We thought this week we would take the to remind you what the Unstoppables do and how we operate. We’re on the lookout for new members, so if you like the sound of the group, get in touch, and join us for a meeting to see if you like it.
The Unstoppables is a forum of young people aged 13-25 from across Somerset. We all have a lived experience of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We use our lived experiences to help government and services understand what young people with SEND need to be able to live a happy life.
This is The Unstoppables mission statement:
- We want to be unstoppable, not be stopped by the difficulties that we have.
- We want to be ambassadors for other young people and share our journeys to help professionals know what has worked for us.
- We want to learn and build on our skills to be able to do as much as we can ourselves.
- We want to make Somerset as accessible for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities as possible.
- We want to let other people know it’s about what we can do, and not about what we can’t do
When does The Unstoppables meet?
We meet on the first Saturday of each month (except January) and we meet from 11am to 3pm.
What does The Unstoppables meetings look like?
In our meetings we do a mixture of fun stuff, learning new information and skills, and work on projects together. We feel really comfortable in the group because we all understand what each other is going through and we support each other. Also, the meetings are flexible with the agenda and if members need a quick break or timeout, we do have icebreaker activities that we can put into place if we need to break up the workload. The group is a safe and confidential place to share our experiences and opinions. We respect and listen to each other opinions and ideas.
What is the type of work that The Unstoppables do?
We make resources (like videos, posters), take part in consultations, write reports about our experiences, and participate in fun events to raise awareness about what it’s like to have SEND in Somerset. Everything we do aims to influence decision makers and professionals about the support and care we can get from services and the government.
How can we be contacted?
If you or a young person you know wants more information about how they can join the Unstoppables, or be part of our work they/you can contact us via email (SENDParticipationTeam@somerset.gov.uk) or via phone/What’s App (07976 809 773).
To follow information about all youth voice activities across Somerset follow:
Facebook @SomersetYouthVoice
Instagram @somersetyouthvoice
Twitter @SomerYouthVoice
