Have you heard about the MacIntyre Our Voice project in Hertfordshire?
It’s a three-year project working with people with learning disabilities and autistic people in South West Hertfordshire. And it’s all about hearing people’s voices.
Creative voices
People have told us that when they come together and get creative they feel most confident. Our Voice will mean regular sessions where people use their creative skills and interests to speak up, shout out and co-produce. This could mean anything from dance and movement to gaming sessions. It’s all about what’s important to people, what they are good at and care about and how we can connect with other places and spaces locally to be inclusive and to help people feel part of something.
Working strategically in Hertfordshire
We work closely with the Learning Disability Co-production board. There are 21,000 people with a learning disability in Hertfordshire and we want all of those people to feel valued and listened to, regardless of whether they draw on MacIntyre’s support.
So that means making sure people’s views are represented well, to shape the strategic work across the county and make sure it reflects what people are saying.
Meet the team
Laura Horn is our project engagement coordinator. She says:
I am really excited to be working on the Our Voice project!
I have been working as a Dance and Community Arts practitioner for over 20 years, both in a freelance and local authority capacity, and I have seen the difference that this type of work does in enhancing people’s lives and enriching communities.
This project will provide a great opportunity to explore and connect people and places in Hertfordshire, empowering people with learning disabilities to co-create and make change”
Kathryn Yates, MacIntyre’s Culture and Communities Manager, says:
MacIntyre are thrilled to have been awarded the User Voice contract. Working closely with the co-production teams we are looking forward to co-creating new opportunities for people with learning disabilities to connect with each other and for their voices to be heard. This is an exciting time to be working alongside existing groups and also co-developing new spaces to bring people together, speak up and influence change.
Next steps
Our next priority is to recruit someone with lived experience to join the team. That means someone with a learning disability or an autistic person. They'll be running a group in line with their own hobbies and interests. Where we have done this in other areas people have helped to set up a film club, a gaming night, a cycling social, a soup and chat and a public living room. There are lots of possibilities. The job is up to seven hours a week and pays £11.45 an hour.
If you're interested in this role or know someone who might be, [javascript protected email address].
Find out more
If you want to find out more about this project please [javascript protected email address]! Or check out our Hertfordshire page for more information on events and what’s happening locally.
