Out There is a community based preventative service that provides sports and leisure activties for people aged 16 plus who have a learning disability or autism. We are part of Outreach 3 Way/Dimensions UK and we provide a wide range of social care sevices. Our remit is to keep people both physically and mentally fit and well and reduce the impact on the NHS and associated services. Pre Covid we supported around 250 people a week to access community based facilties and take part in sports and leisure activities in most cases alongside members of the general public. After 11 years of being funded by the local authority the decision was made to withdraw funding as from 31/3/21 which potentially left 250 people without the opportunity to take part in regular exercise and meet their friends. We have a huge task ahead of us as we need to raise £100,000 per year to keep the project going and not only support our current service users but expand our offer to other people. We are seeing huge cuts in funding and reduced day service access for many people with learning disabilties and autism. Richard Barron who is one of our much valued volunteers is running the Brighton Marathon on Sunday the 12/9/21 to support Out There and we all wish him the very best of luck!. There has never been a time when preventative services have been needed more than now so PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CAUSE!

RICHARD'S VOLUNTEER STORY.

I first started volunteering with Dimensions/Outreach 3Way in the summer of 2019 at the Out There West Sussex Gym and Swim group in Worthing, providing help and encouragement to a group of young adults with learning disabilities in their weekly exercise session. I enjoyed it so much that I soon started helping at the equivalent sessions in Burgess Hill. These sessions were put on hold because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but since the restrictions started to be relaxed I have been helping at weekly outdoor sports sessions in Chichester.

Since November 2020, I have also been volunteering virtually at a weekly online music club run by Dimensions, playing a few tunes on my cornet.

All of these activities have been extremely rewarding, seeing the enjoyment and sense of achievement that they bring to those involved.

Having taken up running a few years ago, I entered the Brighton marathon originally scheduled for April 2020 and decided to raise funds for Out There. Two postponements later, the race is now scheduled for 12th September, and I'm progressing through my training plan (for the 3rd time!). I hope that you will feel able to make a donation, to help Dimension/ Outreach 3Way to keep these valuable activities running through the Out There project.