Advisory Groups

Our Advisory Groups

Our advisory groups are integral to the running of our charity and our Gig Buddies project, ensuring that adults with learning disabilities are at the very centre of everything we do.

They have been at centre stage with us since the very beginning and their motto is “Nothing about us without us”. They work with our coordinators to ensure all the events, campaigns, and developments within the charity have their full involvement. From recruiting our staff through to the way the projects are run, being on the board and strategic plans.

The Storm and Thunder Team

We are Storm and Thunder, Brighton’s advisory group. So-named because we like to make lots of noise about things we care about!

We have worked on getting accessible and fun events on in Brighton, getting involved with rap, outdoor music and improv workshops. We also go to conferences to spread the word about Stay Up Late and pair up with other cool organisations here like The Real Junk Food Project.

We’re currently working on a branding consultant to help us better explain the work of Stay Up Late and Gig Buddies with the general public.

The Wild Rainbows

We are the Wild Rainbows and we are a group of Gig Buddies who identify as either Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning or Other.

We were born when a member of Storm and Thunder pointed out the difference in experiences people with learning disabilities can have when they are also LGBTQ+. We decided to set up this group to ensure that LGBTQ+ people that we work with can advise on our how we work using their perspectives and ideas whilst not worrying about being judged based on their gender or sexuality.

We love to hang out together, socialise and have fun. We have been to lots of drag shows, and led the Pride parade in Brighton! Our favourite night out of the year is The Lady Boys of Bangkok.

We don’t just party though, we have also attended events for LBGT History Month and work with Gig Buddies to ensure that LGBTQ+ members are represented. The Wild Rainbows worked with the charity United Response to look at ways of making Pride events more accessible for people with learning disabilities. You can read more and download their advice sheet here

“We are a group with cool ideas who plan fun events and it’s amazing because I like being so involved with things that I love!” Sas

The Wise Owls

We are The Wise Owls, the smart and night life loving group of East Sussex!

We have recently discussed lots of social issues including the Black Lives Matter movement, one of our members even designed a comic strip to help inform people in our community about saying no to racism. We’re excited to discuss a big 10 years of Stay Up Late fundraiser in our next group.

Our chair Dan describes us as “people that make things happen and talk about all sorts of issues that are really important to us!”

Stormzy’s Crew

We are Stormzys Crew and we are the advisory group for West Sussex. We are cool, loads of fun, and we like to get things done!

We’ve worked recently on recycling and updating our Green charter to make sure we’re doing as much as we can as a charity for the environment. Up next for us is a discussion on online safety and its importance for us in the current world.

“Stormzys Crew are really important because everyone has a right to have a voice and have a turn saying what they would like to see happen in the Gig Buddies project, I love it when we all come together”. Victoria