Funds

The Ken Simons Memorial Fund

The Fund has been set up to foster innovative work in the field of people with learning disabilities. It will support individuals and work in different areas, which reflect a range of Ken's interests in and out of work, his commitment to people with learning disabilities and his interest in new ideas and developments, along the following lines:

Awards will be made for innovative work in a particular area in recognition of specific achievements (for example housing, employment, etc.) one to a professional or family member; one to an individual or group of people with learning disabilities
The Fund will offer financial support for people with learning disabilities, allied with the Norah Fry Research Centre, to travel to and participate in conferences in the UK or abroad
The Fund will support individuals at the Norah Fry Research Centre and potential collaborators to explore new ground-ideas for new initiatives which might be transformed into bigger developments in time
The Fund is administered as a discretionary fund by the University of Bristol, acting through the Norah Fry Research Centre. Decisions about expenditure from the Fund are made jointly by the Director and Deputy Directors of the Centre, in consultation with Ken's widow, Jeannie Sutcliffe, and other external advisers as appropriate.

Until his sudden death on January 8th 2003 Ken Simons (BA Social Psychology) was a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre, which he joined in 1989 from Sheffield University, having previously worked for two social services departments and a regional health authority.

Ken had a longstanding interest in the views and experiences of people with learning disabilities and the way that these are understood and used to shape services. This interest was reflected in his substantial portfolio of completed research projects, which included work on self and citizen advocacy, complaints procedures, various innovative housing options and the experiences of people with learning disabilities who were not supported by specialist services but lived a 'Life on the Edge' (2000).

As well as doing research Ken undertook a number of commissions, consultancies and training initiatives for service providers and purchasers on quality assurance, complaints procedures and alternative day services. He also acted as an advisor on supported living to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

At the time of his death Ken had recently been involved in projects on transition ('Bridging the Divide,' 2002) and direct payments ('Journey to Independence,' 2002) and was engaged in writing up research findings from work on services for people with learning disabilities with mental health problems ('Crossing the Line'). Other commitments included research on supported employment and an evaluation of the implementation of the White Paper on learning disability 'Valuing People', which was completed by Rachel Fyson with support from Linda Ward and Fiona Macaulay.

If you would like to contribute to the Fund, cheques should be made payable to the University of Bristol and sent to: Sammantha Cave, Norah Fry Research Centre, University of Bristol, 3 Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TX. Tel: 0117 331 0982. email: sammantha.cave@bristol.ac.uk

A gift aid form is also available. (This enables the University to reclaim tax worth an additional 28p for each pound donated by a taxpayer).