Having a learning disability affects the way a person understands information and how they communicate. An average of 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability.
Many people say having a learning disability affects their social life, but since the launch of a new club for young people with learning disabilities has opened in Holloway Road, it’s become less of a problem.
The Wild bunch club has teamed up with a young people’s venue platform to create Junior Wild Bunch, a club aimed to help young people play music, DJ and learn about club promotional skills and marketing.
I got to meet with a new member of the club, as she talks about her time at Junior Wild Bunch so far and how it’s encouraged her to be more confident.
17 year old Becky Hermit, from Islington, has suffered from dyslexia from the age of 5 and struggled with day to day activities, finding it hard to concentrate at school and on social activities. At one point in her life she told us she felt like she didn’t want to go to school any more.
She says, “I never felt confident about attending school let alone after school activities. I didn’t feel like I fitted in well with the other kids at school because I was always needing extra support with my work.”
Becky talked about her lack of friends due to having the disability saying she, “didn’t want to socialize with anyone at this point.”
After discovering this new club on Facebook, Becky felt more positive and decided to join and see what it would bring her, she signed up as a member and began attending events every Friday night at the club.
Becky made friends within a few days of joining the club and ended up gaining a lot of confidence, as she now runs her own girls body image magazine due to launch this September, which includes articles and interviews about girls and body image in society today.
“Since joining the club I feel more confident to take part in more social events and activities, also I feel I can talk to more people and network. My disability does not prevent me from doing things I like to do any more.”
“The club has opened a lot of doors for me and it’s never a dull weekend there as everyone is always in the mood to party, we all get on so well and we accept each other imperfections.”
The club helps people with learning disabilities and helps them to meet and socialize with friends in a safe and supportive environment.
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