You may or may not have noticed a slight change to the menu options above. The Toolkit has started to take shape! The Toolkit pages are intended to be of use to volunteer managers and organisations wishing to set up a supported volunteering project. The toolkit will be split into sections, defined by the barrier you are working with. For example, there will be sections on Learning Disabilities and Mental Health. In each section there will be three subsections: Useful Links News and Research Resources [...]

At Volunteer Centre Slough we have recently developed a project to support those with mental health issues into volunteering. Over recent years we have worked with local support agencies and the community mental health team with the view to finding sustainable volunteering roles for their clients. We found that many people were open to the idea of volunteering but were unable to take the first step. As a result of a collaboration with our borough council and funding to develop a similar project we developed the [...]

Historically, people of all ages with learning disabilities have faced poor life chances, largely due to social exclusion. They’ve struggled with acceptance from mainstream society, facing stigmatisation, prejudice and even fear. Social exclusion has been a major factor in many learning disabled people living a life of limited opportunity. Previously, many learning disabled people were removed from their communities and institutionalised. However, in developed countries there has been a move in recent years to take positive steps and change direction towards social inclusion for people [...]

Asperger syndrome is a specific type of autism, and perhaps one of the more widely known ‘types’. Autism, or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), affects the way a person interacts with the world. Those with autism find it difficult to make sense of the world around them, to interact in social settings and to think imaginatively. The broad category of autism includes a range of behavioural difficulties, with the symptoms of Asperger syndrome tending to fall on the less ‘severe’ end of the spectrum. Effects Of [...]

Autism is a disorder that affects both children and adults. It is thought to be as a result of genetic factors that interfere with normal brain development. It has also been suggested that environmental factors, such as the effects of pollution or the damage caused by viruses, may also be involved. Although autism is often diagnosed in the early childhood years, it is a lifelong disability. You may be surprised to learn that around 1 in every 100 people have some level of autism, and [...]

The barriers presented by learning disabilities can be overcome with individualised help. But what if one didn’t know that help was available? Or what if language issues made it impossible to access available assistance? Unfortunately, these problems are faced by different ethnic groups everyday. How frustrating it must me to live where help is readily available, but just beyond reach. Ethnicity People with learning disabilities are faced with significant hurdles to overcome as they pursue their hopes and dreams. Although there are strategies and structures [...]