About SENDaWelcome

 

We are working to create a completely inclusive community where people with learning disabilities are valued and celebrated for their differences.

 

We are doing this by

 
  • Raising visibility and awareness, so that people realise change is needed. When people are aware of the issues change is possible and they can shift their perspectives. 
  • Helping to educate and inform so that people are empowered and supported to make changes that benefit everybody, not just those with learning disabilities but the whole community.
  • Making supportive connections so that people are celebrated in their communities and relationship building can take place. 
  • We work with people with learning disabilities, their families and friends and within local communities. We work alongside local organisations and businesses.Our work helps shape change in policy making, housing, education and health provision.
 
 

Why we are important

 

Photography by Sion Hannuna
 
 

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What we want to achieve

 

Everything that SENDawelcome does, aims to move the world away from the medical model of disability, towards the social model of disability. The image below explains the current problem, and what we are trying to achieve.

 
the medical vs social model of disability (4)
 

Our News

21/07/2024

Bristol-based CIC SENDaWelcome campaign for best-practice Independent Supported Living model for young adults with SEND

Parents and carers of 13 young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) met at The Vench Adventure Playground…

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14/12/2023

We’ve Got This book review

“Being a disabled parent is a rebellious act.” Niamh Taylor reviews We’ve Got This Edited by Eliza Hull, the first…

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05/12/2023

Local Stories

We spoke with Poppy Villierezz, Co-Founder of Murmuration Community Therapy about her journey to set up the CIC, which organises…

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16/10/2023

Local Stories: Mol and Lucy

For Mol, it’s all about the people and the chat – singing too, if at all possible. Getting more people…

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16/10/2023

Book Review: Letters to My Weird Sisters by Joanne Limburg – reviewed by Niamh Taylor

Letters to My Weird Sisters by Joanne Limburg “It seemed to me that many of the moments when my autism…

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19/06/2023
In this article, Katarina Luce from SENDaWelcome, and clinical and community psychologist, Sarah Brown, talk about the challenges families face…

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19/06/2023

Zoe and Olive

In this story, we hear from Zoe about her experience of raising her daughter Olive in Bristol, and about Olive’s…

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14/06/2023

Local Stories: Bea and Kate at Golden Hill

Golden Hill Community Gardens work in partnership with SENDaWelcome to make their gardens, and the activities they run onsite, accessible…

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14/04/2023

New project to support people with learning disabilities into work

Two organisations have been awarded funding to launch a new project to give young people with learning disabilities “real control…

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26/04/2022

SaW article in Bishopston Matters May 2021

The aim of SENDaWelcome is to create a truly inclusive community here where we all live. As far as we can tell, this community-based approach to inclusion is a fairly unique one nationally and we are developing models that could be celebrated and shared more widely.Mencap research shows that only six percent of adults with a learning disability known to their local authority in England are in paid work – this has to change! And we believe that our amazing community can work together to be a part of that change. SENDaWelcome wants to support local businesses to lead the way by offering local young people with SEND all kinds of opportunities from Saturday and holiday jobs through to work placements, apprenticeships and jobs.

Together with the Sixteen Co-op – an independent organisation providing opportunities and support for adults with learning difficulties, and supported by BCC, we have been trialling a Community Based Works Project scheme since 2018. Sadly, the pandemic meant that the actual work experience part of our programme hasn’t happened yet, but we are planning now for whenever we can start again.

If you run a business or organisation that might be able to offer work experience for one of the young people in our pilot, please get in touch.

The project will provide a one-to-one worker to support you and the young person during their work opportunity and Sixteen will provide any training your organisation might need.

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21

Jul 24

Bristol-based CIC SENDaWelcome campaign for best-practice Independent Supported Living model for young adults with SEND

 
Parents and carers of 13 young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) met at The Vench Adventure Playground…

Read More

14

Dec 23

We’ve Got This book review

 
“Being a disabled parent is a rebellious act.” Niamh Taylor reviews We’ve Got This Edited by Eliza Hull, the first…

Read More

5

Dec 23

Local Stories

 
We spoke with Poppy Villierezz, Co-Founder of Murmuration Community Therapy about her journey to set up the CIC, which organises…

Read More

16

Oct 23

Local Stories: Mol and Lucy

 
For Mol, it’s all about the people and the chat – singing too, if at all possible. Getting more people…

Read More

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