During lockdown, the health and wellbeing of its tenants was a key focus of their Zoom programme which included a wide range of activities and sessions from exercise classes, pilates and yoga to mindfulness and relaxation classes. Tenants were able to access these classes from the comfort of their own home.

These classes proved so popular, that now that activities can happen in person again, JBD have been looking at different ways to further promote health and wellbeing activities within their developments.

Clive Geller, a Jewish Blind & Disabled Tenant and a Vice President of Maccabi GB and Former Chairman has been keen to see a closer partnership between the two organisations for some time and is “very pleased” that this relationship is beginning to move forward.

He added: “I hope that the future will be bright for both of our organisations and await with interest to seeing how the programme develops.”

After a consultation session between Maccabi GB and tenants at JBD to establish what sports tenants would be interested in, a five-week pilot programme of accessible golf was launched at two of the developments.

Feedback from participants has been positive. Malcolm, a JBD resident said: “I used to play golf and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to play again. It was something different and lovely to see people enjoying themselves no matter how good or bad they were at golf.”

Another tenant, Diane added: “I have never played golf before but it was something fun to do and it was good exercise for me.”  

Following the success of the programme, JBD are working with Maccabi GB to create taster programmes in a range of accessible sporting activities from walking football to archery.

Ashley Lerner, Chief Executive from Maccabi GB commented: “It’s great to be working together with Jewish Blind & Disabled on this important project. We have each recognised the importance of promoting health and wellbeing and making it accessible to anyone and I look forward to watching this partnership grow”.

Jewish Blind & Disabled’s Community Engagement Manager, Simone Mazin added that by working with Maccabi GB it has “given tenants the opportunity to take part in activities that many assumed that could no longer do. It has been great to see tenants get so involved and enjoy the accessible golf and I look forward to seeing how the programme develops.” 

The post JBD and Maccabi GB ‘team up’ appeared first on Essex Jewish News.

The show, which was broadcast in November, showed Rinder getting as far as question 12 out of a possible 15, before using his last lifeline to phone his friend Clare Balding to help him answer a question about James Bond. When she was unable to answer, “In which film is 007 shown to kill only one person”, he decided to walk away with an impressive £64,000.

The prize money will be split between JBD and Buttle UK, a charity dedicated to helping children and young people in crisis in the UK.

For JBD, receiving such a significant donation will help the organisation continue their work in transforming the lives of people with physical disability or visual impairment.

Its mobility apartments are located in seven developments across London and Essex, where JBD help people to live independently. They are also able to provide support services in people’s own homes.

During the show, Rinder explained to host Jeremy Clarkson why the organisation was close to his heart, as it provides a home for his own father, David.

Rinder has supported the charity for many years and has described JBD as ‘a light in the darkness’ in helping him deal with his father’s illness.

JBD’s Chief Executive, Lisa Wimborne, thanked him for his ‘ongoing support for the charity and recognition of the work that we do’.

“It’s not very often that an independent Jewish charity like Jewish Blind & Disabled gets a mention on prime-time national TV and is awarded a generous prize sum too. His decision to nominate us as one of his chosen charities means so much to us. As the son of a tenant, she commented, he has seen first-hand the impact of our work and what better endorsement can we get?”

The post Judge Rob Rinder wins big for Jewish charity appeared first on Essex Jewish News.