Disability Sheffield

Learning Disability Week 2023, from 19th June – 25th June, with the theme all about busting myths about living life with a learning disability.

The weather has improved with the arrival of the sunshine and warm temperatures, ice creams are being enjoyed and it’s not long before school is out for the summer holidays.

How about this poem, by Disability Sheffield, to get you in the mood?

Summer Holiday

Summer Holidays are coming

Unpacking when I get to my destination

My destination is Spain

Many delays at the airport? I hope not!

Every time I go to the airport, I have a beer!

Running because I’m late to the gate

Hot Hot Hot

On the beach somewhere

Lying in the sun

Ice cream in my hand

Dash for a dip in the sea

Away from home and wanting to stay

Yuck! I have to go home

This was the result of funding through our Community Grants last year as Disability Sheffield ran an online creative writing workshop, ‘The Magic Pen’, hiring two sessional workers to run the project.

The workshop was targeted towards people with learning disabilities and Autism with the aim of providing different ways for people to tell their stories, boosting overall confidence and wellbeing. Funding increased the organisation’s capacity to support the community, allowing the creation of an anthology, sharing the participants’ work whilst spoken word evenings were held to celebrate the creativity of people with learning disabilities.

The group has been attended by 16 people over a period of 18 months. Participants are more confident about putting stories together, writing on their own and reading work out to others. In some cases, they are reading their poems and stories themselves, rather than relying on a carer to read them. They’ve developed poetic and storytelling styles and the group helps them feel less isolated and lonely, giving them something interesting to work on and think about during the whole week, not just during the session.

Originally established in September 2020, ‘The Magic Pen’ allows people with learning disabilities and autism, to come together once a week for one hour to develop their writing skills, make friends and have fun creating stories about their lives.

Disability Sheffield are a fully inclusive pan disability organisation managed by disabled people, promoting independent living by supporting disabled people across the city. Their services include, training, advocacy, accessibility and learning development. All projects have been developed as a response to needs identified by disabled people, are co-designed and co-delivered by disabled people.

Find out more

Our community grants are not just financial assistance; they are giving to YOU and your vision, to make your community better. Have a look if the programme meets your funding needs.