Co-production Wins

The idea

I maintain the Kirklees Activities Directory. It provides details of activities in which disabled people can participate. I have phoned and visited activity providers across Kirklees. Without prompting, they have told me about challenges they face, including needing enough volunteers to keep activities going.
I am passionate about disabled people having access to activities. I have visited supported living sites and day centres, and been informed of the challenges they face as they aim to offer a range of activities to the people they serve, including lack of facilities and high costs.
Whether I am working with activity providers, supported living sites or day centres, my approach is the same – co-produce solutions. Co-production means doing with rather than doing to. Rather than imposing solutions, I will work with those who are affected by the challenges, and together as equals, we will develop the solutions.
Aims to benefit 10 organisations.

What we'll deliver

I will visit supported living sites, day centres and schools.

A yoga organisation has offered to deliver yoga sessions for day centre users.

Activity providers and small groups will have more volunteers, so they may offer new things to those they serve.

There may be a braillist working in Kirklees to transcribe material into braille.

Why it's a great idea

Supported living residents will be able to do more activities with more people. A supported living site that doesn't have a garden could be paired with a supported living site that does have a garden, so residents from both sites can do gardening together.
Offering activities will be more affordable for day centres. If they are paired together, they could go swimming together, sharing the cost of hiring the pool. Day centre users will be able to do more activities with more people. Through the networks, other issues may be addressed, including awareness of the intensive interaction language used to communicate with the non-verbal.
Blind people will be able to have important documents brailled in Kirklees, including documents for meetings.
Activity providers and small groups will be able to recruit the volunteers they need, making them and their work more sustainable, and enabling them to do more.

Steps to get it done

Establish a network consisting of at least 2 supported living sites.

Establish a network consisting of at least 2 day centres.

Deliver an activity for the day centres in the network.

Help the Kirklees Transcription Service get closer to successfully recruiting a braillist.

Help several local activity providers and small groups publicise attractive volunteering opportunities.

Location

Today I received the money that has been raised for Co-production Wins. I thank all who donated me, and all who supported me to take the steps necessary to get the project live. I particularly thank Sian Smith. While she was the Dewsbury Community Anchor, she held a People Helping People meeting. At that meeting, Jackie Ingham delivered a presentation about Growing Great Places. Were it not for Sian holding that meeting, I may never have heard of Growing Great Places, and this project may never happen. I also thank the people who encouraged me at that meeting. I thank Jackie Ingham. Jackie has provided sensational support, patiently helping me overcome any problem along the way, whether it was what I wrote, navigating the platform, or trying to find somebody who would help me to create a video. I thank Radek Sucharski and his colleagues from Fresh Futures, Aimee, Rahel and Leslie for organising and producing multimedia content. Rahel deserves extra thanks for ensuring I had the video and photos in the right formats. The next step is for me to recruit assistants. After that, the work shall begin. Supported living residents win, day centre users win, activity providers win, disabled people win, with support from Co-production Wins.