HEAR US HEROES

Wednesday 3rd September 2025 | Meeting Notes 🦸‍♂️🦸‍♀️

📅 Wednesday 3rd September 2025
👥 49 people attended

 

👋 Welcome

• Victoria Braithwaite welcomed everyone.
• She explained what would happen at the meeting:
  🧘 Chair Yoga with Linda Preston
  🕵 Mystery Shopping
  🎤 Hear Us Heroes Got Talent
  📰 New Newsletter
  🧑‍💼 Meet Jane Bentley
  🤝 Autism Peer Support Group

 

🧘 Chair Yoga

• Linda Preston led chair yoga
• Everyone enjoyed it
• People asked for Linda to come again

 

📰 Newsletter

• Everyone got a copy of the new newsletter.
• People said it was:
  🎨 Colourful
  🔠 Good font size
  👀 Easy to read
  🖼 Helpful pictures
  👍 Very good
• There will be 3 newsletters a year.

 

🎤 Hear Us Heroes Got Talent

• 📅 Auditions: Friday 7th November, 11am - 3pm
• 🎄 Final + Christmas Party: Wednesday 3rd December, 10am - 2pm

 

🕵 Mystery Shopping

• 📅 Starts: Monday 15th September, 2.00 - 3.30 pm
• 📍 Geddes Room, 2nd Floor, Blackburn Library
• Please talk to Victoria if you want to join

 

👕 Hear Us Heroes Merchandise

Items for sale at meetings 💷:

• 💧 Water Bottles - £3
• 📝 Notepads & Pens - £3
• 🚗 Car Air Fresheners - £1
• ⌚ Wrist Bands - £1
• 📿 Bracelets made by Natalie - £3

 

🤝 Autism Peer Support Group

• Run by Rowena Moreno (Beyond the Spectrum)
• 📅 First meeting: Thursday 4th September, 6 - 8pm
• 📍 Number 1 Coffee Shop, Darwen
• Meets every first Thursday of the month
• A place to:
  👋 Make friends
  💬 Share experiences
  🧠 Talk about issues like jobs, housing, and mental health
• Guest speakers will come too.

 

🧑‍💼 Meet Jane Bentley

• Jane is the new Contract Manager for Learning Disabilities and Autism.
• She said:
  She feels welcome in Blackburn with Darwen
  She will do her best to help 
• Council is looking at:
  🗣 Advocacy
  🏠 Supported Living
  💼 Supported Employment
• Jane wants services in Blackburn with Darwen to be the best they can be
• She wants more job opportunities for people with learning disabilities and autism
• Jane will come to more Hear Us Heroes meetings

 

💬 Questions and Discussions

• Questions about 🏠 supported accommodation
• Council will look at:
  - Tenancies
  - Referrals
  - Access to services
• Talked about getting an Autism Diagnosis via GP
• 🧑‍⚕️ Beverley Ormerod can do an Autism assessment

 

🗓️ Future Meeting Dates

📍 Hear Us Heroes meetings are on the first Wednesday of every month
🕚 Starts at 11am (please arrive at 10:45am)

✅ Upcoming Dates:

• Wednesday 1st October
• Wednesday 5th November
• Wednesday 3rd December 🎄 (Christmas Meeting, 10am - 2pm)

Visit our Hear Us Heroes main page