NI Newsletter

Reg Charity No 249338

Summer 2015

Inaugural World Birth Defects Day

The First World Birth Defects Day was marked in Northern Ireland by a joint event with Rare
Diseases Day. The event took place in the Lough Erne Resort in Enniskillen.
Shines Cathy McKillop presented
information about spina bifida
and Martine Austin, our Head
of Prevention, presented on the
importance of Folic acid.
The event was opened by Gerard
Guckian Chair of the Western
Health and Social Care Trust and
in his address he mentioned the
importance of folic acid, which
when taken at least three months
before conception until at least the
first three months of pregnancy, can
greatly reduce the risk of Neural
Tube Defects.

This was a great

opportunity to speak
at an event which was
attended by health care
professionals, patients/
clients, carers and
researchers.
Cathy McKillop

On the evening before, an event

was held for Shine members in the
Westville Hotel in Enniskillen. Marie
McGonnell and Martine Austin
spoke at this event.

Shine NI
PO Box 132, Cushendall BT44 0WA
E: northern.ireland@shinecharity.org.uk
T: 01733 555988 W: shinecharity.org.uk

Changes in SEN

Sometime ago the Department of Education and the Northern Ireland Assembly
conducted a review of Special Educational Needs (SEN). All stakeholders were
consulted and on behalf of Shine and our service users, I submitted a detailed response
outlining concerns about the proposed changes.
Some attention has been paid to this
submission and those presented by other
organisations, which support children and
young people with disabilities, with specific
reference to their access to education.

In the meantime, it is vitally important that all

current Statements of Special Educational
Need, and the Statutory Assessment Process
which facilitates them being drafted, are
rigorously enforced.

The Bill, called The Special Educational Needs

and Disabilities Bill, has processed through
the Assembly and the Education Minister has
presented it to the Education Committee, who
are currently scrutinizing its contents.

Please consult me by phone or email as

detailed below, to ensure that the content
of your child or young persons Statement
of Special Educational Needs is specific
to their individual needs, with the hours of
adult assistance quantified and the type of
assistance specified.

Along with representatives from several other

voluntary organisations in the Children with
Disabilities Strategic Alliance, I presented our
concerns about some of the inclusions in the
Bill to the Education Committee on 24th May
2015.
It is expected that the Bill will become law
in 2016-2017 and as such will change how
the support and resourcing of children and
young people with disabilities in education is
processed and resourced.
However when it is finally ratified, I will ensure
you are fully informed about its implications
and how you can best advocate on behalf of
the child or young person in your care, with
support and information from Shine.

If addressed early this can save a

lot of worry and concern for parents
who are anxious to ensure that their
child or young person has access to
educational provision and support...
If you have any other queries about Annual
Reviews or how to complete the Parental
Advice for either Annual Review or Statutory
Assessment (and it is crucial that you do)
please contact me also.
Most concerns can be dealt with by phone or
email easily. If addressed early this can save
a lot of worry and concern for parents who
are anxious to ensure that their child or young
person has access to educational provision
and support on a par with their peers, who are
not dealing with challenging medical, physical
or cognitive conditions such as spina bifida
and/or hydrocephalus.
No concern is too small, so lift the phone or
send me an email.
Catherine McCurry
Education Adviser Shine NI
T: 07789616486
E: catherine.mccurry@shinecharity.org.uk

Thirty for 30

It is hard to think that we are nearly halfway

through the year already which also
means I am halfway through Lisas Thirty
for 30 my year of fundraising for Shine
celebrating my impending 30th birthday.
The principle seemed simple, thirty events in
365 days, raising awareness of Shine and a
financial target of 1,000 to support their work
especially here in Northern Ireland. So where
am I at with it all?
Well, to date, six events are either ongoing
or completed, including a raffle, a Reada30,
Antrim to Peterborough Trek, a treat lunch
for the staff of a local primary school, a Wear
Yellow and Shine day by a local Grammar
school, a supermarket collection and a ladies
cinema night. Many more activities are in the
early planning stages and contact with the
various people and organisations has yet to be
completed.
You may be asking at this point how can I get
involved? There are several things you could
do. Do you enjoy reading? Then why not take
part in our Reada30, in which you pledge to
read for 30 hours and ask your friends and
family to make a small donation? Not for you?
Well, maybe you enjoy walking? Then why not
take part in the Antrim to Peterborough Trek,
pledge a number of miles and ask people to
sponsor you and help us to reach a total of
800 miles the distance between Antrim to
Peterborough and back. Maybe these activities
seem too much like a chore? I have the
perfect idea for you; invite a group of friends
round and have a dessert night enjoying the
company of good friends and lots of yummy
desserts!

...why not take part in the Antrim to

Peterborough Trek, pledge a number
of miles and ask people to sponsor
you and help us to reach a total of
800 miles the distance between
Antrim to Peterborough and back.

We have already exceeded my financial goal

for the year so lets just see how far we can go
and have some fun while we are at it!
To get involved, please contact me on
C facebook.com/groups/lisas30for30
Lisa Law
3

Thank you Shine

Fundraisers

Dairy farmers choose Shine as

charity of the year

The South Antrim Dairy Farmers nominated

Shine as their Charity of the year. They held
an event and raised an amazing 4,255!
The cheque was presented by the treasurer,
John Miller, to Ben Shanks, whose family
had nominated Shine to be the Charity of
the year.

Changes to the NI team

Due to reductions in our funding we have had two
redundancies in Northern Ireland. Irene Kean had
been part of Shine for a number of years and had
covered the Belfast area. We thank Irene for all her
service to our Members. Sheila McCarney who
covered the Western Trust has also left Shine.
Many of our adults will have met Sheila at the
Mind Your Head events which were held across
Northern Ireland. We wish Irene and Sheila all the
best in the future.
We have also had to reduce the hours of some
of our remaining staff. This has meant that we
have had to review how our service works. Where
possible we will use telephone/email or skype/
facetime to make contact. We will also ask, where
possible, that meetings can be arranged in more
central areas, to help minimise staff travel time.
Please bear with us as we go through this process.

Changes to contact details

John Miller, Ben Shanks, and Cathy McKillop

Corbins
Family Event

Jim Jameson held a

coffee morning, fun
walk and evening
event for Shine and
raised 2,140.

Future Events...
Outing to the Zoo

Fancy a day out? Like animals? Why not

join us for a day trip to the Zoo? Wednesday
12th August, 10.30am. For further details,
contact Dolores Black or Pamela Dickey
(see the side panel for their details.)

Parents Support Groups

We hold parents support groups every

three months in Antrim, Belfast, Bangor,
and Lurgan. For further information, please
contact Dolores Black or Pamela Dickey
(see the side panel for their details).
4

As many of you will be aware landline numbers are

no longer in use, so please contact staff on their
mobile numbers or by email on the following:
Cathy McKillop, NI Director Shine
E: cathy.mckillop@shinecharity.org.uk
T: 07762 574861
Dolores Black
E: dolores.black@shinecharity.org.uk
T: 07816 966866
Catherine McCurry, Education Adviser
E: catherine.mccurry@shinecharity.org.uk
T: 07789 616486
Marie McGonnell, Health Adviser
E: marie.mcgonnell@shinecharity.org.uk
T: 07789 616420
Janet Davidson
E: janet.davidson@shinecharity.org.uk
T: 07764 969747
Pamela Dickey
E: pamela.dickey@shinecharity.org.uk
T: 07816 966863
Postal Address: Shine Northern Ireland,
PO Box 132, Cushendall BT44 OWA
If you havent already joined us on
facebook, like us today at
C facebook.com/ShineNorthernIreland