Cerebral Palsy Midlands

 

 

Finishing for the summer I wanted to relax while I had some well earned rest. I wanted to concentrate on writing and updating this blog.

Being inspired by my work experience at the Birmingham Post and Mail and my first year at university, I wanted to build a creative writing portfolio full of material first I felt proud of and wanted to keep on the porch in case I was in need of it for future references.

I also wanted to build a journalism portfolio which included articles and features which I could use incase I was asked to present one at any form of a journalism company or organisation.

Along with this, I wanted to do an element of volunteering work with Birmingham PHAB Camps. I know it may seem a lot but I also wanted to try something new and exciting in order to build my CV and portfolio even further. It was this that allowed me to discover, ‘Cerebral Palsy Midlands’.

Cerebral Palsy Midlands (CPM) is a small registered charity, Reg no. 529464, who provides an essential day-care support service to adults with Cerebral Palsy and other related disabilities.

It strives to empower people in their everyday lives, to promote independence and for people to make their own choices.

This charity reminded me so much of Birmingham PHAB Camps as they have similar aims and goals, to help those with disabilities get the most out of live they can.

What I admire about Cerebral Palsy Midlands is that they help those with cerebral palsy who are full-grown adults and don’t always get the support they need from society.

CPM is a day care centre who provides care for adults with Cerebral Palsy. The organisation always has lots of activities happening during the day at the centre to keep everyone attending and interested in what is going on. There is always something going on to suit everyone’s ability and interest.

At the time I volunteered to help at Cerebral palsy Midlands, they were celebrating their 70th anniversary.

A part of my role at Cerebral Palsy Midlands is to update their blog regularly about various updates and goings on happening at the organisation to try and spread the word as far as possible.

This organisation does not have any means of government funding and therefore has to raise all their funds via donations fundraising events and sponsorship.

Settling into the mode that I often found myself in with him I work with Birmingham PHAB Camps I started to contribute to their social media campaign updating it regularly and trying to get people to attend these events or to increase awareness of the organisation and hopefully get some form of income so the organisation can keep running.

I was also given the responsibility to publicise the various fundraising events happening on behalf of Cerebral Palsy Midlands going into detail about what’s happening in this event and creating posters to go out and advertise the event.

I also felt a great amount of responsibility and pressure in creating press releases to be sent out to publicise the different fundraising events happening at Cerebral Palsy Midlands.

The final part of my role for Cerebral Palsy Midlands is to phone up organisations and shops and restaurants and days out on behalf of the charity to try and acquire raffle prizes to use at the upcoming fundraising activities.

While I was acting on behalf of Cerebral Palsy Midlands the two main fundraising events that were taking place was the big push the Summer Sizzler and the 70th anniversary party.

The aim was to raise as much funds as they could and raise them to a certain level but also to raise a great deal of awareness for the charity so people are more likely to support them and help them after the fundraising events take place so the support is ongoing.

The organisation also saw these fundraising events as a golden opportunity to Showcase the facilities around the centre to enable the public to get a better idea of what happens within the day centre on a daily basis.

The work that I did for Cerebral Palsy Midlands was good and very satisfying especially when I saw these events come together and operate successfully.

All work for any charity will bound to be feel rewarding in some form, whatever the charity maybe but personally I find a bigger sense of achievement and better about myself if I help those charities which are closer to home.

I now pledge that I will continue to support Cerebral Palsy Midlands and Birmingham PHAB Camps and any other charity of this nature in any free time that I have.

I hope to soon make the necessary and very important changes that charities like this need to keep running possibly creating a lasting effect on the public and possibly securing government funding for these such charities.