01 Aug 2024 Member Support at Underground Lights
It made me feel free...At every step I’ve been offered a platform to express myself.
A vital but not always immediately visible part of our work is our membership support, it’s at the heart of everything we do and runs through our core values. These values were co-created with members, volunteer, staff and trustees.
Creative
we encourage and inspire each other to explore and grow our own creative identities, to tell the stories that are important to us, to be curious, radical, transformative and fun!
Community-led
many of the people in the Underground Lights collective have personal experience of the issues we address. We aim to challenge stereotypes and assumptions. Our different backgrounds and experiences lead and inspire others and through our creative work we make positive changes to our local community.
Compassionate
we strive to be a safe, encouraging, caring and hopeful organisation. We support each other and work together to make sure that all our activities are accessible, welcoming and empowering.
Connected
we want everyone involved in our collective to feel a sense of belonging. We create a safe and nurturing environment where people can grow and care for themselves and others.
My acrophobia is getting better since doing Underground Lights and it helps me with my social anxiety as well which is a lot better […] UL helped me with getting a mental health assessment for my mental health when it was bad and supported me in getting more PA hours. Underground Lights helped me put in boundaries. […] When I was going through a hard time with where I’m living [experiencing hate crime] letters were wrote to the housing people about that and they [the perpetrators] moved out. Anon, UL Member
What makes us unique?
The importance of non-statutory services like ours has never been more prevalent, what makes UL unique is that we are not trying to address all of the social issues we encounter by ourselves, but to build connections and opportunities within our local area to response to the needs of our community.
Who?
Our members are adults with experience of social disadvantage, homelessness and/ or mental heath distress. The vast majority of our members have diagnosed chronic physical and mental health conditions, meaning a dependence on regular medications and access to public services, like accessible transport, mental health practitioners, learning & education etc.
When?
Being a member at Underground Lights does not have an expiry date, or a cap on the sessions with which someone works with us. Instead we aim to build relationships and with people over a prolonged period of time. This relationship often last years. It is through our creative activities that these meaningful relationships are made. Over time we are able to work with members for the change they want in their lives.
How?
Our 1-1 person-centred support is an integral part of our offer which supports members to get the most out of their time with us, gives them the support they want and need, and meets the whole person.
This support includes workshop engagement, but has also covered:
- Developing healthy boundaries
- Tech shadowing
- CV writing
- Food bank referrals
- Volunteer development
- Co-writing bids and delivering workshops
- Advocating for better mental health support and assessments
- Emotional support around hoarding
- Bereavement
- Safeguarding referrals
- Linking with other services to build meaningful opportunities for members
- Housing advocacy including around disability needs, discrimination, and as victims to crimes
- And more!
My membership manager helped me get a free bus pass. It made me feel free […] At every step I’ve been offered a platform to express myself. I’ve seen the membership managers with people and it’s incredible how supportive they are and genuine. This is rare and a credit to Underground Lights, a different experience you’d get here and that’s why I’ve heard members say it’s like a family. Marie, UL Member
Our approach sees members explore new opportunities and aspirations both in Underground Lights and beyond.
Notable examples of how the support offered at Underground Lights can have a lasting impact are: Hayley, one of our staff team at Underground Lights started her time with us a member, before developing to a volunteer and then paid member of the team where we also supported her to complete her Level 3 Award in Education and Training.
‘As a creative, having a space to share ideas and meet like-minded people has improved my confidence no end’. Hayley, Project & Activities Assistant
And Johnnie who we co-designed and applied for funding to co-deliver a series of poetry workshops with at Cosy Creatives, we have also supported Johnnie to pursue his interest in performing through events such as VAC Celebration, and companies including Dash Arts, to build his connections and experience.