Latest News

FIVE disability organisations are set to share in a major cash injection from Big Lottery Fund's BASIS (Building and Sustaining Infrastructure Support) programme.

More than £1.8 million is to be invested in supporting the infrastructure of disability organisations.

Sanjay Dighe, chair of the England committee at the Big Lottery Fund, said: "We are delighted to fund such a wide range of organisations which support disabled people throughout England.

"The funding will enable different organisations to communicate more effectively and share local and national knowledge among each other. This can only benefit the many disabled people who both need and rely on the expertise provided by these essential networks.

"The BASIS awards will strengthen the sector through a wide range of partnerships to provide expert, consistent and sustainable services, leaving the VCS well equipped to increase efficiency and maximise impact.

"This is particularly important within the current economic climate but also paves the way for a stronger charity sector throughout the region for many years to come."

Merseyside Disability Federation will manage a grant of £499,939 for the North West Disability Infrastructure Partnership (NWDIP) working in partnership with five different disability organisations across the region.

The partnership will focus on ensuring consistently good and accessible infrastructure disability services including training and access information to both disability and generic VCS infrastructure organisations.

Louise Barry, chief executive officer at Merseyside Disability Federation, said: "This is a fabulous opportunity for us to develop a Disability Infrastructure Partnership across the North West.

"We will work together to improve opportunities for disabled people to influence policy, service provision and support by ensuring that voluntary and community sector disability organisations are provided with consistently good and accessible infrastructure services."

Derbyshire Coalition for Inclusive Living will use a grant of £306,695 to work with two other voluntary organisations to create the Derbyshire Infrastructure Support for VCS organisations supporting disabled people.

Key to the programme will be developing networks between VCS and disability organisations across Derbyshire at local and regional levels to enable disabled people to gain better access to relevant resources, services and information.

Robert Seven, Finance Director at Derbyshire Coalition for Inclusive Living, said: "The funding is great news, enabling voluntary sector infrastructure organisations to come together to support frontline disability groups to engage in and influence local policy and strategy development.

"It will help us to share and improve skills and best practice and enhance the inclusion of disabled people in the civic life of Derbyshire."

The five disability organisations to benefit from the BASIS awards are:

Council of Disabled People Warwickshire and Coventry: £358,658

Derbyshire Coalition of Inclusive Living: £306,695

London Deaf & Disability Organisations: £222,993

Merseyside Disability Federation: North West Disability Infrastructure Partnership: £499,939

South East Disability Infrastructure Network (SEDIN): £499,883