Gig buddies

The Learning Disability Partnership Board brings together different people and groups who want to make things better for people with a Learning Disability in Gloucestershire. Following a survey asking people what was most important to them, ‘making friends and relationships’ was identified as one of the Board’s priorities for the year. The Board invited different organisations to their meetings to tell the group how they support people to make and maintain friendships. The Board heard about an initiative called Gig Buddies, where people are matched with a volunteer buddy who loves the same kind of ‘gigs’ so they can go together. The 'gig' could be almost anything that people enjoy doing such as going to football matches, the cinema, museum, or concerts.

After the meeting, the co-chairs met with local organisations Building Circles, Forest Voluntary Action Forum and Camphill to talk about setting up a Gig Buddies in Gloucestershire. The Learning Disability Partnership Board are excited that they have been able to help Building Circles to apply for funding to run a Gig Buddies Project in Stroud, with Camphill and Forest Voluntary Action Forum looking into extending Gig Buddies in the Forest of Dean.

To read more about what the Learning Disability Partnership Board has been working on this year, please take a look at their annual report.