Reach Charity is proud to present a series of webinars to offer Insights into commonly asked questions. Aimed at our members and the wider public who have, or support those with upper limb differences Reach will be delivering films which can offer insight, advice, and entertainment.
These webinars have been made possible from a CAF Resilience Fund grant.
Our speakers and topics cover various areas from advice surrounding Disability Living Allowance, fitness, music, driving, health professionals, careers to parent’s sharing their personal experiences.
We have our very own bespoke interactive website at reachinsights.live where you can view the events, past & present and interact in live Q&As.
These events are inclusive for all, our speakers are happy to be asked questions before, during, if a live Q&A is scheduled, and after the webinar. Please do email all questions to reach@reach.org.uk just state who the question is directed at and we will do the rest! More dates are to be added so watch this space!
Missed any previous webinars? Not a problem click here to view all past shows, or you can catch up on reachinsights.live
Read on for speaker information
Saturday 6th March 2021 10am
Hollie Arnold MBE – British parasport athlete competing in category F46 javelin
Hollie represents Wales in the Commonwealth Games and was the youngest ever field athlete to ever compete in the Paralympics/Olympics, at the age of 14 at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing throwing a personal best. Hollie also threw a personal best in 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, winning a gold medal in the F46 javelin in the 2016 Summer Paralympics at Rio, also throwing a new world record at the same time.
In 2018, she became the first ever Javelin thrower in history to hold all four major titles in the same Paralympic/Olympic 4-year cycle: Rio Paralympics and world record 2016, London World Championships and world record 2017, Berlin European Championships and course record 2018 and Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and world record 2018. She also holds four consecutive world titles: 2013 Lyon, 2015 Doha, 2017 London, and 2019 Dubai.
. Hollie was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to field athletics. Facing a new challenge in November 2020, Hollie joined the cast of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out, The Castle
Representing GB in Tokyo at the Paralympic games 2021, join Hollie and hear all about her successes, achievements, training and hopes for the 16th Summer Paralympics, interview with Alastair Greener.
Follow Hollie on Instagram
Please do email any questions to reach@reach.org.uk either before or during the live Q&A
Saturday 13th March 2021 10am
Orla Duncan – Psychosocial Practitioner. Curious Questions
Returning key speaker from The Reach Annual Family Weekend in 2018, psychosocial practitioner Orla Duncan will be sharing advice on how to cope when answering those ‘trickier’ questions from strangers, friends and family. Other discussion points will include, as a new parent, grandparents, 
toddler and young school age children, residentials, starting high school/secondary school
Orla, who for many years, has worked closely alongside the charity Changing Faces, helps children with a wide range of conditions that can affect appearance. In offering specialised emotional and practical support to children with scars, markings, upper limb difference and other conditions that affect appearance, Orla can help build self-confidence and teach strategies and ways of coping with negative comments.
We are very keen to be led by questions so please do email us any worries, situations that you are unsure how to approach, email to reach@reach.org.uk
Orla will also be available on Saturday 13th March for live Q&A’s
Saturday 20th March 2021 10am
Frank Letch MBE – Disability living Allowance (DLA)
For many years Frank has campaigned for a fair deal on behalf of families and individuals with disabilities. His breadth of knowledge around Disability Living Allowance has been invaluable to many and Frank has represented several cases with families at Disability Appeal Tribunals.
Frank has many, many strings to his bow! A father of 5 and Grandfather of 5, Frank lives a remarkably independent life. He can ride a modified bike, drive an automatic car, and also enjoys sailing. Frank is extremely skilful using his feet completing daily tasks with ease, writing, working on a computer, gardening, playing darts to name but a few. 
In 2015 he received an MBE for services to people with disabilities and to the wider community in Crediton, and for the 12th year Cllr Frank Letch was elected chairman of Crediton Town Council and Mayor of Crediton May 2020.
Later this year Frank will be featured in a film about his life, we will keep you posted!
Frank is a Reach Ambassador and active disability rights campaigner and has a wealth of experience in handling DLA applications, he will be interviewed by Alastair Greener and available for live Q&As, email us at reach@reach.co.uk if their is a particular area you would like Frank to cover.
Saturday 27th March 2021 10am
Rupinder Kaur – A Parent’s Perspective
Rupinder Kaur is the award winning founder of Asian Women Mean Business, AWMB, a British Asian woman Rupinder has experienced and excelled in both corporate and entrepreneurial environments. With eighteen years experience in the world of human resources, psychology, coaching and mentoring Rupinder is a mother to Daya and Sahib who has an upper limb difference. She understands the challenges that working mothers face but also how becoming a mother can challenge your identity as a woman, your life aspirations and trying to understand who you really are.
Experiencing postnatal depression after giving birth to Sahib in 2017, Rupinder struggled to talk openly at the time. Very few close family members and friends knew, there were feelings of shame, guilt and embarrassment to admit it, but Rupinder managed to shift it by treating the cause and addressing the symptoms.
“PND was something that I had to go through to make sense of many things in my life, my one question constantly through that time was “what are you here to teach me?” And teach me it did.
Compassion. Empathy. Self belief. Boundaries. The power of our thoughts and emotions. Humanity. Love.”
Follow AWMB on Instagram
Share Rupinder’s story, please email reach@reach.org.uk if you would like to comment or ask any questions.
Date to be Confirmed
Anoushé Husain – Disability Advocate. Keep believing the impossible is possible
Reach member, Anoushé is a champion for all those experiencing barriers and self-limiting beliefs. Born missing her right arm below the elbow, living with multiple health conditions, a cancer survivor, a Muslim and coming from an ethnic minority, Anoushé has never let what society or culture thinks she should do limit her or dictate the direction of her life. She is constantly breaking the mould and challenging not only her own beliefs about her own potential but also that of society and her own culture.
Anoushé has become a role model to anyone facing a self-limiting belief or barrier and is sharing her journey to help others unlock their potential. Anoushé candidly talks about her life, how she has remained resilient in the face of huge obstacles and talks about issues that we as a society do not talk about enough.
A civil servant by day, Anoushé is a paraclimber in the UK and an ambassador for both Ehlers-Danlos Support UK and Limbpower. In 2017, Anoushé won the Asian Women of Achievement Award for Sport and the 2017 recipient of the Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration at The Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards.
Follow Anoushé on Instagram
Email any questions to reach@reach.org.uk
Date to be Confirmed
Melissa Johns – Actor and Disability Activist
Melissa is a British actor and is most known for playing Hannah Taylor in Mike Bartlett’s brilliant BBC One drama LIFE and Imogen Pascoe in Coronation Street.
Melissa is an ambassador for disability in the arts and advocates for better representation of disability on and off screen and stage.
Before Corrie Melissa starred in BBC dramas The Interceptor, Silk and Casualty, other Tv credits include I Hate Suzie, Flack, and in Sky’s The Long Run.
In 2018, Melissa’s smartphone was hacked and intimate photos were released. Melissa used the situation to speak out against body shaming and combat taboos around disability, sex and body dysmorphia. The experience inspired the BBC Radio 4 drama In My Own Skin, written by Debbie Oates.
In February 2020 Melissa’s acclaimed one woman show – SNATCHED with The Lowry and Arts Council England, is a humorous and revealing show mixing monologues with melodrama, vulgar news headlines and musical storytelling. The show totally refuses to display embarrassment or remorse in order to champion female sexuality, fight body shaming and the taboo of sex and disability.
“It’s about showing that talented disabled performers can be raw, gritty, vulnerable, beautiful, sexy, real and it coming from a very personal and unique place.”
Melissa is also co founder of TripleC, a disabled led organisation that uses drama and theatre based workshops to enrich the lives of people living with disabilities. This incredible role model is an ambassador and campaigner for actors with disabilities, helping to break down the barriers faced for disabled actors and evoking positive social change in society’s attitude and approach toward disability. Melissa is ambassador for Invisiyouth and Models of Diversity.
“I, like many disabled actors, are continuously fighting to change the way disability is seen in this industry. For me it’s about experiencing situations differently to people without disabilities and therefore having a different take on the world.”
Follow Melissa on Instagram and Twitter
Please do email any questions to reach@reach.org.uk either before or during the live Q&A (date to be confirmed)
Date to be Confirmed
Wayne Williams – Bionics for Everyone
The number of bionic hands on the market is growing with each passing year. Competition is heating up and helping to drive prices down.
The immediate goal of Bionics for Everyone is to give those who have lost physical or neurological capabilities information on the latest bionic options available to them.
Everything you need to know about bionic arms and hands, including all the current devices, technologies, and the latest research is continuously updated, Bionics for Everyone is intended as your one-stop repository for information on upper-limb bionics.
All areas are covered in detail, from functionality, user control systems, below elbow, above elbow to partial hand devices plus much, much more. Bionics for Everyone is educating the general public about how bionic technologies can help people and also trying to build public support for expanded insurance coverage to help pay for these solutions.
“Our hope is that, with increased awareness, we can help build support to make these technologies available to everyone.”
Please do email any questions to reach@reach.org.uk either before or during the live Q&A (date to be confirmed)
Follow Bionics for Everyone on Facebook and Twitter
Date to be Confirmed
Cornel Hrisca-Munn – Professional drummer, bass guitar player, double bass player
Cornel is a Senior Access Officer – Disability Manager at Cheshire West and Chester Council , a disability and partnership strategy expert, employability professional and Oxford University graduate. Alongside the day job and in his spare time, Cornel is a professional musician, with a number of prestigious performances and an illustrious musical portfolio to his name. An avid fundraiser from the age of 6, Cornel raised thousands of pounds which was recognised when he received the Pride of Britain Child of Courage Award in March 2004.
Cornel is also Founder and Chief Executive of the Cornel Romanian Rehabilitation Centre Trust.
Cornel will be showcasing his musical talents, sharing some life experiences and answering questions with Alastair, please do email reach@reach.co.uk to put your questions forward.
Follow Cornel on Facebook, Instagram and check out his YouTube channel