Stay Up Late’s #NoBedtimes campaign – how you can help

“When we go out to gigs we want to stay for the whole thing not leave when the carer says it’s time to go.” – Daniel Randall-Nason, Stay Up Late Ambassador

Having a learning disability should never stop anyone enjoying a great night out. But we find that lots of people with learning disabilities are unable to lead full and active social lives. People are often told there isn’t the staff to support them to be out late. Some residential homes lock their doors at 10pm and residents don’t have a key.

We’re working to end those old-fashioned ideas. We want people with learning disabilities to be able to lead the kind of social lives they want to lead. That’s what our #NoBedtimes campaign is all about.

Write to your local councillor

County councils and unitary councils in each local area are the bodies responsible for social care and for setting up contracts with support providers. We have written to all of these councils asking them to make sure that all of their contracts make it clear that support providers must operate flexible rotas. This is so that people with learning disabilities can do the things that they want to do and stay out late in the evening if they want. We would love you to write to your own local councillor(s), too. You can email them from this website here.

All you need to do is type in your postcode. If you live in an area with a county council just click to select your County councillor. If you live in an area with a unitary council or in a London borough then click to select your local councillors. Please send a message to them and ask if all the social care contracts they have with support providers operate flexible rotas so that people with learning disabilities can stay up late. Ask your council to support our campaign and become a No Bedtimes Council!

You can read our letter to local councils here

You can also read our report on the responses we’ve had from local authorities here

Support the campaign

We want to work with groups and individuals around the whole country to tell everyone about the campaign and why it’s important.

Stay Up Late Director Paul Richards says: “We’d absolutely love you to get involved in our #NoBedtimes campaign. We’ve got lots of  materials about why it’s important to end outdated practices that stop people with learning disabilities having a great social life and staying up late. Support our campaign and help us fight for the right to party!”

We have #NoBedtimes leaflets, stickers and badges to give away. We also have advice sheets for support providers to help them change their ways.

The campaign was formally launched at a special fundraising gig night at Brighton’s Komedia on November 12th 2019. It was fantastic to see so many people turning up in their pyjamas to say loudly and clearly we don’t want to go home to bed we want to stay up late!

Get involved

You can help the #NoBedtimes campaign in many different ways. That might be:

Running an information stall at a gig, an event or open day.

Handing out leaflets and stickers.

Getting someone from Stay Up Late to come and talk to your group.

Writing a blog or posting on Twitter and Facebook.

Online resources

An easy read guide to the #NoBedtimes campaign is available here No Bedtimes campaign guide – Easy Read

A pdf of the #NoBedtimes leaflet is available here

A pdf of the advice sheet for support providers is available here

A pdf of the advice sheet for club night organisers is available here

A pdf of the advice sheet for life after lockdown is available here

Get in touch

If you would like a #NoBedtimes campaign pack – just give us your name and postal address and we’ll get a pack off to you.

If you would like someone to come and talk to your local group about the #NoBedtimes campaign.

If you have any questions about the #NoBedtimes campaign or need advice about campaigning.

Email us at info@stayuplate.org or phone the office on 01273 101868

Join our Mailing List

Keep up to date with all our campaign news by joining our online mailing list here.

Help us by donating

Our community need you! Help more more adults with a learning disability get out and have fun. And help learning disabled people have their voices heard. All donations make a huge difference. Thanks a million for your support from The Stay Up Late  community. Donate here