Do you remember the HSBC ad that promised to help you avoid business faux pas? What a shame I was with Barclays!
On a poorly researched sales trip to Norway, I was extolling the universal nature of my company’s product, which would allow a wide range of children with severe disabilities to benefit from the same piece of equipment in school.
Instead of the anticipated nods of appreciation, I was met with a sea of blank faces. The managing director explained that in Norway, children do not "share". They have their own equipment, both at home and at school if necessary, under the health insurance scheme. I looked about for a friendly hole to open up before me.
Later that evening the M.D said, "Bob, do you remember what I said about insurance provision in Norway?" I assured him I'd not forgotten! He then told me the problem is that because provision is free and over generous in Norway, nothing is valued or appreciated and there is tremendous waste.
Here in the UK, we have no such provision. For all that we cherish our NHS, all but actual treatment is limited to the very basics, like a manual wheelchair or walking sticks. Sadly that falls far short of what most disabled people need to live their lives, let alone have a good quality of life; therefore, other sources of funding have to be found.
Unfortunately, this is particularly true of children, who are the demographic most likely to need help. Because they have no independent income and their parents may be struggling to pay the mortgage, it is often impossible for such families to afford what they so desperately need. I use the word family rather than "child" because when a family has a disabled child, so much of what we take for granted, like a holiday for example, becomes either unaffordable, or logistically impossible. As a result, siblings and parents also suffer. It really is a case of all in it together.
Statistically, one in forty children born in the UK will have a serious disability. By the time we reach old age the registered disabled population rises to one in eight. Without a national healthcare system that provides essential exercise, play, education or transport equipment, some other system is essential if such children are to have the best possible quality of life. Here in the UK, local and national charities have emerged over the years to fill the gap, and you may feel - as I initially did when returning from Norway - that that is all wrong, and our health service should provide for their needs, but with a little more thought, I eventually changed my mind.
There is nothing fair about disability. It is very unfair, totally indiscriminate, life changing and cruel and it touches all our lives sooner or later; yet it does give something back that is very, very positive. Our system of charity provision is clearly not the best, but it is what we have, and it will not be changing anytime soon, so it is better to look at the positives. One of the positives is that all the hard work and effort that goes into making the charity system work makes better people of everyone involved. It brings out everything that is worthy and of value in us as human beings and I would like to give you a first hand example!
My company recently quoted for an item that a child would need to help him recuperate from extensive surgery but the cost was unaffordable for his parents. However, when a local charity pledged half, we contacted a laser engineering company who we knew wanted to sponsor a child in their home town and here was an ideal opportunity for them to do so. When we gave the little boy's mother the news that the money had been found, she broke down in tears and it was some moments before she could get herself together.
She and her husband were frightened about the surgery and frightened about the outcome if they couldn't afford the equipment they needed. Then through the unexpected kindness of complete strangers they were given reason to hope and their lives suddenly became so much richer for it. I doubt that they will ever forget that unexpected act of kindness by complete strangers.
There are many charities, big and small who work tirelessly to help children like the little boy in my story, but of late, austerity and some poor publicity has seen less money going into the charity system and this has inevitably hit the most vulnerable and needy in our society. Therefore this blog, with your help perhaps, is intended to redress the balance in the South West.
Variety the children’s charity formerly the Variety Club of Great Britain, is a national charity and is the charity close to the hearts of the entertainment industry. It aims to help sick and disabled children the length and breadth of the UK and over the years some of our best loved entertainers are its Ambassadors with Dame Barbara Windsor and Blake to name but two. Though Variety has its administrative hub in London, it relies very much upon its regional branches to fundraise locally for the children in their own community and to distribute the extra money that comes into the charity from a wide range of philanthropic sources.
Variety South West is one of the largest regional branches, covering the southwest from the tip of Cornwall to Gloucestershire with its committee based here in Bristol. VSW is run entirely by volunteers who meet monthly in the Bristol Royal Marriott hotel, College Green, Bristol to plan regular and new fundraising events such as black tie balls, afternoon luncheons, rock festivals and anything that brings a few smiles and entertaining hours to the business of fundraising, with the proceeds being spent locally on anything from sunshine coaches to play equipment and everything in between. If any child in the region would have their life enhanced by a grant from Variety, then Variety SW will want to help.
However, like any other well ran organisations, Variety South West needs a broad array of different skills among its committee members to be effective, and the skills we need are very wide ranging indeed. They may include everything from a working knowledge of disability to more general commercial skills such as marketing, accounting, IT, PR, event organising, printing, hand shaking or just the art of helping with something worthwhile. Think of the people and skills you need to run your own business and you have the skills needed to run a regional charity.
Though Variety is supported by a small staff of paid employees, the regions are exclusively run by volunteers. Like us all, they have busy lives, so Variety SW is always looking for new members who can offer some of the skills that are needed. Naturally an outright donation such as the one I described above is always welcome, but the skills inherent in the business community can bring so much more to the region in so many different ways.
For example, you might think it a good idea to treat your employees to a Variety luncheon, or dinner event or perhaps a rock concert, or maybe donate a service to assist with an event or offer a product or activity as a raffle prize. Your contribution might be as a committee member offering the business knowledge you have, or the network of friends you have built in your industry, who may in turn want to contribute to what Variety South West tries to achieve. Whatever you feel you can offer and if you have the desire to change a young life but don’t quite know where to begin, then Variety South West would be very pleased to hear from you. You may think your contribution will be too small, but for all you know, it may be the very thing that makes the difference to the wellbeing of a child in the South West, you don’t yet know.
Find out more by visiting our website Variety.org.uk or email: southwest@variety.org.uk or telephone Derek Cleverdon, Chairman South West on 0117 307 9504 mob: 07711561191
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