Charity's appeal for volunteers to take '˜buddies' to social events

An East Sussex project which pairs volunteers with adults who have learning disabilities based on their personal interests, is appealing for new people to join.
Gig Buddies at Glastonbury in 2015. SUS-170603-100219001Gig Buddies at Glastonbury in 2015. SUS-170603-100219001
Gig Buddies at Glastonbury in 2015. SUS-170603-100219001

Gig Buddies aims to help stop the isolation that surrounds people who have a learning disability so they can enjoy the norms of everyday life, such as musical festivals and social activities.

The project grew out of Sussex charity Stay Up Late, which started as a national campaign to ensure people with a learning disability receive support that doesn’t stop at 9pm.

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One Gig Buddy volunteer called Sam said: “Through volunteering with Gig Buddies I have met amazing people, made some great friends and shared some brilliant experiences.”

Paul Richards, director and co-founder of the charity, said: “The charity was set up as a response to seeing people with learning disabilities being denied the sort of social opportunities that many of us take for granted. To see how the project has now grown with so many people benefitting from is a dream come true and we’re keen for many more people to benefit.”

For more information on Gig Buddies or Stay Up Late, or information on how to sign up, visit the website at www.stayuplate.org.

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