This year Us in a Bus is celebrating 35 years of providing opportunities for those with profound learning disabilities to communicate and connect with others in ways that the majority of us take for granted.
How do you feel when you’ve met your friends for a catch-up and over lunch or dinner? Happy . . . part of something . . . understood? What feeling are you left with when you share a joke over the till in the supermarket? Warm . . . connected . . . close to others?
Imagine what it must feel like if you find communication challenging, if you have no words and the world (and especially the people in it) are confusing. What must it feel like to not be heard or to be misunderstood? Lonely . . . scary . . . frustrating?
Every week our Team visit 122 people in Surrey and the surrounding areas who face these challenges. Most have no words, and the majority also have other disabilities or conditions that make day to day life difficult. We aim to establish ways of making a connection to ease loneliness, build self-confidence and make a positive meaningful connection that lasts long after our visit is over. We deliver 46 hour long Interactive Sessions each week. Our Team work in pairs to facilitate group sessions encouraging those we support to express themselves in whatever way they can and in doing so encourage them to connect with each other.
In 1849, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr said (in the Paris equivalent of Private Eye magazine) “the more things change, the more things stay the same”. Within our work there have been many things that have changed but also fundamental aspects that have stayed the same over the last 35 years.
In 1990 we were developed and set up by The Spastic Society (now Scope) to work with those who lived in 4 local long-stay hospitals including The Royal Earlswood. We may have witnessed huge changes in the lives of the people we support – where they live, what opportunities are open to them, how the support they need is provided and funded, even how they are ‘seen’ by the communities in which we all live. But at the same time, the core human need to be recognised and valued is unchanged. We believe that we all have that same right, to be valued for the unique people we are and to live a fulfilled life.
To subsidise the services we provide we have to raise £113,000 every year. We currently do this through a few different channels. Firstly, by fundraising, then by holding events such our bi-annual Winter Wander, Sky Dive (which we ran in 2022), The Three Peaks Challenge (which we ran in 2013) and finally by delivering our Development and Practice training, where we support, guide and empower teams to use Intensive Interaction confidently. These all help us to raise funds to support people to live their lives to the full.
For 35 years, our journey has been shaped not only by the joy we share, but also by the wisdom and guidance we receive from the people at the heart of our charity — individuals with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs. They continue to teach us about resilience, creativity, laughter, and what true community really means.
This milestone is not just about looking back on decades of dedicated work, but also about cherishing countless moments of connection, growth, and celebration. Every smile, every breakthrough, and every friendship formed has been a reminder that the most powerful lessons often come from those we aim to support.
As we look ahead, we do so with gratitude and excitement, ready for the next chapter of learning, joy, and shared experiences.
Disclaimer: Us in a Bus cannot accept liability for any errors in this publication. No part of this publication can be reproduced, in any form, without the written permission of Us in a Bus
