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Reach takes on Loneliness for Big Give Christmas Challenge

Posted onPosted on 17th Nov

Reach Learning Disability is aiming to raise £25,000 in a festive campaign to tackle the issue of loneliness that is often experienced by people with learning disabilities.

Its campaign, Not Lonely This Christmas, will see all online donations doubled between 28th November and 5th December.

The money raised will fund activities and courses that help people with learning disabilities to make new friends and feel part of their community.

Too often, people with learning disabilities can feel socially isolated and cut off from society. Many struggle with issues of low confidence and self-esteem, and many have also experienced harassment or abuse when out and about in their local communities.

Reach addresses these issues by running more than 40 courses and activities from its bases in Mansfield, Newark and Southwell and at its horticultural social enterprise, Flower Pod, each week to help people with learning disabilities build friendships, feel more connected to other people and take part in community life.

Reach client, Brian, has been attending Reach Mansfield for the last few years. He has found Reach to be a source of support, friendship and purpose.

Brian lives by himself and looks forward to coming to his dance and cooking sessions every week. He now brings his lunch to eat with the group before the dance session starts, which has helped Brian feel a sense of belonging with the group. He has even taken on a mentoring role in the cooking sessions as an opportunity to share his enthusiasm for cooking.

Brian also attends the Reach Mansfield Diabetes Awareness Group each week, and has found the group to be a safe space to talk about his experience of living with Type 2 Diabetes.

Reach challenges negative assumptions about living with a learning disability and looks to create more opportunities for all members of the community to work alongside each other.

Julia Sandhu, Reach’s fundraising director explained: “The less social interaction you have, the harder it can be to go out into the world, so people become trapped in a cycle of loneliness.

“This can be really damaging to physical and emotional wellbeing so it’s very important that people with learning disabilities get the right support so they can feel more confident about mixing with others and being out and about.

“At Reach, we offer all kinds of things to help people feel that yes, they can have a fulfilling life that includes friendship, fun, new challenges and an active role in their community.”

Not Lonely this Christmas is part of the Big Give Christmas Challenge. The Big Give is the UK’s largest match-funding campaign, which means that every donation made to Reach through the Big Give website during the Christmas Challenge week will be doubled.

People can double their donation online at https://secure.thebiggive.org.uk/project/notlonely from midday on 28th November until midday on 5th December. Reach Mansfield will run an online donation support session at the St John’s Centre, Mansfield, from 5pm until 7pm on 30th November for anyone who wishes to make a donation but needs support to get online.

During the Christmas Challenge week, Reach will be holding various open-house events at each of itsbases to get people into the festive spirit and showcase its client activities.

Reach Mansfield will be hosting its annual Charity Christmas Auction at the St John’s Centre from 7pm on Thursday, 30th November, when luxury items will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

More details about the auction and a list of all Reach’s open-house events can be found at www.reachuk.org

For more information about the Christmas Challenge, call Reach on 01636 819 066.