Page 6 - Community Living Magazine 35-3

our sponsors
Welcome to our new sponsors

 simonjarrett1@outlook.com f @communityLivingMagazine t @CommLivingMag_

Community Living magazine is delighted Meader’s view
to welcome two new sponsors, Thera
Trust and Choice Support, who join our
existing sponsors Linkability, Integrate,
LDN Network and the Elfrida Society.
Our sponsors help enormously to ensure
the viability of the magazine and support
our campaign for equal citizenship for
people with learning disabilities.
To find out about being a sponsor, email
Jo Clare (jo.clare57@hotmail.co.uk).

Thera Trust
Main sponsor

13 paid leaders with a lived experience of a learning disability, demonstrated through
learning disability, who include nine service their early development of and active
First, we would like to say “hello”! quality directors. Service quality directors leading on Being Heard – Thera’s strategy
Thera has a unique vision, which work in equal partnership with a managing for advocacy and involvement. This
emphasises choice and control by people director to lead their local Thera company. includes the implementation of company
with a learning disability – in their day-to- There are also voluntary directors with a membership, which enables people we
day lives and in the control and direction lived experience of learning disability, support, family carers and staff to have
of Thera, demonstrating that people with a strengthening our governance. real control of their Thera company.
learning disability can be leaders in society. Further developing our leadership We are pleased to be part of the
We felt our values were a good match approach, we were delighted to welcome in Community Living family and look forward
with Community Living and that’s why we 2020 Michelle McDermott and Sally Warren to our sponsorship helping Community
are delighted to become a sponsor of as Thera Trust’s new co-chairpersons. Living continue its impact for people with
Community Living magazine. Our leaders ensure Thera’s work a learning disability and their families.
For those of you who are not familiar remains focused on people with a l www.thera.co.uk/about
with Thera, here is a little about us: Thera
Trust began in 1998, initially supporting
five people in Cambridgeshire. We started Choice Support the decisions that affect them, and their
as we meant to go on, by quickly recruiting Associate sponsor involvement shapes our whole
our first paid executive director with a organisation. We believe this helps to
lived experience of learning disability to keep people we support safer and more
make up our first equal executive team. aware of their rights and responsibilities.
Now a charitable group of companies, For example, we consulted those we
Thera supports more than 3,000 people support to create our new set of values.
across the UK, at home and in their local We checked carefully that the words used
communities, through a range of specialist Choice Support is a national, innovative were understood by all. Those we support
services such as quality assessment by social care charity, regulated by the Care chose four words to represent our values:
people with a learning disability, Quality Commission, that supports autistic care, respect, learn and lead.
employment and training, housing and people and people with a learning Our values underpin what we do and
financial advocacy. disability or a mental health need. We have help us to be the best we can be. They give
Thera’s social mission is to work closely almost 40 years’ experience and employ us strong foundations and are reflected in
with and for people with a learning around 3,000 staff to support 2,300 people. policies, procedures and comprehensive
disability to empower them and support Our purpose is to create opportunities for training to better support people.
them to lead the life they choose. You can people to be happy – we aim to understand Our work stretches across Yorkshire,
read more about Thera’s impact in our people and strive to give them what they Nottinghamshire, Cheshire, Milton
latest social impact report on out website really want. This means recognising hopes Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire,
Our commitment to leadership by and dreams, as well as needs. London, Essex, Kent and Medway, East
people with a learning disability is Choice Support has a long history of Sussex and Hampshire.
embedded in all we do. Thera Group has involving people we support to influence l https://www.choicesupport.org.uk/

6 Vol 35 No 3 | Spring 2022 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk