Stay Up Late – Gig Buddies Project
Stay Up Late want to look in to the feasibility of setting up a volunteer scheme that concentrates on utilising the social capital that already exists (ie people going to gigs and events) and seeing how we could link up those people as buddies with people with learning disabilities, who would otherwise not be able to attend. The whole idea is about linking up people due to a shared appreciation of the same kind of music and hopefully enabling friendships to develop naturally from that.This idea would be reliant on grant funding to enable us to employ of coordinator who would also be responsible for designing and delivering a training programme, with service users. We want to strengthen any such funding application by conducting research that would seek to establish:
- How many people with learning disabilities go out now?
- How many want to go out more?
- How many people with learning disabilities would use the service if it started?
- What the risks are (to include safeguarding issues around safe sex and abuse).
- What blocks there might be to staff and support providers in supporting a ‘gig buddy’ scheme.
- How we could work with commercial partners (promoters and venues)
- How we could work with employers in Brighton and Hove to develop a volunteer pool.
We would also seek to talk to other organisations who are running dating services and buddy services in other parts of the country.
Please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Paul Richards (Director, Stay Up Late) for further enquiriesStay Up Late is a charitable organisation which seeks to promote full and active social lives for people with learning disabilities.