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Recently, our team at Coda Pharmacy had the privilege of visiting the wonderful Inspire Sussex Social Hub, and it was truly an experience to remember.
Located on Greenfield Road in Old Town, Eastbourne, the Hub is more than just a community space. It’s a welcoming environment designed specifically for adults with learning disabilities, offering support, inclusivity and a genuine sense of belonging.
Inspire Sussex has been providing care for individuals with learning disabilities and their families since 1949. Alongside their social hub they also have 3 registered residential homes, providing support to adults with a range of disabilities.
Inspire Sussex’s three homes consist of Arundel Road, Friday Street and Mill Road. Each Inspire Sussex home has its own registered manager and a team of staff who are dedicated to helping residents live as independently as possible. They encourage people to take part in daily life and to be involved in the wider community. The homes are designed to support adults with limited communication skills and sensory needs. They are autism-friendly and positive behaviour support is available at every location.
Natalie said: “Our aim is to enrich our service users' lives. Each home has really good staff that try to facilitate what the service users can do. Even though we are an organisation, for each home we try to keep their own separate identity.
Each home is individual and its service user led, not led by myself as CEO. I’m very much it's the manager's home and I’m here to support and enable them to do what they want to do.”
The Inspire Sussex Social Hub was created to bring people together in a supportive, inclusive space. Once a church, it was transformed over nine months into a vibrant community centre where adults can socialise, meet friends, enjoy a coffee, and simply spend time together.
Each day is shaped by the people who attend- whether that means hopping on a bus to Brighton, heading out to a café, or just relaxing with friends.
Natalie added: “I still think today that people with a learning disability are excluded from mainstream activities. Not a lot of community groups welcome people with a learning disability so we provide activities here where they feel they are included.”
During our visit to Inspire Sussex, we had the privilege of sitting down with Rosie, one of their long-standing service users. Rosie has known Natalie for over 30 years, having first met her when she was a resident at Natalie’s mother’s care home in Kent. When Natalie later moved to East Sussex to join Eastbourne Mencap, Rosie chose to move with her. Rosie is a resident at Mill Road and regularly participates in activities provided by Inspire Sussex.
Rosie said: “We get to take part in drama and singing where we go to different homes and sing to them. Last week we actually got an encore! We get to do karaoke, go to the pub, to the cinema and to farms.
We have a residents meeting and we get to say what we want to do and then it gets put into the diary, then if we have the money saved up we can go and do it.. We’re really lucky we have such good staff.
In our home it's our family, it's not just a residential home. We support each other and that's what it's all about.”
Hearing Rosie’s experience first-hand was incredibly uplifting. It shows just how important choice and independence are within Inspire Sussex’s homes. Residents aren’t just cared for, they are actively encouraged to shape their own experiences and follow their interests.
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Unfortunately, not all residents in Inspires homes are able to get out and take part in activities. At Arundel Road many have severe mobility issues, which means outings aren’t always possible. This summer, Inspire Sussex wanted to do something a little different to bring joy to everyone, so they arranged for an ice cream van to visit the homes and hand out free ice creams. For residents at Arundel Road, especially those who haven’t been able to go out due to complex health needs, it was a simple gesture that made a big difference.
Natalie said: “Seeing their faces as they get an ice-cream from the ice cream man, the noises that they were making the look on their faces just says it all, something simple that you and I take for granted just made their day.”
It’s hard to put into words just how much of an impact Inspire Sussex has on the people they support. They are a truly remarkable charity, making a huge difference within our community every single day. We were lucky enough to capture more of our conversation with Natalie and Rosie on camera- head over to our socials to hear their stories in full. Thank you to Natalie and Rosie for taking the time to chat with us.
For more information on how Inspire Sussex can support you, visit https://inspiresussex.org.uk/.
To donate, visit https://inspiresussex.org.uk/donate/.
Coda Pharmacy is here to support you every step of the way. From offering expert advice to delivering your NHS prescriptions free of charge. If you have any questions about what you have read in this article or any of the services that Coda Pharmacy can provide you with, please do not hesitate to reach out and contact us here.