Stand up to bullying - Stamp out hate!

Stand up to bullying - Stamp out hate!

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

About David Di Palma ... Read all about David Di Palma

About David Di Palma & the Radford United/Di Palma (UK) Brands.

The Survivor & Author - 1968 

Born in 1968 David is a brain injury and abuse survivor (sexual, physical and mental abuse). David’s motto ‘To triumph over adversity is my greatest strength’ is reflective of  his resilience. David has kept diaries all throughout his life, the intricate and invaluable diaries detailing his experiences surviving; epilepsy, abuse in all forms, a brain injury and being an Independent Politician.  Abusers were aware of David’s diaries and frequently searched for them in an attempt to locate and destroy the intricate works and catalogued evidence. David always tried to stay one-step ahead of the abusers by continually changing his hiding places and by producing back-up copies of everything. From a young boy, David was threatened to keep quiet about the abuse, David focussed on trying to protect his mother and sisters from the abusers and focussed on being a better person than his abusers were. David, the Survivor could so easily have taken an alternative path as many others have done, instead he committed his life to focus on supporting others through difficult times.  The physical abuse David endured caused his first brain injury which caused epilepsy. Educated in mainstream schools, David left school at the age of sixteen; determined to improve his circumstances, determined to overcome the power and control the abusers had over him and to continue to support others David returned to higher educational establishments and studied Information Technology and Law. David, In later years, David, further continued upon his vocational educational path by securing a grade of Distinction in Inspecting Housing Services and further progressed to a higher level, by studying for Managing Housing Services, with the Chartered Institute of Housing, becoming a Housing Practitioner.

Award Winning Book - 2006  - 

David’s writing career began in 2006 with the award-winning book - True Warrior.  With the desire to inspire and encourage other survivors to excel in their endeavours, David wanted to share his story and he wrote his maiden title entitled True Warrior. True Warrior, focused on surviving epilepsy, corrective brain surgery, memory loss and abuse. Within the book he significantly understated the extent and severity of the abuse, because, at the time of the publication, some of the abusers were still involved with David’s life, therefore, David, remained at high risk of harm should he speak out. David went on to complete a follow-up book (2010) with further books being works in progress (2020).  Now the main threat of the abusers has diminished, but not completely disappeared, David reveals all about the true extent of the abuse endured and the difficulties, including, the perpetrators. The forthcoming books are due for publication in 2020.

The Independent Politician – 2010  With the increasing desire to support many more people and to raise awareness of the difficulties people face on a much wider scale, David’s Independent Political Career began in 2010. David was frustrated with mainstream politicians from all political parties, with them not understanding the most vulnerable members of society and their needs. David, not one for sitting about doing nothing about it, set out on a mission to become elected and to ensure underrepresented groups are proportionately represented at every level of government and for reasonable adjustments to be made in accordance with legislation. In 2011 David secured his first victory when he was co-opted onto Glenfield Parish Council by his peers. Four years later at the Local Elections of 2015 David was elected to Glenfield Parish Council and to Braunstone Town Council in addition to nominated and appointed the candidate at Croft Hill (Blaby District Council); coming second to the blue candidate. In the Local Elections of May 2019 David was nominated and appointed the Independent Candidate for Winstanley Ward, Braunstone Town (Blaby District Council) defeating the Braunstone Town Mayor in the election and was elected to Leicester Forest East Parish Council and Braunstone Town Council respectively. To this day David continues to campaign to ensure that all councillors, regardless of political party membership, are given equal opportunities to make contributions and to represent their communities. Disappointingly the attitudes of some councillors in respect of equal opportunities is more challenging to overcome compared with other councils due to their lack of willingness to work with people with different viewpoints, different political persuasions, and different backgrounds.

The Community Campaigner & 

Equality Rights Activist – 2014 to Present

 In 2014 David identified the greater need to support the community at local, regional, and national level on important subjects including Housing, Disability Rights, Equal Opportunities, and Diversity. With his own personal funds, David established a Campaign Group, Radford United (Community Action Group).  The Campaign group worked predominantly with senior citizens and hard-to-reach groups from a cross section of the community throughout Braunstone Town, Leicester Forest East, and across the District Of Blaby.   Early successes included; securing positive changes to a housing development, a refund of service charges for residents of a Sheltered Housing Scheme, Improving Services for the Community and working with a number of agencies and Community Stakeholders including Leicestershire Police, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue, Leicestershire Scouts, Age UK and many more on initiatives including crime prevention, health, safety, physical and mental wellbeing, community development, running charitable events, social inclusion and community cohesion.   In addition, Radford United established a Community Newsletter and Community Darts and Ten Pin Bowling Teams with the emphasis on Community Cohesion, Tackling Social Isolation and the promotion of Diversity, Equality and Freedom of Expression. Understanding the need to support the local community in the times of continuing financial cuts to local services and using the vast experiences gained from his varied roles.

2017 – Outstanding Achievement Awards In 2017, with the support of his Social Worker and Support Team David progressed and established Radford United (LE3) Ltd, a Private Limited Company. From his unique perspective David fully understands the impact of financial cuts to vital services such as Social Care, Housing, GP and Health Services, Community Transport and Supporting Vulnerable Adults. At the time of the Radford United Community Action Group Restructure, Radford United Community Action Group had been twice nominated for the Blaby District Council Prestigious Annual Community Awards in the category of Outstanding Achievement for a Community Group. The nominations were a recognition of the contributions to the community of David and his team.

2019  - I am a Survivor & Proud In 2017 David sought professional help with First Step (Leicester). First Step is a counselling service for male survivors of abuse. David attended the counselling sessions in a bid to overcome the lifetime of abuse and to better understand the impact of the abuse on his life. Unprompted, David travelled alone and revisited scenes of crime in the UK and Italy to try and come to terms with the past. David concluded counselling on 1/7/19 and now primarily focusses on inspiring other people to improve their personal and professional circumstances, and to further develop his potential.

2019 Di Palma (UK) Ltd (Independent Consultancy Services) Established.

2019 to present. Radford United (LE3) Ltd & Di Palma (UK) Ltd, with David and his Personal Support Team at the forefront, work with a diverse range of housing and service providers, community stakeholders, individuals, organisations, community groups and service users. Collectively they work with individuals and organisations in encouraging and supporting survivors and service providers to improve their personal and professional circumstances and the services they offer. They achieve these goals through different channels including and not restricted to –  

Awareness Raising – Raising awareness of hidden disabilities and mental  health problems and how they can be better understood through appropriate support, constructive dialogue and equal opportunities.

Through Education - Educating; service providers, community stakeholders and service users, improving relations between representatives of different political persuasions, working with hard-to-reach groups, in addition to sharing personal and professional experiences through open dialogue. In 2020 David’s goals as an elected representative and community campaigner are to support and develop the community at local, regional, and national level. To campaign for better opportunities for disabled people  and to actively encourage service providers, community stakeholders , service users and individuals to better understand and improve their professional and personal circumstances, by embracing different techniques including S.W.O.T. Analysis, Reflective Practice and Personal Empowerment Processes.

Our combined professional services include and are not restricted to the following-

•                  Advisory and Advocacy

•                  Complaints Management and Conflict Resolution

•                  SWOT Analysis

•                  Engagement through open dialogue and presentations.

·            Report Writing, Production & Distribution Services. Including and not restricted to; Diversity,   
     Equality, Inclusivity & Disability Awareness.

•                  Campaign Management and Promotions.

•                  Strategic; Reviews, Planning & Implementation

•                  Production and Distribution of Electronic and Paper Based Reading Products (inc. Books, Newsletters and much more)

•                  Promotional Services

For more information visit www.dipalmauk.com for more information visit our website

The Invisible Man

Monday 16^th  March 2020 – The Invisible Man (A Survivor’s Inner Strength)

06.30.

I’m Not feeling particularly well. I’m having difficulty communicating, my speech is slurred & I cannot find the words I need. I’m feeling numb down the right side of my body. The numbness spreads from my head to my toes. I lost my balance a short while ago and fell, banging my head, but with no visible sign of injury I’m not going to worry about it. I made it to the toilet and back without getting caught short, a victory in itself. 

I’m back in bed now but will get out of bed again soon. 
I’ve no visible injuries apart from a large scar to my scalp from neurosurgery but not all disabilities are visible or fit into a tick box. 
I can neither make myself, nor my circumstances nor my disability disappear. 

My mindset is positive and determined. 

My name is David Di Palma, I’m a Brain Injury Survivor and Proud. 

More diaries about survival coming soon in my new book…. 

David J. Di Palma – Surviving One Day at a Time.  
click me to discover more
Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

Abuse - I’ll probably be better off dead.

Monday 16^th  March 2020 - 0200 (Contains content some may find distressing)

Abuse - Sometimes I think I’d be better off dead.

The time is 0200. My head hurts, it’s excruciatingly painful. The pain caused by another episode of illness. It’s worse at night. No one is around to support at night. I don’t know if I’ve had a seizure but the searing heat located in the right temple and the agonising pain sends my memory back to the time when my father would repeatedly strike me around the head with his hands. Just one of many ways he would hurt me. This incident is being recorded on my digital voice recorder. I’ll play it back later and type the notes up from the recordings as I often do. I don’t know what I did to deserve the frequent hurt and beatings my father used to inflict upon me, I haven’t got any children but I know if I did I wouldn’t hit them. My bed is wet, I don’t know if that’s perspiration or I’ve passed urine. According to my father I was a worthless, useless, person who would never amount to anything. That’s all he ever told me. He was probably right. What use am I to anyone? I try to convince myself that I’m useful. Parishioners nominated, selected and voted for me in the local elections after all. Hence why I won more votes than the former Braunstone Town Mayor. My dogs love me (I think) but dogs love anyone who takes care of them. It wouldn’t matter to my family if I were dead. I very rarely hear from family unless they want something. Of course they had me labelled as a troublesome person out to cause mischief but none thought that I was having difficulty expressing myself and trusting people because some vile people closest to me were actually abusing me in the most horrific ways. So horrific that I was forced to be silent about it because I was repeatedly told that my mother and sisters would get hurt if I told anyone about it. I protected my family from the truth for over forty years. But no more. I’ve gone through counselling, I’ve spoken to some of my family about the abuse, the ones that would speak, most are in denial but the ones that have had a brief conversation with me have told me that they witnessed certain events going on, but yet did nothing to stop it! I’m crying now. For over forty years I thought I was protecting family from the truth, but, for over forty years they knew about some of what was going on? The question is… How much did they know and what type of abuse did they know about? 

Sometimes I think I’d be better off dead. I certainly used to think that when my father was alive. 

Well, soon the whole world will know the truth. 

I’m holding nothing back anymore, there’s no need to.

My new book will reveal all.

Coming Soon….

David J. Di Palma – Surviving One Day at a Time.  
visit our website for more information

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

The Hottest Topic This Weekend

The Hottest Topic This Weekend 

Sunday 15^th March 2020

I attended the 1030 Eucharist at Leicester Cathedral this morning. Upon my return I switched the coffee machine and kettle on to make a drink. Unfortunately, I became unwell part way through the task, whilst pouring the boiling water into the drinking vessel on top of the coffee from the coffee machine. 

The end result; one scalded leg, one floor to mop, and one pair of jeans and jumper to change. The saliva on my jumper and cctv recordings provided the evidence required to support my conclusion that I had experienced a seizure whilst carrying out the task.

Always one to look for the positives at least my leg saved the glass from smashing.

David J. Di Palma, Brain Injury Survivor and Proud. 

click to visit our website  

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

Price for a Spring Clean!!!

Today I was struggling with trying to ascertain what kind of weekend David had as he forgets!! That’s what David does! He has major problems with his memory amongst other things.

I found out that on Saturday David went to the Gym and then Nottingham with his Support Worker Julian to get some  things for the house.  David must have forgotten to check that the dogs had no access to the lounge during his absence, the result was that the dogs got into the lounge and had a BIG PARTY!!!

Oh, yes, David is, now in need of a replacement Remote Control, some candles and a new pair of slippers.

Well, then there’s Sunday, David has no support and he was in a mood for a Spring Clean.  So, he decided to have a good go and he does like to give his 100% to everything he attempts.  Hey, that’s great for us but not so great for David, as he pays the price for this surge in energy spend!  This leads to David being clumsy and making more mess which needs clearing up. Slips, trips, falls and other injuries and then there’s the seizures. By the end of his Spring Clean you cannot tell which bit of the mess was from ‘David’s Spring Clean Party’ and which bit of mess was from ‘The Dog’s BIG Party’!

So, let’s talk about the price David pays for trying to Spring Clean.  On Monday, he was very tired and unsteady.  David had a seizure in the car and now has to sit back and watch the world go by!!. 😉

Dipak Rao - David’s Support Worker

 For more blogs visit our website www.radfordunited.com

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

Support Worker Claire and I Achieve Personal Bests at the Gym

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

Had a seizure and fall this afternoon.

20^th February 2020. 15.00

Had a seizure and fall this afternoon.

This is somewhat frustratingly expected.

This after this morning’s gym session with Support Worker Dipak. This morning I set a new Personal Best of 51:23 on the Cross Trainer. On 01/01/2020 I couldn’t manage three minutes.

Exercise leads to an increase in falls and seizures but exercise is good for one’s mental health therefore one carries on regardless.

I always want to be an improvement on yesterday.

Click me to view the video 

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

Book Extract (1) – Contains scenes some may find distressing. Read with Caution!

Book Extract (1)  – Contains scenes some may find distressing. 

Read with caution.  Please seek support if effected by any of the issues raised. 

I’m a young boy and I live in a council house at 2, Brook Court, Countesthorpe. 

I live with my Mum, Dad, Maria and Tracey.  

Apart from a small glimmer of light coming through the pane of glass at the top of the bedroom door  It is dark and I am afraid. I can hear footsteps coming up the stairs, the footsteps are heavy, belonging to neither my sisters,  mother nor father but a babysitter. 

I want to escape but there’s nowhere to escape to. There’s nowhere to run and screaming or shouting will only make matters worse. The man hurts me more if I make a noise. The man said that I must never tell, I must never tell anyone what the man does to me. The man drinks cough medicine but the man never has a cough. That doesn’t make sense to me.  Why take cough medicine if you don’t have a cough? He always smells of cough medicine. He does bad things to me. He says that it’s all my fault, he says it’s my fault that these things happen to me. He says I must never tell anyone otherwise bad things will happen to Maria and Tracey (my sisters) if I tell. But I can’t allow that to happen. I must protect them at all costs. He pins me down and does very bad things to me, he makes me do things which are bad.  

I just hope it’s over quickly. 

The footsteps are now louder and heavier. 

It’s too late to run, or hide, I try to scream but nothing comes out.

The man will be in here in seconds.

The handle on the bedroom door is moving downwards. 

Dear god please let me die or let this be over quickly. 

David Di Palma, 2, Brook Court, Countesthorpe, Leicestershire.

Reproduced from original transcripts and diary entries.

David J. Di Palma - Survivor.

for further details visit our website This blog is representative of the personal views of David Di Palma. 

Book Authoring – The Final Furlong. (18/2/2020)

This afternoon I have spent time writing and editing my forthcoming book.

The book is entering the final pre-printing stages and I’m excited by the prospect of seeing the finished work going to print. This edition has been a long process, taking longer than I would’ve liked because I’m really struggling with brain fatigue and other issues associated with my brain injury.

This causes frustration and many other side issues.

My motto is ‘To triumph over adversity is my greatest strength’.

My name is David Di Palma

I’m a Survivor and Proud

For more information visit our website www.radfordunited.com

This blog is representative of the personal views of David Di Palma.

Not a great start to the day but we won't let that stop us!!! (18/02/20)

David J. Di Palma - Brain Injury Survivor 

For the past 2 days, David has not received his regular welfare check through his sheltered housing life line intercom service, which he is supposed to have every single day to ensure that he is well and safe.

Thankfully, when Claire (Support Worker) arrived for her shift in the morning she found David to be well.  Claire has now raised an incident with the service provider.  Hopefully, fingers crossed, he will receive his call tomorrow as normal.  We will be informed on where the the system failed, once the incident has been investigated and reported back to us.  This is very important not just for David but for other service users as well, therefore, David will pursue this concern in his capacity as Elected Councillor.

Once this was dealt with they headed to the gym where Claire achieved a new personal best on the cross-trainer of 41 minutes (see photo)

David & Claire set new personal best of gym session of 100 minutes and subsequently aching like mad, afterwards.  Although, David was very unsteady on his feet, both were feeling accomplished.

Remainder of the time with Claire was spent doing Admin work, until I arrived at 4.30 to carry on where Claire left off.

Dipak (Support Worker) on behalf of David Di Palma 

For further information please visit our website

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

Night Time - Flashbacks & Seizures

David Di Palma, Brain Injury Survivor, Surviving One Day at a Time - Flashbacks 

Sunday 16th February 2020

It is Sunday 16th February 2020 and the time is 00:18

Nights are the worse time for me. I experience flashbacks to the historical abuse more at night than at any other time of the day. More often than not I sleep with a Night Light on to make me feel safer. 

Nights are also a challenging time because my brain has difficulty in ‘switching off’. As a consequence of my brain injury the day’s events go around and around my mind, the events unable to take residence in a memory cell because I have difficulty with short term memory. I record the day’s events by keeping a diary, a written record of events, this blog is one such record. Don’t misunderstand what I’ve just said. I’m not making a conscious decision to refrain from ‘switching off’, I’m trying to ‘switch off’ but I can’t. I’m certainly tired enough to ‘switch off’ and to go to sleep but my health circumstances prevent this happening. 

Night time I frequently experience seizures. The episodes cause me to lose feeling down the left side of my body. During and after the episode my speech becomes slurred, I’m unable to move and I have been known to lose control of my bladder, without knowing it. Of course seizures occur during the daytime too, but, at night more often than not the outcomes and symptoms are worse because of exhaustion and lack of care and support staff to help me at night.

As I write this I have a burning sensation located in the right temple. The sensation starts in the right temple and spreads across my forehead. The sensation is like a spreading wildfire. Concentration is becoming more difficult. I’m losing the feeling down my right side of my body, I don’t think I’ll be able to write much more. 

When I type this up from my notebook I’ll type it up as it is. It’s important that my readers and followers understand the situation in an unedited way. I’ve lost track of what I was saying now. I’m trying to speak but the words are slurred. I’m dribbling too. I feel like you would do if you were under the influence of alcohol but I don’t drink alcohol. 

I’ve created a blog template to make uploading content easier but I’m not sure what I was telling you about now. It’s dark but I don’t know what time it is. I’m feeling exhausted and I’m not sure if I’ve wet myself or I’m just perspiring. 

I’m a Brain Injury Survivor and Proud.

For more information visit our website www.radfordunited.com

David Di Palma

Expressing the personal views of David Di Palma unless stated otherwise.

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