Connection

Now winter is truly here and the days are getting shorter and darker, I love to curl up on
the sofa in front of the TV with my 9-year-old English Bulldog Bella. Bella gives me so
much joy and keeps me company on a dreary dark cold winters day as well as lifting my
sprits when I feel sad.
Although I often want to just hide away during the winter months, I feel it is important to
connect with others, especially as winter is often a time when you can feel depressed
lonely and isolated. therefore, I connect with others in a variety of ways. I volunteer on a
regular basis for Inclusion Gloucestershire. I volunteer for a number of projects such as
MHELO – Mental Health Experience Led Opportunities and attend regular zoom meetings. I
also write regularly for the volunteer newsletter and I am the Inclusion Gloucestershire
representative for Learning Disability England which involves attending regular meetings
on zoom.
I also connect with others in the community; I attend one of the hubs run by Inclusion
Gloucestershire and Cheltenham Borough Homes where I get involved in a number of
activities such as arts and crafts quizzes as well as just enjoying having a warm mug of tea
a biscuit and a chat. Finally, I connect with others in my local area Hatherley and Warden
Hill as I enjoy attending St Christopher’s church in Warden Hill which I find such a
welcoming and warm place to cheer me up on a cold winter’s day.

Jackie Sallis

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