Video Introduction
VIP group works to raise awareness and challenge issues around
discrimination.
They
are available to train staff on how to support someone who has a learning difficulty.
The group has recently been working with the staff from Enfield Libraries on
Learning Disability Awareness. The VIP group worked with two trainers from One
to One, giving library staff a safe space to explore their concerns and
difficulties around supporting people who have a learning disability.
“The VIPS,
(Valuing and Including People) shared their histories and told personal stories
of some of the difficulties they faced in their everyday lives.
It was thought
provoking experience for many library staff.”
“The (VIPS) …really opened up about themselves…. It (bought) home to
us the suffering and prejudices they have had to bear”
“For once we could get the first hand view and not the view of the
second party”
The group have recently presented a short
scenario at the Enfield Hate Crime Forum.
This
was such a success the VIP group was then asked by the Chief Inspector to do
their presentation at a training event held at the Royal Chase Hotel for the
Special Police Constables. One to One is a charity working with people who have learning
difficulties. The organisation has over
300 members and provides community based social activities for its members. The
other aim of One to One is to raise awareness and challenge issues around the
discrimination faced by people who have a learning difficulty.
The VIP group (Valuing and
Including People) is a group of trainers all who have learning difficulties.
The group were asked by
Enfield Hate Crime Forum to provide a short scenario around hate crime relating
to people who have disabilities.
The scenario is based on
people`s personal experiences who have lived independently in the community. The VIP group shared their histories and told personal
stories of some of the difficulties they faced in their everyday lives.
“The VIP group
made people realise the untold events that happen
regularly and their tales of suffering that goes untold. As such it’s a great
eye opener to those that don’t know much about hate crime committed against
people with learning difficulties”.
It was a “thought provoking experience” for the
participants attending the hate crime forum.
The
audience at the Hate Crime forum were moved and disturbed by what was presented
and the VIP group were subsequently asked to perform by Mark Welton, Detective Chief Inspector Safer neighbourhood
policing and partnerships
at a training event for the metropolitan special constables.
My title is
Detective Chief Inspector Safer neighbourhood
policing and partnerships.
I have 23 years
in the Police service serving mostly as a Detective I voluntarily asked for a
transfer back to Borough policing from a specialist unit at Scotland Yard as I
felt I had lost my way. I joined the Police service to make a difference to the
lives of Londoners particularly those who could not or were not in a position
to defend themselves for different reasons.
I was invited to
speak at the hate crime forum to highlight how the police deal with hate crime
in its different forms. Before my slot I was privileged to see a production
that put into context my whole Police career and made me think that I had made
the right decision in coming back to community Policing. The VIP group in the
one production reignited the fire that was on its way out. I am again
excited at the prospect of doing what I wanted to do from the outset which was
to make a difference to people with different needs.
Thank you VIP group I now have a path to follow again.
To
see a video of the play
The VIP group are available to train staff, on
raising awareness on how to support someone who has a learning difficulty. The training is fun and interactive and can
be adapted to suite different organizations.
If you would like to know more about ‘VIP group’ please contact
Naomi Luke on:
020 8373 6241 or email naomi@one-to-one-enfield.co.uk