| AdminHistory | Real is a registered disability charity (1061671) based in the Isle of Dogs at Jack Dash House, that was established in 1996. Real is the registered working name of Real DPO LTD and it is also a company limited by guarantee (3213172). Previously, it was the Tower Hamlets Coalition Of Disabled People LTD (1996 2006), and then Disability Coalition - Tower Hamlets (2007 2012), before becoming Real DPO Limited in 2012.
It is a user-led organisation, that is run by disabled people who work, volunteer, live or study in Tower Hamlets. The charity primarily works with those living in the borough, their constitution allows them to contribute to national and regional issues.
They support people with all types of impairments, ethnicities, ages group and other protected categories. The charitys mission is to uphold and protect the human rights of disabled people and enable disabled people to live as equal citizens. Their aim is to aid disabled people to live independently, with the support they need and the resources they need to do it.
During the pandemic, Real, a user-led disability charity in Tower Hamlets has been running storytelling workshops with its members. The aim of the workshops was to provide a safe space for disabled people to share their experiences and hear those of others. The project offered creative ways to express their feelings and emotions including poetry, art, drama, prose and animation. Each week members explored a different medium. One of the workshops was run by an experienced art therapist, who used the concept of 'cope cakes' to encourage members to think about all the positive things that had helped them get through the difficult times in isolation and lockdown.
The experience of disabled people throughout the pandemic has been different to non-disabled people. Many have been asked to shield for long period of times. They have experienced higher rates of death and life-threatening symptoms of the virus. And many vital health and social care services have been withdrawn as resources were reallocated elsewhere. It is important that disabled people's history during the pandemic is not forgotten and is recorded to help inform future services. [Text provided by Real]
Sources of information:
http://www.real.org.uk/
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03213172 |