"Do you hear me?" - the work of Bury People First

Bury People First is a group set up and run by people with learning disabilities to speak up for their rights and promote their interests in society and local and government policy.

During this year’s Learning Disability Action Week (17-23 June 2024) we’re highlighting the work of Bury Council and our partners.

Bury People First:

• Works with local services to make sure that changes and improvements are appropriate to the people we represent
• Encourages people to speak up for themselves and others through training, workshops and information gathering
• Raises awareness of everyday issues such as health, employment, leisure and housing

Health and wellbeing work of Bury People First

One of the projects the group has been involved in is to raise that people with a learning disability are more likely to experience poor mental wellbeing than the general population.

They created two videos to help people with a learning disability improve their mental wellbeing, and to share ideas with carers and support workers about how they can improve someone’s mental wellbeing.

5 Ways to Wellbeing for people with a learning disability

Supporting mental wellbeing for people with learning disabilities

Bury People First working with others

Bury People First has been successfully running a co-production network that has been commissioned by Bury Council.

Co-production means the voices of people affected by services are part of the process of designing those services.

Their work has fed into the Learning Disability Partnership Board meeting in which people with learning disabilities are invited to attend as well as the learning disability partnership board.

Communications Charter

Bury People First has been working with Total Communication CIC to co-develop a Communications Charter that has been taken to Parliament, and the group is due to go back again to meet with ministers to see how the charter can be implemented within legislation.

The charter can be found in the downloads below along with an easy to read guide.

Bury People First working with the health services

Bury People First has worked with Northern Care Alliance to create videos promoting the top 20 hospital sign which have been co-produced with people with learning disabilities.

The sign languages are to help doctors, nurses and hospital staff the video is used as part of staff training and development:

https://youtu.be/kfwRaH-QyoE?si=HPJ0Hx2NHCGUARVH

King's Award For Voluntary Services

In November 2023 Bury People First was honoured with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service which recognises outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities.

Members were invited to Buckingham Palace to the annual garden party where the met Prince William and other members of the royal family.

They also attended an award ceremony at the Monastery in Gorton in which they formally received the Kings Award for Voluntary Services, presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, the High Sheriff and Vice Lord Lieutenant.

Further information

Bury People also provides:

• training about how to treat people with a learning disability and how to make information accessible
• a pre-employment project - a course for people with a learning disability, autism or both who would like to learn more about the world of work
• a project which makes written documents easier for people to understand
• workshops designed by people with learning disabilities about subjects such as housing, friendships and relationships, healthy eating

For further information about the group go to https://www.burypeoplefirst.org/ and in the leaflets below.