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A message from Arlan, aged 19

Arlan, aged 19:

“I have joined Friends for Leisure for a good few years now. the charity helps support many, many children and young person with complex needs ranging from mild to severe. in my case I have emotional and social needs, but I’m a high functioning individual with many aspirations for university, and continuing to develop myself as a person.

In my time, I have met a wide range of people who have been so open with me. a lot of people don’t seem to understand, that just because someone has a learning disability, doesn’t mean they don’t show emotion or have their own feelings. i am very much into psychology, I research tons about mental health, emotions and feelings and the way that individuals on different spectrums and levels portray themselves. At friends for leisure, every single person at 15up and at bowling are confident in their own style. We all experience the world differently, otherwise we wouldn’t be classed as diverse in today’s society. society can downgrade individuals with disability as they don’t feel as though ‘we’ can live unsupported and focus on the future, we should be treated the same, and this is what friends for leisure does. the staff treat you like your age, they don’t patronise you, they let you work things out yourself and they alert you of when you go wrong during the club nights. they speak to you very therapeutically.

Friends for leisure also helps to promote welfare of its clients, with a lot of different activities to suit everyone’s needs. the chill out nights are nice as you can socialise with everyone, the meals are great to chat and bring closure through food. bowling is exciting and thrilling as it helps the individuals feel a sense of worth. as a high functioning individual with Autism, the staff tend to leave me to sort myself out, but they still help me to join in with people and they always ask me questions and wonder how I’m doing. sometimes people need a friend, as this is the charities catchphrase, and boy have I definitely made friends! I’ve made friends with a lot of people, and met up with people from 15up.

I would love to thank friends for leisure for a good few years, as they have done an incredible job volunteering and putting themselves out to help their clients. they should be exceedingly proud of their positive energy and commitment towards improving the social life of clients. thank you very much”.