Thalidomide victims launch new charity
By Chris Johnson
Thalidomide victim Gary Skyner has launched a new charity aimed at assisting people who have lost limbs either through congenital deformity or trauma.
“CLIMBS” has been started with the support from Ricky Tomlinson, best known for his starring role on the BBC sitcom “The Royle Family”; TV medium Derek Acorah, snooker legend Dennis Taylor and boxer John H Stracey.
Leader of Liverpool City Council, Warren Bradley presented a donation to CLIMBS – Congenital Limbless and Impaired Mobility Benevolent Society – in the shape of fifty replica Penny Lane Street Signs and fifty Strawberry Fields Signs.
The significance in this figure is that 2009 is the fiftieth anniversary of the first victim to be born affected by the Thalidomide drug.
It is hoped that Sir Paul McCartney and hopefully Ringo Starr, the two remaining Beatles, will autograph the signs to raise thousands of pounds which is urgently needed due to the fact that the Government has never paid compensation the remaining 457 UK victims of thalidomide.
At the event Ricky Tomlinson, appealed directly to the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown
MP and the newly appointed Minister for Health, Andy Burnham MP to apologise in writing to every Thalidomide Victim and their families and to recognise the need for meaningful compensation.
Also present at the launch at Liverpool Town Hall were thalidomide victims Freddie Astbury and Kevin Donellan.
Ricky said: “I am humbled to at the courage of Gary, Freddie and Kevin at the ordeal they have gone through.
“It’s a disgrace that they should have to rely on charity for financial support. The government should step up to the plate and accept their responsibility for the thalidomide disaster.”
Added Gary: “To date the UK Government have not done a single thing to relieve the undoubted suffering of those born without limbs as a direct result of the drug that the UK Government licensed and recommended to GPs to prescribe to the unsuspecting public.
“CLIMBS aims to provide assistance in establishing or enhancing personal independence for people residing in the United Kingdom who have congenital absence or impairment of one or more limbs or who have suffered the loss of one or more limbs as a result of traumatic injuries. It will also work to raise awareness of these conditions.”
Warren Bradley said he was contacting Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to ask them to sign the street signs in order to raise funds for CLIMBS.
The objectives of CLIMBS are:-
1. Providing advice to the Beneficiaries, including advice on how to obtain information
relevant to their needs.
2. Providing monetary grants to the Beneficiaries (including assistance with travelling
expenses in cases of need e.g. hospital visits, important social or community events.
3. Providing equipment to the Beneficiaries (e.g. mobility and care aids, adaptive and
assistive equipment and technology).
4. Assisting Beneficiaries to set up or develop a business or to gain remunerative
employment, in order to facilitate economic independence.
5. Promoting and raising the awareness of the problems associated with the absence
of impairment of limbs using whatever means are appropriate.
6. Providing advice and support to those people who are assisting the Beneficiaries in
any area of their social or health care.
7. Acting in whatever way may be appropriate in support of the Beneficiaries, to
improve their quality of life.
8. Notwithstanding the restriction for support of beneficiaries to those who are
resident in the United Kingdom, to develop and maintain contacts with other
individuals and organisations elsewhere in the world the purpose of assisting the
achievement of the aims and objectives of CLIMBS for its own beneficiary group.
This may involve sharing information and ideas that may be of mutual benefit with
other such individuals and organisations.
ENDS