Disability North

21/08/2026

Independence is about having a choice. 💜🧡

Direct Payments are about more than funding support. They can give disabled people greater choice and control over who supports them, how that support is arranged, and what works for their life.

Because independence means being able to live your life, your way, on your terms.

This is the spirit that started the Direct Payments movement and it still matters today.

The spirit lives on. Follow the journey.

ChoiceAndControl IndependentLiving DisabilityInclusion EmpoweringChoice EnablingLives SocialCare Inclusion DisabilityAwareness

19/08/2026

“If it worked for them, could it work for every other disabled person in the country?”

The answer was yes.

What followed was campaigning, change and ultimately changes to the law that made Direct Payments possible.

But this story isn’t just about a payment system. It’s about choice, control, independence and the right to shape your own life.

Over the next few weeks, The Spirit of Direct Payments will take us back to where it all began — and explore why that spirit still matters today.

💜🧡 Follow the journey.

17/08/2026

It started with a fight for freedom. 🟣🟠

Direct Payments didn’t simply appear. They grew from disabled people’s fight for choice, control and independence.

Over the next 4 weeks, we’re going back to the beginning to explore where Direct Payments came from, the spirit behind them, and what that spirit means in people’s lives today.

📖 A history of a movement.
💜 A spirit that lives on.
🧡 Real lives. Real impact.

This is The Spirit of Direct Payments.

Follow the journey. The story starts here.

14/08/2026

What a fantastic day!

A huge thank you to Charlotte, George, Peri and the team for making this visit happen and for all the amazing ways they are fundraising for us!

There’s not long left to go now!

If you can, please show Charlotte and George some support as they take on the Great North Run for Disability North. Every bit of encouragement makes a difference!

🏃‍♀️ 5 WEEKS TO GO! ❤️

Yesterday we welcomed our lovely Amy back to Queen’s Campus to support us with some promo pictures as we continue our fundraising efforts for Disability North! Amy took up a Project Development Worker role at Disability North, and works to support disabled people and shape a more inclusive society overall.

Charlotte, George and Amy are taking on the Great North Run this September, and with just 5 weeks to go, the countdown is officially ON! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

There’s still plenty of training, preparation and probably a few sore legs to come! So keep following their journey to see how they are progressing.

George: https://ajbellgreatnorthrun2026.enthuse.com/pf/george-ballantyne?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1demo0i17kg3w&fbclid=IwY2xjawTr4BJwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMHJwRWJJcFJVcG9JSE5tTHpzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEegqYKrr660lPAe1c_k-j9Gi2B7pgvmLMilEVVDcm8G3ob7M47mIlS_An7SCU_aem_x66r88q2nOeLX2S3zHkbZQ
Charlotte: https://ajbellgreatnorthrun2026.enthuse.com/pf/charlotte-crackett?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1demo0i17kg3w&fbclid=IwY2xjawTr4E9wZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMHJwRWJJcFJVcG9JSE5tTHpzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEegqYKrr660lPAe1c_k-j9Gi2B7pgvmLMilEVVDcm8G3ob7M47mIlS_An7SCU_aem_x66r88q2nOeLX2S3zHkbZQ

14/08/2026

Help us shape our Accessible Community Garden!

We’re asking our Disability North community to help us shape the future of our accessible community garden, and we’d love to hear from you!

We’ve created two short surveys, each taking around 5 minutes to complete:

1. Accessible Garden Access Audit

Help us identify any barriers that could make a community garden difficult to access and tell us what would help make the space more welcoming and accessible.

👉 https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=e5bCN_Wv00-Bfc_cdIiFv343UWrwYiVDtqMPUuVqs2ZUOEdKVVpEOUxISTNIVjFJNjJPNEJRUkRFSS4u

2. Community Garden Development Survey
Tell us what you’d like to see from the garden in the future... from activities and growing opportunities to environmental features and social spaces.

👉https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=e5bCN_Wv00-Bfc_cdIiFv343UWrwYiVDtqMPUuVqs2ZUMjlXMDJITE45MkUwWkpLVjMzNjc0UkxUNi4u

You might be a Disability North volunteer, visitor, staff member, family member or friend. You might love gardening and being outdoors, have an interest in accessibility, or simply have ideas about what would make an accessible community garden somewhere you’d want to visit.

Even if you’ve never been to our garden, your feedback is incredibly valuable. We want to understand what would encourage people to use the space and what they would like an accessible community garden to offer.

We want to grow this garden with our community, not simply for our community.

Please take a few minutes to complete both surveys and share this post with anyone else who might be interested.

If you would like to take part but need some extra assistance, or would like to find out more about our garden project, please email [email protected] or call our reception team on 0191 284 0480.

Thank you for helping us grow something that we hope will become a really valuable, welcoming and inclusive space.

13/08/2026

There’s another reason Direct Payments matter: they can deliver better lives and better value.

I employ an amazing team of Personal Assistants, with a unit cost of around £15.35 per hour. Equivalent commissioned care can cost £25–£30 per hour.

Social care enables me to work full time, have independence, choice and control. Direct Payments is the most cost effective way for me to organise the right support for myself to live the life I choose.

I contribute... I pay taxes too and want money to be spent effectively. I know Direct Payments does exactly that.

The Prime Minister has described this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform adult social care. But change shouldn’t just be about fixing what’s broken. It should also be about rediscovering the values that made Direct Payments transformative in the first place.

Twenty-five years ago, a social worker believed in the 'spirit of Direct Payments' and gave me an opportunity to take greater control of my life.

I’m proud of the work Disability North is doing to keep that 'spirit' alive and to make sure the next generation of disabled people has those same opportunities.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about people.

It’s about what kind of social care system we want for the future – and whether disabled people are given the freedom and support to live the lives we choose.

That’s why The Big Conversation on Care matters.

Please don’t leave this conversation to other people. If you have experience of Direct Payments, social care or independent living, take a few minutes to share it.

Make sure disabled people’s voices are heard.

https://caseycommission.co.uk/bigconversation/

12/08/2026

Another harvest from our Community Garden!

Our wonderful volunteers have been busy in the garden, and on Monday we harvested another batch of home-grown produce!

We picked parsnips, peas, cauliflower, tomatoes and aubergines. It’s brilliant to see all the hard work in the garden turning into something we can actually enjoy.

We’ve also been giving the garden a bit of a makeover and are currently in the process of painting our fence purple!

And just look at how well our pumpkins are growing! They’re getting bigger every week, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that they’ll bloom in time for Halloween!

A huge thank you to all our volunteers for helping our garden grow.

08/08/2026

Really excited to attend NOVUM festival this weekend. The programme is jam packed with loads of fun activities and events.

If you're in Newcastle this weekend pop by so you don't miss out!

Everyone's invited. Everyone's welcome. 💚🩷

At , we're committed to making the festival as accessible, fun and welcoming as possible, so everyone can enjoy a weekend of creativity and play across Newcastle city centre.

Here's some of what you can expect:

💚 Detailed accessibility information for every event on our website, so you can plan ahead.

🗺️ Downloadable festival maps and programme, plus printed copies available from NOVUM Information Points across the festival (Haymarket, Newcastle Civic Centre and Monument).

🤟 Selected performances with BSL interpretation and audio description, clearly marked online and in the programme.

♿ Step-free access across festival sites, with accessible toilets and Changing Places facilities available across the city centre.

🤍 The NOVUM Nook – our dedicated low-sensory, quiet space near Newcastle Civic Centre for anyone who needs a moment away from the buzz.

👕 Friendly volunteers and staff in bright pink NOVUM T-shirts, always happy to help.

🎭 A wide range of visual performances that can be enjoyed by d/Deaf audiences.

✨ No performances at include strobe lighting.

💚 We are sign posting folks to AccessAble; a great online resource for planning an accessible visit to Newcastle city centre.

We're also delighted to be working with Disability North, who are carrying out an accessibility audit to help us learn, improve and make future festivals even more accessible.

If you have any questions before your visit, we'd love to hear from you. Just drop us an email at [email protected].

💚

07/08/2026

Every day at Disability North I hear stories that are very different from my own.

Too many disabled people tell us they were never properly told about Direct Payments,. Too many social workers want to help but are held back by bureaucracy, limited budgets and systems that focus on managing risk instead of enabling lives.

Direct Payments aren't just another funding option. They're about freedom.

🌟 Freedom to choose who supports you.
🌟 Freedom to decide how you live.
🌟 Freedom to be part of your community.
🌟 Freedom to choose what to buy, eat and cook, and how to manage your own money.

They are about living a 'fantastically normal life' and that is the vision we mustn't lose.

Please add your voice to The Big Conversation on Care and tell government what independence means to you.

https://caseycommission.co.uk/bigconversation/about/

06/08/2026

💔 Sadly, we have some disappointing news…

We are so sad to announce that we have had to cancel tomorrow’s fun with Dance, Music & Bongo’s with Smallmatter. 💃🥁🎶

Unfortunately, Smallmatter has injured her leg and is under doctors’ orders to take it easy and not dance too much for now! 🩹❤️

We’re really sorry to disappoint everyone who was looking forward to joining us, but we’re sure you’ll all join us in sending lots of get-well wishes to Smallmatter. 🌈💐

From everyone at Disability North, we hope you feel better soon! 💜🧡

Take care and get well soon! 🥰