In Funding Stories, Reducing isolation & disadvantage

Project: Club activities for adults with learning disabilities 
Grant: £5,000

On 12th July Mahuya Kanjilal, our Community Development Advisor, visited Winslow Activity Club at Southcourt Baptist Church in Aylesbury.

“Winslow Activity Club meets every Friday from 9.30 to 12.30. They provide activities for adults with learning disabilities and their carers, many of them are wheelchair users. The day I visited the group were making ‘Gingerbread men’ facilitated by Heather and Jackie, the club’s trained therapists. Most of their members have severe to moderate learning disabilities. Some of them made well-decorated gingerbread, but for a few it was hard work, however they persevered with the help of their carers.

In addition to the planned activities, the club also has a sensory room where they offer massage to their clients. With soothing light and music, the sensory room creates a calming effect and many of them attend the club purely for this.

The club offers essential social engagement opportunities for their members and provides a safe meeting place for people who wouldn’t go out otherwise. One of the long-standing members said he enjoys meeting the same people and another loves having coffee at the club.

Having changed venue in 2018 due to the closure of the Winslow Centre for redevelopment, Jackie explained that Southcourt Baptist Church is a good venue for them as it is highly accessible for wheelchair users and members can roam around all the rooms and the church hall. Since they moved from their previous venue their numbers have increased slightly and all the old members have remained.”

For more information about the Winslow Activity Club please click here to visit their website.