News Our latest news and updates The ‘Cost of Gigging’ crisis – our tips for getting out21/09/2023Find Your Good Space at Stay Up Late17/09/2023Training to Transform Support Work14/07/2023What is the most common question we get asked at Glastonbury Festival?29/06/2023Celebrating eight years of Gig Buddies in Sydney22/06/2023Trustees wanted12/06/2023Podcast episode 4 – Being a volunteer07/06/2023The Stay Up Late Guide to Building Confidence19/05/2023Voices of Gig Buddies: Jo12/05/2023The growing Gig Buddies community and a sustainable funding model in Australia30/04/2023Reasons to be miserable – part one19/04/2023SXSW Sydney 2023 – vote for our pitch03/04/2023How can we get more ‘care’ into the ‘social’ side of the lives of the people we support?29/03/2023Podcast Episode 3 – Carol from Gig Buddies Sydney08/03/2023Julian’s ‘pull tips’14/02/2023How Gig Buddies got started12/02/2023Podcast Episode 2 – Getting Our Confidence Back31/01/2023Getting Back Out There: Glyndebourne24/01/2023Voices of Gig Buddies: Angee17/01/2023Bollocks to Blue Monday15/01/2023Getting our confidence back11/01/2023A New Year resolution you can keep. Be someone’s buddy!04/01/2023A look back at 202222/12/2022Light in the darkness15/12/2022Annual review advent calendar 202201/12/2022Big Give Christmas Challenge24/11/2022Ambassadors update – Nov ’2224/11/2022Our new podcast21/11/2022Our Annual General Meeting – Paul’s reflections21/11/2022Sports Buddies – a year in photos15/11/2022Gig Buddies and Sports Buddies in numbers13/11/2022Annual General Meeting celebration – 16th Nov ’22, Hove04/11/2022Gig Buddies partners day, Bristol30/10/2022Advisory groups round-up23/10/2022Ambassadors talk about early club nights20/10/2022Clash in the Castle – one man’s journey to see WWE in Cardiff on his own07/10/2022Roger and Tash – ‘running’ and ending their buddying well29/09/2022Gig Buddies – an idea to enhance student life24/09/2022Remembering Queen Elizabeth II16/09/2022Ambassadors update09/09/2022‘Sticking it to the man’ – with Discount Sticker Printing05/09/2022The secret to making live music venues more accessible02/09/2022Proud of my identity – The Wild Rainbows’ Photosymbols photoshoot30/08/2022Brighton Pride: people with learning disabilities partying with pride09/08/2022The six types of support worker03/08/2022Taking the #NoBedtimes campaign to Cheshire07/07/2022Getting ready for Glastonbury05/07/2022We’ve won a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service02/06/2022How to have a great time at a music festival30/05/2022Paul awarded ‘Points of Light’ award by the Prime Minister27/05/2022Victoria’s thoughts and feelings now we are out of lockdown26/05/2022Accessible music festivals and our top tips23/05/2022Three years of Stay Up Late Ambassadors – celebrating their successes12/05/2022Daniel reports from the TEDx Brighton conference28/04/2022The Stay Up Late Ambassadors Go Green!16/02/2022Oh wow! Me on TV! Daniel’s blog about Gig Buddies on The One Show14/02/2022Speaking up for people with learning disabilities – our ten campaign pledges09/02/2022Looking back at lockdown and looking forward03/02/2022Talking about Quality – the work of our Quality Team24/01/2022Annual General Meeting – what the ambassadors thought14/01/2022‘Like a storm at a festival’ – our review of 2021 (and how we kept on dancing)06/12/2021Seity Socks12/11/2021Stay Up Late and Gig Buddies discuss identity, diversity and equality11/11/2021Osees European Tour ‘Metamorphosed’ Beer supporting Stay Up Late10/11/2021Stay Up Late Ambassadors: Leanne’s story27/10/2021Campaigns, top tips food and fun – Daniel reports on Ambassadors’ Day20/10/2021Commissioning social care: what local authorities are telling us06/10/2021Sharing Gig Buddies – How we share it and what we’ve learned28/09/2021Recruiting volunteers through lockdown10/09/2021Memories of Chris01/09/2021Songs from a Padded Envelope podcast with Paul01/09/2021Developing the ‘No Bedtimes’ campaign18/08/2021Pride month: out and proud with the Wild Rainbows29/06/2021Guardian letter: Adults with learning disabilities should be able to stay up late24/06/2021Learning Disability Week: ask your local councillor to support #NoBedtimes17/06/2021Help celebrate our tenth birthday with Jason’s art project15/06/20212020 – Stay Up Late remixed – or ‘How to Be a Punk in a Pandemic’04/06/2021Press release: lobbying campaign to ensure flexible support and ‘No Bedtimes’ councils03/06/2021Gig Buddies team up with UK band IDLES! – 20th June04/05/2021Our new office23/04/2021Our Easy Read guide to doing radio and TV interviews22/04/2021Victoria’s blog: My experience in lockdown and thoughts13/04/2021‘Life after lockdown’ advice sheet: what support will people need?07/04/2021“A huge ray of sunshine” Simon, Sophie and Nicole tell us all about Electric Umbrella30/03/2021Stay Up Late Ambassadors: Shannara’s story24/03/2021The Stay Up Late Ambassadors – Dania’s story23/03/2021Stay Up Late Ambassador Leanne on mental health11/03/2021A blog about blogs! Our Easy Read Guide to writing a blog10/03/2021“After Covid people with learning disabilities will need support to feel more independent”09/02/2021Bollocks to Blue Monday14/01/2021Merry Gigmas27/11/2020What kind of support worker are you? The six kinds of support worker13/10/2020What stops people with a learning disability going out in the evening?29/09/2020“What do those type of people need alcohol for?”12/08/2020Our Manifesto for an Ordinary Life is all about human rights25/06/2020Inclusive club nights and staying up late – new advice sheet for organisers26/02/2020Our new year’s resolution – not to be part of the problem15/01/2020Does my work practice look institutionalised in this?22/07/2019‘How do you stop grouped activities that mean everyone arrives and leaves at the same time?’21/06/2019The secret to writing a #NoBedTimes rota30/04/2019“Never mind the bollocks – just support me to lead an ordinary life”08/04/2019A manifesto for an ordinary life14/12/2018No hi-viz jacket required – small institutions10/12/2018Social franchising – what we’ve learned from Gig Buddies in a Box30/06/2018Gig Buddies evaluation – the work so far15/04/2018Campaigning workshops – a resource to help make change happen12/06/2017Recruiting staff and involving people with learning disabilities at Stay Up Late16/03/2017Social franchising – the biggest risk?26/02/2017The top 5 music documentaries of the 21st century22/11/2016Support worker – what makes a good one?13/06/2016Friendships, iPads and ‘The Provision Cliff’28/05/2016Commissioning – an idea and a lesson learned21/05/2016Person Centred support – the secrets revealed…01/05/2016What’s your bedtime? Why do we care?04/02/2016Support workers – valuing their roles30/11/2015Inclusion for people with learning disabilities05/11/2015Gig Buddies at Glastonbury Festival02/10/2015Being an audience member26/09/2015The 6 kinds of support worker01/05/2015Our tips for running a club night20/02/201510 reasons why people with learning disabilities don’t have great lives…29/07/2014Music and the Social Model – book review01/12/2013That’s Not My Name – an anti hate crime anthem23/09/2013Part 2 of the Stay Up Late story – touring, TV and songwriting08/06/2013Stay Up Late at The Great Escape – Part 1 of the Stay Up Late story31/05/2013Where it all began – Heavy Load movie now on Vimeo on demand04/05/2013Julian’s ‘pull tips’10/02/2013Social media policy – in a Tweet!26/01/2013And the result is….?05/08/2012Gig Buddies on the telly13/07/2012Loneliness and Cruelty report published02/07/2012Sleeq night club open – Hammersmith – 18th May08/05/2012The Misfits at Bristol Old Vic26/02/2012Valentines Day top tips14/02/2012Pop Week – Croydon – 26th July – 29th July16/07/2010Disability Pride 12th June ’10 – Wales06/05/2010New Stingray Club Venue, Oxford, UK – 15th Dec30/11/2009Bed Push in Coventry – UK17/09/200907/08/2009Stay Up Late Wales launch – 21st June19/06/2009BBC 4 Tonight – Heavy Load the Movie09/02/2009Support Action Net Award20/01/2009Website Re-launch08/01/2009 Share this page Share