Our purpose.

Our purpose is change.

Change for good. Change for better.

Putting those with support needs aside, it is well documented that isolation and loneliness, is at an all time high amongst all age groups. Because of the housing crisis, people are unable to afford to live in the communities they grew up in and having to move for economic reasons, there are so many people finding themselves living in places where they don’t feel connected to anything or anyone. Satsuma Neighbour is a place where people will feel they have real connection and purpose as a neighbour again.

Society today overlooks and isolates adults with disabilities and support needs, leading to insurmountable challenges for them and their families, as well as communities stripped of the beauty and worth these individuals bring. Today, fewer than 1 in 5 adults with disabilities live independently, with existing housing choices limited, unsuitable and lacking meaningful inclusion, leading to increased social and mental health issues, which could be avoided. Too many individuals stay living at home with their families, generally with ageing parents who carry immense worry about what will happen to their adult children when they are gone and leaving them unable to make plans for their own futures.

In addition to a lack of housing options, adults with support needs lack opportunities to be full and active members of their communities. These issues are interconnected. As they reach the significant age of 25 (the age in the UK when the EHCP - Education Health and Care Plan comes to an end) they lose entitlements to education, most are unemployed or underemployed and many lack any type of meaningful, inclusive, social and community anchors. This combination of devastating factors often leads to loneliness, depression, isolation and a life devoid of purpose and independence. This is a scandalous waste, considering the very considerable amount of time, effort and resources spent over their lives thus far, building up these skills.

Research and experience have shown that, more than anything, most adults with support needs want to be connected to community, want to live independently and want to work – they just need opportunities and support to do so.  They and their families are desperately seeking a place to belong – a community offering positivity, friendship, purpose and hope. Satsuma Neighbour will provide just that.

There are many people in this group, who are living in completely unsuitable accommodation. The results are devastating, with the ‘placement’ (a terrible term, not suggestive of ‘home’) often breaking down and individuals retreating back (if they’re ‘lucky’) to living with their ageing parents, the trauma of which often resulting in them not wanting to ‘try again’.

Another common theme is that individuals can end up not only grouped together but often living in more rural/less urban areas, which set people far away from where they have grown up and are familiar with, which further isolates them. These communities are anything but inclusive. Further, opportunities to keep fully independent, productive or employed in rural areas, is particularly challenging with a lack of reliable public transport. And rural living and pursuits are simply not stimulating or suitable for everyone.