The charity Diagrama Foundation met with organisations from Italy, Belgium, and Spain in Belgium to progress their €80,000 E-Profid project funded by the European Union Erasmus Plus Programme.
In late April, representatives from Diagrama Foundation met their Erasmus funded E-Profid project partners in Kortrijk, Belgium to assess how their project was developing and to participate in creative workshops and intensive training. The E-Profid project is built on a foundation of innovation and transfer of good practice with organisations working together to design tools and methods to change the public’s perception, by promoting ability, rather than accepting disability. The training for the project members was focused on ‘professional identity and digital communication tools’, the basis of the E-Profid Erasmus project.
The visit was hosted by Groep Ubuntu, and the organisations came together at their coordination centre for activities, visits, and training. Groep Ubuntu provide ‘real life’ working environments for their clients who have a wide range of abilities. The exceptional facilities include a bakery, a chocolate factory, an art studio, and a clothing line and produce products of the highest quality to sell.
Helen Dean, Head of Projects & Business Development, Diagrama Foundation said, “This E Profid project is very important to help us make headway in changing perceptions of disability. The training was so informative and none of us could have imagined the extent of the Groep Ubuntu organisation. Ubuntu has managed to mix the spending power and reach of a large company with the empathy and compassion of a much smaller enterprise. I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience and am going away with so many ideas that we can incorporate or introduce. I’m looking forward to the project collaborators coming together in Salerno, Italy in September 2022, when we can all see the progress we have made.”
The week succeeded in sharing lessons about how important it is to integrate everyone, irrespective of ability, into the community.
To find out more about the E-Profid project visit www.diagramafoundation.org.uk/european-projects
About the European Union Erasmus Plus Programme
Erasmus Plus is a European Lifelong Learning Programme designed to give access to new skills, experiences, and opportunities to adults of all ages and from all backgrounds. It is mostly known as a Higher Education study option, but Erasmus Plus offers scope for broadening horizons and opening learning opportunities across Europe for adults of all ages, working alongside people from other countries.
www.ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/node_en
About the E-Profid Participants
UK – The Diagrama Foundation www.diagramafoundation.org.uk
Italy – University of Salerno www.unisa.it
Belgium – Groep Ubuntu, Kortrijk www.groepubuntu.org
Spain – Fundacion Diagrama Psicosocial, Murcia www.fundaciondiagrama.es
About Groep Ubuntu
Groep Unbuntu, is an inclusive social network for vulnerable people and families. They support nearly 1000 people in the south of the provinces of West and East Flanders. The training was focused on ‘professional identity and digital communication tools’, which is the basis of the Erasmus project. Groep Ubuntu have extensive experience in developing professional identity of their clients with disabilities.
About Diagrama Foundation
Diagrama Foundation is a Kent based charity that supports vulnerable children, young people, and adults to live their best life.
Diagrama has a Supported Living Service across Bromley, three homes for adults with learning disabilities in Orpington, a 50-bed care home for the elderly with nursing and dementia needs in Essex, and a fostering and adoption service covering the southeast.
- The Supported Living Service, cares for 35 adults with learning disabilities, in nine homes across Bromley helping them to develop skills and confidence to live in their own house either on their own or with others.
- At Cabrini House in Orpington the charity promotes the development of core skills for adults with learning disabilities so that they can lead independent lives integrated within their community.
- The team at their nursing and dementia care home Edensor in Clacton on Sea, support their vulnerable residents to live life to the full.
- The Diagrama adoption and fostering service cares for children in South London, Kent, Hampshire, Sussex, and Surrey.
Many vulnerable children and adults don’t get the support they need to develop their true potential, but the Diagrama team know that when someone has time and belief invested in them, they come alive, because that investment has made them feel valued and worthy.
