Sharing in times of need.

Being disabled sometimes comes with a short or long list of needs It can feel like a military operation just leaving the house – well that’s if you’re anything like me and that doesn’t include my Mary Poppins handbag with the kitchen sink! Whether it’s equipment or supplies it’s not something we can just say ‘oh well it’s ok if we run out or leave behind’ so what happens when you do forget or can’t get supplies what then??

What if I told you there was a way? What if I told you there was an online charity that was designed for just that ‘time of need’ made up of individuals who are willing to help others by providing missing care consumables and specialist disability equipment in unexpected times of need.

So what’s this charity called??

Skiggle

A little about them – Skiggle is a nationwide online charity network of UK-based disabled people, family carers and health professionals. Their ever-growing community is made up of truly incredible individuals who are willing to help others by providing missing care consumables and specialist disability equipment because let’s face it, it’s happened to one of us at some point we just never know when something essential might be forgotten, go missing, or need replacing.

So, whether you’re running out of specialist feed, continence products or suction catheters, with Skiggle, there’s a community ready to come to your aid.

What does Skiggle offer.

SOS – Their website is connected to an SOS system where members can request care essentials immediately in unforeseen circumstances, free of charge, from someone else’s surplus supply.

Marketplace – They also have an online Marketplace where items can be bought, sold or offered for free. For personal safety and the safety of others, members will be asked to agree to our terms and conditions relating to the movement of products when signing up.

Anyone wishing to use the Marketplace following the loss of a loved one whether it’s a disabled friend or family member, they will add their Bereavement Angel to items this will help to ensure that any transaction is handled sensitively.

Facebook – Looking for advice or support? Their Facebook page is a very popular space where families and carers can chat, ask questions and recommend products to each other.

Skiggle is a unique name, for a unique concept

The reason behind the name –

A family brain storming exercise one Sunday morning with Christine’s two girls looking at a domain website. They all wanting a name that really stood out, then Christine’s youngest (7 at the time) thought of the name Skiggle it sounded a bit like Giggle. And there you have it a unique name for unique concept.

The story and people behind Skiggle

The mastermind behind this great online charity Is Christine she’s the mum of Will who has quadriplegic spastic cerebral palsy.

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The charity development manager – Helen is Will’s carer she has been with Will of the past 7 years.

Both Christine and Helen care for will’s full- time, all while they co-running the charity on top of their care duties. Christine is a former dog groomer and cattery owner, and Helen is a former lighting technician in UK theatre.

The story

The charity was formed through personal experience: here’s Christine story in her own words.

“It all began one family holiday. We were going away for a few days, so we packed the car with all the usual holiday kit. In our case, clothes, food, buckets & spades, and everything Will would need; medication, continence products, feed, breathing equipment and extra clothes for the inevitable mishaps.

Excited, we set off on our family adventure! The holiday started brilliantly until we realised we had forgotten to pack a box of milk feed; feed that Will is reliant on and needed imminently.

Panic! What do we do now?

I rang the out-of-hours doctor. After three hours of trying, she was unable to get the feed and instructed us to drive home or check Will into a regional children’s hospital. We didn’t want our son to spend our family holiday in hospital so, to avoid infection, we made the trip home to collect what was needed.

Following this experience, my husband and I thought; if only there was a space to store everything we could possibly need, accessible any time, day or night. But who would fund it and where would it be located? No single location would be suitable.

Then a light bulb moment!

Many carers of people with additional needs have a ‘space’ in their own home. A garage, shed or spare room where everything they need for their loved one is stored. Someone, somewhere near us could have almost certainly helped by lending the feed we needed to get us through our short break. If only we had known who to ask or where to find them.

That’s when Skiggle’s SOS messaging service was born. An online community ready to help those in need and a place where you can find help when you need it most.”

What Skiggle means – Skiggle means extra grey hairs and a developing gin habit for both Christine and me, but it means offering a lifeline to people around the UK living with disabilities by giving them somewhere to turn in times of unexpected need.

I had the amazing pleasure recently in meeting via zoom these two incredible ladies. The passion that came through from both of them was just heartwarming and infectious, I could’ve totally spent the day just chatting about everything and nothing with both Helen and Christine. I can’t wait to see this online charity go from strength to strength helping hundreds of disabled people and their families in their ’time of need’.

Have you come across Skiggle or what are your thoughts about Skiggle? Feel free to leave me a comment I would love to hear from you

💋 Kerry

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