Touchbase Pears
Birmingham, UK
For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind. Sense is here to help people communicate and experience the world.
Our TouchBase Pears centre, in Selly Oak, is a pioneering, multi-purpose project for the whole community in Birmingham and beyond – a place that brings people together in a welcoming environment where everyone can feel connected, included and part of the community. It has:
Developed by Sense, TouchBase Pears also offers a range of arts, sports and wellbeing activities for children and adults who are deafblind, have sensory impairments or complex needs.
TouchBase Pears operates as a social enterprise, with a focus on sustainability and creating value for the whole community.
Saying Goodbye Services & Support
London, UK
Baby loss is a huge issue with 1-in-4 pregnancies (250,000) ending in miscarriage in the UK each year, and an estimated 38,000,000 losses globally. The effects of baby loss not only on the mother and father, but on the extended family, friends, and community can be catastrophic, and can cause significant long-term physical, emotional and mental issues.
In 2012 the charity was formed to provide support to people who had suffered the loss of a baby at any stage of pregnancy, at birth or in infancy, whether recent or historic. The taboo nature of baby loss has meant for generations, people have been unable to talk about their losses, meaning people have often been stuck in a cycle of grief, and unable to access the support they have needed.
The charity now has 6 support divisions, the most prominent being 'Saying Goodbye', which as well as providing befrienders, counselling, online and social media support and more, also runs the international 'Saying Goodbye' services. Since 2012, 100 have taken place in 6 countries allowing thousands of people to attend and remember the babies they have lost. The services are open to anyone of any faith or no faith, and are filled with music, poetry and acts of remembrance, which allow parents and their extended family and friends to have their child's life formally acknowledged, something that is key when going through grief. The charity now provides support that reaches over 50,000 each week globally, receives over 650,000 hits each month on its website, and has a substantial social media presence including over 71,000 Facebook followers and over 11,000 on Twitter and over 27,000 on Pinterest.
In 2018 the charity is launching new services across the country, as it looks to provide the most comprehensive range of support solutions available, so that anyone who suffers a loss can access the support they need, when they need it most. The charity needs new equipment, including banner and exhibition stands and technical equipment for the services.