Independence at Home

03/12/2025

🌍 International Day of Persons with Disabilities – Wednesday 3rd December 2025 🌍

Today, we celebrate the power of independence, meet Emily Nunns, whose life was transformed thanks to a life-changing equipment enabled by a grant from Independence at Home.

Emily’s story, shared at the charity’s 60th Anniversary Reception in October, shows exactly how specialist equipment enables her to live independently at home and in her community .

🎥 Watch Emily’s speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSZdwmmBg1s&feature=youtu.be

Emily describes how the mobility equipment:
• Supports her daily routines and safety,
• Strengthens connections with her family and community,
• Empowers her to choose how she lives, and where she lives.

Independence isn’t just about accessibility, it’s about choice, autonomy, and belonging. Supporting people with disabilities to live independently in the environment they choose is key.

Please do share this post and let’s champion a world where everyone has the freedom to live their life, their way.

💙

Chief Executive (Melanie Derbyshire) of Independence at Home introduces Guest Speaker (Emily Nunns) at the 60th Anniversary Reception on 16th October 2025Cam...

26/11/2025

We are so delighted to be at the Occupational Therapy Show in Birmingham on the 26th and 27th November 2025.

Please come and meet our Chief Executive, Melanie Derbyshire and find out about the work of Independence at Home which enables disabled people or those with long-term illness to live independently at home - we're on stand B48, so please do come and say hello 👋

26/11/2025

✨ Celebrating 60 Years of Independence at Home! ✨

Our Patron, The Rt Hon. the Lord Astor of Hever PC DL, and the Trustees of Independence at Home, were delighted to welcome guests to a special 60th Anniversary Reception to mark the charity’s impact since it’s foundation on 14th October 1965.

Hosted at the beautiful 10–11 Carlton House Terrace, home of The British Academy, the evening was made possible thanks to the generous support of Evelyn Partners and a very kind individual donor.

We were joined by current and former Trustees and staff, volunteers, charitable trusts, donors, corporate partners, referring organisations and grant recipients. A special moment was reuniting three former Chief Executives with our current CEO, Melanie Derbyshire, reflecting the charity’s evolution and shared purpose across generations.

We were so delighted to welcome Brian Page and his family. Brian’s mother, Doris Page – better known by her pen name Ann Armstrong – inspired the birth of the charity through her extraordinary courage as she fought for the right to return home from hospital while living with polio. Her determination led MP John Astor to support the foundation of what became Independence at Home.

The highlight of the evening was hearing from our guest speaker Emily Nunns who was supported by a grant in 2022. Emily kindly shared the life-changing impact of her specialist equipment – not only for her, but for her family, friends and community. You can watch her incredible speech here https://youtu.be/CSZdwmmBg1s

The event was a joyful, moving tribute to everyone who has been part of our journey over the past six decades.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us – yesterday, today and tomorrow. 🌟 Please visit our website to find out more about our work or to donate https://independenceathome.org.uk/donate and here’s to the next 60 years of empowering people to live independently, with dignity and choice.

Independence at Home is a grant-making charity, which exists to support people with long-term illness and disability. Most are from very low income households. Since 1965, our charity has improved independent living for more than 50,000 people living at home with disability and long-term illness. To...

14/10/2025

💙 This week recognised World Arthritis Day 💙

Around 10 million people in the UK are thought to have arthritis. It can affect people of all ages, including children and teenagers. Some forms are more common in older people, and many types, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, are long-term conditions.

At Independence at Home, around 1 in 10 people we support each year live with a musculoskeletal condition, including arthritis. It can make life incredibly tough, causing pain, stiffness and making it harder to move around or stay independent.

🏡 Being able to access the right equipment for mobility and comfort at home can make all the difference.

Thanks to our funders, this week we were able to help a 64-year-old veteran from Newcastle who has severe arthritis in his hips and legs. Walking had become so painful, he was becoming increasingly isolated, but now, with his brand new mobility scooter he can access his community freely and join in family outings again.

💫 Support like this is truly life-changing giving people with arthritis renewed independence, confidence and connection.

🙏 Thank you to everyone who makes this possible. Together, we’re helping people live more comfortably and independently at home. 💙

11/06/2025

THANK YOU, B&Q Foundation B&Q 💙

Since 2020, B&Q's incredible support through three generous grants has helped us transform the lives of over 50 people on very low incomes living with complex disabilities or long-term illnesses – as well as their families and carers.

This funding has been a lifeline for those facing multiple barriers to independent living and who had exhausted all other options. Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to deliver essential home improvements and repairs that bring better health, hygiene, comfort, connection, and dignity into people’s lives.

From wet room adaptations allowing independent washing, to accessible doors helping wheelchair users return home, and boiler repairs keeping homes warm and dry – your support has enabled people to live safely and independently in the place they call home.

The direct impact stretches from a safe garden for a 2-year-old with complex needs adapted to individual needs so they can play outside, to a brand-new back door for a 100-year-old widow with dementia, keeping her warm and secure in the home she’s always known. 💙

One mum of two disabled children shared:

“Thank you so much. Since my eldest got their new wheelchair, we couldn’t all use the downstairs rooms because of the flooring. The new, safe flooring means we can now access all our space and play safely together. It’s transformed our home into a calm, connected place – this has changed our lives.” 💙

Thank you, B&Q Foundation. Together, we’re making a real and lasting difference. 💙

&q

28/05/2025

Did you know that you can help support Independence at Home by donating any size of shareholdings you may have to ShareGift, and mentioning Independence at Home. www.sharegift.org has more details or reach out to the team on 020 7930 3737 or help@sharegift.org

ShareGift is an independent UK registered charity (No. 1052686) which specialises in releasing the money locked up in small shareholdings, but accept donations of any size. ShareGift works by collecting together small lots of shares until there are enough to sell and then donating the resulting proceeds to a wide range of charities. To date ShareGift has donated over £50million and supported thousands of charities. ShareGift make their grants based upon a variety of factors including the suggestions of their donors.

From these donated shares we generate funds to give to charities, guided by donor suggestion. Since 1996 we have given over £16million to more than 1,800 charities.

06/05/2025

🎉 A heartfelt thank you to the Garfield Weston Foundation from all of us at Independence at Home for their generous £20,000 grant🙏

This incredible support will make a real difference to the lives of disabled people and those with long-term illness across the UK — helping us enable access to vital equipment, home adaptations, and essential services that promote greater independence, comfort, dignity, and quality of life.

Together, we are enabling greater independence for over 1300 people a year💙

28/04/2025

Please can you nominate Independence at Home to receive a £5,000 grant from the Benefact Group’s Movement for Good programme to help us to improve independence, comfort, safety, dignity and quality of life for people with long-term illness and disability.
https://health.movementforgood.com/
It is free to enter and super quick - click this link 👆to nominate Independence at Home for an award and enter our charity number 1141758 - IAH CHARITY COMPANY LIMITED

Nominate a charity for a Movement for Good award now.

18/04/2025

Sending warmest weekend wishes to you all from the staff and Trustees at Independence at Home. Our offices will be closed on Friday 18th April 2025 and re-open on Tuesday 22nd April 2025 🐣🐰🌞

06/03/2025

📚✨ Happy ! ✨📚

What did you dress up as today? So far, we’ve spotted Sleeping Beauty, Tracy Beaker, and even a giant snail strolling past the Independence at Home office! 🐌👑📖

World Book Day is all about celebrating the magic of stories, but we know that not everyone experiences books in the same way. That’s why we’re passionate about ensuring that children with vision or hearing challenges have the right equipment to access the joy of reading.

Recently, thanks to our incredible funders, we were able to provide two primary school children—both with vision impairment due to Juvenile Batten Disease—with specialist iPads to help them enjoy books in a way that works for them. 💙📲📖

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who supports Independence at Home—your generosity makes a real difference! Wishing you all a fantastic, story-filled day. ✨

World Book Day (UK & Ireland)

Welcome Please use our website to find out more about: If you need information that you cannot find on our website, please contact us here.  Independence at Home is a registered charity with a fascinating 59-year history. Click here to read more. Since our founding in 1965, we have awarded more ...

04/03/2025

🌟 A HUGE thank you to the incredible team at B&Q Foundation for their amazing generosity! 🌟

Thanks to their brilliant £10,000 grant, Independence at Home can continue making a real difference in the lives of disabled people and those with long-term illness in Northern Ireland and Scotland. 💙🏡

Just this week, this vital funding helped a 3-year-old from Northern Ireland, who recently became a full-time wheelchair user, and their family by providing a brand-new, accessible front door - enabling safe and independent access to their home. 🚪💜

Your support is life-changing, and we couldn’t be more grateful! 🙌💙 https://www.neighbourly.com/

25/02/2025

As a small charity, we know how vital it is to understand the impact of our work with individuals and families across the UK.

That’s why we’ve launched a new digital programme to track long-term impact—helping us shape our support for the future.
We hope this will give us a developing picture of the changing needs in our communities, ensuring we can help even more disabled people live active, independent lives today and in the future. 💙

✨ Here’s just one example of the difference your support makes:

"Thank you so much for helping my Mum get a new riser-recliner chair. It has made a huge difference for us as she is not always sat in bed." – Family of a 70-year-old stroke survivor.

Every donation, big or small, helps us transform lives. If you’d like to be part of this journey, please consider supporting us today. Together, we can make independence possible! 🙌

👉 https://independenceathome.org.uk/donate