery

The Peoples Lottery, which will raise funds for sport, art, gardening, music, education and employment opportunities for disabled people, formally launched on 12 November with a celebration at Choice Support's head office in London. 

Jubilee housemates

An appeal organised by the family, friends and loved ones of people supported at Choice Support’s Jubilee House service near Wakefield.

Follow up to Panorama exposé of serious abuse at Winterbourne View - 29 Oct 2012

Steven Rose, Choice Support’s CEO, said after last night’s Panorama programme, which was a follow up to the original Panorama exposé of the serious abuse at the Castlebeck private hospital Winterbourne View in May 2011:

“Once again professionals, families and the public are raising their hands in horror at the abuse of vulnerable people with learning disabilities. Ex-Ministers who once had the power to demand the closure of these institutions are belatedly calling for more accountability. We now await the publication of the Department of Health Review and Concordat which is already, prior to its publication, receiving criticism for being an ineffectual response.

The Centre for Welfare Reform estimates that 21,000 people with learning difficulties and mental health problems are incarcerated in institutions similar to Winterbourne View. Costs are equivalent to the costs of running the NHS hospitals that were closed in the 1980s and 1990s. Whilst there is no doubt that these institutions should close we should not just blame the private companies and NHS Trusts that run them. The commissioners who keep sending vulnerable people to be abused must shoulder the blame as well.

Over a year ago the Association for Supported Living (ASL) published There is an Alternative, which demonstrated safer, non-institutional, less costly alternatives to places like Winterbourne View. Sadly, we know from the lack of response the ASL received that most commissioners have chosen to ignore a win/win situation where they get a ready-made solution to the abuse of vulnerable people and reduction in the exorbitant fees they are currently being charged.”

Steven Rose, CEO Choice Support

Download There is an Alternative here.