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 Sophie Morgan
Britain’s Missing Top Model Finalist Sophie Morgan is backing a Community Channel Campaign – Helping others can help U - to encourage more disabled people to volunteer as well as celebrating the ability everyone has to contribute time, skills and expertise to help others.
Community Channel will be dedicating a week of programmes to celebrate Helping others can help U, with programmes featuring a range of organisations and well known personalities including: Richard Attenborough, Bill Nighy and Sophie Morgan.
Premiering on Sunday 21st September on Community Channel, Helping others can help U, will be presented by Sophie Morgan and will showcase the work of a range of volunteers matched with different organisations from across the UK.
In this programme, Sophie volunteers to help out on an activity course with The Back Up Trust, a national charity that supports people, young and old, with spinal cord injuries. Sophie has personal links with The Back Up Trust following her own accident and was the winner of Cosmopolitan’s Girl of the Year award in recognition of her outstanding work for them. She still continues to support them, organising the charity’s City Dinner in London.
With a love of sport and adventure, Sophie has been involved in a range of activities like climbing, abseiling, canoeing and horse riding, all organised through this charity.
As she comments:
“Back Up sees a person’s ability, rather than their disability. I visited a Back Up activity course, to meet volunteers and participants, all of whom were there to prove to themselves, as much as anyone else, just what they’re capable of doing. This campaign is a great opportunity to show that everyone has something to offer and that volunteering can be a really rewarding experience and a great way to learn new skills, meet new people and have fun”.
This programme also features a range of other organisations including:
The Middleton Park Equestrian Centre, Leeds where volunteers with a learning disability are making a real difference, and Breakthrough UK in Ardwick Manchester, a charity dedicated to promoting the rights, responsibilities and respect of disabled people in the workplace.
East Riddlesden Hall, Keighley, is a National Trust property. Volunteers with a learning disability are acting as consultants to make sure the property is accessible for everyone. The National Trust relies upon the support of its volunteers, and through volunteering, it gives people the opportunity to make a difference in conserving the environment and the UK’s heritage.
Self Help Services is a user-led charity that co-ordinates a wide range of primary care mental health services and self-help initiatives for people experiencing mental ill-health, discrimination, social exclusion and/or emotional problems. The charity is run by volunteers who have all faced mental health difficulties themselves and their personal experiences have made this charity the success it is today.
Neurosupport in Liverpool shows the contribution of volunteers who have had experience of neurological conditions including Epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease, brain tumors and Alzheimer’s allowing them to offer a unique perspective to other users.
The campaign Helping others can help U runs throughout September. To find out more about volunteering opportunities in your area go to www.communitychannel.org/you or call 0800 0681 800
Find out about other programmes featured as part of Helping others can help U on Community Channel.
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For further information please contact:
Penny Crook at Media Trust on 0207 217 3743 or pennyc@mediatrust.org or
Kerry Thorpe on T: 020 7217 3742 kerryt@mediatrust.org
Notes to Editors:
Health and Wellbeing Day:
Volunteering is for everyone, whatever your abilities. Join us to find out about local services, and take part in a range of activities and taster sessions and get some ideas on how you can help, use your time, get involved and have some fun too!
Come along to our Health and Wellbeing Day at the Energise Centre and St Sebastian’s Community Centre 3 Douglas Green, Salford, M6 6ES on Saturday 20 September 2008 from 11.00am -3.00pm.
The Energise Centre provides a range of services to improve and maintain your health and happiness. It’s also a place for you to come along, meet new people and find out what’s going on in your local community.
Taster Sessions:
This September Mencap are running a number of taster days for people with learning disabilities who are interested in volunteering in their communities. Volunteering groups in Leeds, Manchester, Cheshire and Barnsely will give participants the chance to take part in local projects and learn valuable skills. Lunches will be provided and transport expenses can be redeemed for local residents. While the taster days are free there are limited places available, for more information and to make a booking please call the Mencap volunteers helpline on 0845 123 3000 or email volunteering@mencap.org.uk.
Media Trust
Media Trust works in partnership with the media industry to build effective communications for the charity and voluntary sectors. It does this through media training seminars and workshops, film and TV production (Media Trust Productions), broadcasting (Community Channel), news distribution (Community Newswire), Media Matching and campaigns. Media Trust corporate members are BBC, BSkyB, Channel 4, Daily Mail and General Trust, Discovery Networks Europe, Disney Channel UK, Emap plc, Guardian Media Group, IPC Media, ITV, MTV Networks UK & Ireland, News International, Newsquest Media Group, OMD, Turner Broadcasting, Warner Bros, WPP Group. Visit : www.mediatrust.org
About Community Channel:
Community Channel is dedicated to engaging audiences with the charitable and voluntary sector, showcasing stories and issues that inspire action and encourage involvement. Broadcasting original shows, the best of terrestrial TV and showcasing the work of new directors and community programme makers, Community Channel is the place for real-life stories from communities around the world. The channel is broadcast 24 hours a day on Sky 539, Virgin TV 233 and from 6am to 9am on Freeview 87. Around 1.5 million people tune in every month and we receive more than 12,000 interactions with viewers a week. Community Channel is a Media Trust initiative.
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