Seven Families is pleased to announce the third family for its charity led campaign.
Paul Pickford from Bolton was fit and healthy and ran a car dealership until two years ago. In November 2012 at the age of 42 he suffered a brain stem stroke while at work. He is now paralysed and cared for by his wife Vicky.
“I was taken to hospital where, for a variety of care related reasons, I spent 14 months as an in-patient. I was discharged in January 2014 paralysed from the neck down, nil by mouth and unable to speak,” Paul explained via his Tobii i-12 eye gaze computer, which speaks whatever he types.
“Since discharge I undergo daily therapies and, although very slow, there is progress. Due to the slow speed of recovery I had to resign from work but would love to be in a position where a return to work is possible as I have always been a self-confessed workaholic and not working is a major frustration.”
“The money Vicky and I receive and the access Seven Families gives me to experts who can offer advice on returning to work are godsends. I have not been affected cognitively, so if I cannot return to my previous employer the plan is to start some sort of business, although it would have to be something that can be controlled mainly via computer.”
Mark Dennison, owner of Lightblue UK Ltd said: “The Seven Families campaign has shown what the industry can achieve when it works together. Real people telling their own emotional stories are much more powerful than made up case studies or faceless sales aids. We hope the campaign continues to reach as many people as possible.”
Seven Families is a charity-led campaign to raise public awareness of the financial impact of long term illness or disability. The ground-breaking campaign, which is backed by some of the biggest companies in the UK, will provide financial support for one year to the breadwinners of seven families who are currently unable to work through ill health or accident.
The families are based in different parts of the country, come from various backgrounds and are experiencing the impacts of a range of different health conditions and injuries.
Commenting on the project, Peter Le Beau MBE and spokesperson for the campaign said:
“The campaign provides a tax-free income for one year and Paul will receive £2,000 per month. Each family will have access to financial advice from a range of volunteering financial advisers to help with basic finances and budgeting and they will also have the opportunity to benefit from independent living, rehabilitation and counselling services.”
“The campaign aims to highlight the need for people to plan financially in case they become too ill to earn a salary and provide for themselves and their family. It is the first campaign of its kind and it is probably the first time so many major companies and independent experts have worked together for a common purpose and received widespread support for doing so.”
Speaking about the project, Liz Sayce, CEO of Disability Rights UK said: ““DR UK is involved in the Seven Families project because we want to test the difference it can make to get fast, effective support when you unexpectedly become disabled or develop a serious health condition, so you can get your life on track. Our campaign is for improved social security and independent living rights, for everyone – not the 2-tier system we have at present.”
Jason Jaspal from Disability Rights UK also commented: “We campaign constantly for much faster and more effective support when somebody’s life changes through an accident or health condition.
“We hear from people daily who have to wait months for assessments (for Personal Independence Payment), while receiving ineffective or no support to resume work. This project will help us learn how different it can be when people do have resources, information and access to support on their own terms. We plan to draw on this learning to campaign for changes in social security and independent living support, which is in line with our aim to strengthen the voice of disabled people.”
Supporting the Campaign
The campaign has a dedicated website (www.7families.co.uk) and from today will be supported by a range of online tools including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, which will include a wide range of information as well as updates from the families as their stories unfold over the year.
A Just Giving page (www.justgiving.com/7F) has also been set up for any companies or individuals who may wish to provide additional support for the project. Further families will be announced in the coming months.
Send to a friend
