My name is Debbie and I am supported by someone called Debbie Dowler who works for United Response’s outreach team in Bognor Regis. I wanted to share with you exciting new things that I am doing and have done.

I have been supported by United Response for 27 years, firstly living in a residential home at Burnham Avenue, and now for the past 16 years independently in my own home where I receive 16 hours of support each week.

Our support services

‘Life outside a day service’

It has not all been easy sailing for me, I have had to learn a lot of life skills along the way. Covid was a real turning point for me. The day service that I was attending three days a week was closed. I thought ‘What do I do now?’, then a light bulb moment hit me, there was life outside a day service.

I was able to catch up with my family and friends, I took myself off to different towns using my bus pass, without support, and realised I could do it and I really enjoyed the freedom of this. After the pandemic, I thought about things and decided I did not want to go back to the day service. I wanted to carry on doing what I had been doing as I was enjoying my newfound freedom.

Now I am very busy and I attend Make A Space which is run by the Aldingbourne Trust. I attend this for eight hours a week over two days, but that’s not all…

Work and hobbies

I also work as a Quality Checker for the Southern region of United Response. I travel with my support worker to visit different services and talk to staff and people they support. I check they are all happy where they live and if they are happy with the support they receive. Earlier this year I was invited to sit on the panel to help interview and recruit a new Health and Safety employee for United Response.

Last year I applied to and was offered a job with the Aldingbourne Trust as a Job-seeking Ambassador. In this role, I go into the community and tell people what they can expect when working in the care industry.

Recently I have been asked to work with WorkAid where I will talk to people about what it means to have a learning disability and how this group of people can be employed and find work.

Another exciting thing that happened recently was my local GP surgery asked me if I would like to appear in a video promoting the surgery for people with learning disabilities.

I also like to sing and I am in my church’s choir, I love to sing my heart out at all the major services during the year. Earlier this year I joined a group called The Music Man Project. I was amazed and happy to be chosen to sing at a concert in the Royal Albert Hall in London in April 2024. I am so excited and I may even get to meet Michael Ball, who is one of the compares, and of course try and get his autograph!

You can imagine how proud the Outreach team are of Debbie and her success. We are so proud to support her through all her adventures.

Keep it up Debbie – the world is your oyster.

Debbie Dowler and the Outreach team, Bognor Regis