Affinity Trust

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At Affinity Trust we support over 900 people with learning disabilities across England and Scotland, helping them live as independently as possible.

Here at Affinity Trust, we are dedicated to supporting people with learning disabilities to live the lives they want to. Whether helping someone to live in their own home, providing opportunities to make new friends, experience new things or gain work that is rewarding and enjoyable, Affinity Trust aims to ensure that those we support have the opportunity to live life to its fullest. Our mission a

nd values are at the core of our service. Many of the people we support have come from institutional settings and we have worked with them to transform their level of independence and often, as a result, their quality of life. Supported living is our main area of support, and we are committed to offering this model for people with learning disabilities in preference to typical residential care homes.

15/06/2026

Today marks the start of Learning Disability Week, and we want to celebrate the voices, achievements and contributions of people with learning disabilities.

This year’s theme is ‘Do you see me?’ and is all about making sure people with learning disabilities are seen, heard, and valued. It’s a chance for all of us to reflect on what it means to truly see people: to listen, to include, and to recognise the valuable contributions that people with learning disabilities make every day.

At Affinity Trust, we're proud to support people to live life their way: with choice, independence and opportunities to be active members of their communities. Together, we can help create a society where everyone is valued, included and empowered to thrive.

11/06/2026

What’s your favourite song? 🎤

At our Working Together sessions, we hand over the microphone and ask everyone the same question.

Soon the room fills with suggestions, from colleagues, people we support and families - each sharing a song that means something to them. The result? A playlist created by everyone in the room. 🎶

It might seem like a small activity, but it captures something important. When everyone has the chance to share their voice, ideas and preferences, the experience becomes more personal, inclusive and meaningful.

And sometimes, it also introduces you to your new favourite song. 🎧

What song would you say?

08/06/2026

There’s no “typical” support worker here.

Love cooking? Into football? What about Star Wars? Enjoy a good chat? Even better.

Your interests could open up new possibilities for someone else.

See where it could take you ➡️ https://joinus.affinitytrust.org/

03/06/2026

Creativity has been in full bloom at Score. 🌸

Matt, Gemma and Dan have been working on a seasonal project, creating their own Spring Blossom canvases. Each person painted tree trunks and branches before adding colourful buttons and sequins to create textured blossom.

Every piece is unique and reflects individual creativity and expression. The finished artwork is now proudly displayed in the gallery at Score, celebrating both effort and achievement.

Activities like this are a great way to support confidence, self-expression and creativity in a person-centred way.

Swipe to see the process and the finished artwork 💛

01/06/2026

Challenging assumptions, raising voices and creating change is Brendan’s mission. 💙

“I want to show the world that people with a learning disability can raise their voice and make a difference, whether we're singing Whitney Houston at the pub, standing up against bullies or protesting outside parliament."

His ambition doesn’t stop there. Brendan’s dream is to achieve equality for people with a learning disability and to one day start his own charity in Zimbabwe, where he was born.

We believe in supporting people to be heard, to speak up and to pursue their ambitions because everyone deserves the opportunity to make a difference.

Learn more about Brendan via Mencap 👉 https://bit.ly/4lO64tO

28/05/2026

To us, building a support plan for someone and not with them doesn’t make much sense.

Why would we create something to support someone without really knowing who they are?

We take the time to understand the person - what they love to do, who and what is important to them, and what their goals and dreams are 💭

That’s why we have Big Plan sessions, led by Sarah Holmes.

These sessions create space to explore what matters most in a way that’s engaging, thoughtful and shaped around each individual.

Because the best support isn’t created for someone, it’s built with them - who’s with us? ☝️

25/05/2026

Working together means shaping decisions together. 👏

A big thank you to Jason and Ami-Rose, part of our Working Together team, the Compassion Crew!

Alongside Co-Production Lead Sarah Holmes, they played a key role in reviewing the language in our new quality strategy and helping to develop a survey that will be shared with people we support.

Their insights helped ensure the words we use are clear, meaningful and inclusive - so more people can understand, engage and have their say.

This is what working together looks like in practice. Not assumptions, but listening. Not doing for, but doing with.

It’s fantastic to see people we support leading the way in shaping how we communicate and improve.

How are you creating space for people’s voices to shape your work? 💙

21/05/2026

What’s your dream? 💭

It’s a simple question but one that isn’t always asked to people with learning disabilities.

At a follow-up session in Staffordshire, we spent time exploring this with people we support, using a relaxed, creative approach through drawing and conversation.

By creating the right environment, time, space, and support, people were able to share their aspirations, from places they’d like to visit to new experiences they’d like to try.

These conversations are powerful. They help us move beyond day-to-day support and towards something more meaningful - understanding what people want from their lives and how we can support them to get there.

By capturing these conversations in daily care records, the team were able to shape support plans that brought Emily’s dream to life - creating her own garden, spending time in it and caring for the plants she’s grown.

Big or small - what would you love to do one day? 💛

18/05/2026

What does meaningful support look like in practice?

At our Stanningley Road service in Leeds, Lynne spent time baking a pineapple cake to share with her housemates. 🍰

With her Support Worker, Jesus, she was involved throughout, from preparing ingredients to tidying up afterwards, building confidence and demonstrating her skills along the way.

This is what person-centred support should look like. Not doing things for people, but working alongside them to enable participation, independence and choice in everyday life.

These moments go beyond the outcome - they help people build skills, take pride and share experiences. A Sunday well spent 💛

What's your go-to bake?

13/05/2026

At Score, we’ve been making the most of the recent sunshine to support health and wellbeing ☀️

Andrew, Gemma and Tina visited the nearby Rose Gardens. It was a great opportunity to connect with nature, explore seasonal changes and engage in sensory activities such as identifying colours in the environment. 🌸

The group also spent time exploring the historic ruins within the gardens, encouraging curiosity, conversation and shared experiences 🏛️

Opportunities like this show how spending time outdoors can support wellbeing, build confidence and create meaningful moments together.

So, while we catch you on Facebook in this moment - how are you going to spend time outdoors this week?

Address

1 St Andrew's Court, Wellington Street
Thame
OX93WT

Telephone

+441844267800

Website

https://www.affinitytrust.org/

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