AN EVENT has been set up to help young adults with learning difficulties in a North Yorkshire district.

Jo Boardman works with charities and social enterprises throughout Yorkshire to help them find funding and investment. She has previously criticised the lack of social enterprises in Selby to work with adults with learning difficulties.

Now she has invited individuals and organisations from around the area to get together for a discussion on how they can help support each other.

Jo said: “I have had meetings with North Yorkshire County Council’s supportive learning co-ordinator from adult learning and skills service, Workers Educational Association, Wilf Ward, Selby AVS, and Groundwork to discuss how we can work more collaboratively to support this client group.

“This has been a labour of love for me, and taken so long, but I believe we are now making some headway which can only be good for all partners and the young adults that we are all wanting to support.”

A consultation session will be held next Monday at the Monday Club, an evening club run for people with special needs, and will be used as a way to gather information and opinions on what more is needed for young people in the area.

This month’s meeting will be followed by an open event in April, inviting young adults with learning disabilities from around the district to get together and find out more about working in the voluntary sector.

The date has yet to be decided.

Jo spoke at the first meeting of the Selby Development Workers’ Network Group on September 25, and said she was in the process of speaking with all partners from the group to “look at what we want to achieve at the open event, and also what support we need to be able to deliver it”.

She said the meetings would help involve young people with learning disabilities in a variety of roles “to show how they can be creative and engaged about their future development opportunities”.