News & blog

News | 16 November 2020

VODG celebrates outgoing Chair’s successful tenure and welcomes Tim Cooper as the successor

At VODG’s annual general meeting, held on 16 November, Steve Scown announced his decision to step down after eight years as trustee and five as Chair of VODG. His successor, Tim Cooper, United Response CEO, was also announced. He will take up the role with immediate effect.

News | 13 November 2020

Alarming rate of learning disability Covid deaths must not be ignored, says Tim Cooper on release of new figures

United Response chief executive Tim Cooper comments on recent Public Health England (PHE) figures showing a significantly greater rate of Covid-related deaths among people with learning disabilities than the general population.

News | 13 November 2020

Trafford trio pay tribute to United Response for furlough and lockdown job support

Three Trafford locals are this week paying tribute to the national charity which helped them keep safe, in employment and connected during the turbulent lockdown period.

News | 09 November 2020

Yorkshire duo thank United Response for kick-starting their careers during lockdown

A disabled Yorkshire duo who secured work during lockdown are this week paying tribute to the charity which helped them find their jobs amid one of the most challenging employment markets of modern times.

Blog | 20 October 2020

The Autism Hub in York: surviving lockdown and anniversary celebrations

by Joe Smart

We were forced to temporarily shut the service earlier this year due to COVID-19 but rather than see this as an end to the support, the staff team saw it as a new beginning and developed online activities that our customer base could access.

News | 16 October 2020

Devon locals with learning disabilities create stop-motion animation to help halt disabled hate

A new stop-motion animation created by people with learning disabilities and their support workers in Devon is hoping to raise awareness of disability hate crime this month, after new figures showed yet another surge in the number of crimes committed across the South West.

Blog | 14 October 2020

If you could see inside my head: Coronavirus pandemic stories from John, who has autism, and his family and carers

by Deborah Barnett

Discover what living through the pandemic has been like for John and those around him.

News | 08 October 2020

Reports of violent disability hate crime continue to rise as number of police charges fall again

Over 7,300 disability hate crimes were reported to the police across England and Wales in 2019/20, yet only one in 62 cases actually received a charge from the police.

Blog | 21 September 2020

Working with The Centre for Social Justice to influence the Government’s National Disability Strategy

by John JC Cooper

We hosted ’virtual visits’ at two of our services for the leading Conservative Think Tank, the CSJ, to feed in our thoughts, and those of people we support, on the barriers and inequality still experienced by disabled people today.

News | 14 September 2020

Locals with disabilities lead green give away at prize Blackpool allotment

Our award winning Blackpool allotment has been making the most of a surplus of fruit and vegetables this summer, enabling locals with learning disabilities to pack and deliver boxes of homegrown produce to help out those most in need in the community.