My social life is important to me. I go to different groups, which helps me meet and become friends with people. It’s increased my independence and confidence to explore while keeping me active.

I’m a very busy man. I go to laughter yoga, Zoom parties and cooking classes, a youth club and Botcha.

My social life was very limited in Newcastle. I felt unsafe to explore by myself, which was a worry for me. This stopped me from meeting up with people and socialising.

Nairn is a small rural community which people might think limits my life, but I know everyone here and they all include me. I feel safe here.

I’m part of a community here. It’s harder to feel part of the community in a city.

People with learning disabilities do not get included as often in events and find it hard to make friends. By joining groups, people get the chance to meet you and, over time, become great friends.

I am lucky because my support provider lets me change the time that I get support if it interferes with my social life.

I have choice, flexibility and control, which a lot of support doesn’t offer.

You do not want to rely on a support worker all the time. It’s very difficult to have private conversations and build close relationships when someone else is listening.
Conversation is limited, and people can be uncomfortable sharing information when support is listening.

People with learning disabilities often don’t have the same opportunities to connect with people in their community.

Nan Bonus Club is a group I go to on a Monday. They are at my local community centre, which is easy for me to walk there or I get a lift from my friend.

Without these groups, I can feel really trapped in my own home. Routine helps me enjoy life too. This gives me a routine which I need to be happy.

I also go to a cooking class. Not only have I made delicious food, but I’ve also made friends.
We became such a close group. They are a very supportive group of people who made me feel so happy. I feel really independent doing my cooking now as well because I’ve learned so many new recipes that are really accessible too,

They use images for different foods, large texts, and simple language. The steps are easy to follow. It’s just great.

These social groups need to be protected and promoted so people with learning disabilities can get opportunities to connect with their community.

Without these groups, I can feel really trapped in my own home. Routine helps me enjoy life too. This gives me a routine which I need to be happy.

If my group’s activities and clubs stop, it would isolate me. I wouldn’t know what to do, and I would lose the confidence to try new things or meet new people.

I used to go to this incredible group called the NER Happiness Scan, which was a social group of people with learning disabilities and autism.

It was a friendly environment where people, like me, built confidence to socialise and attend events. It helped me get over the fear of going out to events, and this makes me feel proud. Lockdown came, and the group folded.

I lost contact with many members when isolated, which felt incredibly sad.

This, hard as lockdown was, it showed me how important these groups are to our well-being.

For some people with learning disabilities, it’s the only time to socialise and keep connected with their community. If we didn’t have that, we would experience great sadness and isolation.

The people I’ve met through these schools have given me the confidence and support to travel and attend events, too.

This is something that makes me so happy, as I have a light past my front door.

SCLD have been a huge part of this too, and more awareness of these organisations needs to be known by people with learning disabilities too.

Support doesn’t just come from organisations or professionals—it comes from friends, neighbours, families, and communities.

I am here to connect, explore and shine!