During the latest lockdown, Southport-based Revitalise wants to ensure that the struggles facing disabled people and their carers during the pandemic are not forgotten.
A new video highlights the trials and tribulations of lockdown as seen through their eyes - with a little help from a team of celebrity readers.
The video features often intimate, revealing and personal stories or poems, submitted for a competition called Revitalise 500, describing in under 500 words the highs and lows of lockdown, both the humour and the tears.
Revitalise CEO Jan Tregelles said: “We were really pleased to receive some genuinely humorous, touching and heartfelt submissions for our Revitalise 500 competition, and we think this video captures the best of them, giving the viewer a window into the world of disabled people and their carers during the pandemic.
Home carers are amazing, talented people and we’re proud to shine a light on their stories. Congratulations to the winners, we look forward to welcoming you to Revitalise soon.”
The winners of the competition were selected by a team of celebrity judges and supporters, including comedian Alexei Sayle, BBC Radio 2 DJ Mark Radcliffe, Paralympic Gold Medalist David Smith MBE, actor Peter Polycarpou and actress Carol Royle, with excerpts of the top ten entries featuring in the video.
The winner, a poem called ‘Funny, yummy, disabled, single Mummy (a lockdown lament)’ and written by Sam Hinton, was chosen as the favourite choice. Sam will receive a 7 day respite break at the Revitalise centre of her choice and second and third have won £250 and £150 Revitalise vouchers respectively, which can be put towards their next Revitalise visit.
Revitalise launched the competition as part of its #CareforCarers campaign, aiming to raise £1 million to support carers and their loved ones to access respite care breaks following lockdown.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUjpPeU7yio&feature=youtu.be