The Rotary Club of Anstruther’s meeting of December 13th heard a very informative talk by Lianne Cumming from the charity ‘IncludeME’.
The charity is involved in citizen advocacy which means helping vulnerable people to make their way in the world. This is done by the vulnerable person forging a one-to-one relationship with a responsible member of the wider community who is not a professional or expert in the field of social care.
The task of IncludeMe is to help match up people for such a relationship and give support generally to vulnerable people. Lianne explained that there was a business dimension and a friendship dimension to citizen advocacy. The business dimension involves making sure that the vulnerable person acquires proper services and support, is offered guidance, and is helped with policies and procedures that can sometimes seem overwhelming. The friendship side is just as important.
The relationship between the vulnerable person and their supporter is a relationship between two equal partners where both can expect to benefit. Lianne showed an excellent video where pairs of partners are depicted talking about their relationship and explaining what the relationship means to them. A major aim of the charity is to challenge how people with learning difficulties are perceived in society generally. The end result is that the community will be a more inclusive place for everyone. President John Wood proposed the vote of thanks.
