"Being active is the best way to beat loneliness"

A community connector works with local sports clubs, day services , or other activity clubs to help make them more inclusive for people with a learning disability. I spend a lot of time sending emails out to those groups to introduce myself and what I do, and learn about what they do as well.  

I find out about the events and groups they have coming up, or sessions they run regularly, and even pay them a visit and join in with their activities. We will bring the organisers of the groups together at a forum meeting, helping them come together to make connections, and work on making what they offer inclusive for people with a learning disability. I have also made easy read flyers to help advertise the active opportunities, so people can understand more about what they are and how they can become involved . 

I will also share these opportunities with people, to let them know what activities they might like to get involved with. Sometimes people can be shy or nervous, and need a little encouragement to try something new. I encourage people to try new things, but if they try it and don’t like it they don’t have to do it again. It’s important to listen to people, understand what their needs are and support in a way that works for them. 

 I got these opportunities through Buddys at Worthing Mencap, and made a lot of new friends because of them, so I would like other people to have the same benefits as me from getting out of the house and seeing the world!

Sometimes it is not easy though as there are barriers that stop people from taking part, so I look at ways to break down those barriers. For example, I worked with Parable Dance to set up a new dance class in Worthing for people with a learning disability so people don’t have to travel far, and they can take part at a reduced cost. That was a big success. 

We had 25 people take on the challenge - it was a real success. We hope to do more in the future and inspire more people to try for themselves. The best part was seeing people have a go and enjoying themselves.

People have told us they would like opportunities to get involved in football, boxing, table tennis, hockey and even non-contact rugby, so I plan to speak to local clubs about creating inclusive opportunities for people, as well as for other things like dance or gardening.

I believe that taking part in the community benefits people so much, from making friends, to getting some exercise, to improving your physical and mental health. I have really enjoyed being a community connector and am looking forward to helping more people in my community.