Tomorrow marks a milestone for Bournemouth Gateway Club as it celebrates 15 years of making a difference in the lives of people with learning disabilities, their families, and carers. From humble beginnings in January 2010, the club has grown into a vital lifeline for its members, offering opportunities for connection, learning, and joy.
The club’s story began when founders and childhood friends Anna Reeves, and Julie Christine Currin, stepped in to save the Winton Gateway Club, which was facing closure.
Shared life carer Anna recalled: “One of the people I cared for attended the club when it was at Linwood School, a few of us clubbed together and decided we wanted to run the club together. When push came to shove, it was me and Julie.”
Julie remembers being roped into the effort: “Anna approached me and said there’s a club that was going to go under if we didn’t take it over. They didn’t have a building, the manager had left, and she asked if I’d help by being a bank signatory. I foolishly said, ‘I can’t be a bank signatory without being involved,’ and here I am 15 years later.”
Since taking over, the club has expanded far beyond its original fortnightly two-hour sessions. Budget cuts in 2010 prompted Anna and Julie to begin offering daytime activities, which has now grown to three days per week.
In 2012, they officially rebranded as Bournemouth Gateway Club after becoming a registered charity and limited company. Their reputation grew further in 2014 when they were selected by Mencap as one of 20 Gateway Award Centres across the UK.
Adapting to Challenges
The club’s resilience has been tested, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Since COVID, we’ve really focused on friendships,” Anna shared. “It became really apparent how lonely and isolated our members were. It’s taken a couple of years for some of them to get back to how they were.” Julie added, “The problem with COVID was that it affected the people who were already most disadvantaged and socially excluded, whether that was people with disabilities or the elderly.”
To help members cope with the challenges of the pandemic and beyond, the club has prioritised flexibility and accessibility. “We took it upon ourselves to apply our charitable funds to subsidise people coming. We restricted numbers, and still do during the week, because we are very conscious that large crowds are still daunting for our members,” Julie explained.
A Community That Embraces All
Over the years, Bournemouth Gateway Club has remained true to its mission of valuing and supporting people with learning disabilities. “We embrace everybody, warts and all,” Anna said. “We always say we do all of life here. Bring your joy, your sadness, we will look after you. We have held onto the friendliness and flexibility that makes us who we are. That flexibility is our strongest point, really.”
Julie agreed, reflecting on the club’s unique culture, “We see people grow every day, it makes us very proud. We have had volunteers who were complete entertainers, doing magic tricks and jokes. We embrace everything. And we are not scared of anything really!”
“Bring it on!” Anna replied.
Kelly, 32 has been a member of Bournemouth Gateway Club since she was 18, she recalled the support she received from members at the Club when her mum passed away 2 years ago. “I still get upset, but the family here is just amazing, they love me, support me, care for me, and I would not have it any other way.”
Celebrating the Future
Looking to the future, the club is excited to continue evolving. Julie shared: “We have been given the opportunity to take a few members to the Houses of Parliament. It is another way to show that people with learning disabilities deserve to be seen and heard on every level.”
To mark its 15th anniversary, the club is hosting a free celebratory event for current members, past members, families, and friends. “I’m sure there will be lots tomorrow,” Julie laughed and smiled.
Reflecting on the club’s journey, Julie expresses gratitude for the support they have received and the impact they have made: “If we were not here, there would be such a gap, especially around things like Christmas. Some of our members do nothing during those two weeks, so we always make sure to celebrate with our own little family.”
One of Anna’s most memorable moments with the club came from a trip to Jersey, funded by the Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled. While the adventure was an exciting opportunity for the members, Anna recalled with a laugh that the lasting memory was of the group feeling seasick on the boat ride over!
Bournemouth Gateway Club continues to look ahead, “Funding comes and goes, but you can’t be too worried about it,” Julie explains. “More often than not, there’s always something around the corner.”
Anna concludes: “Thank you to everyone for your support, and here’s to another 15 years.”
BU Bobcats looking to seal the Division Title