Autonomie Live Zoom session: Baking fairy cakes with Naomi

Well done everyone for taking part in today’s Autonomie Live Zoom Baking Fairy Cakes with Naomi.

A fun one hour interactive baking session!

Naomi said: “Everyone enjoyed baking fairy cakes today. “They all had a go at making them and each young person helped to read out the recipe.”

Malcolm made yummy fairy cakes and then planned to sit outside with his family and have one with their coffee!

Gary made delicious chocolate buns!

Jordan made delicious fairy cakes and while Jordan waited for his buns to cool he made some yummy cornflakes buns for his uncle!

We bet there aren’t many buns left now!

Try making them at home! Here’s the recipe:

#WhatNextProg #AutonomieLive #AutonomieCoronavirusSupportHub

Favourite take away food coffee break chat and more!

This morning’s coffee morning was hosted by Danni and supported by Naomi.

Young people and staff members used the coffee morning to discuss what they have for their breakfast in the mornings.

Young people also discussed which take away food they are most looking forward to when lockdown is lifted.

The responses varied from Subway to a Chinese takeaway. Alongside this, the young people held an in-depth discussion on Harry Potter and their favourite books. Well done to all participants for choosing to take part in this morning’s interactive social session.

We are looking forward to this afternoon’s activity session!

#AutonomieZoomCoffeeBreak #WhatNextProg #AutonomieCoronavirusSupportHub

Member moments: Food picture, baking and growing watercress seeds

Volunteer and service user Aisling has created this beautiful food inspired picture! Can you guess what she used to create her wonderful sunflower?

Nicole our Youth Project Officer and service user Jordan have both baked this yummy apple pie! The perfect summer treat with ice cream.

Stephanie has also taken part in Tessie’s Freedom2Choose programme task growing watercress! She used her painted egg box and has her seeds sitting on the window to maximum sunlight to help them grow. Fingers crossed Stephanie!

Great work everyone.

#WhatNextProg #Freedom2ChooseProg #AutonomieCoronavirusSupportHub

Issues we are tackling during the coronavirus pandemic

We’ve modified our services, delivering them online we continue to support and help our vulnerable empower young during this extremely challenging time.

These young people face huge barriers and never so as right now during this unprecedented health crisis.

At Autonomie, we are committed to tackling issues agreed following our consultation with many people across many sectors as well as families and our staff.

Eight now, during coronavirus here are just some of the issues we are tackling:

This Learning Disability Week we explain how we modified our services to support vulnerable young people during COVID 19

This week is Learning Disability Week 2020 and the theme this year is ‘the importance of friendship during lockdown.’ The current coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented and affects us all but those living with a learning disability have been particularly affected and at increased risk of isolation.

Some may not fully understand the extent of this health crisis and how it is and will continue to fundamentally change how we as a society function and the impact this has on all our daily routines which we all miss.

Confusion around why you can’t go to visit friends and family, go ten-pin bowling, go to a restaurant or go to Autonomie’s Lilac House makes those living with a learning disability feel lonely and anxious and can have a profound impact on their mental and physical well-being.

We know that individuals with a learning disability already experience significant levels of depression and social disconnection and that these have been exacerbated by the lockdown.

As an organisation we understand these issues and have been working hard to tackle them. We understand how important it is for young people to have access to companionship - having access to social networks is key to promoting good mental health especially in those with learning disabilities.

We are committed to utilising a range of methods to continue kinships during this usual time.

How has Autonomie supported their young people and families to ensure social connections, support and skills development continued at this time, when support is needed most?

By quickly and effectively transforming our services from face-to-face to digital.

This has been made possible with the support of Community Fund NI.

(By funding us to purchase a number of 10.1 inch Lenovo tablets which we loan to our young people providing them access to our Digital Coronavirus Support Hub. Young people have accessed:

✅ opportunities to socialise

✅ virtual Zoom sessions

✅ family focused Zoom sessions e.g our Bingo, Quiz

and lots more!

Thanks to Community Fund NI for additionally funding our organisation’s Zoom membership - enabling staff members to host our online interactive activities sessions safely.

Thank you. 💕

#LearningDisabilityWeek #LearningDisabilityWeek2020 #AutonomieCoronavirusSupportHub #IssuesWeAreTacklingAtAutonomie

Zoom cookery session with Nicole: Creating a fruit picture

We are amazed by the creativeness of all our young people.

On Friday 12 June 2020 we held an interactive online cookery session hosted by Nicole and supported by Áine and Emma C.

Nicole explains what everyone got up to:

“During this cookery session young people had the opportunity to use their imagination and creativity to make a healthy snack.

“This saw young people create a picture out of fruit. This activity was fun for everyone. Many young people created animals.

“However, some created a train, a person, a basketball and even Sponge-Bob Square Pants house.

“Alongside this, young people got to take their turn to share their creation with the group and explain what they had created.

“The last activity which we completed allowed young people an opportunity to identify fruits.

“This allowed young people an opportunity to increase their personal development and develop confidence in talking on a video call.”

Thank you to all our supporters including Community Fund NI for kindly funding tablets enabling our members have accessible digital technology access to our live Zoom activities sessions during Covid-19.

#AutonomieLive #WhatNextProg #AutonomieCoronavirusSupportHub #CommunityFundNI

Zoom catch-up over breakfast for young people as first week of initiative comes to a close

Well done to all young people who joined activities this week.

Not only did participants get to catch up with their friends and peers over Zoom, they got a chance to access interactive practical activities sessions with the aim of promoting skills development and good mental health.

A great first week and here is what everyone got up to at this morning’s (Friday 12 June 2020) Zoom coffee break and social.

Nicole our Youth Project Officer says:

“This morning’s coffee morning was hosted by Aine and supported by myself. “We used this time to have our breakfast and hot drinks together. Everyone had an opportunity to tell the group anything that they liked.

“Alongside this, we used this coffee morning to receive feedback from our young people on our new up and running zoom sessions.

“We also showed off all our favourite mugs and glasses. This activity was initiated by one of our young people. What a fabulous idea.

“The young people really enjoyed interacting with one another. Feedback is positive and we all are looking forward to our second week.”

#AutonomieLive #AutonomieCoffeeBreak #AutonomieCoronavirusSupportHub

Online interactive chair fitness session with Danni

On Thursday 11 June 2020 Autonomie Live afternoon session 8 young people joined Danni’s Health and Fitness session.

This is what Danni has to say about it:

“I completed a series of upper body chair exercises which everyone got involved with we then talked about what the young people do in order to de stress or relax and what exercises they have completed since lockdown began, going out for walks or having a long bike ride being the most popular.

“Young people had fun and enjoyed being able to chat and interact with peers and staff.”

Chair exercises which Danni completed which you can try at home:

✅ Shrug shoulders up to the ear and back down x4

✅ Shoulder rolls- roll shoulders forward x4

✅ Shoulder rolls – roll shoulders backwards x4

✅ Hugs and circle – Bring your arms out to the side and then give your self a massive hug circle your upper body 4 times clockwise

✅ Hugs and circle – Bring your arms out to the side and then give yourself a massive hug circle your upper body 4 times anti clockwise

✅ Shrug release arms up – shrug arms up to ears and release then bring your arms up straight in front and back down x4

✅ Arms out – palms facing floor – circle arms forward x4

✅ Arms out -palms facing floor – circle arms backward x4

#AutonomieLive #AutonomieHealthAndFitness #WhatNextProg #AutonomieCoronavirusSupportHub #DigitalAccessibility #CommunityFundNI

Latest activities 4 week schedule and Saturday Freedom2Choose programme activities

At Autonomie, we are proud to empower young people aged 16-25 years in Belfast and surrounding areas with additional needs.

We successfully adapted our services to deliver online support to our young people during the Covid-19 pandemic and we continue to deliver new and innovative ways to support and empower our members at this time of huge uncertainty.

On Tuesday 9th June 2020 launched our new LIVE weekday schedule!

Members can now access live structured online interactive activities Tuesday to Friday and Freedom2Choose programme social activities on Saturdays.

It’s important young people have structured opportunities daily to socialise with others, develop and learn new skills and feel part of a community!

Feedback from parents and young people help shape our services and we are delighted to offer our members a full weekly schedule of activities.

So, what’s on!

Tuesday - Friday our members can access: 10.00 am - 11.00 am Coffee break and social time.

Tuesday - Friday 2.00 pm - 3.00 pm - Live interactive activities sessions.

FULL 4 WEEK SCHEDULE

Coffee break and social fun

Today everyone had a fun morning at our new Zoom Coffee Break and Social.
Young people enjoyed sharing what activities they did yesterday.

Tessie popped in to say hello.

We played a couple of rounds of Guess the Object.

Owen give us an object to guess. Everyone is looking forward to the afternoon activity later today!

#AutonomieCoffeeBreak #AutonomieLive #AutonomieCoronavirusSupportHub #WhatNextProg #CommunityNI