It's #SmallCharityWeek and today I'm shouting out a small charity that isn't in your 'neighbourhood' Because small charities are good at specialising and sometimes that's about meeting people in a localities needs - but sometimes it's about meeting the needs of communities that have unique experiences and are geographically dispersed. That's what we do at PDA Society PDA and it's also what one of my absolute favourite small national charities Sibs do. Siblings of disabled people are pretty forgotten really - in policy, in services, in public life. And it's not very fair, often in early life being a sibling of someone with high support needs means there is (through no lack of love, but purely logistically) less time and less concentrated attention on you. It can mean taking on a caring role for your sibling, or being their advocate and protector in the world - squeezing out the opportunity for them to be your partner in crime/ the most irritating person you know like in other sibling relationships. As you grow up you might know that their care (either directly or through advocating for them with care providers) is likely to pass to you when your parents can no longer do it. That there may come a time when you are caring for both them and your aging parents. And without Sibs there just wouldn't be anywhere to go to share those experiences, or to get support that specifically addresses the challenges you are facing. What Sibs does is unique. It's incredibly valuable and they do it on very little resource. It's the kind of charity we just can't afford to lose. If you are a sibling of a disabled person or know one you might want to check Sibs out.
You can help Sibs by passing on our leaflet! Siblings are everywhere and often go unnoticed! Please share our leaflet with information about our services in your local area. You can download it here! www.sibs.org.uk/leaflet #SmallCharityWeek
