Check ‘mate’
Elvis was looking for more people to play chess with. Step forward Chris, another person supported by Milestones.
Transforming lives
one step at a time
Our stories
Gaining independence
Dean moved into his new home, one of our supported living services in Hanham, seven weeks ago, and he loves that he has so much independence now.
Y Viva España!
For several years now, two of the people we support in Hanham have wanted to take a holiday abroad. But, due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the planning and even the idea of going on holiday had to be postponed. Thankfully this year the team were finally able to support Gary and Sarah.
Not one but two record labels!
Mark Loughlin AKA The Impossible Bus has received fantastic news that, not one but two record labels wanted to sign him.
Peddle Power
Ann recently cycled *50 miles* during the month of May, to fundraise for Milestones Trust. Over the course of the month, she did three individual legs and raised a fantastic £355, (and still rising) hitting her target!
“A happy bubble of positivity”
Chris popped into Warmley Wheelers one day looking for a spanner. After chatting to Project Coordinator Andy he decided to become a volunteer, and two years later he’s still finding it a rewarding and worthwhile role.
A deep sense of joy
Sally volunteers at Expressions, our art group for people we support. She says that she feels valued as a volunteer and loves seeing people express themselves creatively.
Over the moon
George completed the 2023 Bristol Half Marathon. It was first time he has run a half marathon. He says that completing the race has given him a lot of confidence.
A rewarding job
Lorenzo is a Support Worker who works in one of our services for people with learning disabilities. He says that the job is very worthwhile and can be a lot of fun too.
Being accepted
Rachael goes to Warmley Wheelers, our community cycling project, with her brother Anthony. She has been really impressed with the support offered to Anthony, and how understanding and accepting the staff are.
She said yes!
After agreeing to let Jake walk his mum down the aisle, the hard work began! Mel and the team at Lower Hanham Road embarked on a journey with Jake, organising and planning physio, personal training, and weight loss planning.
A dream come true
Tim, who lives at one of our residential homes for people with learning disabilities, adores football. He is a massive fan of Manchester United, and he’s always wanted to go to a game at Old Trafford. With Tim’s family and his staff team working together, they were finally able to make it happen this year.
Feeling heard
Jacques’ daughter Marie lives at Kilvie House, one of our homes offering support to people with learning disabilities. Here Jacques reflects on the support that Milestones have provided to Marie, and to Marie’s family, for more than 20 years.
Putting learning into practice
Weena works at one of our residential services for people with learning disabilities. She is studying for a Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care, which is fully funded by Milestones. Here she reflects on the opportunities for professional development that she has received since she started working for the Trust.
Painting my life’s stories
Robert attends Expressions, our art group for people supported by Milestones. He likes to express himself and tell his stories through his art, and he also enjoys socialising with other people in the group. Rob displayed some of his artwork at Expressions’ public exhibition in July 2022.
Right on cue…
Elvis, who lives in supported living, is a very active person and enjoys playing sport. Elvis featured in World Disability Billiards and Snooker’s Welsh Open competition, which featured players from all over the world.
A great career
Laura is Service Manager at the Recovery Hub, a home for people with enduring mental health needs. Here she talks about the opportunities she has had at Milestones to grow her knowledge and skills, and develop her career.
Forward momentum
Stepping Forward Bristol is a day opportunities group for people with learning disabilities. People who attend Stepping Forward are supported to take part in many activities in the community, like playing sports, going for walks, and enjoying days out to destinations like Bristol Aquarium and Longleat Safari and Adventure Park.
Running miles for Milestones
Jo completed the London Marathon to raise money for Flaxpits House, one of our residential services for people with learning disabilities, and home to her son Harry. The money she raised will contribute towards a sensory table.
Healthy me
Norman took part in a cookery course called ‘Healthy Me’, which taught him about the connection between his diet and his health. Norman is proud of his participation in the course and now cooks dinner for his housemates once per week.
Supporting Elizabeth to live her life
Elizabeth moved to Crantock Drive in Almondsbury to be closer to her family. During the early part of the pandemic, her staff worked creatively to help her meet up with her sister while staying safe and following government guidelines.
Living their best lives
Rob is a huge fan of the Mamma Mia movie, and he fulfilled a long-held ambition by going to see the live musical show. Not long afterwards, Rob went to see the Mrs. Brown’s Boys live show with his friend and housemate Terry. It was a really joyful occasion.
Staying in her own home
Sheila suffers from curvature of the spine, which causes her mobility issues. Her staff team have worked hard to help Sheila to continue living in her own home as this is so beneficial to her.
Staying on track
Liz Gray is a volunteer who runs The Music Train, Milestones’ community project providing free live music during the day. Liz is truly one of a kind – she coordinates funding bids, hires venues, books musicians and turns up every week with her big, welcoming smile.
Volunteering through rock
Will is one of our volunteers. He gives guitar lessons to a person we support, initially over Zoom but now in person, and his patience and dedication have made a big difference to that person’s confidence.
A blessing to us
Steve’s balance and coordination were badly affected after he suffered a stroke. He was able to ride some of the specially adapted bicycles at Warmley Wheelers, our community cycling project, and this had a really positive impact on his rehabilitation.
Big steps forward
When Gabby moved into a supported living service for young people with learning disabilities, this was a big step for her as she had never lived away from her family home before. She has learned new daily living skills and has started doing part time volunteer work in a café.
Making a difference
Claire has been part of Mike’s support staff for seven years. This continuity of support has enabled them to develop a great relationship. Claire enjoys working closely with people we support and making a difference to their lives.
Perfect pitch
Tim and his support staff talked about the possibility of getting some artificial grass laid in his garden so he could use it as a football pitch. He thought this was a great idea. With a lot of hard work from Tim’s family and Milestones’ staff, we were able to raise enough money to make it happen.
Getting to know you
When Sebastian moved into Mayo House, this was very difficult for him. Up until then, he had always lived with his parents. His staff worked hard to get to know Sebastian and how to to communicate with him. His behaviour has completely changed, and he is very settled in his new home.
Green fingers
Mike has had some gardening success, growing carrots, tomatoes and sunflowers on his patio. He enjoyed the responsibility of nurturing the plants and often reminded staff to help him to water them.
Moving forward
Haydon was 19 when he applied to work at Milestones. After just eight months in the job. he was encouraged to apply for an Assistant Team Leader role, which would involve more responsibility, including supervising other staff.
Off on holiday
Mark went on holiday to Cheddar. It was the first time he had been away in over a year. He was so excited about the trip that he started packing months before. One highlight of the holiday was a day trip to Weston-super-Mare.
Learning to care
Tom wasn’t sure how things would go when he began working at the Trust, but he’s found real enjoyment in helping people and he’s learned a lot about listening non-judgementally and supporting different people’s needs.
Finding my voice
Jake is non-verbal, which means he doesn’t communicate through speech. He got a communication aid, and with help from his staff, has become confident using it. He is now able to give in-depth answers to questions and express exactly how he is feeling.
Progressing my career
Tess had always wanted to work with younger people, so when the Trust opened a new supported living service for young adults with learning disabilities, she jumped at the opportunity to work there. Tess says her job is very rewarding because she can see the difference she makes to people’s lives.
Motoring on
Jason’s Dad and Uncle were both bikers and, as a child, Jason used to enjoy going to motorbike shows with his family. Motorbikes are also Jason’s only means of travelling independently, so it was important that his staff supported him to renew his motorcycle licence.
Taking flight
Nick’s goal was to go to Cyprus, where his family are from. However, Nick had never flown on a plane before, so going all the way to Cyprus would be a big step. Staff discussed with Nick the possibility of taking a shorter flight within the UK as preparation and soon they were planning a trip to Newcastle.
A cycle challenge
Judith’s 12-year-old son has special needs and can’t cycle independently. Warmley Wheelers gave him the opportunity to try out different bikes to see what might work for him. Judith appreciated the encouragement and supportive environment that they offered.
Developing new skills
Reyan joined the Trust as a Support Worker when she was aged just 18. It was her first job. Now, with the support of her manager, she is on a path to becoming a mental health nurse.
A safe place to cycle
Lucy and her daughter Carmela, who has congenital muscular dystrophy, came to Warmley Wheelers on a lovely, sunny day and had a brilliant time. Lucy says the staff team were helpful and knowledgeable, and they were happy to do anything they could to make sure that Carmela was comfortable.
Why I changed my mind on the vaccine
When Louise first heard about the Covid-19 vaccine, she was doubtful about whether enough research had been done. Personal circumstances and reading more about it helped her to change her mind, and she ended up being one of the first people at the Trust to have the jab.
A creative partnership
Joseph wanted to find someone who could create illustrations to accompany some stories he had written about a penguin and a seagull. He was matched with our volunteer Sarah, who is a graphic designer, and together they have struck up an amazing creative partnership.
Diligence and dedication
John lives in Staffordshire but his brother Nicky lives in his own accommodation in Kingswood, with support from Milestones. During the pandemic, the distance made it very difficult for them to meet up, but with support from staff, they were able to celebrate Nicky’s birthday together.
Thinking positively
Lockdown presented many challenges for our homes and services, but throughout, staff and the people we support were determined to think positively. Staff organised indoor exercise routines and bought walkie-talkie’s to support people who were shielding.
Going the extra Mile
David has been volunteering with Shaun since 2014. They go on trips together to all sorts of places. During lockdown, our service weren’t able to have visits from volunteers but David and Shaun kept in touch by arranging a weekly phone call.
Volunteers’ Week 2020
Nick had only been volunteering as a sports buddy at Lambrook Road for a few weeks when coronavirus stopped all non-essential visits to homes, including visits from volunteers. However, he continued to support the service by delivering their weekly shopping.
Developing a bond
Marion loves cakes and our volunteer Almira helps her to bake. Despite their 70-year age gap and communication challenges stemming from Marion’s hearing impairment, the two women have developed a bond over their shared love of cake!
The impact of volunteers
Rachel volunteers as a swimming buddy with Milestones Trust, where she helps Paul who has severe anxiety and autism. A keen open water swimmer herself, she initially swam with him but now encourages him to swim independently.
Leaps and bounds
Lisa’s brother Michael, who has Down’s Syndrome, lives at Chasefield House. Lisa says that the staff at Chasefield have gone above and beyond in taking care of her brother and his needs, and that he has come on leaps and bounds since he started living there.
Remembering Julie
Julie worked for the Trust for years, as an Assistant Team Leader at Cleeve Hill and latterly as the Unison Lead for the Trust. She was dedicated to what she did and kind to everyone she came into contact with. If she didn’t directly make a difference to you, she will have done to someone you know.
Making it possible
Judy had been asking to go on the train, saying that she hadn’t been on one before. Simon, a member of her support staff, supported her to get the train to Moreton-in-Marsh. There they met Judy’s sister Helen and had a lovely day out.
A dream come true
One of Clark’s passions is listening to classical music, and he especially likes Andre Rieu. Andre is from Holland and Clark never thought he would get the chance to attend one of his concerts. You can imagine his surprise when Clark heard that Andre would be performing in Birmingham!
Sharing knowledge and skills
A team from Lloyds Banking mentored Milestones Trust staff members in IT skills. Everyone who took part strongly agreed that they would recommend this sort of training to colleagues.
A remarkable friendship
Glyn began volunteering as a regular companion for Graham in 2012. Most Fridays, come rain or shine, they take in the sights of central Bristol together. They enjoy walking and stopping to have lunch or coffee. They’ve also enjoyed exploring the harbourside and trips on the ferry boat.