Following our first ever annual conference as an independent charity on 19 August 2024: ‘Love Without Limits’, we’re excited to launch our yearlong awareness raising and fundraising campaign to ensure that we all continue to uphold human rights and highlight the barriers that people with learning disabilities face surrounding relationships.

In 2020 a report by Scottish Commission for Learning Disabilities (SCLD) found that 52% of people occasionally, sometimes, or often felt lonely and that only 3% of respondents were married compared to 47% of the general population. By supporting our campaign – together we can challenge the barriers and stigma people face around relationships, dating, sex and love to send a powerful message that everyone has the right to love and be loved.

Over the next year, we hope to raise £20,000 to ensure that we can continue to tackle social isolation and loneliness by connecting members across Scotland and challenge barriers so that people like Callum can find love.

Callum started going along to Dates-n-Mates social events with a support worker and was unsure about his surroundings, he now frequently travels independently to events with one of his friends. Callum also met his girlfriend at a Dates-n-Mates dating event and they’ve been dating for a couple of years. “I have found new friends and found love.”

You can help us to uphold peoples right to love and break the stigma:

• A regular donation of £10 per month will ensure that our members can continue to easily access a range of quality social events and dating opportunities – run by and for people with learning disabilities.

• A regular donation of £15 per month will help us ensure that we continue to bolster our member-led ethos as an accountable employer to people with learning disabilities.

• A gift of £25 will help us break down the stigma, challenges and barriers our members face in developing friendships and romantic relationships by offering bespoke workshops on relationships, sex and sexuality.

• A gift of £50 will help us ensure that our members have accessible and transparent information on their rights.

• A gift of £100 will help us make sure we continue to use channels to amplify members voices and ensuring the rights for our members are respected, protected and fulfilled.

You can keep up to date with Love Without Limits here:

https://datesnmates.org.uk/love-without-limits/

Thank you for your support!