Night club – do you remember the first time?
In this guest post Michael McEwan talks about the first time he went to a night club, and the importance of being able to Stay Up Late.
I know the first time I went out to a night club it was a big thing for me.
I can still remember the night, it was my 21st Birthday and we went out to a night club in the South Side of Glasgow, it was a good experience for me, and my mum and dad didn’t have to worry as I don’t drink. I was just going out and about, but I still didn’t have a big network of friends to go out with, but that all changed when I got my first job, I got invited to people’s birthday nights out.
One of my good friends is a director of Dates and Mates , Scotland’s national dating and friendship agency, run by and for adults with learning disabilities. They are part of a campaign in Scotland called Stay Up Late and they run a club night called LATE. Scotland’s only inclusive night for overs 18’s.
The club night is open to all but especially welcome people with learning disabilities, they also recognised none of the mainstream night clubs offered a welcome environment for people with a learning disability. Late is a space for people with and with out a disability to enjoy a safe and exciting night club experience.
Recognising that going to a nightclub for the first time can be a daunting experience. Thinking back to the transition between the school disco and the odd house party, to queuing up a nightclub on a Saturday night. These events provide people who may not have had the confidence, or feel they may have been excluded from clubbing, with an opportunity to get out, let your hair down and enjoy yourselves while safe in your own surrounding.
My partner and I have been to most of these, the night is good , it is busy busy and everyone has a top night. I would say that via this night Dates and Mates would help you to makes friend and also help your confidence, what it is good about this that no-one has a label if you know what I mean. You can just be you and have a good time, maybe help gain more confidence to go out and about, to any night club or pubs. Most importantly all who go have fun, that’s what it is all about, you having disability shouldn’t mean that you can’t go out and have a great, late night out.
Michael McEwan
Check out our Stay Up Late guides to Staying Up Late safely
[button font_size=”20″ color=”#c8232b” text_color=”#ffffff” icon=”bookmark-o” url=”https://stayuplate.org/stay-late-guides/” width=”” target=”_blank”]Stay Up Late Guides[/button]
