The Golden Freeway
A window on the world
A gateway to better services
A window on the world
A gateway to better services
We aim to provide personalised access to the Internet via a home computer, training and support on a continuing basis, the maintenance of a help-line, the creation of a unified route to service providers, and a range of condition and family specific resources. A recent innovation has been the setting up of an Internet service provider, Golduk.net, under the auspices of The Children's Foundation.
The initial pilot project targeted families with a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This is now being extended nationwide to all families with a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The project is also being extended to families with a child with cerebral palsy, meeting certain criteria: aged 14 - 18, resident in Newcastle, Sunderland, North or South Tyneside, Gateshead or County Durham and possibly with a statement of special educational needs.
The service can be seen as equating to an e-keyworker. There are two websites: the public area and the private site, accessible with a username and password, and only available to designated families and on which is listed information and contacts of specific interest to families. Additionally, there is a chatroom and message board, and the ability to email parents only via a mailbase.
The Golden Freeway is funded by The Children's Foundation (The Yellow Brick Road), a children's charity based in the north of England.
Partnerships have been set up with a number of organisations: The Children's Foundation, Children Nationwide, Family Fund Trust, Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, Aidis Trust, the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, Legal Services Commission, Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, Duchenne Freeway (the user group) and the Duchenne Family Support Group.
The original project was based on work carried out in 1993. For details of this project, see Families of Misfortune, Soutter et al, 1993.
A full report of the project working with families with a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy can be found here here.
The Golden Freeway report was published in Health and Social Care in the Community in August 2003 and can be downloaded here.
If you require any further information, please contact the team.
