Week 7 — Weekly Mencap Gateway Post

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Mencap GatewayWeek 7Evidence ChecklistSunday check-in · approx. 5 minutes

  Sunday reflection on advocacy, faith, community, and daily life

Here's this week's evidence checklist and reflection. It's been a full, tender week — plans changed, ideas grew quieter and warmer, and small acts of advocacy continued behind the scenes. As always, progress isn't always loud.

Section 1

🚶 Volunteering — Walk for Autism

Evidence:

 



This week's advocacy and visibility work for Walk for Autism:

  • Fundraising link posted on the No. 6 One Stop Shop Facebook group to reach a wider local audience.
  • Used the @highlight feature to boost the post's reach and engagement.
Section 2

🌿 Fitness — Nature Walk

Evidence:



Pictures of walk around the Scottish Bird Gardens in Lauder.

Section 3

📖 Hobby — The Digital Parish & Daily Office

Activity

Daily prayer using the Northumbria Community Office, with reflections on faith and life on this blog.

This week also brought a lot of quiet, behind-the-scenes thinking around the pioneer ministry idea:

  • Had to cancel the meeting with the local parish minister — a child was in hospital. Completely understandable. Life first.
  • Continued brainstorming independently. Feeling drawn to softening the approach — less "pioneer project," more gentle beginning.
  • Ideas forming around starting at home, or gathering a small group in a café, soft play, or sensory-friendly space for families with younger children.
  • Contacted Walking Church to explore whether this vision might fit an outdoor, itinerant approach — taking it beyond four walls.
  • Developed a safeguarding template and began looking into other relevant legal requirements for any future gatherings.
  • Exploring the idea of a gentle liturgy podcast — a way to manage personal overwhelm while still meeting people where they are, digitally and emotionally.
Reflection: Sometimes the best thing you can do with a big idea is let it breathe. The podcast might be a softer, kinder first step — and that's okay. It is all about what is manageable for my own autistic, depressive, anxious but creative profile.
Section 4

🎯 Personal Challenge

✅ Submitted

Done and dusted.

Section 5

🌈 Lifestyle — Sensory & Advocacy

Managing daily regulation through Squiggle Society art supplies, fidgets, and sensory snacks.


 

 Using the Finch app to maintain routines and track daily wellbeing.


 

Advocacy has been particularly active this week:

  • Developed a check sheet to prepare for the phone call with Vocal Midlothian — making sure the conversation was structured and purposeful.
  • Completed the phone call with Vocal Midlothian — advocating for better, more appropriate support.
  • Ongoing contact with: VOCAL · Social Security Scotland · Still plan to look deeper into Motability idea.

✨ Bonus Activities This Week

🏠 Household

  • Started getting on top of household chores — it's like the Forth Road Bridge; never truly finished, but progress is progress.

🌱 Vogrie ELC

  • LearnPro updated.
  • Continued work on the REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene course.
  • Finished all modules and got ready for the exam certificate.
  • Exam postponed due to illness — will reschedule when feeling better. That's not failure, that's self-care.


Mencap Gateway Series · Week 7
A Highland Theological College graduate and non-conformist follower of Jesus living at the crossroads of neurodiversity and faith. Writing on the wild grace of the Gospel.

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