The Outsiders Trust 2005/6 Annual Report April 6th 2005 - April 5th 2006.
Outsiders was founded in 1979 by Dr. Tuppy Owens, Nigel Verbeek (Soundaround), Dr. Patricia Gillan (Maudsley and Guys Hospitals) and another disabled man, David Cooper, to help people with social and physical disabilities in their personal development. In 1983 Outsiders was registered as a charity.
Run by its members for its members, Outsiders flourished right from the beginning, with a triumphant party in London and monthly London events attracting members from all parts of Great Britain and abroad, on a regular basis. Members subscriptions and donations provided, and still provide the funds for postage and basic costs. New members come from the media, both features and problem pages, conferences and festivals, listings, databases and via this website.
A Steering Committee drew up a constitution and formed a democratically elected Management Committee, made up of members with a wide range of disabilities.
In 1986, Outsiders received a grant from the Mental Health Foundation to expand our work into other cities in the south of England, and a Development Officer was appointed with a salary.
In 1990, founder, Dr. Tuppy Owens was told by her Residents Association that she could no longer run Outsiders from her flat, and premises had to be sought elsewhere. It was a period of real struggle as we moved from one rickety leaky office to another. In 2002, we moved into a warm, dry, secure office in Leroy House in Islington, thanks to sufficient funds being raised.
The Club's principles have remained the same: accepting people however impaired they are through disability. As members gain confidence and expertise, they are encouraged to take on responsibilities as volunteers. We tell new members that the more they get active, hopefully getting involved with Outsiders and our campaigning, the more they will be mixing socially and likely to form deep meaningful relationships.
When our sister organisation SPOD closed down in 2003, Outsiders took over some it its work including the Sex and Disability Helpline.
In 2004, this website won The National Information Forum's 'Getting the Message Across' award for 'a substantial amount of information presented in a sensitive way'.
In 2004, Outsiders formed the Sexual Health & Disability Alliance, to bring together helpline operators and professionals who wish to improve the sexual plight of disabled people.
Outsiders takes pride that we have influenced the world to make society more accepting of disabled people as partners. We continue to campaign on this issue.
Outsiders is increasingly recognised as an authority on disability and relationships, and is being taken more seriously in the disability world.
My voluntary working life has been made easier now that I have broadband, recently becoming available in my remote area of Scotland.
The Disability Now magazine (published by Scope) Sex Survey revealed that finding a partner is the single most difficult thing for disabled people. This has encouraged the magazine to feature Outsiders more frequently and seek our guidance editorially.
A BBC3 documentary made about Outsiders, was screened on 29th March 2006.
Outsiders has started projects with other agencies. We joined up with Danda, the neuro-diversity support charity, to run a group called Sweet Talk to help neuro-diverse people cope better at forming relationships. We are also in dialogue with the new group for learning disabled adults, Stars in the Sky.
Our V-Group for disabled women with sexual problems has its own logo, strapline, mission statement and contact details. Regular meetings are held, where women can swap notes and learn.
The second Sexual Health & Disability Alliance meeting was set for May 2006 and meetings will now be held every six months.
Eleni and I ran a workshop on sex and disability at the Choices and Rights Disability Coalition Conference in Hull on Wednesday 23rd November 2005.
Two grants were made to Outsiders:
Our own fund raising events raised £2,500 to help pay the office rent and £1,000 refunding for a computer.
The Sex and Disability Helpline receives approximately ten calls a day from health professionals and disabled people.
Members voted for Outsiders to became involved in the annual Sexual Freedom Conference, which took place on 6th May 2006. Mandi Peers spoke about the V-Group.
Our award-winning website has been improved to include substantial resources for both learning, physically and socially disabled people. This site is being redesigned and re-coded in order to make it accessible to disabled people, for example those with Visual Impairment and blind people.
Outsiders is still regarded as pioneering and exemplary throughout the world.
Dr. Tuppy Owens.
The Outsiders Club and The Trust are run as parallel organisations. The Club handles its membership, and The Trust oversees good practice and is responsible for the campaigns, research and projects. Disabled representatives of the Club advise the Trustees, and Trustees (some of whom are also disabled) attend Club events. Fundraising events are organised by a separate organisation, the Leydig Trust, using a team of volunteers, some of whom are also Outsiders members, Patrons and Trustees.
The Outsiders Club is a user-led voluntary sector group for people with social and physical disabilities, responsive to the needs of its members, providing personal support and encouragement to enjoy life, and find a partner.
Outsiders members really appreciate belonging to a club where they are accepted in every sense, whatever their disability or sexual orientation. Social events are organised, where members can relax, be themselves and discuss their difficulties. Some members who have gained confidence, and perhaps found a partner, become part of the volunteer team and may go on to become a member of the Advisory Group to advise the Trustees of the Outsiders Trust.
Club volunteers work in the London office and from home, answering phone calls, mail and emails from members, and looking after this website. They also run local groups, send out the birthday cards, run the raffles, drive other members to events, become part of our phone support network, and contribute to this website, Outsiders-Chat and our magazine, INSIDE.
We have a new office volunteer, Philippe, a young gay French man with a disability. Initially, he enjoyed being "office boy" with no responsibilities but he has now taken over the task of sending the birthday list to Maz, and co-hosting the LGBT network. Sue Nathan is our Membership Secretary, Eleni Stephani Social Secretary, also running the new Outsiders Helpline. Janet looks after the mailings to blind and visually impaired members. Jamie is developing this website, with the help of a student volunteer.
Volunteers are always in the office at the same time at least once a week. Volunteers meetings are held once a month. A log book is kept of all office activities.
New members are welcomed with a personal letter and phone call, a pack of literature, including a book called Practical Suggestions, which discusses all the ways members have succeeded in the past.
Unsuitable applicants are weeded out. People who are discriminatory, racist or exploitative are rejected and people with more than a very mild learning disability are pointed towards other clubs.
Outsiders Code of Conduct, Protection of Vulnerable Adults Policy and Child Protection Policy are sent to all new members. On joining, each must sign an agreement to confirm they have read our rules, these codes and policies through, and agree to adhere to them. A new membership application form is being designed to give volunteers better insight into the applicant, and encourage them to write more compelling descriptions about themselves on the membership list.
Members receive regular mailings three times a year, which include our membership list and magazine INSIDE. The magazine provides details of forthcoming events and reports on past events and workshops. It runs a regular interview and articles by members. It provides an update of Practical Suggestions and services. This year, we featured the new club for people with learning disabilities, Stars in the Sky, and have begun regular features on disabled artists, starting with Frieda Kahlo. We also have a new regular Clubbing Column and Aspie Page.
The Club runs a postal library of over 500 books, tapes and DVDs.
| Sex | Heterosexual | Lesbian | Bisexual | Gay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 277 | 19 | 17 | |
| Male | 501 | 12 | 10 |
The geographical distribution is representative of the general population, with 5 living overseas. Ages range from 18 to 77.
The price of membership is £25 and £15 for unemployed.
Success within Outsiders is difficult to measure, as some people simply feel happier belonging to a club where they are accepted, while others feel let down that they are not suddenly constantly surrounded by models and superstars. In general, we find that until people accept their disability, they are unlikely to have other people interested in them.
Success stories are written up in our magazine INSIDE and sometimes on this website. Some of these are happy accounts of two people falling in love. For example, this is from a couple, both wheelchair users:
We exchanged letters, started phoning each other, and finally met up, following all the advice given in Practical Suggestions. We have given each other much confidence, and are enjoying a whole new amazing experience.
But success is measured more in how people have moved forward, becoming more sociable, increased self esteem, and perhaps stopped self destructive behaviour, such as over-eating. Jenny in Oldham wrote:
I have made three good friends through Outsiders who have helped me gain confidence as I am very shy. I am moving into my own flat, leaving home for the first time at 31! I feel the time has come to be independent. Thank you for the support and I am enjoying making new friends.
Sue was featured in a success story after she had counselling at The Maudsley, and gained a really positive outlook on forming relationships and enjoying life.
John wrote a very beautiful account of how the Outsiders Club and our members have been a major positive life force during his 25 or so years of being a member. He is someone who is too socially panicky to travel far. Members encouraged him to visit them. and helped him build up confidence, which eventually led to him, for example, to feel able to drive to Northampton for a medical for his pension infirmity benefit, which he is now enjoying! He wrote:
It's nice to know there's still one organisation which has not been hi-jacked by the quangos or big business - so many thanks once more!
Rather than confront members with evaluation forms about how successful the club is for them, we let them to know we welcome feedback, which we take very seriously, responding accordingly. Each item of feedback is discussed at the monthly meetings and unresolved problems are taken to the Trustees. The three biggest complaints are:
We do everything we can to remedy these problems. We continuously encourage members to get together to run local lunches around the country. The St. Monica Trust funding to reduce the social isolation of disabled people in the West Country, we decided that we needed to tackle the problem of having sustainable local groups. We began by asking all our West Country members what they thought would be the answer. We thought that the major problem was that Bristol is an urban sprawl which makes disabled people feel very isolated, but we learned that disabled people felt living out of urban areas even more isolating. West Country members wanted an Information Centre where they could get information about places to go and ways to meet others.
Other local disability groups were unhelpful in helping us, nobody came forward from inside the club, and we were unable to find the right local organiser. We decided we needed a clone of Maz, the woman who runs our East Anglia lunches and supports local members. With this in mind, we placed adverts on the local Gum Tree website for such a person, and we await the outcome.
We gain insight into the inner workings of the Outsiders through workshops, phone calls, emails and interviews with members. For example, a house-bound woman who has been interviewed for INSIDE spoke of her many contacts with others members during her 17 years of membership, and described how she encourages them to come out of their shells and fulfill their dreams.
Monthly lunches are held in London, Ipswich, Birmingham and Barnsley, with more planned. They are held in quiet wheelchair accessible and spacious wine bars and inexpensive restaurants with good parking. People are made to feel welcome, and we ensure they are introduced to each other in the most relaxed and friendly way. Some people come along to a lunch several times before deciding to join. Others decide to meet their 'new date' at a lunch as it provides a safe and neutral environment, where they are surrounded by friends.
Workshops are sometimes held at the London lunch and tend to be very well attended. They are particularly powerful as they include people with no speech, sight, hearing, people with Autism and Aspergers syndrome as well as people with mobility and all kinds of hidden disabilities. Topics (often requested by members) this year have included:
Participants complete a valuation form based on how enjoyable, useful and thought-provoking the workshop was for them. The responses are average 9 out of 10.
The last workshop was filmed by BBC3 as part of their documentary. Workshops are written up and reported in INSIDE, so that other members can benefit.
The AGM and New Year Party on 7th January took place at The Spitz Nightclub in Spitalfields. Speeches were short and the evening soon burst into party mode, until the lift became flooded and the party people were stranded on the second floor and newcomers could not get in. To make matters even worse, the toilets were located in the basement! The London Ambulance Service rescued the people upstairs and the party relocated to the ground level Spitz Gallery, with a bar over the road allowing us use of their ground level toilet. And still everyone had fun, the party being nick-named 'The Night of Low Expectations'.
Cinema, theatre, museum, art gallery, comedy night outings are now enjoyed by our group The London Gadabouts.
The yahoogroup 'Outsiders Chat' continues to host lively debates.
This award-winning website is female-friendly and we work hard to make our site the ultimate guide to social resources for people with all disabilities. As well as providing the relevant news and information, it offers:-
We are planning a section listing local counsellors and therapists specialising in relationships, sexuality and disability. We are also getting this website completely redesigned and re-coded to make it accessible to disabled people, for example those with Visual Impairment and blind people. We plan to add a member's area, and be able to allow people to join and donate online.
The V-Group for disabled women offers opportunities to swap notes and support each other. A qualified sex therapist attends each meeting. The women visited the Sh! Shop in summer 2005, met on 27th November 2005 and again on 12th February 2006. One woman wrote:
What seems very ordinary when we sit chatting, as time passes, profoundly influences our thinking. It feels revolutionary on a very personal level. It reminds me of the sense I got in the early days of the feminist movement - women meeting up and exploring their lives and desires, discussing how to achieve what they want in a society that tries to squash both. Good on us!
Philippe, and a bisexual female member, decided to bring the gay, lesbian, bi and transgendered members together for mutual support in a LGBT Network. A table is sometimes set aside for this group at lunches.
Two members of our Advisory Group, Eleni and Eirwen attended the one-day 'Relationships and Young Disabled People Conference' on 3rd October 2005. It had been organised by the Islington and Camden's Teenage Pregnancy Teams and Islington Sexual Health Team. Eirwen wrote:
I was very aware, from interactions and questions, that many non-disabled professionals working with young disabled people around sex and relationships seem scared, and seem to experience a Paralysis of initiative when presented with people with impairment talking about/exploring their sexuality - not feeling equipped to deal with them, nor to adapt existing resources or create new ones. They see disability as a barrier, and need some good disability equality/diversity training. They are so desperately trying to get it right that they end up worrying so much about getting it wrong, that they do nothing at all.
Tuppy and Eleni travelled to Hull to run a workshop at the Choices and Rights Disability Coalition Conference in Hull on Wednesday 23rd November 2005. It was very difficult because too many people registered with the workshop, there were some rather negative attitudes and a general feeling of helplessness. There were not enough PAs to help people without speech and mobility, so much of time was taken up with helping them. Choices and Rights was an impressive conference with disabled celebrities and extravagant catering. It raised spirits rather than actually tackling issues that might really benefit disabled delegates long term.
The BBC3 television documentary on Outsiders 'Disabled and Looking for Love' was a beautifully crafted and very moving hour-length film. Four Outsiders members were followed in their search to fins a partner. The film was screened on 29th March 2006 and we were inundated with requests for membership.
A new logo, leaflet and application form are being designed by Mima Sharpe, a fashion designer who produces very pretty fabrics. She had knocked on our office door one day and introduced herself as our neighbour from across the corridor who would like to help us. The images she is creating are more friendly and feminine than our current ones.
Our A5 poster for libraries, day centres and other public places is in its fourth printing. We rely on members to get these distributed.
A group of Outsiders members were interviewed for BBC Radio 4's 'You and Yours' on 7th September 2005.
The Spring 2005 edition of 'One in Ten', the Sexual Dysfunction Newsletter, featured a front page article on Outsiders.
The 2nd November 2005 edition of the Third Sector featured a discussion in the Nick Cater column on how attitudes are the real disability, and that is why Outsiders is still struggling financially.
Mr. Cater suggested that each disability charity should be running its own sexual health services and support, with Outsiders volunteers becoming their consultants. Tuppy responded with a letter, published in the 9th November edition, stating:
However much each disability charity runs its own sexual health service, Outsiders provides a unique, safe environment where people with disabilities can meet others who may not have the same disability, but can walk at the same speed, kiss at the same height and accept disability in a world where most people dismiss potential partners for being unfit, the wrong size or attracting stigma.
The Trust submitted its 2004/5 Annual Return with the Annual Report and Accounts on time to the Charity Commission. We have opened a new bank accountin Scotland and are now becoming registered with the Scottish Charity Commission.
Outsiders trustees are selected for their very special qualities which they use to understand, respond to and support this very sensitive work. All are down-to-earth, honest and dependable, with a high level of education and many years experience of disability. They have a liberal pansexual attitude and wide experience of discussing intimate issues. Trustees oversee good practice and provide inspiration, wisdom, encouragement, support and advice on funding.
Tuppy Owens has an Honours degree in Zoology, a Diploma in Human Sexuality from London University and an Honorary Doctorate for Good Works from the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco. She has spoken about at conferences around the world, and does numerous media interviews. She works full time for the Outsiders and Leydig Trusts on a voluntary basis.
Trustees meet three times a year in the London office, and annually at the AGM. Meetings during the period of this report were as follows:
The Trust, coordinated Dr Tuppy Owens, organises the trustees meetings, and produces and circulates the minutes. Trustees are advised by her and the Advisory Group which is comprised of six disabled members of the Outsiders club, most of whom also work as volunteers. They are:
Tuppy is in touch with the Outsiders volunteers on a daily basis by phone and email. She attends the most of the monthly progress meetings in London. She also runs many of the London lunches and is currently running the workshops. She edits Practical Suggestions, this website and our magazine INSIDE.
Advisory Group is updating our Volunteering Policy with the valuable help of The National Centre for Volunteering booklet 'Get it Right from the Start - Volunteer policies - the key to volunteer involvement'.
Outsiders campaigns at every opportunity for the promotion of disabled people as partners, and for disabled people to have the same personal opportunities and choices as others. This is done through the Leydig Trust events, interviews, talks, letters to MPs etc. We encourage members to participate with this campaigning.
The Trust is currently researching how to become more financially secure and sustainable via funding, forming alliances, increasing income through membership and donations, and marketing our expertise.
Initially, we are researching evidence for needs for training disabled people and health professionals in sexuality and disability.
Health professionals who belong to SHADA are grateful to Outsiders for creating this initiative and, in return, offer on advice on a way forward. Advise is being sought from many different sources.
Research, trials and brainstorming continue on how to help people with physical and social disabilities in geographical areas of Britain, feel less isolated and enjoy life more.
We are also researching in an informal way, how to improve the sexual education of socially and physically disabled people, and increase the awareness of funders and those who allocate funds controlling education within the health professions on the importance of this work.
We are looking into ways to improve the sex lives of learning disabled people by:
Outsiders was consulted for the summary of The Disability Now Sex Survey.
Tuppy was asked to write a reply to a problem letter in the NACC News published by the National Association for Colitis and Crohn's Disease, which was published in their Spring 2006 edition.
Tuppy helped nursing specialist Nikki Ward with her leaflet on sex and Multiple Sclerosis , and has been invited to write her own article on the subject for the MS Trust Magazine.
Tuppy has become an Approver for the Mencap factsheets, and contributed to an article, yet to be published, in the academic journal 'Disability and Society'.
This group is expanding, and now includes therapists, professionals who run disability agencies, such as:
Linda Couldrick, Lecturer at The School of Health Professionals at Brighton University, said:
I consider SHADA to be enormously important and it will be of international influence.
SHADA was delighted when Scope offered the use of one of their board rooms for our forthcoming meeting, which has a balanced programme of talks and discussions planned.
The group is becoming much more than a networking resource for helpline operators. It is attracting both disabled and non-disabled health professionals who worry about the low priority that sexual health is given in the disability world. Members really appreciate the opportunity to get together work out how to remedy the situation.
The helpline is answered 11am-7pm weekdays by Tuppy Owens. Being part of the SHADA has helped her feel less isolated. She is also hooking up with researchers and specialists who help her answer the questions she finds difficult.
Some disability agencies and medical experts are still unwilling to discuss sexual issues, and disabled people are refused help. The topic of sex is rarely brought up by health professionals. When disabled people ask, they may not be taken seriously. They may be told that they cannot expect sexual pleasure. Disabled women may be refused the chance to discuss pregnancy. Many newly disabled, and people with progressive disability are given no information about sex whatsoever.
Tuppy finds the helpline a joy to run. All callers show enthusiastic appreciation to have ended their long journey in search of help. None of the callers are abusive or mis-use the line. Most are willing to try things out, and sometimes phone back to say how satisfying their lives have become.
Discussions are taking place between Outsiders and Danda, to run a regular group, Sweet Talk, for neuro diverse people. This includes people with Asperger's Syndrome, Dyspraxia, Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder, Dyslexia , Tourette's, Dyscalculia, High Functioning Autism , and related conditions such as OCD, ODD and SID. Sweet Talk will help them learn skills they need to know in order to start relationships.
The 2005 Leydig Trust Ball raised £3,500:
The Ball also raises awareness about the personal needs of people with disabilities. It is accessible, disability friendly and attracts many disabled guests. The booklet supplied with each ticket, 'The Little Book of Delights', devotes a large section on how to socialise with people with disabilities.
We received the £2000 from The Baily Thomas Charitable Fund for research for a book on sexuality for learning disabled women.
The St. Monica Trust donated £3,436 for a one-year project to reduce loneliness and isolation of disabled people in the West Country. Awards for All have been asked for £4,950 to fund the design, printing and distribution of a new publicity leaflet.
Outsiders Trust receives regular funds from our Slough Estates shares (donated by an Associate member), paid every six months, to the sum of approximately £258, plus tax rebate.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of Outsiders for their support with donations given over and above their membership fees. We also thank our associate members for their support.
Outsiders volunteers who work hard and endlessly, we thank the volunteers of the Leydig Trust who put time and energy into the fund-raising events.
Thanks for the devotion of the Trustees and to our consultants, Tulloch Kempe for moulding Trustees into an effective, responsible board, and Shital Shah for providing professional guidance.
Thanks to The Baily Thomas Charitable Fund and the The St. Monica Trust for current funding. Finally, thanks to all those who have supported us financially in the past: