The couple live together in Paignton, Devon and their support workers pop by to help with things like cooking, shopping and banking.

Quality time together

Helena, 37, and Adele, 39, love going out for food and going on holidays together. They recently went to London to see Mamma Mia in the West End:

“It was so funny. We were having our ice creams and we dropped them on the floor by mistake! It was all sticky…”

While they were there, they saw family and went on a riverboat cruise and even got a ride in a tuk-tuk taxi.

Adele said: “Helena was all dressed up and had some cocktails and kept telling everyone ‘It’s my birthday, it’s my birthday!’.”

They’ve also visited Harry Potter Studios. Helena says she’s a Slytherin!

Adele added: “Because she’s so cheeky!”

First dates

Helena and Adele met each other at one of our Supported Living services. They hit it off straight away and started dating.

Adele said: “She invited me over for her birthday and we met up a couple of times. We went out for drinks and stuff.

“Then we moved in together and all the ladies came up with a bunch of flowers and a card.”

Happy: Adele (left) and Helena (right) having their first dance at their wedding

Married life

The couple got married one sunny day in 2018 at the Cosy Club by the seafront, with a special performance from the ROC Samba band which Adele used to play in. For their honeymoon, they stayed at the Premier Inn.

Cutting the cake
ROC Samba performing at the wedding

Being in a same-sex marriage, the pair have faced some discrimination in the past, but Adele explained that they support each other through a lot: “She’s been amazing actually.”

They’re planning to renew their vows next year for Adele’s 40th birthday.

Service Manager Kate Owen said:

I am new to this role, and the ladies were two of the first people that I had the pleasure of meeting after joining United Response.

Meeting two people who had been supported to find each other, live together and get married all whilst dealing with the difficulties of the world around them was one of the things that let me know this was the right company for me.

Helena and Adele are the embodiment of a loving, supportive relationship and their disabilities or orientation don’t even factor in to that. Love is love, and long may they have it and each other!

Could you support people to find love and make new friends and relationships?

We’re recruiting across England and Wales – find out more and see our latest vacancies here.

  • Jenna Lloyd is Senior Content Officer for United Response.