Dress designer to the 'stars' Nadine shows her support for Hearts & Minds

Nadine Merabi launched the brand Ono Uno in Autumn 2013 , they create luxurious, timeless, high end evening wear.
Nadine has dressed some of the UK’s best known tv actresses including: Michelle  Keegan , Brooke Vincent , Catherine Tyldesley, Jennifer MetCalfe and Georgia May Foote.

Nadine Merabi has kindly offered Hearts & Minds a bespoke dress to be auctioned off at our annual ball in November. She will be designing a completely unique dress for the lucky winner which includes all fittings and everything by Nadine herself.

Nadine is relatively new to the fashion world , having remarkably taught herself how to sew and design. Tucked away in her bedroom, using a machine she bought from Argos and watching You Tube videos. Nadine worried she would be laughed at, it was an idea she kept to herself after a total U-turn in her education and career as an International hockey player, representing her country for nearly 10 years.

You can see her unique & stunning dresses here www.onouno.com/about-ono-uno/

We're going on a ghost hunt

On the 25th October we are going on a ghost hunt at Ordsall Hall joined by the brave trio Cleopatra , who will be doing a lone vigil to help raise funds for Hearts and Minds

Tickets are limited so don't miss out , this is a spooky night not to be missed !
 It will start with a tour of the venue with a spirit medium, followed by Paranormal and Ghost Hunt Equipment Presentation. Dowsing Workshop with crystals and dowsing rods, and Room vigils, table tipping, glass work, dowsing etc. The use of EMF meters and other equipment can be used throughout the ghost hunt. All DeadLive ghost hunting vigils are managed by psychics and paranormal investigators and we encourage everyone to get involved with our events.

 

What to Expect:

The night commences at 9pm when an experienced and professional Psychic medium, will escort you around the venue. Following this, the night will continue with smaller group vigils and team work using a range of paranormal equipment including dowsing rods, K2 meters, table tipping and Ouiji boards for those who want to participate.
Advisable to wear layered clothing as temperatures can get very cold on investigations and we recommend flat shoes with non-slip soles, as you may well be walking around in the dark and on staircases with no lighting. Don’t forget your torch as the event does take place in rooms that can be dark. You are welcome to bring cameras and personal paranormal investigation equipment. The GHOST HUNT hub offers a place to take a break, sit, have a tea/coffee (provided) catch up with other group members and toilets are to hand. You are welcome to bring your own snacks. Paranormal activity at events can never be guaranteed. However, the more positive energy we have between the group the better it will be to encourage a connection with the spirits of the venue. Please note alcohol is not permitted during the investigation.

Tickets: £30.00 Plus £10 minimum Sponsorship (FULL PRICE £40) (Which Includes Hot Drinks and Snacks )

You can purchase tickets here : www.deadlive.co.uk/event/ordsall-hall-charity-ghost-hunt/

Shayne is saddling up to raise vital funds for Hearts & Minds

 

Shayne has set himself the ultimate endurance test of staying in the saddle for 5 whole days whilst taking part in the Spaghetti Western Trek. He will be taking part in this challenge alongside our events organiser Cheryl in April 2015

 

 

Shayne Ward has had first hand experience of autism as his nephew has been diagnosed as autistic, making the charity something that is close to his heart.

 

Recently becoming a Patron for Hearts & Minds Shayne said 

"I would like to help them raise some much needed funds for families affected by autism .
Any amount will go a long way to helping .
"I've always wanted to be a cool cowboy like Clint Eastwood"

Please support me and Hearts and minds in our mission to help families affected by autism"

You can sponsor Shayne here :

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/shayneward1

 

 

 

Shayne will be saddling up for 5 whole days through Southern Spain, He will be going through some of the most impressive film sets from Fistful of Dollars , Indiana Jones, Sexy beast and Cleopatra to name a few.

If you would like to join Shayne & Cheryl on this amazing event you can find more information here https://www.facebook.com/events/580471578737969/

 

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge  

 

Karls iPad is helping him to communicate

It’s been almost 6 months since Karl received his iPad from Hearts and Minds and I would love to update you on his progress as it has made such a positive difference in his life.

 

Karl communicates using British Sign Language, which has a vast vocabulary. Instead of Karl becoming frustrated because he did not know a particular sign, he now gets his iPad and looks through a number of signing programmes I have been able to install and he finds how to communicate his needs to me. His signing skills have improved very much too, his personal assistants who escort him everywhere have seen the difference in his communication and he is much more relaxed at home, being able to talk a lot more about his day to day activities. 

 

 If he wants to talk about a family member, again he gets his iPad to show me a picture of who he wants to discuss, which has also helped to ease his fears about missing family members when they go home. He can take pictures of places he has visited to show mum when he arrives home and he absolutely loves one particular driving game that he can attempt over and over again....fantastic at times when a distraction is needed, like at the hospital!

All in all the iPad has made a big difference in his life and on Karl’s behalf I would like to thank you for all your hard work in making this possible.

 

Thank you Hearts and Minds from Karl and Mum

More about the Hearts and Minds charity here:Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge  

 

Riley is making huge progress since using his iPad from Hearts & Minds

I first became aware of hearts and minds in 2012 after a friend forwarded me a YouTube video of Keith Duffy from Boyzone speaking at the hearts and minds madmen charity ball of his daughters autism journey.
As with anything with the word autism in I watched intently, only receiving my sons non- verbal autism diagnosis at the age of 2 just a few months before. As soon as the video finished I went straight to google and searched for the charity. I had read previously how iPads were helping children with autism in the United States with communication, social skills and education and how for some reason technology seemed to be a "key" to connecting with the child. An iPad was something we could never afford to buy and was viewed as something of a luxury item to families with a higher household income than we could ever achieve. I had had to give up work to care for our son, whilst my husband was working more hours to try make up the deficit.

On searching for hearts and minds I found their phones for iPads exchange scheme and it became my mission to find the 165 old mobile phones for this miracle technology. To us this was not a toy, but a vital tool to be used alongside his therapy sessions. We began collecting and amazingly thanks to the power of social media and the fabulous men and women if the Lancashire constabulary who collected around the stations and spread the word with local businesses on their usual beats, we not only got enough phones for the bronze package (165) we actually got enough for the gold package which included a safety case and the grace communication app. We did this in just 27 days!!
A few weeks later the iPad arrived and during a visit from Riley's play therapist I asked how we could incorporate it in to his sessions and everyday life. At this point he was very much in his own little world gave little or no eye contact, and would be very stuck with repetitive activities. We had done the Early Years Tracker to see where he was developing and was only hitting 12-18 months in most areas or lower.

We chose apps that we felt may help to aid development in areas we were working that week and within a few months we could see a difference. We were getting eye contact, & interaction. 2 years on he no longer requires home play therapy. He is fully settled 4 afternoons a week in a mainstream nursery and making huge leaps. On doing his last Early Years development tracker he has made enormous leaps in age in all areas but particularly his IT skills which are at the age of a 6 year old at just 4. We play shape sorting games on the iPad and then try it with actual shape sorters and he can do them all. He has learned colours, numbers and problem solving on the iPad, all of which we have transferred to objects and books. The iPad has helped with social understanding by using social stories apps.

For some reason iPads are the "key" to making a connection with a child with autism, and I am so incredibly grateful to hearts and minds for their phones for iPads exchange scheme, without it we would never of been able to afford one and I am in no doubt Riley's development would still be severely delayed.

Our son makes eye contact, gives hugs, requests his wants and needs using sign language and finally he is starting to talk. A magical sound only 2 years before I thought I would never hear. My heart leaps with pride and gratitude with every new skill & word. And for every new milestone reached is just that bit more special because we know just how hard he had to work to reach it. I can’t thank Hearts and Minds enough for helping my Family.

Louise Stanhope (Riley’s Mummy)

 

More about the charity here: Hearts & Minds Challenge 

Social media here:

Facebook: facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK   
Twitter: @handmchallenge
Pinterest: Hearts and Minds
YouTube: HeartsAndMindsUK 

Google+: Hearts and Minds

 

Shayne becomes a patron for Hearts & Minds

Hearts & Minds Challenge are delighted to announce that X Factor winner Shayne Ward is their new Patron.

 

 

Shayne will be helping to spread more awareness for the Sale based charity, which helps families with children with autism.

Manchester born Shayne Ward has had first hand experience of autism as his nephew has been diagnosed as autistic, making the charity something that is close to his heart. The singer, who is about to star in a tour of Jeff Wayne’s ‘The War of the Worlds’, says he didn’t have to think twice about becoming a patron for the charity.

“I’m excited and honoured to be welcomed as a new patron of Hearts & Minds Challenge and I want to help them fight the right fight in any way that I can.

The work they do is vital for those with autism as they assist with early intervention and early education. Having personal experience of it, I see why it is so important to help those affected and their families.”

 

 

Shayne will be joining a host of other Hearts & Minds Challenge patrons, including Boyzone’s Keith Duffy, TV Presenter Melanie Sykes, Paralypian Rik Waddon and Former Manchester United footballer Paul Scholes.

 

 

Fellow Hearts & Minds supporter and Emmerdale starlet Roxanne Pallett has also been helping to promote the charity’s cause. Roxanne recently met the team at the Mercure Hotel on Piccadilly to shoot a video alongside Shayne to help promote the charity’s cash back website.

https://www.heartsandmindscashback.com/

She expressed:

“The Hearts & Minds challenge is such an inspiring charity! It’s great to get involved to promote and support the important work that they do and to help them raise awareness for families with autistic children.”

Further information: www.heartsandmindschallenge.org / @handmchallenge

 

 

 

 

 

 

Max loves his iPad from Hearts & Minds

I would like to say a big Thank you for the iPad my son received

after taking part in the recycling scheme

 

 

It has made such a difference to my son Max's life and ours as a family. Max has become much calmer since receiving the iPad as he has had something to focus on. He used to be extremely

focussed on food and put on a lot of weight due to his preoccupation with eating. Having the iPad

has made it easy for us to redirect Max from his overeating by giving him an alternative to focus on.

Before this nothing had ever worked other than leaving the house.

 

Max has spent three years sleeping downstairs as he hasn't wanted to be alone in his bedroom.

Having the iPad has enabled him to relax in going into his own room, and focussing on his iPad has

massively reduced his anxiety about being in his bedroom on his own in a way that a television or

radio never has. He enjoys pausing and rewinding his favourite clips in films/you tube clips over and over again, which he can do so easily now.

It has also enabled us to take Max out into public in a way that was never possible before. Family

functions , public places, eating out is something that we were never able to enjoy and Max would

become overwhelmed with his surroundings and go into meltdown. Being able to take his iPad out

with him has again relaxed him in new or busy environments, and he is much more able to cope in

these situations

 

 

School have noticed a great improvement in his behaviour and ability to focus since he has been

using his iPad. For a child like Max who is completely non-verbal and suffers from quite severe

sensory issues, control and rigid structure become massive issues in their lives as they struggle to

understand the world. Being able to control the iPad in anyway he wants has taken away the need to have such massive control over the rest of his life.

 It's been invaluable and I can't imagine life without it now. In fact I look back and wonder how

we ever coped without it. Of course it hasn't taken away all the challenges that Max faces, or that we face as a family coping with severe autism, but it has definitely taken off quite a bit of the

pressure for us all. I believe iPads should be supplied to all families of children on the autistic spectrum who are unable to afford to buy one themselves.

It's been brilliant and I cant thank Hearts & Minds enough for helping Max.

 

 

More about the charity here: Hearts & Minds Challenge 

Social media here:

Facebook: facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK   

Twitter: @handmchallenge

Pinterest: Hearts and Minds

YouTube: HeartsAndMindsUK 

Google+: Hearts and Minds