Dyspraxia Foundation AGM cancelled for July 2022.

[Andrew_S_Hatton]

Please tell me if I have posted this in the best place to get maximum attention.

I am a no longer active member of the DF.

See the announcement on their Facebook website.

"Birmingham Conference cancelled!
It is with enormous regret that the very difficult decision has been made to cancel the Birmingham Conference to be held on Saturday, 2nd July. Despite an excellent programme, bookings have been extremely low and we feel this is the right decision to make at this time. We are sure this is due to the current economic climate we all face along with the significant increase in the cost of living in the UK. Thank you to those who have booked already, payments will be refunded as soon as possible.
We already have an adult conference planned for the Autumn and will look into offering alternative events, perhaps online later this year.
If you have already booked for the AGM, this will still be held virtually and we will be in touch with details in due course. If you are a member there is still time if you would like to join the AGM at 10.30 on 2nd July. Book your place or submit a question to the Board of Trustees by email to admin@dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk to receive the link to join."

https://www.facebook.com/dyspraxiafound ... QvSi2rhW7l

This is my provisional unedited response that I have not yet posted - initially due to a internet connection dropping out - I will now reflect.

"I gave up attending after the one in the City of London at the solicitors place - actually I think it was in Southwark not the City - it was just yet another DF event that was not dyspraxia friendly - I walked round in circles before I got in - was expected to eat the food which was supplied in an unfriendly way for dyspraxics - similarly with the interval drinks.

in the past I have got angry or made kind suggestion or even gone and stood in the rain to lessen the chances of others getting lost - but now in my seventies - with never anything aimed at the very real new difficulties dyspraxia presents to older people if you want to see my latest discovery see some of my replies to Amanda Kirby on Twitter.

I have been trying to suggest cost effective dyspraxia friendly events running for about 20 years and now with limited mobility on top of the difficulties of dyspraxia I now rarely leave my home - I have not even seen my second grandchild - born 18 months away and 250 miles away - so it is not just public events I avoid.

Maybe you should consider online events and also using a dyspraxia friendly forum such as Mary Colley and Jenny whatshername set up in 1998. There is even a Dyspraxia Friendly one run now -

I continue as a member even though basic communications errors are made (call your monthly update - the month it is sent in not the previous month - for a simple example.)

I was first involved in running a large public event as an amateur in 1975 - it was the second national conference for student probation officers - no central funds or organisational support was provided for us about 5 student probation officers organised - 25 years before the internet - the whole event - at the time I was based in Liverpool others of the organisers were elsewhere - none in London - I think we had some financial support to pay for the venue but it was done on the cheap and very basic - subsequently I have lost count - I had experience in the 1960s of organising area events and was a lead person for one for the Methodist Church in Kent - venue was not a problem - but it seems nobody takes much notice of me - probably because of the dyspraxic way I communicate which causes others to put ne in their - take no notice box - and I have dealt with others who due to the way they were treated by public organisations due to dyspraxia are extremely unreasonable - it helps to have a dyspraxic mind set and to understand the strength of frustration that builds up in a lifetime.

Nonetheless as DF is the only national organisation for adult dyspraxics - we failed with DANDA - I was one who voted against the formation of DANDA but then went with it as I was outvoted. - so we need to at last make DF adult dyspraxia friendly - it is not too late - but my contributions will mostly be in writing "

[Tom fod]

Andrew
I would say the Dyspraxia Chat section of the Forum is a good/was the best place, though this Forum regrettably doesn't attract the footfall the Facebook-based Dyspraxia Groups .

Was the firm of Solicitors in London something like Norton Rose? I have an idea they may have been down towards Tower Bridge/Monument part of the city? I did toy with idea of going but it's an early morning 2.5 hr train and tube journey as I'm out in the West country

I know there was a good amount of disquiet from the Adult Community re the location of this years AGM at Birmingham City FC and the fact they were not running a dedicated workshop for Adults on the day, just stuff for younger members. Regrettably there appears not to have been sufficient take-up to make that viable. Running Events, even online ones is not easy and planning and coordinating everything including the volunteers is no mean feat.

I understand a dedicated Adult Conference is planned for the Autumn to be organised (I believe?) by the newly established Adult Panel depending on where it is I might go and travel up the day before and stay in a hotel/make a weekend of it.

I'm a DF member and while I got the Zoom invite for 2021, it regrettably totally slipped my mind to sign in.
I did go to the dedicated DF Adult Conference the DF ran in central Birmingham in late October 2019 and that was really good (I'm not one to heap praise but that event was very much deserving of that!) I met Janet, Pete G, Sophie from Ireland, Phil and Tim from Scotland, plus a few others. There was rail chaos and it was pouring with rain that morning. Fortunately I'd been to Birmingham before so was not totally disorientated and finding the venue was relatively easy. Of course not all Dyspraxic folk are necessarily as confident. Lunch was in the hotel's restaurant and was a collect carry and sit at table operation. Agree they perhaps could have had some ushers/marshals to help people who might struggle more by offering help. I think it would be a good suggestion but again they need to find the volunteers. I think you've made the very valid point that adults need to be in it (the DF) as much as for what they can do to support, assist and encourage others. But equally understand that some are struggling to stay on top so may believe they have v little they can bring to the table.

I believe the DF may now be creating a social media engagement strategy to hopefully better respond when adults call the DF out for it's failings and point to better run ND Charities. I understand the discontent but don't feel trying to shame the DF for it's not delivering for adults really helps as it gets hackles up and people into defensive mode.

It's encouraging to see the DF have a new Chair who is an Adult Dyspraxic and have given the DF website the facelift it needed. It's eminently discouraging when we feel like we're not being heard so apologies for my tardiness in acknowledging your post