Learn about the wide variety of activities that Speakeasy hosts
We offer both online and face to face support. Twice a month we get together as a large group In Ramsbottom Cricket Club. Here aphasia is accepted and accommodated. People benefit form meeting others with aphasia, and have support to engage in a range of activity. Carers can meet in their own room. We are told that the coffee and biscuits are essential!
We have themed smaller meetings often at our offices in Ramsbottom where we focus on a particular skill or topic. We have specialised equipment that can help too (picture of smart screen) Our staff also offer one to one support e.g for understanding more about your own aphasia, or using aphasia apps for practicing language and communication skills (we can often lend out the apps or tablets if people don’t have their own)
Our speech and language therapy staff contact all people when they are first referred to Speakeasy. They will discuss their challenges and give help to find the right support and help at that time. These conversations mostly happen online and often involve a carer.
In addition, we know that some people find it hard to come to our face to face meetings in Ramsbottom so we regularly hold meetings in parks and other public spaces across Graeter Manchester.
We know that technical skills can be hard for people with aphasia. We support people where we can to learn new skills for this as we know that sometimes it is both easier and better if we hold activities online too. This includes our training particularly that for our carers, and also some themed activities such as reading for pleasure. The pattern for this type of support changes regularly so you need to keep an eye on our website and our weekly news updates for more information.
Getting out and about
We don’t just want people to improve in Speakeasy activity, we want the improvements to be practiced and developed out there in the real world too. We regularly have trips out such as accessible cycling, indoor golf, to visit a consultation event for our community or for training for raising awareness of aphasia. Speakeasy is not a club, we are so much more than a social group. But social situations pose challenges for people with aphasia so it would be remiss of us not to include some social activity occasionally. We have the inevitable and highly popular Christmas meal, a trip out into the community to places such as the RHS gardens or a local museum. Sometimes our members get together on their own and that is wonderful.