A snap decision leads to great result for charity!

Around Christmas 2022, I walked from my home to a dental appointment, cross country. This was due to the lack of pavements near to where I live. As I walked across the snow covered slopes, the scenes around me were beautiful!

I noticed on Twitter a photo competition run by Premex Services, a medico-legal reporting agency, asking for photos in various categories, including a favourite snowy scene. Perfect! I submitted my favourite photo to Premex and what do you know? I won £1000 to be donated to a charity of my choice.

I have worked with Kay Coombes at ARCOS (Association for Rehabilitation of Communication & Oral Skills), expert in Speech and Language Therapy for a long time, in connection with my work as a Brain Injury lawyer. I have continued to do so, since joining the Child Brain Injury team at Bolt Burdon Kemp.. I have had many conversations with Kay about her hopes for children like those with cerebral palsy, who I represent.

ARCOS is a relatively small National Charity and I decided I would like to help their causes. ARCOS work to improve life for children and adults who have communication, eating, drinking, and/or swallowing difficulties. They help their clients to improve their ability to communicate, their physical conditions and mental health, so that they can be as independent as possible. They work in collaboration with the NHS, other organisations and GPs, providing comprehensive, ‘joined-up’ therapy and support to clients, their families and carers.

The ARCOS Centre at Malvern provides specialist advice, as well as therapy and training. They aim to support people in an atmosphere that is as informal and supportive as possible. Many of their clients appreciate an atmosphere that is different from the hospital environment, where they may need to spend considerable time.

So, a snap decision (no pun intended!) meant that Christmas came early for ARCOS. I am delighted that with the donation of £1000, they have been able to purchase several important things:

A Smartbox – Super Core Communication Book, which is a paper-based version of the Super Core software used on Smartbox Grid 3 devices. This helps children who have limited speech to be understood, by pointing to vocabulary, activities and topics. This will be an additional copy to add to their loan library.

A portable suction device for people who choke on saliva, a lightweight, portable suction machine. This can be used in bronchial and oral hygiene, to provide effective airways clearance and to control infection.

A contribution to the outdoor furniture for ARCOS’s recently refurbished outdoor area, namely four aluminium chairs, to go with the table ARCOS have already purchased. These will grace their newly resurfaced outside area, to provide somewhere for families to enjoy refreshments with their children or while they wait.

And here is my winning entry!

It was wonderful to share the news with ARCOS, who like so many other charities work hard to support children and adults with a brain injury. I am grateful to Premex, for helping me to make a difference.