Two men and two women with learning disabilities at a party throwing poses. One is doing the splits, another holding a beer and another making a peace sign with their fingers.

Welcome to Stay Up Late

We’re a grassroots charity that enables adults with learning disabilities and autistic people to lead active social lives and make decisions about how they want to live their life.

We work to erode social isolation and campaign to challenge limiting social care practices.

Our charity is also the home of the Gig Buddies project, which we started in Sussex but which has grown into a national and international movement.

Our vision

That all people with learning disabilities and autistic people are able to lead full and active social lives and everything that leads from that. It’s not just about the fight for the right to party – it’s the right to live the life you want, whenever suits you.

We do this through:

Campaigning for change

Ending inflexible support for people with learning disabilities.

Making partying for people with learning disabilities a normal thing to do.

To re-centre care and support around what truly matters.

Creating friendships through Gig Buddies

Supporting people with learning disabilities and autistic people to go out to gigs and events with a volunteer who shares the same interests through our Gig Buddies and Sports Buddies projects.

Our Work

People with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and autistic people at music festival with volunteers

Gig Buddies and Sports Buddies

Gig Buddies and Sports Buddies are our projects that pair up people with and without learning disabilities in Sussex to be friends and to go to events together.

People with learning disabilities and autistic people holding protest placards. They are protesting for ordinary lives. The placards say 'bad words', 'social life', 'no bedtimes', 'choice', 'happy staff',

The Stay Up Late Campaign

People with learning disabilities fighting for the right to party

This is where our charity started and we’re developing more ways for more people with learning disabilities to fight for their right to party!

A group of four people at a gig, all smiling. Two of the people have a learning disability, the other two are volunteer buddies. They are all Gig Buddies.

Gig Buddies in a Box

Enabling friendships for people with learning disabilities around the UK and beyond

This is the way that we share our Gig Buddies project with other organisations who want to replicate our work.

We want as many people with learning disabilities and/or autism to have social lives as possible and so working with partner organisations who share our passion and philosophy is the best way for us to do this.

We now have partner projects in various locations around the UK and in Australia.

Person holding pen and writing on flip chart at a Stay Up Late campaign training workshop

Training

Our training shares our expertise in:

  • Learning Disability awareness
  • Participation and involving people with learning disabilities throughout your organisation

We’re happy to talk about other ideas you have too and design something to suit you.

The latest Stay Up Late news...

Get involved

Volunteer now

If you live in Sussex why not sign-up as a Gig Buddies or Sports Buddies volunteer.

Enable someone with a learning disability to take part in the things you enjoy and make a new friend while you’re doing it.

Stay Up Late is supported by...

The official Queen's Award for Voluntary Service logo. A white crown on a purple background.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

The Tudor Trust logo. Green text on a white background.

Tudor Trust

The Seity Socks company logo. Seity in a black gothic typeface with a bronze edging.

Seity Socks

The Pilot beer company beermat logo. Black writing on a round green background and outer white border. It says Made in Leith and Unfined Beer around the edge.

Pilot Beer

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