What do DJs, football coaches, artists, music producers and explorers all have in common?
They are the BIG dreams of individuals we support!
Of course, not everyone succeeds in ‘living the dream.’ But many of us at least recall being asked, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ Or receiving some form of careers guidance as a teenager. But when we asked our Jigsaw Reps about their childhood dreams, many of them responded like Keith,
“I don’t know what I wanted to be.”
Or Anthony,
“I don’t think I had much ambition back then.”
The reality is the routes to realising our dreams are far from equal, right from the ask. That’s why, here at the Trust we make sure that the big dreams of adults with learning disabilities are embedded in their support plans. And now our Jigsaw Reps are shining their light on a route for change.
In January, Jigsaw invited all individuals we support, to start thinking about their dreams as a community – to ‘Dream BIG’ with Jigsaw. It’s an approach that’s reaping results for our Reps, as Stewart explained,
‘After hearing about Lewis landing his dream role at York City Football Club, I started volunteering at Scarborough Football Club. And I get to watch the game afterwards for free!’
And it didn’t take long for the presence of peer support to start to deliver on pace.
When Ann-Marie shared that she’d like to work with horses, she found a kindred spirit in Jigsaw Rep Katie, who told her about contacting the stables in her local area, to ask about volunteering.
When Peter shared his dream of meeting life-long hero, Andrew Lloyd Weber, for Helena, it was What About Now? for meeting her idols Westlife. Which inspired Linda to up the stakes entirely with her dream…
‘I’d like to have dinner with Alfie Bowe. He’s a great singer, he’s funny, and he’s single!’
The conversation quickly confirmed what our Reps had experienced at Jigsaw meetings. By talking about our dreams as a community, we dare to dream bigger than we might otherwise do individually. We’re spurred on by the achievements of others we identify with, who might have had to overcome challenges or obstacles similar to our own. And the beauty of dreaming together is being there to support one another.
So when Sharon hesitated part way through listing her dreams; a helicopter ride, visiting Lapland, a husky ride, a reindeer ride …, to admit,
“…I know that this sounds like a lot. And there are replica Lapland’s you can visit all over the country. But my big dream is to go to the real one and all the things on my list are things that I’d really like to do…’’
Peter was there to bolster her,
‘Good on you Sharon, you go for your dreams!’
And our Reps were on hand to showcase the impact of working together to bring big dreams to life, by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable steps.
Take Yammy, for example—her ultimate dream is to visit Disneyland Florida, but elements of her big dream, the unknowns, the distance, the cost, are proving to be major obstacles. Insights from those with lived experience of these challenges, alongside talking things through with her brother, helped her to map out a way.
‘‘I’m planning a trip to Disneyland Paris first, to test the experience. And if that goes well, I’ll think about planning and saving up to go to Florida.’’
Denise’s big dream of going on a safari holiday requires careful consideration of her mobility, so like Yammy, she’s starting with a trip closer to home. But now Denise, her friends, her peers, her staff team and physiotherapists all have her big dream in mind to spur her on every step of the way.
An expectation to share progress at meetings, has steered our Reps closer towards their dreams in a matter months. And alongside individual progress, a group mindset has taken shape. So when Lewis moved the goalposts on his dream, announcing,
‘I’ve got my volunteer job. Now I want a paid job at York City Football club!’
the response was,
‘How can we make this happen?’
And thoughts soon turned to how many more of our individuals might be volunteering in roles that they’d like to be paid for?
To aspire is human nature. To be asked – or not asked – about our dreams, speaks to expectations. Thankfully, since our Reps were at school, career aspiration projects like Mencap’s, When I Grow Up, are improving forward planning for children with learning disabilities.
But such initiatives have yet to translate into employment opportunities?
The ‘ask’ to dream BIG with Jigsaw, is rooted in expectation. Our Reps are expecting their peers with learning disabilities to succeed. And where that means challenging employers for support and opportunity, ‘individuals’ have the back up of a ‘Dream BIG’ community.
A community who won’t let each other down, when it comes to upping the ask.