Big Lottery Fund
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£50K in Lottery funding to support people with learning disabilities
A group of people with learning disabilities have come together to build on the success of an idea that is making everyday life easier for them.
The JAM (Just a Minute) Card was an idea originally created by members of NOW Group’s Kidnap Wednesday club. They wanted a discreet way to show they need a little more time when dealing with everyday tasks such as travelling on a bus or buying something in a shop. They came up with the idea of an eye catching plastic card that they show to people when out and about.
The JAM Card was launched in 2012 and quickly spread across Northern Ireland, with a network of shops and services supporting the scheme. There are now over 3,000 cards and window stickers in circulation, and demand is still increasing.
NOW Group have yesterday been awarded £50,000 from Big Lottery Fund to develop it further by offering a digital option and longer term to reach more people with a range of physical, learning and communications difficulties and disabilities. This includes developing a Jam Card Community for people with learning and other disabilities that is led by the users.
They are already working with people they support and Building Change Trust’s ‘Techie in Residence’ programme to trial a JamApp which users can use to rate services and businesses. The new funding will allow them to continue to develop this.
Pauline Fitzsimons, head of services at NOW Group, said: “With the original JAM Card, the members of the Kidnap Wednesday recognised the problem and came up with the solution themselves, and it is far better than anything we could have come up with. We’re not the experts. They are the experts in living with a learning disability.
“This new grant will allow us to build on the idea so we can reach more people including digitally.”
The project – including the people it’s supporting - will get out into the community to raise awareness and increase the network of users.
Pauline said: “As a mother I know how important creating this awareness is. I have a 30 year old son who has Down’s Syndrome and sometimes people don’t give him enough time to explain things. He recently missed his usual bus stop and ended up in Mallusk. He was carrying the Jam Card and showed it to the driver. It helped the driver understand. He listened to my son, and they were able to get him on the right bus home.”
Pauline explained that the new project will offer support so people can get the most out of the scheme. This includes support for users and an online training platform so businesses are more aware of the issues people with disabilities face.
“We want to encourage a more tolerant community by increasing awareness of the challenges faced by people with disabilities when doing everyday tasks, while supporting the JAM Card users to get more involved in their local community,” Pauline said.
“This project is also supporting shops and services to be friendly and more customer serviced focused with people with a disability, which will ultimately create more business for them,” she added.
Annmarie McArthur was one of the Kidnap Wednesday members who came up with the original JAM Card concept and who volunteered her time to promote it and speak about it. She said: “I feel like I’m really doing something positive. I love going out and about and talking to people about the JAM Card as I’m proud that I played a part in coming up with it. I’m really excited about the new project.”
Big Lottery Fund NI Director Joanne McDowell said: “We are delighted to announce this grant to the NOW Group. This is a great example of how our finding is putting people in the lead to make the changes they want in their communities. We hope this investment will support people with disabilities, groups and services to work together to create new solutions to the issues they face.”
Notes to Editors:
- The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40 per cent of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
- Since June 2004 we have awarded over £6.5billion to projects that make a difference to people and communities in need, from early years intervention to commemorative travel funding for World War Two veterans.
- Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £35 billion has been raised and more than 490,000 grants awarded.
