Gig Buddies Portsmouth is a free scheme funded by the Portsmouth City Council to match a volunteer and adult with a learning disability in Portsmouth; with the aim of making new friends and reduce social isolation. It was established in 2017 and currently has 35 matched pairs that go out and share their interests in and around Portsmouth. We have around 100 adults with a learning disability and/ or autism on the Gig Buddy database and they often come along to our numerous monthly group events such as bowling, club nights and live music events. 
 
During the current Coronovirus situation, our buddies are staying in touch through a variety of ways, we have a number of messenger groups off and online and are staying in contact via telephone to keep positive and ensure our buddies have sufficient interaction with the outside world, whilst staying fit and healthy. One of our buddies has devised a quiz for the social media page and we have live music streaming each evening from gig buddies projects in different regions all around the globe. 
 
Gig Buddies Portsmouth has made a huge impact on the people we support in the community, we have had some great feedback by one of our Gig Buddies Mum; ‘Since our daughter has become involved with Gig buddies it has put her in touch with her peers, which is something she lacked previously.  
The main facilitators of this are Mike Harris, the Project Co-ordinator and Alison, the wonderful Gig Buddy, whose friendship and involvement with our daughter has, without exaggerating, made a very positive impact on her, and our lives.  Basically, our 46 year old daughter now has a social life that is not solely dependent and restricted to her parents activities, and she is a much happier person as a consequence.’ . 
 
If you would like to know more please contact our Project Coordinator, Mike Harris – mikeh@aldingbourne.org or visit www.aldingbournetrust.org/gigbuddiesportsmouth. You are welcome to suggest any ideas you have and be part of keeping people engaged during this difficult time. 
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​Our MAKE enterprise over in Fratton teaches the people we support art and craft skills to help them express themselves through the way they experience the world.
 
Art provides a way to explore your life and feelings, it can have a positive effect on mood, function, behavior and cognition.  Buy working with the people we support with different art projects, they have lots of fun creating and exploring different skills and techniques.  
 
They have recently been looking at the surreal artwork of Pablo Picasso, by creating their own collages of the staff, volunteers and friends at MAKE.
 
Their artwork is on display for everyone to see, so why not pop into MAKE in Cornwall Road next time you are in Fratton and don’t forget to try one of their delicious homemade cakes too!

The Gig Buddies Portsmouth team had another fantastic time at their bi-monthly club night event at Kingsley’s Bar in Southsea, Portsmouth. The theme this time was love being so close to Valentine’s Day, and the people who came along certainly knew how to get the night going with song requests being fulfilled by the DJ and Bar Owner Steve Kingsley, and his sidekick Arthur.

Our Wednesday group in our Earthworks enterprise have been having great fun creating pictures and crafts with a Valentine and Spring theme.
 
They really enjoy creating artwork using recycling paper in a mosaic technique, to produce pictures of different themes that are used to create greetings cards for our Country Centre shop.  They have been working hard on producing images for Valentine, Mother’s Day and Good Luck cards so we have a range of cards available for all occasions.  Their designs are scanned up by our Digital Media team and then printed on cards which display who the artist is on the back.  So, our special greetings cards are designed and made in house by the people we support. 
 
Each day in Earthworks a different group of the people we support take part in craft activities, and as each group is different, we look at a variety of arts and craft techniques to suit their own unique skills set.  What will they be up to next?

One of the people we support, Kerry Tapper enjoys working in our horticulture department.  She enjoys helping to keep the department tidy and organised. 
 
We work towards being environmentally friendly trying to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as we can.  Claire Seaby, one of our horticulture volunteers was able to obtain a donation of gardening gloves for the horticulture team to use.  This has meant that every member of the team has their own pair of gardening gloves, so we no longer need to use plastic gloves! 
 
Kerry had the idea to organise the gloves, so it was easier for people to find them.  Creating this shelving system, each one is named to make it more personal for each member of the team.  She even organised them so the tallest people’s gloves were at the top!  Now everyone has a pair of gloves and hopefully will always know where they have put them.  Kerry has also spent time organising all of the plant labels, which are colour coordinated by type to make it easier to find what they are looking for. 

Number 73 hosted their first Games evening on Thursday 23rd January as part of their new co-production programme.  The sessions are being led by the people we support who have a learning disability and/or autism, who enjoy taking part in Roleplaying Games.
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Their first night led by Tony Jolly was a great success, where they enjoyed Roleplaying Games, Warhammer, D&D, wargames, model building and painting. They are looking forward to their next session on Thursday 6thFebruary. 
 

Over at our Creative Arts Studio at No73 Aldwick Road Bognor Regis, we have launched our new Monthly Magic Award!

This award recognises selfless acts of kindness and support by the people who use our services each month, these awards are also awarded by the people we support.
Congratulations Lilian Barlow on receiving the very first Monthly Magic Award, handed over by Josephine Goddard.
 
We look forward to finding out who will be presented with the Monthly Magic Award in February. 


Casper Beade Rioseco, Community Solutions & Co-production Manager

Gig Buddies Portsmouth had the pleasure of being invited to the Portsmouth City Council annual LD Celebration and Learning event at Gunwharf Quays on Friday, 24th January. We took our fantastic volunteer, Holli, to spread the word of what we do and how we can support Portsmouth-based adults with a learning disability to expand their social circle and enjoy leisure activities with a volunteer. The event was a great success, with lots of interest in the Gig Buddies project, so much so we ran out of signup forms.
 
Holli lead her first ever presentation and did a wonderful job in promoting Gig Buddies to the many Care Providers, Healthcare Professionals, Parents and Carers – well done Holli! We are looking forward to grow the project with the help of these events; to showcase the value of volunteering and making a difference in your local community.’
 
Mike Harris, Gig Buddies Portsmouth Project Coordinator