dunfermlineadvocacy.org

Younger People's Project

The Younger People’s Project finds Citizen Advocates for young people with learning disabilities aged 16 to 25 living in West Fife.

Between the ages of 16 and 25 a lot of changes take place in our lives. There are many choices and decisions to be made about education, work, relationships and lifestyle- decisions which affect the rest of our lives.

Young people with learning disabilities often find that other people make these decisions for them. They can often be isolated, even if they live in the community, and it can be difficult to meet people their own age.
We believe that young people with learning disabilities should be encouraged to make decisions about their lives- Citizen Advocates can help young people to plan for the future and make choices before opportunities are missed.

The Younger People’s Project has two development workers who spend time getting to know young people with learning disabilities. The workers then match them with a young Advocate from the local community, and then provide ongoing support.

John and Paul’s Story

John is a young man who is starting out in life with a job, car and flat and a good social life. Paul leads a free lifestyle but is also vulnerable. He has been bullied by the local youngsters and has been in trouble with the police before. He buckles to peer pressure as he wants to fit in with the “normal” crowd and would therefore do anything to impress people and feel part of the crowd. Paul has a learning disability. He and John get on well together when they meet. John provides Paul with a positive role model which is that of an ordinary guy working hard and trying to get on in life, while Paul has opened up a whole new world for John. John has found himself doing things that he never expected he would be doing e.g. liaising with Paul’s consultant and college tutors and researching other activities for Paul to be engaging in.

Diane and Louise’s Story

After becoming a Citizen Advocate 9 months ago, Diane has found a new friend with whom she shares good times and also some serious moments. She forgets that her partner has a learning disability because they get on so well. Louise was depressed and got very down because she didn’t have any friends and didn’t seem to fit in anywhere. Although her family are very supportive, she didn’t always want to spend time with them and at 19 she was becoming isolated and lonely. Her confidence is now increasing and she has a lifeline in Diane whom she can text, chat, go for meals, to the cinema and shopping. Louise has started to confide in Diane and is starting to tell her how she feels. Louise still has periods where she becomes depressed but Diane knows her well enough now that she can recognise the signs and make sure that she has extra contact with her at these vulnerable times. On Diane’s suggestion, they intend to start a new evening class together – something that Louise would have liked to have done in the past but had nobody to go with. This is a good way for Louise to get to know some more local people with a similar interest to herself.