Community Leisure Activities

Community Leisure Activities provide small group activities and outings for adults with learning difficulties who live with members of their family in the community, or who live independently with the close support and care of family members, or those who live in residential care. One of the primary aims of Guideposts Hertfordshire is to enable individuals with learning difficulties to broaden their horizons. All too often however their world is limited not through their own choice but through the lack of support and opportunity that is available to them.

The scheme enables adults with learning difficulties to develop social lives and leisure time by supporting individuals and small groups of about 3 or 4 people to use the leisure opportunities and facilities available in the community during the evenings. We make sure that the people who use the express their own preferences about what they would like to do, so the people in the group plan and choose the activity they want to do as a group deci-sion.

By having support to go to and use community facilities, people feel more confident about using them—we go to bowling alleys, swimming pools, badminton & tennis courts ETC MORE EXAMPLES AND PICS. We run about 20 groups a week, Monday—Friday. We also run occasional evening and weekend activities. In the summer, we run a 6-week programme of day activities (over 4 days of the week). The aim has been to provide the support and transport necessary for small groups of people with learning difficulties to take part in community social activities of their choice, creating new friendship groups and community presence in diverse leisure pursuits such as badmin-ton clubs and swimming clubs.

The project is run by Guideposts Trust in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council Adult Care Services (CHECK)

Aims of the scheme:

For the client

  • to have an independent social life,
  • to improve community presence and participation through using community leisure opportunities,
  • building social networks and friendships
  • improving self-confidence.

For the family or carer:

  • Provides quality respite time for carers
  • Provides care and support using trained, trustworthy and committed staff
  • Improves the well-being of carers by using a non-traditional person-centred approach to respite care

For further information, referral forms for service users and information leaflets for volunteers contact our Learning Disability Services office on tel: 01920 484946 or by e-mail guideposts.ware@guidepoststrust.org.uk
Address:
3-5 Cross Street Ware Hertfordshire SG12 7AH