As many of you will know, Jane has Aspergers, a learning disability that affects how she processes information. Routine is very important for her. She normally lives semi-independently in her own flat with support from family and friends. She is sociable and extremely busy with various activities (volunteering, Winchester Go LD drop-ins and social events, music and drama workshops, personal training, choir and church). She loves living in the centre of town, going to coffee shops and meeting up with friends. Four days a week she visits and catches up with our elderly parents who also live in Winchester.

Winchester Go LD has been key to helping Jane with her independence, confidence, social skills and with giving her a strong sense of community. Jane's sister, Betty, is involved with the charity as a Trustee.

Lockdown has meant that Jane's normal routine has had to change dramatically. She is no longer able to take part in her normal activities and she cannot have the face to face contact with her family and friends. We agreed as a family that living on her own during this time would be terribly isolating and Jane would not be able to receive the practical support that enables her to be happily independent. So she has come to stay with Betty during lockdown.

Even in lockdown, Winchester Go LD continues to be a huge source of support, fun, social interaction and friendship to local adults with learning disabilities. They now run Zoom sessions  4 x per week and are always at the end of the phone. Jane's IT skills have really developed and she is now our family go-to for Zoom related questions. The charity has even organised for their weekly low level circuit training to happen on Zoom. This is where Jane's inspiration for our ambitious (!) challenge has come from. These initiatives have given a real focus to our new shared living arrangements, they have also provided us with some important space for doing our own thing.

Winchester Go LD has suffered badly from having to cancel two large fundraising events due to the coronavirus restrictions. This has put a large dent in the charity's income. Jane and Betty are keen to do what they can to help raise the much needed funds so that this fabulous charity can continue to do its fantastic work in supporting adults with learning disabilities in the Winchester area.