WILL YOU ALLOW FIDN TO CLOSE? Dear member, Does being a member of FIDN benefit you? Is the information we provide useful? Does it help you to have our support behind you? Do you feel FIDN does a good job for disabled people in Fife? If so it is with regret that we have to inform you that FIDN will have a shortfall of approximately £9,000 if it is to carry out its 2009/10 programme. Our membership is steadily growing and therefore so is our workload,unfortunately in the last eight years funding from Fife Council has not increased other than in line with inflation, and now especially with the credit crunch, things are getting tight. Costs are ever increasing and we have the choice of cutting our services or raising more money. We do raise more funds by giving talks and presentations on disability to lots of other organisations, spreading the word about disability and the problems we face daily. We also charge for training people such as Stagecoach bus drivers in disability awareness, making sure that they acknowledge our problems and teaching ways they can help us. Is there anywhere else you can go to get that specific help or advice? Is there another organisation working steadfastly on your behalf with the statutory bodies? We run an office where disabled people can come for help or advice; we have a help line which is being successfully used by more and more people every week therefore increasing our workload. We maintain a web site, updated weekly, full of information, and print and distribute a newsletter with the latest info and news. We provide speakers on important issues at the network meetings, making it possible for you to question them. We bring the meetings to your area making it easier for you to attend. We give talks on disability issues and training to other organisations and bodies. We publish information sheets and help guides. Although we do work with disabled people, most of our work goes on in the background where we advise people on disability issues and try to make sure that the Disability Discrimination Act is complied with by all statutory bodies and businesses. We are consulted on disability issues by many other organisations and are involved in disability issues with Fife Council, NHS Fife, Fife Police and the Fire Service etc. We are not only working for the present population of disabled people but safeguarding the rights and interests of all disabled people in the future, trying to ensure that they will be able to more fully take part in life, be treated equally and able to maintain more of their independence. 1 in 4 of the population will become disabled at some time in their life and that has an impact not only the disabled person themselves, but on the lives of their family and friends too. Just a few of our successes. FIDN were successful in bringing forward the modernisation of Cupar railway station, making it disabled friendly. We were instrumental in having the pedestrian crossing on Dunnikier Way adapted for visually impaired people. We were responsible for the fitting of induction loop systems at all reception points in Victoria and Queen Margaret Hospitals. Stagecoach Buses now have a sign for the use of lip readers on all buses. A new emergency exit sign for disabled people in all waiting areas in hospital. We work continually and closely with all the major agencies in Fife. Who do you think makes sure that new buildings will be disabled friendly in the future, advises NHS Fife on access and new services, and Fife Council on changes in policy and disability issues? Who do you think keeps disability in the forefront of statutory bodies' agendas? We in FIDN do. On average management members attend up to five important committee meetings per week, making sure that disability is not forgotten and made an important issue. Last year FIDN raised an extra £6,900 to subsidise our services, April is the start of the new financial year and time when we now have to ask for our members help. If you want us to continue with the work we do on your behalf, we need to raise more funds, and one of the ways we can do this is by asking for a small membership fee. Membership has been free since our inception in 1995, but times have changed. Membership of FIDN will entitle you to: * Free newsletters 4 times per year. * Information leaflets. * The use of our information services. * Invitations to the network meetings. * Travel expenses to the network meetings. * The right to vote at network meetings. * Ability to place articles or for sale adverts in the newsletter and on the website. * The knowledge that you to are helping not just yourself but all disabled people. “The above entitlements are subject to the terms and conditions in the FIDN member’s handbook book” We ask you to support us by completing the enclosed new membership form and returning it along with your fee in the envelope supplied to the address below.