“When one of the founders of Bare Necessities Toiletry Bank, put out a call on our street WhatsApp group for help delivering toiletries in the local area, I immediately thought it was something my daughter, Maddy, could do.
Maddy lives at home with me and her dad because she has learning disabilities and so can’t get a job. But she does have a car, which is driven by her personal assistants; they support her to go out and about. And she’s not exactly rushed off her feet with things to do, so she has both the transport and the time to help out.
Like everyone else, Maddy needs those essential things in life – people to be with and connect to, and things to do that give her a sense of purpose. Our society tends to write off people with learning disabilities as, at best, people who need care and support from others. It’s really hard to get society to understand that people like Maddy have talents and assets that they can share with their communities – to see her as someone who makes a difference to others.
Maddy has been making up packs of toiletries for teenagers and helped with packs of dental products and has made deliveries in Handforth and Manchester. She’s looking forward to doing more!”