Preparing for Adulthood

A key part of living a full life means being able to live as independently as you want to.

Independent living is embedded within the lessons learners undertake at our specialist further education college My Life Learning and underpins our My Life Opportunities’ programme of activities.

However members come to us, we help them develop the skills needed for independent living in a variety of ways.

A home from home

Our three fully accessible holiday chalets, set in the beautiful Lancashire countryside of our Standish site, are the perfect location in which members can experience independent living in a supportive environment.

From making a bed to cooking a healthy meal, understanding how to look after a domestic environment and the importance of good hygiene, many of our members enjoy practising their skills with their friends, or experiencing overnight stays, with as little or as much support as is needed.

Trips away

Many of our members are able to hone their independent living skills during our trips away – and learn lots of new ones! 

From day trips out to the seaside, sporting events and more, we also offer a residential stay at Kepplewray in the Lake District, where members get to team build, develop their friendships, learn new outward-bound skills, conquer their fears and boost their confidence.

For more information about independent living and My Life, please call 01257 472900 or email info@my-life.org.uk.

Volunteering is a fantastic way to learn new skills, develop friendships and improve your self-confidence.

We offer our members a variety of different volunteering opportunities, both at My Life and out in the community. Some progress to paid positions as a result of their volunteering.

Conserving local green spaces with Groundwork CLM

My Life members regularly volunteer with Groundwork CLM, an environmental conservation organisation dedicated to protecting local green spaces.

Here they are at a local green area, Elnup Wood, learning about and protecting wildlife, improving the area for everyone to enjoy.

For more about how we support our members through volunteering opportunities, please call 01257 472900 or email info@my-life.org.uk.

As self-sustaining mini businesses that are driven by a social and environmental mission, micro-social-enterprises put the interests of people and planet ahead of financial gain.

Through our micro-social-enterprises our members not only learn new skills, including those needed for the world of work, but contribute and interact with the local community in a meaningful and productive way, increasing their confidence and social skills.

Got a broken bike? We’ll fix it.

Need your dog grooming? We’ll do it. Need your garden tidying? We’re there!

Looking for some wooden Christmas decorations or a beautiful flower bouquet? We’ll make them.

Our micro-social-enterprises match the needs of our local community and are built around the strengths and interests of our members, with all profits reinvested into creating positive social change.

Our new café at Leigh Town Hall

We are in the process of setting up a brand new café at Leigh Town Hall. As well as providing refreshments to visitors and staff who access the Council archive, our members will have the opportunity to undertake public facing positions as Baristas, developing their customer service skills in the process.

This vital work experience will provide them with the confidence, skills and experience to go forth into careers in a multitude of workplaces.

For more information about our micro-social-enterprises, please call 01257 472900 or email info@my-life.org.uk.

Many of our members have a desire to experience the world of work, but wish to do this with the support systems that match their needs.

That’s why we not only help our members to secure employment, but also offer supported employment opportunities, like Apprenticeships.

Liam’s story

Liam came to My Life as a student at our specialist further education college My Life Learning with aspirations to simply meet people outside the family home, but they quickly wanted to further their qualifications and gain experience that would help get them into work.

We created a structured plan to help Liam achieve this by improving their level of English and Maths, getting their skillset “job-ready,” helping them to develop initiative, cope with change better and improve their expressive and social skills.

Facilitating a  work experience placement and opportunities to socialise within and outside of My Life helped hugely with this.

After excelling in their English and vocational practical studies, Liam undertook work experience at our Stable Door Café & Ice Cream Parlour where they progressed rapidly in their work, and it soon became clear that they were ready to move to a more formal working arrangement.

An Apprenticeship beckoned…

In April 2021 we were delighted to offer Liam an 18-month Catering and Hospitality Apprenticeship at The Stable Door, with an additional day of college work at a local Further Education College.

With My Life still on hand to assist where necessary, including pastoral care, Liam’s apprenticeship will equip them with all the skills they need to be a success in the future and includes a training programme which will increase their employability. 

Liam now takes on all the roles within the café that a staff member would be expected to do. Very importantly, their and our vision isn’t that they stay at The Stable Door forever, but that they get the courage and confidence to spread their wings elsewhere.

Liam says:

“I’ve always worried about being thrown into a job with no preparation. Because I got that preparation here, I knew I could come into work, be around people who I felt comfortable with and get stuck into the job. It’s a great place to work and I have to say it makes such a difference when you get paid at the end of it – I’m saving up for a holiday.  I want to build a career now and this is such a good start, I think an employer will see the apprenticeship as something that’s a real positive on my CV.”

Liam’s mother Sharon adds:

“My Life changed Liam’s life completely. They are not the same person that started here – they are more confident, they’ll look people in the eye. In the last six months in particular they have completely blossomed and we can begin to think about how they might live and work independently in the future.”

To discover more about how we support our members through employment, please call 01257 472900 or email info@my-life.org.uk.

Social inclusion is vital to everyone’s wellbeing. Members develop great friendships at My Life.

And not only do they benefit from relationships forged with the local community, but local people tell us that they get a lot in return from the incredible skills and gifts of our members too.

The Covid-19 pandemic showed our members at their very best. We sewed over 1000 PPE gowns for local hospitals and delivered a huge number of food hampers to local people in need.

We also entertained the locals and kept everyone’s spirits up with our socially distanced take on Peter Kay’s ‘Amarillo!’ Watch it here!

Community events

My Life is a place for the whole community. We regularly hold events for local people.

Our members not only organise, but promote these, from our music festival to our Family Easter Picnics and Halloween Spooktacular event!

Often products made through our micro-social-enterprises are sold at our events, further introducing our members to the world of customer service and commerce, as well as helping us invest back into the local area.

Activities for local groups

We have a wealth of exciting activities on offer here for the whole community, all of which can be tailored to individual groups and needs.

Wigan Parent Carer Forum and Wigan and Leigh Deaf Society both recently visited us to try out some crafting and horticulture as well as enjoying time with our animals, as ‘Farmers for a Day!’

Taking part in local events

As well as inviting the local community in to My Life, we enjoy going out and taking part in local events. From selling our products at Standish Christmas Markets to going to the match and more!

Sam and the Friends of Standish Library

Along with the rest of the Friends of Standish Library and the Wigan mayor, our member Sam took part in the important unveiling of the blue Mayflower plaque outside our local library. The beautiful Mayflower flower border outside the library commemorates the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower in America and we were also there to plant it back in 2019!

Discover more about My Life and how we interact with our local community by calling 01257 472900 or emailing info@my-life.org.uk.

We’ve been developing links with the local community for a long time now. We also recognise the vast wealth of talent that our members hold.

We know that they can bring massive benefits to local people, because we’ve seen this happen time and time again.

Keep watching this space for our major new venture that will harness this. Its aim? To change the lives of our members and the local community for the better, together!

Coming in 2022. All will be revealed soon…