Kith and Kids

Kith & Kids' aim is to empower families living with disability and overcome their social exclusion. With our members and their needs being the focus of our activities we design individual need based projects and services that bring them as close as possible to a 'normal' life and social interaction.

Throughout the year we provide a variety of volunteer-supported projects and services, which include social development projects, weekend clubs, a residential summer camp, long term friendship scheme, citizen advocacy and person centred self-advocacy projects. Our family support and outreach services include parents, siblings, carers and other organisations.

Our projects are designed to ensure that our members' needs of social interaction and forming meaningful relationships outside their immediate families are addressed. The projects' aim is to enhance the confidence, self-esteem, daily living skills and social skills of children and young people who are disadvantaged due to their disabilities. The projects link trained volunteers with members and their siblings to form a mutual support group that take our members through aspects like independent living, to a fun holiday, to a friend they can talk to and meet regularly.

	2:1 Social Development Project Our unique project aims to link children and adults with a disability with two trained volunteers. Each member follows a programme that is specially adapted to suit his or her needs and interests. The aim is to encourage the person with the disability to develop social skills through his or her friendship with the volunteers and the activities they share.
	Friendship Scheme We link our members and volunteers who plan social activities together: the cinema, pubs, restaurants, bowling ...you name it... It's an opportunity for our members to integrate, relax and enjoy the friendship of their peers. Members and volunteers of all ages find that our friendship scheme brings them a wonderful sense of achievement and commitment, as well as creating lots of opportunities for fun!
	Summer Camp Each year at the end of the summer holiday we run a one-week camp for our members, each supported by three volunteers. Members and volunteers alike build a community in which we play, and work together on the necessary domestic tasks for a group to live away from home. Activities include: games, swimming, forest walks, arts & crafts and trips to the seaside.
	Advocacy Some of our members are supported by volunteers who are trained to act as advocates, others are supported in self-advocacy. Advocates get to know our members and then help them speak up for themselves, or speak for them where necessary. They can help our members get what they need from care services and others around them. Take a look here at what the members of our Self-Advocacy Group have to say! ELSP - Employability and Life Skills Project This is one of our newest projects which aims to empower more able young adults with learning disabilities or autism to aquire skills for greater independence and employment. Click here to find out more about this project and opportunities to be a volunteer mentor
	Club Sessions Each fortnight at the weekend we hold an afternoon activity for our members and volunteers. We take part in a few workshops run by our professional therapists. Everyone says it's great fun!

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Family Support

Families who have a member with a disability can become isolated and feel that other people do not understand their concerns. Kith & Kids offers:
- mutual self-help
- practical assistance
- support for disabled children and adults, their parents and siblings

We have a wide network of supporting members who share experiences, both difficulties and joys. We do this through regular programme of activities and parent support meetings. Belonging to Kith & Kids enables every member of the family, whatever their age or ability to make friends and to broaden their horizons.

Between us, we have a wealth of experience and wide range of abilities and interests. Whatever the issue - school, housing, benefits, leisure - we will support you to find the information, professional guidance and practical resources you need. Experience shows that even the most overwhelming difficulty can be overcome when we tackle it together. As far as we're concerned, self-help is mutual help.

Our staff can provide support to families who need professional help with a particular issue, such as medical conferences or educational needs. Their skills and experience help us to ensure that our activities and our recruiting procedures are effective and of a high quality.

Get involved with Kith & Kids
You are welcome to come along and meet us at our social events and attend our parent meetings. Unfortunately, at the moment there is a waiting list for all projects and activities. But, we are continually working towards increasing the number of people we can reach. If you would like to join the list, come to our social events or parent meetings please email, phone, fax or write - please see details below.

Although there is a waiting list for activities we are able to offer information and support over the phone or by email. If you would like to contact us please:

Phone 0208 801 7432 Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm.
(In our experience we have found that it is more helpful to discuss the situation over the phone with parents/sibling carers but please do email us with your initial enquiry if this is more convenient for you.)

email us FAMILY SUPPORT ENQUIRY FORM - click here to go to the form

Fax 020 8885 3035 OR

Write to Kith & Kids, Irish Centre, Pretoria Road, London, N17 8DX

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Outreach

Our Outreach service offers information and support by telephone to non-member individuals and organisations. It also offers training workshops and seminars on a wide range of issues in relation to supporting people who have a learning disability or autism and/or their carers. And finally, our training and networking sessions for and with other organisations offer forums to share experiences, new work models and best practice.

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