International Women's Day 2022
- By Brian Leveson
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- 07 Mar, 2022
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For International Women's Day the Difficult Parent is celebrating awesome SEND women. There are so many awesome women campaigning for better and more inclusive services for disabled children that we did not know where to begin! In this awesome shout out of women whose campaigning for disabled children and adults we celebrate today are a plethora of mothers who not only did not want their child failed, but that was not enough for them, they wanted no children to fail. Two decided to become local councillors in Haringey, many set up charities to provide services, locally, nationally and internationally, for disabled children and adults. Oh, and one decided to help in the Ukrainian War effort and decided to help set up a field hospital in Ukraine.
For International Women's Day the Difficult Parent is celebrating awesome SEND women. There are so many awesome women campaigning for better and more inclusive services for disabled children that we did not know where to begin! In this awesome shout out of women whose campaigning for disabled children and adults we celebrate today are a plethora of mothers who not only did not want their child failed, but that was not enough for them, they wanted no children to fail. Two decided to become local councillors in Haringey, many set up charities to provide services, locally, nationally and internationally, for disabled children and adults. Oh, and one decided to help in the Ukrainian War effort and decided to help set up a field hospital in Ukraine.
We asked each of these women about who they are, what they do and what motivated them to do it. We hope that you are able to find away to support them in their selfless efforts for disabled children and adults locally, nationally and internationally.
Thank You Madam President: Yvonne Milne MBE, Rett UK
Inspired by her daughter, for 37 years Yvonne Milne has devoted herself to supporting people with Rett Syndrome. Now you can be inspired by her devotion to helping others people with this rare genetic syndrome in the blog “Yvonne Milne MBE - working for Rett syndrome for 37 years on… “
Suezanne Awotwi – changing THE WORLD for autistic people
Suzanne Awotwi is the co-founder of the Haringey based European Diversity Awards Community Project of the Year “Brightstars”. So, having won a European award for their work in Haringey, those 'Brightstars' have now turned their sights on to Africa! Read all about this amazing woman in the blog “Suezanne Awotwi, changing the WORLD for autistic people”.
A scoop from Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel member, Liberal Democrat Councillor Tammy Palmer!
Driven by her own remarkable formative experiences in the social care system, Councillor Tammy Palmer has spent the last 4 years scrutinising Haringey policies for all children on the Children and Young Peoples Scrutiny Panel. Tammy has helped exposed the extensive deficiencies in the systems for children in special educational needs and disabilities and has been very vocal about keeping the SEND service at the top of the political agenda in Haringey. You can watch Tammy talk about what has driven her to fight for the children in Haringey in the vlog “Tammy Palmer: Fighting for the children in Haringey”.
SEND parent campaigner Michelle Simmons-Safo sets her sights on becoming a Labour councillor in Haringey
You may recall that I seconded the SEND motion at the local Labour Manifesto Conference by Michelle Simmons-Safo Disability Officer, Haringey SEND Parent that Conference resolves that Haringey Labour should, amongst other things, commit the next Haringey Council administration to implement SEND parents’ request for an independent Truth and Reconciliation Process and to apologise to parents for SEND service failings. Read more here in the blog: “Michelle Simmons Safo - a Haringey SEND parent standing for election as a councillor”.
Haringey Hero Sue Hessel is a long-time campaigner for better social care services in Haringey, she runs the Carers Coffee Morning in Crouch End
An utter stalwart of support for carers in Haringey, Sue Hessel has campaigned for better social care provision for 20 odd years, including marching on Downing Street! Sue currently provides a highly recommended coffee morning at the Abide Church in Crouch End. Watch this lovely video of Sue in “Sue Hessel - Heroic Haringey campaigning stalwart”
Jo Roach, PedalPower
Learning disabled, living in North London and looking for something to do on a Saturday? Thanks to PedalPower founder Jo Roach you can go cycling in Finsbury Park. Listen to Jo’s inspirational story here in vlog “Jo Roach - founder of PedalPower: The inclusive cycle club in North London”.
My cousin, who is a midwife and a SEND parent, Polly Hyams is helping to set up a field hospital in Ukraine
Finally, my cousin Polly, who is a midwife and an adoptive parent to a person with complex autism has felt compelled to help set up a field hospital in Ukraine. Right now (Monday night) she hasn’t sent me the video to go up (apparently, as a midwife who is also a parent of a disabled child who is setting up a field hospital she is currently ‘busy’), but I will add as soon as she does. (I think I can give her a bit of leeway there).
As promised: Polly Hyams, my cuz, a midwife and a parent - oh and she's setting up a field hospital in Ukraine
