THE VISION
To provide Young Adults who have a learning disability the opportunity to socialise and form friendships with their Peers.
THE BACKGROUND
In 2006 we became aware of a project run in Ayrshire byThe Hansel Foundation Fairway Project, providing a Peer Mentoring service to Young Adults with a learning disability. The role of Fairway Peer Mentors was to support and guide Young Adults in group activities. Following discussions and training from Hansel Foundation, Fairway Fife was set up to create similar opportunities for Young Adults in Fife who were already supported by West Fife Community Support Services.
A committee was formed, advice taken from the local Council for Voluntary Service, and a constitution formerly adopted. Peer Mentors between the ages of 16-25 were recruited from local colleges and Youth Groups to train in the Role of a Peer Mentor.
Fairway Fife is run by a management committee composed of volunteers, supported by a small team of social work advisers. (Charitable Status will be on the agenda for the coming year)
The Peer Mentors and Young Adults have engaged in a range of activities since June 07.
THE NEED FOR FAIRWAY FIFE
Fairway Fife seeks to address some of the social isolation issues experienced by young people with learning disabilities. These young people are at an age where, relationships with peers, is an essential part of maturing to broaden their entire outlook in life. The young people however, have fewer opportunities to form natural friendships and are less able to keep up with friends who move on. Most mainly participate in leisure activities with family or carers, which though very important is not the same as with friends and tends to not be in usual socialising hours or environment. While they will see a carer as a "friend", carers do move on and are less likely to keep up with the young person because they will have a new "client" to care for. Also with the carer/client relationship, whilst it might work well, is an imposed situation for these young people and will rarely have the same enhancement to a persons life as a friend. The project gives young people the opportunity to engage in a wide range of social and leisure interests with people their own age, both in one to one settings and in larger group outings. This helps build their confidence and social skills.
The peer mentors gain the opportunity to develop a sense of responsibility and are able to engage in volunteering in a very meaningful way. While the peer mentors costs are reimbursed by the project (the other young people pay their own way) there is a significant outlay of time and effort. Peer mentors can count the voluntary effort towards character building awards such as Youth Achievement Awards and Millenium Volunteer Awards. Another benefit arising from the project is that by exposing these young people and the general public to disability through peer mentoring activities, some of the prejudices surrounding it can be reduced.
The project is only dealing with the tip of the iceberg and hundreds of disabled young people, who are perhaps less severely afflicted but no less isolated, are left without access to this type of support. We are not aware of any organisation in our area that offers similar opportunities to young adults with a disability.
