Gateshead events to celebrate Learning Disability Awareness Week 2024
Events will be held during Learning Disability Awareness Week (17-23 June 2024) to promote the support on offer for people in Gateshead with a learning disability and help them to feel visible and valued in our communities.
The theme for the national campaign is "Do you see me?" which is all about being seen, heard and valued.
The first event of the week will be held at the Metrocentre Community Hub on Monday 17 June between 1pm and 3pm with the Gateshead Access to Employment Service (GATES), in partnership with Primark.
The service helps people with disabilities that require long term support to obtain sustainable work. This has recently included the Primark store at the Metrocentre, which has successfully recruited people through GATES into customer service roles.
The pop-up event on Monday afternoon is for anyone looking to find out more about GATES and the support they can offer to find valuable employment, or to just enjoy board games with new friends in the community.
A second event will be held at The Fed on Wednesday 19 June from 9.30am until 1pm with partners to promote the Gateshead SEND Local Offer.
The Gateshead SEND Local Offer is the range of support offered locally by the council, the North Cumbria and North East Integrated Care Board (ICB) and partners for young people aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The council's first SEND Futures event is presented with Gateshead Council Learning and Skills and offers a marketplace where parents, carers and people with SEND can find out about employment, groups and activities and support with accessing transport.
Community celebrations will also be held at Teams Community Centre with charity Your Voice Counts, including on Friday 21 June with a DJ Set provided by Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company.
Your Voice Counts is a charity that supports people with learning disabilities, autistic people and people who are at risk of exclusion due to disability, illness or other challenges. They help people in Gateshead and South Tyneside to be connected, to have choice and control in their lives, and to speak up for what they want and need.
Throughout the week, Your Voice Counts will be promoting the voices of those with lived experiences with daily poems shared on each day of the campaign.
Steph Downey, Service Director for Integrated Adults and Social Care Services at Gateshead Council, said: "We are proud to support Learning Disabilities Awareness Week by showcasing the range of support on offer for Gateshead residents with learning disabilities and by ensuring that people with learning disabilities are celebrated as part of our communities. Our Health and Wellbeing Strategy recognises the importance that employment has for our wellbeing, so providing the infrastructure and support to enable residents with Learning Disabilities to secure employment, is a crucial aspect of our wellbeing offer. We believe in empowering people with learning disabilities to feel listened to, valued and respected and are proud of our work with partners to co-produce our ways of working with the community to bring about meaningful and impactful change."
Visit the Local Offer website for more information about the SEND Futures Event.
Find out more about Gateshead Access to Employment Service (GATES).
Visit Your Voice Counts news and events pages to see the charity's activity throughout Learning Disability Awareness Week.
Events will be held during Learning Disability Awareness Week (17-23 June 2024) to promote the support on offer for people in Gateshead with a learning disability and help them to feel visible and valued in our communities.
The theme for the national campaign is "Do you see me?" which is all about being seen, heard and valued.
The first event of the week will be held at the Metrocentre Community Hub on Monday 17 June between 1pm and 3pm with the Gateshead Access to Employment Service (GATES), in partnership with Primark.
The service helps people with disabilities that require long term support to obtain sustainable work. This has recently included the Primark store at the Metrocentre, which has successfully recruited people through GATES into customer service roles.
The pop-up event on Monday afternoon is for anyone looking to find out more about GATES and the support they can offer to find valuable employment, or to just enjoy board games with new friends in the community.
A second event will be held at The Fed on Wednesday 19 June from 9.30am until 1pm with partners to promote the Gateshead SEND Local Offer.
The Gateshead SEND Local Offer is the range of support offered locally by the council, the North Cumbria and North East Integrated Care Board (ICB) and partners for young people aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The council's first SEND Futures event is presented with Gateshead Council Learning and Skills and offers a marketplace where parents, carers and people with SEND can find out about employment, groups and activities and support with accessing transport.
Community celebrations will also be held at Teams Community Centre with charity Your Voice Counts, including on Friday 21 June with a DJ Set provided by Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company.
Your Voice Counts is a charity that supports people with learning disabilities, autistic people and people who are at risk of exclusion due to disability, illness or other challenges. They help people in Gateshead and South Tyneside to be connected, to have choice and control in their lives, and to speak up for what they want and need.
Throughout the week, Your Voice Counts will be promoting the voices of those with lived experiences with daily poems shared on each day of the campaign.
Steph Downey, Service Director for Integrated Adults and Social Care Services at Gateshead Council, said: "We are proud to support Learning Disabilities Awareness Week by showcasing the range of support on offer for Gateshead residents with learning disabilities and by ensuring that people with learning disabilities are celebrated as part of our communities. Our Health and Wellbeing Strategy recognises the importance that employment has for our wellbeing, so providing the infrastructure and support to enable residents with Learning Disabilities to secure employment, is a crucial aspect of our wellbeing offer. We believe in empowering people with learning disabilities to feel listened to, valued and respected and are proud of our work with partners to co-produce our ways of working with the community to bring about meaningful and impactful change."
Visit the Local Offer website for more information about the SEND Futures Event.
Find out more about Gateshead Access to Employment Service (GATES).
Visit Your Voice Counts news and events pages to see the charity's activity throughout Learning Disability Awareness Week.
