Inspiring Stories

As part of our 10th anniversary celebrations we have revisited some of the most inspiring stories that Community Channel has brought to the screen.

Asma Meer
Asma Meer was featured in Save A Stranger, a documentary about bone-marrow donors, as her three-month old son Ibrahim suffered from a rare blood disorder. Working with Anthony Nolan, Asma launched a national campaign to find a bone marrow donor for her son. Ibrahim sadly died on May 24th 2002, because a successful donor could not be found in time to save him. After his death, Asma actively campaigned to raise awareness amongst Asian and Muslim communities about the need to consider donation of blood, organs and bone marrow. Asma and her husband Sameel won the Ibn Sina Award for Health for their work. They also founded the website www.ibrahimsappeal.com in Ibrahim’s memory. Asma is planning to relaunch Ibrahim’s campaign/website in December.

For more information about bone marrow donation, go to:
Anthony Nolan
ACLT
Desi Donors

Vikki George
Vikki George is a young philanthropist who has suffered from M.E. since 2001. She created Post Pals as a means of reaching out to sick and lonely children. Post Pals allows members of the public to send a letter, card and/or gift their to chosen 'Pal'.  Post Pals was featured on Russell Howard's Good News show in early April 2010. The documentary generated the biggest response from the general public in Post Pals’ 7 year history.

For more information, go to www.postpals.co.uk

Neil "Twink" Tinning
Neil "Twink" Tinning is a Manic-Depression sufferer.  In the Mad for Arts documentary, he uses the  The Angel of the North by sculptor Antony Gormley to communicate his understanding of bipolar disorder. Neil considers the Mad For Arts documentary a turning point in his life, and says it provided him with a good opportunity to tell the story of Bipolar Disorder. He believes that education and investigation of Bipolar Disorder leads to a better future for everyone.

For more information on Bipolar, go to:
Bipolar Disorder Research Network
The Bipolar Organisation
BBC Headroom

Lorna Aindow
Lorna Aindow has Dyspraxia and is visually impaired and in 2009 she overcame personal difficulties to take to the ice in Dancing on Ice. Thanks to support from ITV Lorna was joined by Dancing on Ice celebrities such as Zoe Salmon, and Torville and Dean, and has a lesson from top coach Karen Barber. Lorna is now studying for her GCSEs and one of her favourite subjects is Textiles – a direct result of the fun she had with the costumes in the original documentary.

For more information, go to Action for Blind People

Dave Wetton
Dave Wetton was a voluntary Befriender with SureStart Friends in Foleshill, Coventry when he found himself mentoring asylum seekers, in his words an ‘eye-opening’ and very moving experience. Performing the role made him realize the instrumental difference he could make – “If you want to make a change you can; pull your finger out and make it happen.”  What started as voluntary work is now his full-time career. Dave is a Project Worker with Mind in Coventry. Befriending led him to MIND and he now works with people with mental health problems in the community. He described the voluntary work as a ‘turning point’ in his life.

For more information, go to
www.coventrymind.co.uk
www.mind.org.uk