Bee Together is Health for All’s Time to Shine project aimed at Older People with a Learning Disability.

The main factor with the problems these people have accessing activities is people’s perception of learning disabilities.

In order to bridge the gap I have started a Bee Friends Café afternoon which runs weekly at Cross Flatts Park in Beeston.

The aim of the Café is to provide a safe and welcoming space for older people with and without learning disabilities who might be feeling lonely or are socially isolated to have a chat and meet new friends. I invite people from the community and people from the learning disabled community to mix together and get to know each other.

Relationships, friendships and social interaction can be difficult if you have a learning disability and my role and those of volunteers is to facilitate conversations and interactions. There are conversation starters on the tables and photos of the local area to help with this.

Ideas of things to do or not do will be instigated by those attending, though I do want to involve community groups and local services to come along.

I have also been putting information around about disabilities.

Explaining the difficulties associated with each one and why people are the way they are. This is very low key but hopefully will give people a better understanding of learning disabilities.

I want to start to change people’s perceptions and make the World more inclusive and caring.

No small task but every journey starts with the first step.

If you would like to volunteer for the café please get in touch.

I am hoping to set others up around Leeds.

If you know of a Café happy to host a Bee Friends Café please get in touch.

Bee Friends Café

The Bridge Café @ Cross Flatts Park, Beeston. LS117BQ

Thursdays

1.00-2.30pm

Contact Anna-Marie: 07375700117

anna-marie.garbutt@healthforall.org.uk