Lee and Raymond have recently been accepted on the Inclusion North Tomorrow’s Leaders course.
This course is held at Hinsley Hall in Leeds where they have been staying for three days at a time to learn lots of different things,
They have been learning about the history of Learning Disability , how people were viewed, what awful names people were called as well as where and how people lived. They each have course work after each session , the first work is around the history in Doncaster which they will present to their course colleagues on their next session.
On the course the have had many presentations by different people who have a Learning disability who have had self belief and gone on to do many great things in their lives,
A few examples are Gary Bourlet who started the very first ‘People First’ speaking up group in England after seeing this work in America. Gary now is a key figure in Learning Disability England , who aim to help all self advocacy groups and individuals in England.
Other speakers have been Gavin Harding who told us how has been in Assessment/Treatment units and was moved to different places where he was very unhappy. This was several years ago and since then Gavin has done lots of great things in his life one of them being that a few years ago he was the Mayor of Selby and is still a local counciller.
Course work was set with Lee choosing to do a presentation on the History of St Catherine’s Hospital and Raymond made a short DVD by interviewing a staff member who used to work in the day services and a lady who used to live there.
Lee and Raymond returned for their next period of learning in April
This time they were learning about Politics and Policies and why they are important to know about
Again there were many speakers who had gone through lots in their life but overcome their disability to become leaders and do great things ,
More course work has been set, this time on a subject which they feel strongly about. Raymond has chosen Hate Crime and Lee Human Rights which included speaking at worldwide conferences and making big changes for other people with disabilities
Raymond and Lee attended their final session of learning at Hindsley Hall in Leeds. On 3rd and 4th July.
There were many speakers who spoke about stress, looking at the causes and what helps to make individuals less stressed.
Different leadership styles
What and who motivates people
How important it is to have the right tools to work with and have a plan.
Another presentation was on how people view people and prejudices.
One particular lady had many medical conditions including cerebral palsy and told how she was often spat at because she was different.
Her advice to people was to stand up and be proud of who you are!
They will be returning in September for their graduation day