Articles in Covid-19

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: Week Ending 7 January 2024

Covid infection levels in England remain at near-record heights, with between 1 in 20 and 1 in every 28 people in England infected with Covid as of 7 January. These remain Critically High levels, and it is essential that everyone takes precautions to avoid catching Covid.

As an example of the risk of catching Covid, a typical busy supermarket will have around 13 infected people breathing out virus for you to breathe in. In a full single decker bus, there will be 2 or 3 infected people breathing out virus. In a busy train carriage, there will be 6 or 7 infected people breathing out virus. In these circumstances, unless you wear a respiratory filter mask, you are extremely likely to catch Covid. Cloth and surgical masks do not protect you.

Read More
1 in 14 people in England likely now infected. 21 infected people in a busy supermarket. Risk of meeting someone with Covid increases and remains Critically High.

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: Week Ending 24 December 2023

Covid infection levels in England have hit near-record heights, with around 1 in every 14 people in England infected with Covid as of 24 December. These are Critically High levels, and it is essential that everyone takes precautions to avoid catching Covid.

As an example of the risk of catching Covid, a typical busy supermarket will have around 21 infected people breathing out virus for you to breathe in. In a full single decker bus, there will be 3 or 4 infected people breathing out virus. In a busy train carriage, there will be 10 or 11 infected people breathing out virus. In these circumstances, unless you wear a respiratory filter mask, you are extremely likely to catch Covid. Cloth and surgical masks do not protect you.

To add to the risk this Christmas and New Year period, there are 2 new variants of the Covid virus circulating. This means that even if you have had Covid recently, of have recently been vaccinated or boosted, you can still catch Covid again and be seriously ill. There is no such thing as immunity against Covid – the virus changes every time people develop immunity.

Read More
1 in 19 people in England likely now infected. 15 infected people in a busy supermarket. Risk of meeting someone with Covid now Critically High.

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: Week Ending 22 December 2023

Covid infection levels in England are Critically High, with around 1 in every 23 people in England infected with Covid, as of 13 December. Today, around 1 in every 19 people are likely to be infected with Covid, and we are expecting infection levels to continue to increase over the Christmas period. These are among the highest Covid levels ever seen in England, and it is essential that everyone takes precautions to avoid catching Covid.

As an example of the risk of catching Covid, a typical busy supermarket will have between 13 and 15 infected people breathing out virus for you to breathe in. In a full single decker bus, there will be 2 or 3 infected people breathing out virus. In a busy train carriage, there will be between 9 and 10 infected people breathing out virus. In these circumstances, unless you wear a respiratory filter mask, you are extremely likely to catch Covid. Cloth and surgical masks do not protect you.

Read More
The BuDS stand at the Towersey Festival 2023. The blue and gold BuDS flags and banners are seen in the middle of a busy festival scene with blurred images of people in the foreground and background.

BuDS Annual Meeting 2023

Your chance to learn more about us and get involved!

The BuDS Annual Meeting for 2023 will be held online at 3 pm on Saturday 13 January 2024. This isn’t a stuffy meeting but a celebration of all we have done in this extraordinary year. There’s plenty of opportunity to ask questions and get involved in our work. This year, we are also making some big changes to evolve BuDS so that we can help more people.

Read More
A learning disabled child smiling into the camera and holding up her hands, which are brightly painted with several colours

Fair4All Education Transitions Surveys

Blue logo with Fair4All Education written in yellow, and BuDS Send Transitions Service written in blue around the logo

We know that moving from primary to secondary school can be daunting for young people. We want to improve this educational transition for children and young people with SEND and analyse what is currently available to support them and their carers. To help us do this, we want to hear from you! 

There are multiple surveys available depending on your current situation – a school professional, a support agency/service professional, a parent/carer of a young person with SEND and a young person with SEND. 

Everyone who completes survey 3 has the chance to be put into a draw to win a £50 One4All gift card, accepted in over 120 local stores. Entering the prize draw is optional. Please note the draw for the gift card is only for the ‘Parent/Carer Experiences During the Transition to Year 7

These surveys are anonymous – you do not have to give your name or any information that could identify you. To learn more about how we use and protect your data, see below.   

Read More

Evolving the BuDS Constitution

BuDS continues to grow and develop, and our constitution needs to grow and develop too, so that
the charity has a legal form which is suitable for the future. We’d like your views about a
number of changes to BuDS’ constitution, our governing document.

If you have any questions or comments about the proposed changes, please do get in touch
with BuDS. You can e-mail info@buds.org.uk, leave us a voicemail on 01494 211179 or message us
through a social media platform. You can also send us a message through this website by clicking the ‘Contact Us’ button at the bottom of this page.

Here is a summary of the changes that BuDS Trustees would like to make to the Constitution. Members of BuDS (any disabled person from Bucks) have to approve the changes at the AGM on 13th January 2024, and some of the changes will also need to be approved by the Charity Commission.

  • Make BuDS’ legal ‘area of operation’ England rather than just Bucks. BuDS would continue to work principally in and around Bucks just as it does now, with some projects operating across the South East or Thames Valley, or nationally, when it’s right and possible.
  • Allow disabled people to join BuDS as members from anywhere in England. BuDS would continue to work as it does now, mainly in and around Bucks, but with the difference that any disabled person from anywhere in England who wants to join us would be able to do so.
  • Allowing BuDS Trustees to be disabled people from anywhere in England. BuDS would continue to recruit only the best qualified and most passionate disabled people to become Trustees, but from anywhere in England rather than just in Bucks.
  • Permit a small number of BuDS Trustees to be non-disabled people. BuDS has always recruited a few non-disabled people as Trustees if their skills and experience were vital for the charity and this change would allow this to continue, provided 75% of Trustees are always disabled people.
  • Allow Trustees to change the name of BuDS from ‘Buckinghamshire Disability Service BuDS’ to ‘BuDS Disability Service’. This gradual change over time would stop people being confused whether BuDS could help them or not.
  • Note that Trustees intend in due course to change the legal form of BuDS from an unincorporated association to a company limited by guarantee. This is a technical legal change which is recommended for all larger charities, and which would not affect what BuDS does and how it helps disabled people.

You can find out more about these proposals, and why Trustees think they are necessary, in the full consultation paper. This can be downloaded by clicking the download button below.

You can find the Constitution by clicking the download button below.

If you need the consultation paper or the Constitution in another format, please contact us:

BuDS flags and gazebo at an event in the background with blurry view of event goers in the foreground

Volunteer at the Chiltern Open Air Museum’s Halloween Event

Do you want to help support disabled people and get to attend an amazing event? BuDS is looking for event volunteers for the Chiltern Open Air Museum’s Halloween Event, on Friday 27th October 2023.

The Halloween Spectacular Event is back on Friday 27th October this year, it will be an evening filled with spooky fun for all ages in the unique and atmospheric setting of the Museum’s historic buildings and woods. BuDS volunteers will get free admission to the whole site, and plenty of free time to enjoy the event and museum.

BuDS is excited to support this event to be more inclusive and accessible for all disabled people. We will be supporting disabled visitors, staffing viewing areas, and providing an emergency quiet space. There will be a wide range of roles to suit everyone, even if you can only volunteer for an hour.

If you’d like to be part of the volunteer team for this amazing event, please fill in this expression of interest form, and we will be in touch! Disabled people are very welcome to volunteer, and we have a wide range of roles to suit everyone.

If you don’t want to fill in the form, you can email volunteering@buds.org.uk or leave us a voicemail on 01494 211179

A group of people in blue BuDS polo shirts standing in a field in front of a blue gazebo with a yellow banner reading "Buckinghamshire Disability Service". A historic building is visible in the background.
BuDS Volunteers at COAM Green Festival in July 2023

1 in 37 people in England now infected. 9 infected people in a busy supermarket. Risk of meeting someone with Covid remains Extremely High.

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: Week Ending 11 September 2023

Covid infection levels in England continue their relentless slow increase, with around 1 in every 37 people in England now infected with Covid. (This is also the rate and risk for Bucks). As an example of the risk of catching Covid, a typical busy supermarket will have between 6 and 11 infected people breathing out virus for you to breathe in. The risk level remains Extremely High.

Remember, Covid is airborne: the virus spreads mainly through the air. An infected person in an unventilated place creates a large invisible cloud of virus which hangs in the air like smoke, ready for you to breathe in. Because the NHS has not improved the ventilation in its buildings, hospitals and GP practices are extremely dangerous places to catch Covid. NHS staff are now required to work even if they have Covid and there are no Covid precautions in place at most NHS buildings. Do avoid hospitals and GP practices unless your visit is essential and wear a tight-fitted filter mask (FFP2 or FFP3) or respirator all the time if you have to go there.

Read More
A learning disabled child smiling into the camera and holding up her hands, which are brightly painted with several colours

Moving Up To Year 7: How Was It For Your Child?

The logo of the BuDS SEND Transitions Service. This is a blue circle with the words Fair4All Education in gold inside it, surrounded the words BuDS SEND Transitions Service in blue

Moving up to year 7 can be a really difficult time for many children, especially those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We are working to improve the year 6 to year 7 experience for disabled and SEND children, and we would really like your help.

We would like to talk to you about the year 6 to year 7 transition, focusing on any barriers your child may have faced, the quality of support your child received, and hear any ideas that you may have about how to improve the transition. This will happen by a video call with a member of our friendly team, at a time that is convenient for you. If you’d like to get involved, please click the button below, complete the short form, and we will be in touch with you. If you’d like to know more, please keep reading.

Read More
1 in 39 people in England now infected. 9 infected people in a busy supermarket. Risk of meeting someone with Covid remains Extremely High.

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: Week Ending 4 September 2023

Covid infection levels in England relentlessly continue to rise, with around 1 in every 39 people in England now infected with Covid. (This is also the rate and risk for Bucks). As an example of the risk of catching Covid, a typical busy supermarket will have between 6 and 11 infected people breathing out virus for you to breathe in. Remember, Covid spreads mainly through the air.

The risk level remains Extremely High. Infection levels are now the same as they were in mid-December 2022, at the beginning of the huge winter wave. If current trends continue, we should reach Critically High levels (more than 1 in every 25 people infected) in the next 6 to 8 weeks.

We are still seeing a steady week-on-week increase in Covid infections rather than a very steep peak. This suggests that the new Covid variant BA.2.86 is not yet infecting large numbers of people. A new variant which is highly infectious and escapes previous immunity usually causes a very sharp peak in infections. However, the criminal lack of Covid surveillance in the UK makes it hard to be sure.  

Alert: Hospitals and GP practices are extremely dangerous places to catch Covid. NHS staff are now required to work even if they have Covid and there are no Covid precautions in place at most NHS buildings. Do avoid hospitals and GP practices unless your visit is essential and wear a tight-fitted filter mask (FFP2 or FFP3) or respirator all the time if you have to go there.

Read More