Gig Buddies helps people with learning disabilities to lead active social lives – and to have control over when and where they enjoy social activities.
Many people with a learning disability find it difficult to attend events and social activities, especially at night, because of lack of support and no one to go with who enjoy the same things as they do.
Gig Buddies fixes this by that pairing up adults with a learning disability (and autistic adults) with a volunteer buddy who shares the same interests so they can enjoy social activities together.
Gig Buddies is about fun, friendship, and enjoying new experiences. But it also addresses serious issues such as loneliness and social isolation, whilst improving people’s confidence, independence and wellbeing.
Research by the charity Stay Up Late found that 69% of people with learning disabilities were either in bed or ready for bed at 8.30pm on a typical Friday evening. Only 7% were out enjoying a social life. (Source: The Big Bedtime Audit)
Mencap found that 1 in 4 people with a learning disability aged 18 – 35 had never experienced live music. 82% wanted to go to more music concerts. Respondents said issues with accessibility at venues and having no one to go with stopped them from attending gigs. (Source: Little Noise survey (PDF)
We believe people with learning disabilities and autistic people should have friendships with others who aren’t paid to be in their lives. At the same time, we want everyone to feel more connected to the things they love – whether that’s music, sport, food, or the great outdoors.
“One of the things I love about Gig Buddies is that there isn’t a time limit for when you want to go somewhere. With my gig buddy Mark we have been to a wrestling event that started at 9pm and finished at 5am the next morning – that’s no joke!
“Gig Buddies is also great for people who want to do different things – from cinema, and theatre, to drag nights. It’s a lot of fun. Gig Buddies is where the fun never ends!”
– Richie Horrigan, gig buddy participant
People with a learning disability tell us that having a gig buddy has helped to improve their confidence, happiness, self-esteem and independence. Volunteers tell us that being a gig buddy has had a positive impact on their own well-being, helping them to meet like-minded people, discover new interests and form new friendships.
Barriers that prevents people from going out…
- Inflexible support – A major barrier is that support staff often finish their shifts early in the evening ready to handover to sleep-in staff, meaning people with learning disabilities are forced to . Where staff can be available, it needs to be arranged weeks, sometimes months, in advance.
- Feeling safe – Fear of bullying, discrimination, or safety issues prevents many from going out.
- Confidence and motivation – Social isolation results in many people losing (or never gaining) confidence to attend new places and try new experiences. People with a learning disability often have rigid routines and do they same things every day and every week. Restrictive routines lead to disempowerment and a lack of desire and motivation to try new things.
- No-one to go with – People with a learning disability often have limited social networks and rely on staff or family for companionship, rather than friends who share their interests. Someone may have an amazing support worker, but who will have different interests.
- Finding out what’s on – A lack of accessible information on what, where, and when events are happening can be a challenge.
- Transport – Lack of reliable or accessible transport makes evening travel difficult, particularly in rural areas.
- Finances – People often have limited incomes and cannot afford to pay for an extra ticket for a support worker.
- Cashless venues – 32% of adults with a learning disability don’t have bank accounts. Even fewer have their own debit card.
- Inaccessible venues – Many venues and events still think about accessibility as only a physical issue.
…and how Gig Buddies helps
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