1. Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd MP’s visit to the Asian People’s Disability Alliance April 2011 A national voice for the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector

2. On Tuesday 5th April Voice4Change England coordinated a visit by the Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd MP to the Asian People’s Disability Alliance (APDA). Here, the Minister is greeted with a traditional welcome by the Asian People’s Disability Alliance’s (APDA) management committee.

3. The Asian People’s Disability Alliance committee members pose with Nick Hurd MP and Voice4Change England’s Chair and Director. APDA is a needs-led and user-led charity that provides culturally-appropriate services that mainstream service providers are unable to deliver.

4. APDA’s Daycare Centre, based in Harlesden runs a wide range of activities and services for Asian adults with physical, mental and learning disabilities and Asian elders. Nick Hurd MP made time to speak individually with staff, committee members, carers and service users at APDA.

5. APDA committee members share a delicious lunch with Nick HurdMP…

6. …and Chairperson of APDA and service user Pradip Shah leads a discussion about the different services APDA offers including day care; home respite; volunteer’s projects; sports and arts programmes; as well as international work in India and Sri Lanka.

7. Volunteer Paru Thakur leads a knitting group at the Day Care Centre once a week. Here she introduces Nick Hurd MP to the group…

8. …and it’s not long before he’s joining in!

9. Sharon Fearon from NW London College shows Nick Hurd MP the music therapy sessions she runs and talks about why a specialist space like the APDA daycare centre is so important.

10. FarihaQuddus, Volunteer Coordinator, talks about the success of APDA’s volunteer programme and the difference it has made to those taking part.

11. After meeting the Daycare Centre staff and users and seeing the activities, Nick Hurd MP joined APDA committee members for a roundtable on the challenges and opportunities in the current environment for specialist organisations like APDA.

12. APDA explains that it is keen to work with personal budgets. One service user already uses their personal budget to come all the way from South London for APDA’s specialist services. But for small organisations there are technical difficulties with personal budgets such as the ability to cover core costs.

13. APDA is a member of Voice4Change England (V4CE) and believe V4CE is important in bringing together issues for small BME voluntary organisations and for ensuring that their work with communities is recognised by policy makers. V4CE has recently lost their status and funding as an Office for Civil Society strategic partner. Here the Chair of V4CE, Elizabeth Balgobinpresents the Big Unfair Society petition to the Minister calling for V4CE’s reinstatement.