Our virtual discos were introduced during the pandemic to offer people with a learning disability the opportunity to socialise and enjoy events from the comfort and safety of their own homes. When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, it was quickly established that there was a need for alternative ways to socialise, offering a way for people to enjoy the company of others but without the risk of spreading the virus. Discos in person have become a staple of the events calendar at East Kent Mencap for a number of years, so we have been delighted to see that our members have kept up their enthusiasm to participate in the virtual events as well.
While we were all required to overcome the challenge of learning how to effectively use online platforms to communicate, our members have become skilled at learning new IT skills and have been able to enjoy their new “nights in”.
Inspired by our Red Arrow Dances, which for years have been sell-out events, we have hosted 5 virtual discos this year with an increasing number of people attending them. These events are open to both members and supporters of East Kent Mencap, and they provide a setting to sing and dance as well as create new friendships and maintain existing ones.
Here is what some of our attendees had to say about the most recent virtual disco event:
“Just wanted to thank you for a brilliant disco. I have already thanked Tris, who must always be exhausted after these with the amount of energy he puts in. We had such fun and were able to have the music up REALLY loud which gave a great disco feeling. Thank you for recognising my head banging too, most of which was thankfully off camera! Haha! Our favourite moment here was hearing Kevin singing, ‘Man, I feel like a woman’ and then laughing so loud! Looking forward to the next one, but we are allowing ourselves to hope we will be able to meet up in real life sometime soon!”
“Good morning, I just wanted to let you know that Kim had a lovely time at your virtual disco. She really enjoyed seeing everyone and listening to the great music you played. It gave her a real lift, she rang me afterwards and she was really buzzing. Please pass on our thanks to all of those who were involved”.
“Thanks for a great time tonight”.
“Good morning, Sabrina enjoyed the disco last night even joining in with some of the songs and getting up to dance. This really did boost her mood so thank you for this event. I’d also like to thank Tris for his bubblyness and enthusiasm during the evening.”
If you would like to find out more about our virtual events, get in touch with us at funds@eastkentmencap.co.uk
