The people who use our services tell us that they ‘want to be part of our communities’. This week we’ll be talking about what community means to our service users and the things they want to do. We kick started the week with a stall at Disability Pride Brighton on Saturday – the second annual celebration for anyone with a disability, both visible or invisible; all about breaking down barriers and uniting people. According to one of the festival goers, ‘the atmosphere was brilliant, there were so many people!’
Take a look at the coverage on Meridian news, featuring one of our Grace Eyre Ambassadors, Ben, on what Disability Pride means to him (00:50): http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2018-07-14/disability-pride-returns-to-brighton-and-hove/
‘We want to be part of our communities, doing the things we want to do’
We asked some of the people who use our service what community means to them and what they like to do. This is what they said.
What does community mean to you?
To Tina community is all about ‘talking’ and ‘sharing ideas’ and to Peter it’s about ‘getting together’. To Carol, community is not only about ‘making friends’ but also about ‘helping other people’.
What things do you want to do/like doing?
‘Going out with my friend Sue’ – Sue
‘I like meeting friends and going to clubs’ – Tina
‘I like going food shopping with my support worker – it helps me to be more independent. I text my friends to arrange a meet up. I like going to the cinema, walking and going swimming. I like variety and meeting up with different people’ – Becky
‘I have a bus pass. I go into town. I go out on my own’ – James
Whatever it is that people who use our services want to do, we listen to them and help them to be part of their communities. We offer a wide range of activities and different projects to support this, such as, Employment Project, Grace Eyre Friendship, all new Travel Buddy Project and Grace Eyre Membership – an exciting opportunity to be part of the Grace Eyre community; the plan of which we’re currently developing. Watch this space!