December 2004-January 2005 Newsletter In Full

New office for Through The Maze.

Through the Maze has moved to:
Unit 48
Unity Business Centre
26 Roundhay Road
Leeds
LS7 1AB

Our telephone number is still  243 9919.

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Christmas holidays

Through The Maze will be closed from Thursday 23 December to Thursday 6 January 2005.
We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Wetherby youth club needs staff.

The Tuesday Youth Club is for young people in the Wetherby area who have special needs. It is open from 7pm to 8.30pm on Tuesdays at the Barleyfields Community Centre.

The club is looking for more staff to:

• Help organise activities
• Make sure everyone is included in activities
• Make sure everyone has a good time!

You will need some experience in working with young people or people with learning disabilities.

For more details and an application pack contact Liz Leach on  2935 196 or Vicky on  01937 845813

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StayWarm – avoiding large Winter fuel bills.
Stay Warm is a service from Powergen, the gas and electricity supplier. Powergen customers who are over 60 can pay a fixed weekly amount, every week of the year. This means that you can use heating and electricity in the Winter and not worry about getting a large bill for it.

For more information contact Powergen on  0800 169 4694

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Parent Partnership Service – support with education issues.

The Parent Partnership Service works with parents and carers of children with special educational needs. The service helps them get the advice, information and guidance they might need to make the right choices for their child.

The Parent Partnership Service has a library of information and contact with other people and organisations that can help answer your questions and provide support.

This includes information on special educational needs law, policies and procedures.

The Development Team works with schools, Education Leeds and other agencies to help them develop positive relationships with parents and carers of children with special needs.

To speak to the referral team call our helpline  3951200
For general enquiries please call  3951222
Or Email  Education.PPS@educationleeds.co.uk

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Partnership Board Meeting

The next Leeds learning disability Partnership Board Meeting is on
Wednesday 15 December at Pudsey Civic Centre. From 10am to 2pm
For more information contact Louise Mills on 247 8894.
You can read minutes of previous meetings at Partnership Board Minutes

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Interview with Margaret and Daniel Marshall about the Leeds Asperger Network. By Philip Hawley.

What does it mean to have Aspergers Syndrome?
Asperger Syndrome is a social disability and it is part of the autistic spectrum. People with Asperger’s syndrome have problems with socialising, understanding other people and understanding other people’s views.

How many people in Leeds have Asperger Syndrome?
We are trying to find out how many people in Leeds have Asperger Syndrome. There might be about 6,000 people on the autistic spectrum and about 2,000 people with Asperger Syndrome in Leeds.

Is it a serious thing to have?
Having Asperger Syndrome can be a problem if you don’t have support. It can affect every time you are with other people and every part of your life.

Do you experience discrimination because of your disability?
Yes, definitely. You can’t look at someone and know they have Asperger Syndrome and so people wonder what’s wrong with you.

Why was the Network set up?
A few years ago we needed some support ourselves. We looked for 3 years and only found help in another part of the country. Someone suggested that we start our own group, so we did.

What happens at the Asperger Network?
The group has a monthly meeting at the Civic Hall in Leeds. We also have a weekly drop in centre. We provide email and telephone support and advocacy. We have a website, a website forum and we give information to anyone who wants to know more about Asperger Syndrome. This year we had art and music workshops. We hope to have more workshops next year.

At the moment it is usually parents and carers that come. We would like more people with Aspergers Syndrome to join the meetings and more people who can offer support to the group.

Do you think everything is OK with services and opportunities in Leeds, or do you think changes are needed?
There are no specific services in Leeds for people with Asperger Syndrome and very little for adults with autistic spectrum disorder. Changes are needed. The services available are usually for people who are less able, but people with higher ability still need something.

We are talking to people from mental health services about including Asperger Syndrome as a mental health issue so services will be provided. We think that a diagnosis service is needed as well.

For more information on the Leeds Asperger Network contact Margaret and Daniel on  275 4389
Email  emiliajoy3@msn.com
Website Website: www.leedsaspergeradults.org.uk

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New sports club for young people

The All Stars club is a new sports and activity club for disabled young people at East Leeds leisure centre. It is for people aged 8 to 18 who might find it difficult to join other sports and activity groups.

The club is open every Monday evening, from 6pm to 7pm. Qualified coaches run the club. The club gives young people with disabilities the chance to be active and make new friends.

Parents and carers can use free and discounted facilities when their children go to the club. This includes free swim sessions for parents and other family members under 5. Other children over 5 can get in for £1 if they have a breeze card (which will also be free).

For more information about the club contact the East Leeds Leisure Centre on  214 1334 or Katy Elliott on  395 0159.

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Skills Training at St George’s Crypt.

In January St George’s Crypt care centre has 2 part-time courses for unemployed people who want to learn new skills.

These courses are:

• Catering
• First aid, health and safety

Both courses last for 8 weeks. Training on the catering course includes choosing menus and preparing food for the Community café run at the centre.

For more information on the training course, contact Tara Mcmillan on  245 9061.

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What’s On in December and January….

West Yorkshire Playhouse:
Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is on from Monday 29 November to Saturday 5 February.

Pinocchio is on from Thursday 16 December to Saturday 15 January.

For tickets call  213 7700 or minicom 213 7299

Grand Theatre:
The Nutcracker, ballet is on from Saturday 1st to Monday 3rd January at 7.30 and also on Saturday at 2.30pm. For tickets call 2226222

City Varieties Aladdin, pantomime will be on from Wednesday 8th December to Sunday 9th January
For tickets call 08456 441 881

Ice Cube
The ice rink in Millennium Square will beopen from Friday 14th January to Sunday 27th February

For more information call 395 0891

The German Christmas Market
The market in Millennium Square is open from Tuesday 25 November to Tuesday 21 December. It is open every day from 11am to 8pm, but Sundays from 11am to 3pm.

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