Can you think of a great day you’ve had? It might be a special birthday party, a trip to a theme park, a graduation, a birth, a wedding or the view from your sun lounger somewhere hot and relaxing.
For 20-year-old Holly, her ‘great day’ would be going to town on her own to meet her friends.
So this week, Grapevine’s Naomi took Holly on a little challenge around Coventry city centre – sitting in the places where she feels most anxious, navigating her way around the streets and locating which bus stop takes her back home. The trip began with a boost from some extra calories in a local coffee shop (pictured).
These seemingly simple tasks and freedoms are taken for granted by so many but for Holly, who has a learning disability, they can feel quite daunting. She’s never been to town without her parents.
Naomi and Holly’s next outing on ‘Adventure Holly’ will be returning to town to try going into a few shops and perhaps buying one or two items. This will help build Holly’s confidence in dealing with people and using money.
This time, Holly will meet Naomi in town and walk to the meeting point from her bus stop. She’s chosen a place where she’s comfortable to meet, not too far away from where the bus drops her off.
If she can conquer these challenges one at a time, her ‘great day’ might grow closer to becoming a reality. But Naomi will guide her each step of the way, at Holly’s own pace.
Holly’s adventure is being made possible through our Help and Connect project which aims to give local people with a learning disability the opportunities, connections and confidence to create building blocks towards a better, more independent future.