Back to our roots for #StayUpLateWeek with a night of loud guitars, big energy and even bigger grins ⚡ For one buddy, it was their first ever rock gig—and they absolutely loved it. A powerful reminder of why inclusive, accessible spaces matter. We hope your Stay Up Late week is going well! 🎸

#StayUpLateWeek has officially started! 🎉🕺 This week is about choice, freedom, friendship – and making noise about the right to have a real social life. Let’s make this the loudest, funnest and most joyful #StayUpLateWeek yet. Let’s party with purpose.

🚨 We want to hear from YOU! 🚨 Take five minutes to complete our survey and let us know if you can stay up late! We want to understand how people with learning disabilities and autistic people are spending their evenings. forms.gle/wKoiDJXNP8ZL... #SelfAdvocate #LearningDisability #NoBedtimes

Stay Up Late Survey

We have a few (more) questions about staying up late and how things may have changed over the years. Please take a few minutes to help us understand how people are spending their evenings and what tim...

forms.gle

📅 5th–11th May 2025 is Stay Up Late Week – and everyone’s invited. You can join in too: 💜 Plan your own night out 💜 Share your photos and stories using #StayUpLateWeek 💜 Tell us why you think it’s important Let’s show the world that a good life doesn’t end at 9pm.

A huge THANK YOU to the brilliant team at @resident-music.com for raising money to support our work! 💙 We’re so grateful for your generosity—and for choosing to back a charity that believes everyone should have the right to a fun social life, full of music, no matter their support needs!

Partners Day 2025 👏 Thanks to everyone who came along and made it such an interesting day! We feel excited for what’s to come… We did forget to take a photo with the full group, so this was a last minute selfie to save the day (Thanks Sorrel)!

A great read from our partners up in Scotland: www.theskinny.co.uk/music/interv...

Gig Buddies on making music festivals more accessible: The Skinny

Gig Buddies with Thera Trust support adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults to take control over their social lives. Project Manager Sam Maggs discusses what can be done to break down a...

theskinny.co.uk

Great day for a raffle 🖤

Resident Music@resident-music.com · last yr.

Absolutely rammed for the @recordstoredayuk.bsky.social @gigbuddies.bsky.social charity raffle!

DJ Dan on the decks 🕺 Dark Globe on next And don’t forget our @gigbuddies.bsky.social charity raffle at 6:30pm!

This Saturday we have 3 turntables to be won in our annual charity raffle for @gigbuddies.bsky.social 🥳 You could get your hands on: - Audio Technica LP60XBT (donated by @richersounds.com) - Brad Retro MK II Turntable or a Solar Edition Turntable (donated by Gadhouse) More info below 👇

🌙 Safer in Sussex – we want to hear from you! We’re planning a project to find out what helps people feel safe on nights out. It’s a big issue for many of our Gig Buddies, and we want to start some real conversations—with the community and those working in safety. Save the date & come along! 💬👀

Calling all Brightonians (and further afield, it's worth it)! Thanks ‪@resident-music.com for never failing to support us AND smashing @recordstoredayuk.bsky.social every year!

Resident Music@resident-music.com · last yr.

Our annual @recordstoredayuk.bsky.social charity raffle is back! See the reply post to see a list of this year’s amazing prizes ranging from turntables, festival and gig tickets, LPs, merch and much more! As always we will be raising money for the incredible @gigbuddies.bsky.social ♥️

Brighton and West Sussex Socials livening up your local pubs! Our socials are a great opportunity to meet new people and get involved in the Gig Buddies community 🎉 #VolunteerOpportunity #LearningDisability #Friends

Rohan & Florence headed to @uniofbrighton.bsky.social to run a workshop for newly qualified #SocialWorkers, sharing insights on how to make care truly #person-centred — and what that actually means in practice! 👏🖤

We have some goodies for people! First up, the Boominator – make a donation or come collect it for free. We’d like it to go to a home that rocks our values! #HeavyLoad We also have some old t-shirts (in dif sizes so message us before) that you can come collect too!

Our buddies had a riot at a Fat Freddie And The Queens' gig. A perfect example of how to make people feel included however they like to party. Read Malcolm’s bog to hear more about the night 🕺 gigbuddies.org.uk/dont-stop-us...

We hear so many great stories from @ageukbradford.bsky.social and their Buddies project! Good luck with the book club and dinner club!

Mark Rounding 🍉@markrounding.bsky.social · last yr.

Here @ageukbradford.bsky.social we work with older people to develop our work & they’ve been telling us what groups they want to have. Thanks to our #BuddyScheme partnership with @bradfordcouncil.bsky.social & @gigbuddies.bsky.social we’ve recently launched the following with more to come!

Just the book we were looking for 🖤

Rob Mitchell@robmitch92.bsky.social · last yr.

🩷🖤🩷🖤All author profits for our new book (& book one too) go to the brilliant @gigbuddies.bsky.social who work to erode social isolation & campaign to challenge limiting social care practices. In these tough times, if you can afford, please do order a copy. Thank you. 🩷🖤🩷🖤

Another massive shoutout to The Hope & Ruin for all the fundraising they do. Even when celebrating their birthday they managed to share the love and raised £250 ❤ 10 years of great gigs and community – Here’s to 10 more! www.brightonandhovenews.org/2025/02/17/t...

The Hope & Ruin celebrate their 10th Birthday

HOW LONG YOU BEEN DRIVING + WIMP + FRANCIS PIG + RAGDOLL + THAT BAND CALLED SUSAN - THE HOPE

brightonandhovenews.org

Can you choose your bedtime? We want to know how adults with learning disabilities &/or autistic adults spend their evenings & if they can choose their bedtimes! If you have lived experience/support someone who does – please fill in our survey (online or easy read): stayuplate.org/the-stay-up-...

A great Gig Buddies social at Neurotune - a sensory-friendly gig in Brighton! 🎶 We had an awesome time & especially liked being able to go to the quiet room and play pool! Can’t wait till the next one 👀

Our buddies have been having a ball at recent matches! ⚽🎉 (Of course, all football allegiances are their own… and we’re totally not biased… SEAGULLS! 😉)

Happy Friday from two of our fine Gig Buddies! Have a great weekend and don’t forget to STAY UP LATE!✨🎶🎸

In our latest blog, Jaydog talks Pride. From the power of representation to the joy of celebrating exactly who you are, Jaydog reminds us why we should all keep making noise! 🎤✨ Read the full blog here: gigbuddies.org.uk/stay-up-late... #Pride #InclusionMatters #EqualAbleSexual #BeLoudBeProud

Gig Buddies Jess & Tom have been matched for over a year 🎉 They started off with bowling & getting to know each other, building up to Tom’s first gig in 17 years and an unforgettable trip to @thorpepark.bsky.social 🎢 Our buddies make a difference, not just as volunteers, but as friends.

If you're unsure about how to bring the Stay Up Late way into practice, this is a great place to start!

Rob Mitchell@robmitch92.bsky.social · 2y ago

Our new Social Work, Cats & Rocket Science book is out in April. The perfect gift to order now on this Valentines weekend, after the Christmas expense, before Ramadan, and to enjoy with your Easter chocolate, or something… Pre order link here waterstones.com/book/the-socia…

Pre order link included below. And all author profits to the very brilliant Stay Up Late mob via @gigbuddies.bsky.social #NoBedTimes #OurRightToParty

Rob Mitchell@robmitch92.bsky.social · 2y ago

Our new Social Work, Cats & Rocket Science book is out in April. The perfect gift to order now on this Valentines weekend, after the Christmas expense, before Ramadan, and to enjoy with your Easter chocolate, or something… Pre order link here waterstones.com/book/the-socia…

Big news: our Founder & Executive Director, Paul, is stepping down. Thank you for all you’ve done to make this charity what it is today. Your energy has made a lasting impact & we’ve no doubt you’ll keep making waves! To stay in touch with Paul - follow www.linkedin.com/in/heavyload/

Get to know the the organisations and projects providing great personalised and community-based support for people from Black, Asian, and other underrepresented communities. Are there any others that we should know about?

Welcome new Gig Buddies Maisie & Max, Bethan & Lauren and Ryan & Ellery! 🎶 Local gigs were on all their to do lists, with an extra side of vegan food-tourism for Ryan & Ellery, tasty!