United Response

16/10/2026

What an incredible day yesterday was at our Annual Staff Celebration Day! 🥳

So many of us came together with some of the people we support, to honour and celebrate some of the inspiring colleagues who are at the heart of United Response.

It was a truly special day, filled with proud moments as people received their qualifications, our UR Stars and longest-serving colleagues were recognised, and inspiring speeches even brought a few happy tears! 💙 We were also treated to a fantastic performance from our very talented choir, United Voices.

A huge thank you to our People and Inclusion team, everyone who helped bring the day to life, and our sponsors for making it all possible.

Here’s to celebrating even more next year!

16/10/2026

Check out our latest Easy Read article where we explain everything that happened at the recent political party conferences, including the discussion of topics like social care,
health, and benefits.

Give it a read here:

Our latest easy news is available to open and download by clicking the blue button below. It has all the main news coming from the political party conferences 2026.

15/10/2026

Launched today, our People’s Choice Awards are about recognising the difference that great support can make to people’s lives, and celebrating the people who help make those things possible.

Anyone we support, or loved ones, can nominate a staff member or team. It’s a really simple process and everyone put forward will be celebrated.

The People’s Choice Awards have been created with the United Response People’s Forum, who shaped the awards, categories, and the nomination process. People who draw on support will also help choose the winners.

Jason from the People's Forum said “We know good support because we live it every day. That means we are the best people to point out who is doing a great job.”

Find out more by visiting: https://www.unitedresponse.org.uk/get-involved/peoples-choice-awards/

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15/10/2026

Did you know that 29.9% of people who experience a hate crime do not report the incident?

10th to 17th October 2026 is Hate Crime Awareness week, and following our Journey to Safety research into hate crime on public transport, it’s saddening to see that the figures surrounding hate crime incidents are high and growing, with a feeling of rising hostility towards people with a disability in public spaces.

This report from The i paper explores what is currently happening, with powerful stories from people who have been affected, and important insight from Sapphire Beamish.

https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/disabled-avoid-leaving-house-abuse-receive-4768286?

Disabled people are reporting more discrimination from the public than in the 80s, thanks to growing anti-PIP rhetoric

14/10/2026

We wanted to take some time to re-introduce Lilly, our writer and director of 'Turning 20 Is Gross'!

Here’s what Lilly has to say about how the idea for the film first came about:

‘Turning 20 Is Gross started when my father told me I’m ‘turning 20 this year’. Upon hearing that, and realising he’s right, my main emotion was disgust. How can my teenage years be coming to an end? When I began planning out ideas for a short film, a key characteristic kept cropping up – childishness. I wanted to tell a story about a childish main character, with the message being to always hold your inner child close to you and never let them go’.

You can read all about Lilly’s journey of how, with support from
the York Education and Media Hub, she was able to bring her idea to life, in this blog here: https://www.unitedresponse.org.uk/news-item/lillys-short-film/

And for more information on the York Education and Media Hub, please visit www.unitedresponse.org.uk/york-education-and-media-hub/

14/10/2026

It's spooky season, so if you're looking for some Halloween/Autumn-themed gifts, check out Positively Unique! 🎃

There's a bunch of really fun craft kits and activity books for sale with more stock to be added soon. Not only that but every purchase helps to raise funds to create training opportunities for autistic people and people with learning disabilities in printing, production, retail and customer service.

Take a look: https://positively-unique.unitedresponse.org.uk/seasonal/halloween/

13/10/2026

We’re incredibly pleased to share that we’ve received a £5000 donation from Realise to support our Annual Staff Celebration Day, which is happening this coming Thursday.

We’re so grateful for this amazing contribution, which will help us make the event even more special. We can't wait for Thursday — thank you so much, Realise! 💫

12/10/2026

📣 Calling all local Devon employers! 📣

Are you interested in helping more young people take their first steps into the workplace?

Then join us for our upcoming employment event, 'Get on Board!', on the 6th of November at Stage Left, the Palace Theatre, in Paignton, where you’ll get to:

- Discover the barriers young people face and what government employment schemes are in place to support them.
- See first-hand some of United Response’s success stories achieved through our vision.
- Learn more about the benefits that engaging young people in work can bring to local businesses and the wider economy.
- See what other local employers are doing and connect with them.

Pastries and refreshments will be available on arrival, and we’re also delighted to welcome Caroline Voaden, MP (South Hams) as our keynote speaker!

Places are limited and registration closes on Monday 2nd November, so make sure you book your spot soon. Just follow this link to register: https://unitedresponse.typeform.com/to/SdVlf3VR

For any enquiries, drop our Employer Engagement Job Coach, Edward, an email: [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you there!

09/10/2026

We'd like to give a big thank you to Knights Way Forward, who have donated £100 towards our 2026 Staff Celebration Day 🌟

Their support will help us hold an amazing event that recognises the dedication and achievements of our colleagues.

We’re so grateful to have them behind us as we prepare for another memorable day of celebration! Take a look at last year's Celebration Day here:

On the 9th October, we brought together over 100 colleagues and people we support to hold our annual Celebration Day, recognising and rewarding people who have achieved qualifications, gone the extra mile, and committed huge parts of their life to our charity. The event, which was held at Bestwood L...

08/10/2026

Michael, one of our 2027 London Marathon runners, who will be running the marathon alongside our CEO Kate Terroni, recently held a cake sale in Ilminster to support his fundraising efforts. He managed to raise £262 in the end which was a wonderful result!

Michael really enjoyed holding the cake sale and also felt he learnt some new skills from organising and running the event. Well done for kickstarting your marathon fundraising, Michael! 🏃