Friendship for people with Learning Disabilities

What Link Up Does

Link Up is a registered charity which supports and promotes friendships between people with a Learning Disability and others in the Harrow community. We aim for individual friendships, but support them with group activities.

Why a Special Scheme for Friendship?

People with a learning disability have a personality like anyone else, and they have potential like anyone else. Unfortunately they often don't have easy access to things that most of us take for granted and the lack of opportunity can be a greater handicap than the disability. We have found that friendship is a remarkably powerful way of bringing people in from the margins of society and enabling them to unlock their potential. It is fulfilling for everyone involved - people start by expecting to give, and end up by feeling they get more out of the friendship than they ever imagined.

Margaret & William have been friends for over 15 years!

How is it Organised?

Link Up supports a number of friendship schemes. Each scheme is self organizing, but Link Up provides vital support by recruiting, screening (including enhanced CRB checks)  and training volunteer friends, and providing administrative back up, encouragement and advice to leaders of the various groups.

By working through self organizing groups Link Up multiplies its effectiveness and makes it possible to reach and support a range of different communities. Each group can target its own natural community, but Link Up is ready and able to support any ethnic group.

Groups organise events and outings, as well as offering mutual support to volunteer friends.

We are active participants in the Harrow Partnership Board which plans services for people in Harrow. Our director, Mike Coker, is an elected voluntary sector representative for learning disabilities and for Health and Social Care in Harrow.

When did it all start?

Link Up was founded a little over 26 years ago by a businessman by the name of John Seymour. John retired in 1999 when Link Up obtained its first grant from the National Lottery sufficient to acquire the services of a paid full time director; a job that John had carried out voluntarily for about sixteen years, often putting in a 60-hour week. He is soon approaching his 80th year, but still remains active as a volunteer with his own friend, Michael. It is a tribute to John that several of the 1:1 friendships have actually been in existence for more than twenty years.

John and Michael

Our Mission

Our mission is to integrate people with learning disabilities into the wider community through friendship. We have official aims and a Statement of Values which tell everybody about our mission.

Help Link Up Today

What we need most is local people to get involved. Naturally not everyone is free to give their scarce and precious time in this way.  If you can't get involved, you can still help financially.  Your support today will help Link Up ensure the people we support enjoy a valued life. If you would like to send us a donation by cheque, please make it payable to Community Link Up.

Some quotes from our Carers and service users:

"I always have a nice time with Catherine"
Jayne, a service user talking about her friend

"I never thought there was a future but now I can see that there is"
Deena, a parent about the prospects for her son

"Sarah's Link Up friend is like my angel from heaven"
Christine, a parent

"The residents really enjoy going out with their Link Up friends. It gives them more independence"
Steve, manager of a residential home

"I get so much more out of it than I put in"
Many of our wonderful volunteers

                                                                                    Kay & Charles