About Our Barn
Our Barn is intended as a 'bridge' between formal education and adult life for young people with learning disabilities or other conditions such as autism or neurodiversity. It is a meeting place for 16 to 35-year-olds (some activities up to 25 years old) to share their experiences and to grow and develop in a setting that is less formal than school or college but still provides structure and support.
We run activities that are fun and focus on our members' interests to help them develop and grow as individuals and in a group. The young people may undergo training for employment or work to enhance life skills. Our aim is to develop a service that young people are keen to use, with high quality and energetic staff keeping activities safe, engaging and age appropriate.
The original Our Barn started in 2012 at Redlees Play Centre and evolved in response to parents and carers of disabled young people requesting meaningful activities for their older children that helped prepare them for leaving school and starting adult life. The majority of funding for Our Barn at Redlees comes through Hounslow Council's Short Breaks offer. The youth club runs from age 16 to 25.
Additionally, we have a projects for those aged up to 35 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). We welcome comments, suggestions, and any other feedback about what we do - see the contact details in the navigation bar.
Our Current Programme
Sunday Youth Club
The youth club at Redlees is our flagship project and the Our Barn name comes from using the log cabin here. We aim to be accessible to all, whatever the support needs.
Activities include expressive arts, sports, healthy eating, gaining independence skills. The club is held on Sundays 3pm to 6pm at Redlees Play Centre
Led by Kelly and David, it's the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Contact kelly.meadows@ourbarn.org.uk for more information.
Community lunch
We take over Blondon Park Community Pavilion on Tuesdays and Wednesday, giving the rest of the Pavilion team a well-earned break.
We offer the best 'meal deal' in town on Wednesdays: hot veggie lunch, cake and hot or cold drink for £5. Drop by between 12 and 2pm to join the fun.
Film Club
Our Film Club is a welcoming and inclusive space for young adults with learning disabilities and autism to enjoy movies, socialise, and build friendships.
Our young film leader curates film content - everybody gets a say in what we show. Films are discussed and reviewed on Community Comet (our online news platform).
Contact david.roughan@ourbarn.org.uk for more information
Our Futures
Our Futures is an employability and life skills course that supports young adults on an individual basis to consider options that encourage an active and meaningful lifestyle.
Our team supports young adults (18-35) with learning disabilities and/or autism in finding employment, volunteering, and community opportunities. Our programme focuses on developing practical
skills, improving well-being, and increasing independence.
We remove barriers to employment through hands-on experience at our Blondin Park Community Pavilion Cafe leading Stay and Play sessions & Digital Inclusion workshops. We also help members engage
with their local community, take part in healthy activities, and build meaningful connections.
Gardening at Blondin Park & in the Community
We find community spaces to carry out some 'guerilla gardening' such as this walkway in Brentford (pictured below) where we updated the containers and built a little lending library.
We're based in Blondin Park on Fridays, working on this welcoming space to improve the experience for all visitors to the park, learning some horticulture skills along the way.
Contact cathy.child@ourbarn.org.uk for more information
Multisports and Being Active
We run on Tuesday evening, online during the winter and outdoors during the better weather. Keep active, work as a team and take part in the occasional five-a-side tournament. Keep an eye on our social media pages for details as the venue varies depending on the sport.
We operate an online booking system that keeps everybody updated.
Contact kelly.meadows@ourbarn.org.uk for more information.
Out & About
On Thursdays we're out in our local community exploring what our wondeful city has to offer.
From the Tower of London (pictured), museums, shopping malls, walks and exhibitions, we take suggestions from our participants and create a day out. Learning travel skills and gaining confidence to explore is a part of the day.
Contact carole.mcgrath@ourbarn.org.uk for more information
Stay & Play
Tuesdays, 1pm to 3pm at Blondin Park Community Pavilion. We set out the toys, parents stay with their under-5s to play, meet other parents and maybe enjoy something to eat. £3 per family with proceeds going to Blondin Consortium.
Contact karen.adams@ourbarn.org.uk for more information
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