Dat_nana02's List: Support groups & services

Redcar & Cleveland Mind aims to offer a free, confidential, service to help people find the support or information they need about local services, groups & networks in the area that contribute to people's mental health in the widest sense.

The Society champions the rights & interests of all people with autism & aims to provide individuals with autism & their families with help, support & services that they can access, trust & rely upon & which can make a positive difference to their lives.

Founded in 1997, the charity provides practical & emotional support to brain tumour patients & their families & has a national network of grassroots supporters. The organisation's Scientific & Medical Advisory Board ensures a solid profile for research & its Annual Educational Conference provides a focal point for dynamic discussions within the UK brain tumour community.

Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer. On its Cancerbackup website, you can find over 6,000 pages of up-to-date cancer information, practical advice & support for cancer patients, their families & carers.

The Society is the leading national epilepsy medical charity working for everyone affected by epilepsy, through its cutting edge research, awareness campaigns & expert care.

The Society provides a a range of services to people affected by encephalitis & their loved ones, including: Telephone information line; Material & up to date information on the condition, its consequences, treatment & rehabilitation; Dedicated direct support service offered via telephone, letter, e-mail &, on occasion, outreach visiting; Opportunities to get together with other people affected by the condition; Regular newsletters. The Society also contributes to ongoing research to further understand the causes & consequences of encephalitis.

Epilepsy Action offers a wide range of information about epilepsy & for people living with & affected by the condition as well as actively encouraging research into the social & medical (non-laboratory) aspects of epilepsy.

Headway UK helps & supports people affected by brain injury. Locally, a network of groups & branches offers a wide range of services, including rehabilitation programmes, carer support, social re-integration, community outreach & respite care. Additionally, the Headway Helpline provides information, advises on sources of support, finds local rehabilitation services & offers a listening ear to those experiencing problems. A range of booklets containing information about aspects of brain injury that will be helpful to those directly affected, plus professionals, employers & members of the public, is available.

The Huntington's Disease Association exists to support people affected by the disease & to provide information & advice to professionals whose task it is to support them. Teams of Regional Care Advisers provide a range of services, information & advice to families & professionals as well as liaising with local branches & self-help groups, & organising training for service providers such as health, social services, nursing homes, & residential care staff teams plus service users. The Association's research programme promotes & also funds both medical & social research.

The MND Association's mission is to fund & promote research to bring about an end to MND. Until that is achieved it strives to do whatever it can to enable everyone with MND to receive the best care, achieve the highest quality of life possible, & die with dignity. The families & carers of people with MND are supported by local Regional Care Development Advisers together with a network of more than 95 branches & self-help groups plus a network of 15 Care Centres across the country. The Association funds & promotes research to understand what causes MND, how to diagnose it &, most importantly, how to effectively treat it so that it no longer devastates lives.

This Charitable Trust is administered in the North East of England with the main aim of benefiting Motor Neurone Disease (MND) sufferers, their families & carers in the area. Amongst other things the Trust offers: A help line number for those looking for advice; Useful contact details; Activities & events; A regular drop in centre; Fundraising.

The MS Society is the UK's largest charity for people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) - about 100,000 people in the UK. It is a membership-led organisation providing information & support to anyone affected by MS from a network of over 350 local branches. Its mission is 'To beat MS' for which purpose substantial funding of research is a key objective for the Society.

The MS Trust is a UK charity, providing information for anyone affected by multiple sclerosis, education programmes for health professionals, funding for practical research & campaigning for specialist multiple sclerosis services.

MS Research & Relief Fund aims to provide good quality information & a range of services to help people whose lives have been affected by MS. Its Grants Service is available to groups & individuals to fund items or services that may fall outside the scope of statutory bodies. A range of complementary therapies is available from qualified practitioners, to people who can attend an MS group at Benmar House, Morpeth or an Outreach Therapy Clinic held at several locations throughout the area.

Research funding by the PD Society has led to advances in the search for the cause of Parkinson's, improved medical & surgical treatments, better therapies & equipment, & towards finding a cure. The Society provides information & advice from specialist nurses & advisers on its Helpline offer support & advice. A wide range of publications answer questions on all aspects of the condition. Local support is provided through a large network branches & support groups located across the UK, enabling everyone affected by Parkinson's & their families to meet others in similar situations.

The Stroke Association is the only UK wide charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages. It funds research into prevention, treatment & better methods of rehabilitation, & helps stroke patients & their families directly through its Rehabilitation & Support Services. The Association campaigns, educates & informs to increase knowledge of stroke at all levels of society, & it acts as a voice for everyone affected by stroke.

A Charity set up by younger stroke survivors for younger stroke survivors

The Neurological Alliance is a coalition of campaigning voluntary sector organisations working together to improve the quality of life of all people in the UK affected by a neurological condition. Its vision is that every person diagnosed with a neurological condition will have access to high-quality, joined-up services & good information from their first symptoms, throughout their life. Its objectives are: To drive forward implementation of the National Service Framework for Long Term Neurological Conditions across England; To increase understanding of neurological conditions & of the impact they have on the lives of people affected by them; To speak for the neurological community with an authoritative voice

Dystonia is a little known neurological condition affecting the central nervous system consisting of a group of related movement disorders, characterised by involuntary & often very painful & prolonged spasms of muscle contractions. A.D.D.E.R. covers the entire country but has its roots in the North East of England & Cumbria. A database of over 1,700 people with Dystonia throughout the region, has been established. A number of support groups have also been established, run entirely by people with Dystonia or who have family members with Dystonia.

As each caring role can differ drastically, Carlisle Carers usually assesses the situation via a home visit from one of its Carer Support Workers then, with the carers consent, decides on the best course of action. Information on all aspects of caring, benefits advice, & all other help available to carers, is available. A Young Carers project is in place for carers aged 5-24. Other support available includes opportunities to spend quality time with others, also a quarterly newsletter with the latest news, reports & information affecting carers plus information & dates on trips, activities & events the CCA are organising, plus access to counselling services for registered Carers - two volunteer counsellors are available.