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Providing social and educational opportunities for adults with learning disabilities and autism in and around Bedfordshire.
LIVING IT UP
Living It Up Events formed in 2009. Originally a community group, it became a Community Interest Company in 2016 and a Charity in 2022. Living It Up was initially set up to promote Mencap’s ’Stay Up Late’ national campaign. This campaign was to promote the rights of people with a learning disability to stay up late and have fun.
Living It Up is run by Claire Crawford-Smith and Fizz Heseltine supported by an amazing team of trustees, one of whom is a member. We pride ourselves as being a user-led organisation and all our projects have advisory groups and committee meetings to enable our participants and members to make decisions about how things are run.
Living It Up now has 5 services currently for adults with learning disabilities and or autism: our original Living It Up Events service (holding bi-monthly discos), a Performing Arts Centre (providing daytime sessions four days a week), Gr8 Mates (for people looking for a friend or partner), Gig Buddies (a befriending service which provides trained volunteers to support participants to go out socially) and we also run a wheelchair accessible Community Centre.
We throw the BEST parties in town! Currently we hold disco and party events in Bedford every few months for people with a learning disability or other disability.
Members are able to meet friends and experience a club or pub setting in a safe environment. We have hundreds of members and the events are fabulous fun.
LIVING IT UP EVENTS
Living It Up Performing Arts Centre is an educational day time opportunity for adults with a learning disability or autism to learn and showcase performing and creative arts.
Our experts teach sessions on musical instruments, singing, drama, dance, radio presenting, song writing, podcasting, film editing and art.
PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
Gig Buddies supports people with a learning disability or autism to be partnered with one of our trained, DBS-checked volunteers who will go out socially every month to do an activity which is enjoyed by both people.
Gig Buddies Bedford is part of a worldwide Gig Buddy franchise set up by Stay Up Late.
GIG BUDDIES
Living It Up Gr8 Mates is an exciting new friendship and dating project for adults with a learning disability and/or autism.
We hold regular events to support people to make new friends and possibly find a boyfriend or girlfriend. If you would like more information please get in contact.
GR8 MATES
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