Tackling social isolation for people with disability
Going out to see bands, clubbing or seeing friends is part of everyday life for many people. However, this can be hard for people with learning disabilities because their support workers finish at 10pm and therefore need to leave events at 9pm.
Gig Buddies is an initiative of not-for-profit organisation ACL Disability Services. It promotes the rights of people with learning disabilities to live a lifestyle of their choosing.
For almost 10 years, Gig Buddies Northern Beaches has been pairing adults with mild to moderate learning disabilities with local volunteers who have mutual interests, to get out and about together socially.
The Beaches currently has 15 active pairings of varying ages in areas such as Manly, Killarney Heights, Frenchs Forest and Avalon and seven unpaired buddies waiting for their perfect volunteer.
“They’re peppered evenly around the Beaches,” says Gemma Croxen, Beaches Gig Buddies coordinator,* who says they really need more volunteers.
“We look at age, interests and hobbies,” says Gemma. “Sometimes we do a soft pairing, like a chemistry session, to see if they’ll be good together. Then we have a formal pairing where we meet up and get everyone on the same page.”
The application process involves mandatory NDIS and in-house training, and volunteers must commit to meeting their buddy monthly for 12 months.
Gig Buddies holds monthly socials across the Beaches. It might be jazz and drinks, a trivia night, a night at the footy or a trip to the cinema, and buddies can attend as many socials as they like.
Aside from the organised events, volunteers and buddies get up to all sorts of activities, whether it be surfing, playing board games, going to a concert or meeting for lunch –with great benefits to both parties.
“We’ve had lovely feedback about increased confidence in buddies using public transport,” says Gemma. “And it’s so lovely to watch genuine friendships blossoming.”
“The crux of what we’re doing is about tackling that social isolation,” says Gemma. “Everybody has a right to a social life, and our participants don’t need a support worker; they need a friend,” Gemma adds.
Anyone interested in volunteering should visit gigbuddiessydney.org
*Since this interview, Gemma has changed jobs