11th October 2018
Leonard Cheshire Disability is the UK’s largest voluntary provider of services for disabled people. It supports individuals to live, learn and work as independently as they choose, whatever their ability, and has centres in Barrow, Kendal and Windermere.
YouthAbility is the charity’s inclusive youth service, working with young people aged 7-25 who often feel excluded and prevented from engaging in mainstream social and leisure activities.
The charity received £5,000 from the #iwill Fund in 2018 towards its ‘LifeAbility’ project in Barrow, which is an extension to YouthAbility. The monthly project, based at Walney Community Centre, offers a variety of life-skills workshops and volunteering opportunities.
Youngsters aged 16 to 25 take part in workshops focused on cooking, transportation, budgeting, and emotional resilience, after which they members go out into the community to take part in social action such as delivering meals to the Furness Homeless Support Group, cleaning up the local park and learning how to take care of community spaces.
Rebecca Brown, Assistant Philanthropy Officer, said: “Through LifeAbility, young disabled people socialise and build friendships. They gain valuable teamwork experience, working together to overcome challenges, and then reflect on their progress and the positive impact they have made together.”
“The project emphasises developing life skills and building confidence to help them move positively into adulthood and lead a more independent life.”