Our history

1993 – 1995

The Leeds Voluntary Sector Learning Disabilities Forum ran a workshop called “Changing for the Better”. This was about voluntary providers working together as a coalition.

This was the start of the Leeds Coalition, our old name.

In 1995 the Leeds Coalition was registered as a company. We worked only in the Leeds area.

1996 – 1999

A worker was employed to involve people with learning difficulties in checking services. The Health Authority funded this work.

The Leeds Coalition got three year funding from the National Lottery Charities Board starting in April 1997. This was the largest funding award in West Yorkshire at that time.

Picture : The Question Time Group

In 1997 and 1998 we held several “Your Views Matter” events. People with learning difficulties helped us to write our Equal Opportunities policy and our complaints procedure.

Picture : At a Your Views Matter event

In 1999 Patricia Farrell was employed to consult with African Caribbean people with learning difficulties.

In 1999 we ran a conference about Person Centred Planning.

Picture : Patricia Farrell

2000

The Helping Each Other For A Better World Team was 6 people with learning difficulties. They wrote a training pack called Making Your Days Better.

We ran our first five-day training course in Person Centred Planning in Leeds (Tools for Inclusion).

In this year we became a registered charity.

Picture : The Helping Each Other For A Better World Team

2001

In November 2001 the Leeds Coalition became Connect in the North. We could now have people with learning difficulties as members and work outside Leeds.

The Government White paper “Valuing People” helped to increase demand for Tools for Inclusion, our 5-day person centred planning course. Over the next 3 years we got a lot of our money from training.

Picture : Our first Connect In The North logo

2002 – 2005

Some of the Connect Group members in 2002

In 2002 the Connect Group of people with learning difficulties started to meet. This was to prepare their representatives for the Board meeting.

We developed a new course called “Managers Making it Happen” This was to support organisations to be more person centred.

Picture : Some of the Connect Group members in 2002

In 2004 the “Helping Each Other For A Better World” team was videoed for a CD about research made by the Norah Fry Research Institute.

In 2005 we wrote “Including the Excluded” – a guide to providing further education for people with learning difficulties and complex health needs.

Picture : The launch of “Including the Excluded”

2006 – 2008

In 2006 we started planning to change our rules so that only people with learning difficulties could be on the Board of Directors that lead the charity.

We started work on person centred planning in Wakefield.

Picture : The Connect Group in 2006