Having other things to do
Work is of course not the only meaningful activity we can do. There are lots of other activities we can do to help us feel fulfilled, and just have fun!
You can find out about things going on in your area in a number of ways. The Dewis Cymru website has information about lots of groups, activities, events and services in your area that can support your wellbeing.
Information, advice and assistance / Social Prescribing
Local councils or some independent ‘information, advice and assistance’ or ‘social prescribing’ services can help to put you in touch with local community activities and groups.
Mon Community is an award winning service that works with people in Anglesey to identify activities and community services in the area that suit people’s interests.
Local Asset Coordinators work with people who may be feeling isolated or lonely, or would simply like to take part in more activities in their local area. Each Local Asset Coordinator is based in or around GP surgeries and community hubs. They take an ‘asset-based approach’ – this means focusing on ‘what is strong’, not ‘what is wrong’. Mon Community Link are in touch with what people need and want to see in their communities, they also help to plan for the future and shape how services are developed.
Please visit Medrwn Mon’s website for Brian and Ned’s Story.
To find out what services like this exist in your area, contact your local council or visit the Dewis website.
The Learning Disability Transformation Project is doing work this year to try to support information, advice and assistance/social prescribing services like this to work in partnership with learning disabilities services. This is to make sure that people with learning disabilities are able to benefit from all sorts of activities in the community – not just activities and services designed just for people with learning disabilities.
Day Opportunities
Some people with learning disabilities may sometimes go along to day centres. Day centres can be important ‘hubs’, where people can do lots of different activities, meet with friends, and get the care and support they need.
Example: Hft in Flintshire had been providing day opportunities out of a building that was not fit for purpose. In partnership with Flintshire County Council, and working closely with people with learning disabilities and parents/carers, they opened up Hwb Cyfle in 2019. Hwb Cyfle is a bright and airy space, set out in a way that people can choose to be in a variety of different environments, and only take part in the activities that they want to. They have a variety of people visiting to offer lots of different activities to the people who attend, including learning lots of new skills – and having fun!
It is of course also very important that people with learning disabilities are able to be part of their community. This is why a lot of day services in North Wales have done a lot of work to make sure that people can get out and about to do lots of different activities if they want to.
Pilot Projects
The Learning Disability Transformation Project has funded a few projects that focus on inclusive social activities and groups. One of these projects has been the Makaton Choir through Conway Connect. They moved to Zoom through the pandemic providing a safe and inclusive space for participants to enjoy the choir. Have a look at the video below to see the choir members enjoying the session.
My Health Guide at Hwb Cyfle
This year we are going to be working with Hwb Cyfle to pilot the use of an app called My Health Guide with individuals who access Hwb Cyfle. It uses words, pictures, video and audio to capture and manage the information that matters to them, including things about their health and wellbeing, and what activities they have been up to. Individuals can then choose to share this information with key people in their lives.