My Story

What am I doing? (A question I ask myself regularly)

On the 17th September I will be taking part in a two mile open water swim in the Serpentine to raise money for Pursing Independent Paths (or PIP!) .

Why am I doing it? (A question I ask myself even more regularly)

For those who haven’t already heard me bang on about it, PiP is an amazing charity based in Kensal Rise who work with adults with learning disabilities and autism to help them live more independent lives and fulfil any goals they might have. This could range from finding employment, to moving out, to learning how to travel independtly, or simply pursuing a hobby or interest.

Having worked with PiP since March, I have witnessed first hand what a close support network they have built, with a strong sense of community and where staff genuinely care about the wellbeing and future of our students. I have worked and volunteered in the public sector for the last 6 years, and can honestly say that PiP is the most aspirational, creative and fun out of all the support service of it’s kind that I have come across. From PiP's very own in house social enterpise- Fruitful, amazing partnerships with vocational training schemes, sports and arts facilities and corporate organisations across London, PiP has found many creative ways to support our students to achieve their ambitions.

On a personal level, I am hugely passionate about ensuring that people with learning disabilities are supported to live a life they choose. Our students have such a range of talents, skills and charisma and yet are so limited in access to opportunites due to lack of truely accessible services and workplaces.  As of 2021, only 5.1% of adults with learning disabilities in the UK were in paid work, a figure which is estimated to have decreased even further in the aftermath of the Pandemic. I really believe that in order to create a inclusive society we need to start with our most vulnerable people are supported and work upwards. By tackling stigma, building accessible spaces, and allowing people to showcase their personal strengths whilst supporting their needs, it   will have a knock on effect in other areas and help us to develop a kinder and accepting society. 

Where will your money go?

PiP has an effective funding model where most of the running costs of our basic services are paid for out of adult social care budgets (about 70% of budget) , however we are also able to fundraise on top of this (around 30%). The money we use from fundraising enables us to deliver amazing initiatives such as our social enterprise smoothie company fruitful, extracurricular activities and training, partner schems with organisations that train students up in various skills, our employment program, and many of our activities. In my opinion this is a great way to ensure that we are providing a high quality, person centred service in a cost effective way, rather than duplicating costs across diferrent services. In the last 6 months, for examples, 8 of our students have started new paid employment, which never would have been possible without our vocational schemes.

Working closely with our students I see the joy that they get from being given opportunities that many of us would take for granted. If you can spare any cash to help us to continue to deliver these opportunities, and even create even more, it would be hugely appreciated.

How am I going to swim 2 miles? (The current question that haunts me at night)

The realisation has recently  dawned that 2 miles is a long old wayto swim, especially in open water, and I have spent the last month googling “How to swim properly” and bribing my partner to teach me how to do front crawl in the pool. Combining my training plan with post-covid summer plans has been an olympic effort in itself, however after recently purchasing my first pair of goggles (see stunning profile picture for reference) and with a passion for PiP in my heart, I am filed with confidence that everything is going to be okay. 

To find out more about PiP go to piponline.org.uk or follow us on instagream at @pursuingindependentpaths