Connect in the North says that -

People with learning difficulties should live like anyone else

People should be kind to each other

All people should be treated with respect

We support each other to speak up and change things

People with learning difficulties should have control over their own lives

People with learning difficulties must get the support they need

Connect in the North wants to -

Improve things for people with learning difficulties

•We provide training

•We support people with learning difficulties to have choice and control of their own lives

•We help other organisations do things better

We do not provide support services for people with learning difficulties

1993 -1994

The Leeds Voluntary Sector Learning Disabilities Forum organised a workshop “Changing for the Better”, to talk about voluntary providers working together as a coalition.

This was the start of the Leeds Coalition

The Forum’s logo

1995

The Leeds Coalition was registered as a company limited by guarantee working only in the Leeds area.

Our first logo

1996

The Question Time Group

A worker was employed to involve people with learning difficulties in checking services. The Health Authority funded this work.

The Leeds Coalition was offered three year funding by the National Lottery Charities Board, starting in April 1997, the largest award in West Yorkshire at that time.

1997 and 1998

Your Views Matter –

About Giving Everyone the Same Chance

The “Your Views Matter” events. People with learning difficulties helped us to write our Equal Opportunities Policy and our complaints procedure.

1999

Patricia Farrell

Patricia Farrell was employed to consult with African Caribbean people with learning difficulties.

We ran a conference about Person Centred Planning

2000

Helping Each Other

For A Better World Team

The Helping Each Other For A Better World Team (6 people with learning difficulties) started work writing a training pack called Making Your Days Better.

We ran our first five-day training course in Person Centred Planning in Leeds (Tools for Inclusion).

In this year we became a registered charity.

2001

In November the Leeds Coalition became Connect in the North. We could now have people with learning difficulties as members and work outside Leeds.

The Government White paper “Valuing People” helped to increase demand for Tools for Inclusion (our 5-day person centred planning course). Over the next 3 years we got a lot of our money from training.

Our new logo

2002 and 2003

The Connect Group started to meet to prepare their representatives (with learning difficulties) for the Board meeting.

We developed a new course Managers Making it Happen to support organisations to be more person centred.

The Connect Group

Durbali, Philip and Andrew

2004

Team Building, Go-Karting

Cathy, Peter, Harvey and Sarah

The first year we ran Community Bridge Building training.

The Helping Each Other For A Better World Team was videoed for a CD about research made by the Norah Fry Research Institute.

2005

Dave Hingsburger came from Canda to run the Ethics of Touch workshop.

Sam and Michele finished their report on person centred planning in Bradford and Leeds -Did it Work for You?

We wrote Including the Excluded - a guide to providing further education for people with learning difficulties and complex health needs.

We ran Staff You Choose twice

The launch of Including the Excluded

2006

We started planning to change our rules so that only people with learning difficulties could be on the Board.

We started work on person centred planning in Wakefield.

The Connect Group

2007

We had a big Planning day in August

We agreed we wanted to be a

Centre for Inclusive Living, controlled by people with learning difficulties

2009

In January our members voted.They voted for people with

learning difficulties to control Connect in the North.

Our first Annual General Meeting with people with learning

difficulties in control.

2009

The Lawnmowers did Heroic Feets in June

The Beathovens and the Firestone Rock Band played at our Annual General

Meeting

2010

We helped to set up the Outsiders

At our Annual General Meeting people shared what they are proud about

2011

We had a Planning Party.

This gave members a chance to decide what Connect in the North should try to

do

2012

We had an event to celebrate people with learning difficulties being proud