Getting on Board: Strengthening Communities and Local Democracy
The Getting on Board programme has helped give people with learning disabilities and other under-represented groups the knowledge, courage and tools to be more involved in their local communities and local decision-making.
The course involved 64 adult learners from across Kent and delivered sessions that gave them practical advice and created real-life situations where they could learn how to connect more with politics and community life. These sessions covered exercising their right to vote and thinking about how they could contribute more to their communities to posing questions to elected representatives. The project facilitated ‘Question Time’ style sessions in Westminster with MPs - where learners presented prepared questions on topics that were important to them – and arranged visits to the Houses of Parliament, 10 Downing Street, and local Council Offices so that participants could see ‘democracy in action’.
At the end of the programme, 89% of participants felt that they had become more confident and able to speak out and support peers. Many have taken on volunteering roles or found positions in community groups. The programme was also a stepping stone for those who wanted to improve their literacy and numeracy skills to access other courses and take their learning to the next level.
One participant commented: “The whole experience has been amazing. It has changed my whole outlook on communities and how I view them. It has given me a voice finally, and the confidence to be able to talk publicly to local councillors.”