IN unexpected and unprecedented times, we are seeing that a crisis can bring out the best in people. There has been a lot of positive support for our local business as they struggle to come to terms with the impact of the restrictions on our movements. The same is true of our local charities such as Accuro.

Suddenly we have found our regular club activities and our exciting fundraising initiatives disrupted in a way we could not have foreseen.

Accuro has worked with children, young adults and adults with disabilities in the West Essex area for over 30 years. To look after the health of our members, their families and staff and in line with government recommendations, we have had to suspend our clubs and schemes which provide essential social, physical and mental stimulation for our members, as well as a much-needed break and respite for their families. But despite of the current situation our fantastic and committed staff are now looking at new and innovative ways to support our members and their families at this time when our members need us even more than before to make sure they remain positive, connected and part of our community.

Staff from our clubs are now broadcasting a variety of virtual activities, whilst at the same time providing moral support to parents and siblings. The wonderful learning from this, is at times of adversity our staff remain just as passionate and committed to ensure those we support continue to be at the heart of what we do.

One parent commented, “Thank you Accuro for staying connected via social media to families and the children using the service. It means a lot to us all.”
In turn, we as a charity remain committed to our talented staff who know our members well and provide to them familiarity, stability, and lots of fun! But this is a challenging time for us financially and we really do need our local community to support us and the service we provide. There are many ways our community can support us too : please follow, like and share our posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We also have new digital initiatives that you can take part in, have fun with and contribute to.

We have launched our #BeingMe campaign, a social media initiative encouraging celebrating the things that make you, you! We’re asking that supporters share photos of what makes them who they are using the hashtag to spread some positivity during this challenging time. Alongside this, we have launched our ‘Do Your Thing’ Challenge.

Challenge events such as marathons have had to be postponed or cancelled so we launched this customisable fitness challenge helping people to stay motivated and stay fit while keeping to government guidelines regarding social distancing. Participants choose their activity or fitness target and stick to it for 14 days while raising funds for the charity.

We are also excited to be working with the team at Buffy Play Bus to hold a virtual quiz via Facebook Live on Tuesday 14th April. Teams/ Households will nominate a team leader to send in their answers and there will be a prize at the end! More information will be available on our facebook page ‘Accuro (Care Services)’.