Chatting Matters is a diverse group of people with disabilities, long-term illnesses or carers who are involved with the Ayrshire Independent Living Network (AILN). They meet virtually to share their lived experience of independent living, self-directed support (SDS), AILN and its services.
They are volunteers, known as peer mentors, who provide guidance within the AILN mentoring framework, supporting people embarking on their own SDS journey and meeting regularly in a peer support group.
AILN is running an open peer support group each month, currently a virtual meet up, open to all personal assistant (PA) employers or potential employers. The group aims to provide an opportunity to meet others in similar situations, to ask questions or just share in the conversation.
Interested in becoming a peer mentor?
The organisation is always looking to recruit new peers, willing to share their life experiences to help and support fellow self-directed support users and promote AILN and its services.
This would be as little as two hours a month, with training provided.
Here are some testimonials from a peer mentor and an SDS user:
“Being a peer, to me, helps me give something back to this world; a world that I once needed to ask what to do. I feel better passing my skills on.”
“I live in an isolated area so connecting with people who understand me is fantastic.”
If you’re interested in becoming a peer mentor, or just want to find out more about the Chatting Matters group, please contact helen@ailn.org for further details. You can also call 07570670220.
Upcoming meeting dates
Come along to a Chatting Matters meeting. Open to all PA employers. All events start at 1pm.
Open peer support meeting dates:
Wednesday 9th March
Wednesday 6th April
Wednesday 4th May
Wednesday 1st June
Book club meeting dates (limited places available)
Monday 21st March
Monday 18th April
Monday 16th May
Monday 13th June
For more information, contact helen@ailn.org or call 07570 670220.