As we celebrate national Afternoon Tea Week (10-16 August 2026), we’re taking the opportunity to recognise one of SoLO’s longest-standing community partnerships, our annual Afternoon Tea at Wren Hall.

Since our first event in 2012, the Afternoon Tea has become a valued tradition, bringing together supporters, volunteers, families and the people we support for an afternoon of homemade cake, tea and conversation.

The Wren Hall Sunday Afternoon Teas are a much-loved community initiative. Each week, between March and October a different local charity takes its turn to bake the cakes and host the event, with volunteers preparing homemade bakes, serving refreshments and welcoming visitors. The hall is dressed with blue checked tablecloths and fresh flowers, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere where everyone is invited to enjoy tea and cake while supporting a local cause.

Over the past 14 years, SoLO’s Afternoon Tea events have raised £10,000, with this year’s event contributing a fantastic £1,286.82. These funds help us continue creating opportunities for people with learning disabilities to build friendships, develop independence and take part in activities in their local community.

This long-standing partnership wouldn’t have been possible without the many people who have supported it over the years. We’d like to extend our thanks to Jill Leighton, who submitted the original application for SoLO to become one of the Wren Hall charities, to the community members from St Thomas Church and Dorridge Methodist Church, our staff, the people we support, their families, and everyone who has baked, cooked, volunteered or attended our Afternoon Tea events.

We’d also like to thank everyone at Wren Hall, Denise and Julie, for their continued support and for providing such a welcoming space for local charities to come together with the community.

As we mark Afternoon Tea Week, we’re grateful to everyone who has helped make this event part of SoLO’s story. Thank you.

We’re delighted to announce that SoLO has been chosen as the charity partner for Becketts Farm’s much-loved Sunflower Fields this summer.

Each year, Becketts Farm plants sunflowers and wildflowers across their fields, creating a beautiful free space for local communities to enjoy while raising vital funds and awareness for local causes. Throughout August, visitors will be invited to explore the sunflower fields and make a donation to support SoLO’s work.

Becketts Farm’s charity partnership is decided through team nominations, with colleagues invited to nominate a local charity that is close to their hearts. This year, SoLO received a number of nominations and was selected as their chosen charity partner for 2026.

Speaking about the partnership, Beth Crump said:

“Each year at Becketts Farm, we plant sunflowers and wildflowers on site in our fields for local people to enjoy free of charge and to raise money for charity. Our aim is to provide a free, positive space for the local and wider community to enjoy while raising vital funds and awareness for local causes. It’s always fantastic to see so many visitors enjoying the fields and be so generous in supporting our fundraising efforts.”

The partnership provides a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of SoLO and the support we provide for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities, while bringing our community together in a fun and welcoming environment.

Visit the Sunflower Fields

The Becketts Farm Sunflower Fields will be open throughout August as part of their Summer Garden Party.

Dates: 1–31 August
Location: Becketts Farm, B47 6AJ
Entry: Free – no tickets required

Visitors can enjoy:

• 🌻 Walks through the sunflower fields
• 📸 Picnic areas and photo opportunities
• 🍦 Food, drinks, ice creams and treats from The Thirsty Goat Hut (daily, 10am–3pm)
• 🔥 BBQ food available Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (11am–3pm)

A huge thank you to everyone at Becketts Farm who nominated SoLO and helped make this opportunity possible. We’re excited to be part of such a wonderful community event and hope you’ll visit the sunflower fields this summer. Every donation, big or small, will help us continue creating opportunities that enable children, young people and adults with learning disabilities to thrive.

This year’s Learning Disability Week was a vibrant celebration of our service users and wider community. Guided by the theme, “Do You See Me?”, the week provided a dedicated opportunity to shine a spotlight on learning disability awareness and advocacy. While the week brought focus, this commitment continues far beyond seven days and is embedded in everything we do at SoLO.

Across the week, service users and staff took part in a wide range of activities designed to inspire confidence, independence and joy. Community outings included visits to a cat café, Blakesley Hall and the Birmingham canals, alongside hands-on baking sessions, sensory and creative workshops, independent living challenges and fundraising activities. Celebration events at our drop-ins and supported living homes created further opportunities to connect, reflect and enjoy time together.

Alongside in-person activities, we also used our social media channels to share key messages from the week. This included myth-busting content, everyday achievements and lived experiences shared directly by our service users. These posts helped challenge misconceptions, amplify voices and celebrate identity in authentic and meaningful ways.

Beyond Learning Disability Week

It was with immense sadness that we announced the unexpected death of Jon Prior, SoLO’s Treasurer Trustee.

Jon joined SoLO as a financial consultant to cover the maternity leave of its Finance Manager, Lesley Beer.  As a Chartered Accountant, who was offering consultancies to various companies, Jon supported SoLO’s finance department on a part time basis and ensured all financial functions were conducted appropriately. 

Jon willingly accepted an invitation to become a Trustee of SoLO in 2018 and served in the capacity of Treasurer.  He brought to the role sound financial knowledge and experience to guide the Board in making sound financial decisions to discharge their responsibilities as the governing body of SoLO responsible for the charity’s finances. 

During the last 6 years Jon has been so committed to SoLO, giving freely of his time to both review its accounts and support development of the staff team.  During the Pandemic his essential catch phrase was ‘Cash is King’, highlighting that an organisation cannot function without a healthy bank balance to meet its commitments.  He was not averse to taking risks where necessary to achieve SoLO’s developments.  

He has been a much-valued colleague and friend to members of the Board, and staff with whom he worked, a great sounding board at times of making difficult decisions.  He was someone not afraid to challenge but in the nicest possible way with his good sense of humour and positive view of life. 

He will be greatly missed by all those at SoLO who knew him and we give thanks for his life and contribution to SoLO. 

At his funeral it was highlighted the value he got from being a SoLO volunteer and how much SoLO meant to him.  The family honoured Jon’s memory beautifully, by requesting donations for SoLO, in his memory, which raised £1145 ensuring that his legacy of kindness and generosity continues to make a positive impact.

Have your say!

SoLO’s Adult Services are for Adults (including those currently at college) with a learning disability diagnosis. We help them explore their potential by providing support in various ways, encouraging independence, and building friendship groups. 

This survey is for us to gather input and opinions from our members and potential service users regarding SoLO Adult (16+) Drop-in Services. We want to know what you would like to be seen within a new SoLO Drop-in Project. 

Click here to complete the survey

We encourage parents/carers to support with completing this where applicable. 

Centurion Running Club, based at North Solihull Sports Centre in Chelmsley Wood, raise £800 for SoLO as part of the club’s 50th-anniversary celebrations.

Last year Centurion Running Club challenged its members to collectively run 50,000km. The group smashed this target by October and by 31 December reached 59,000km. Funds were raised through sponsorship, donations, and the sale of the club’s 50th-anniversary t-shirts.

“On behalf of SoLO, I’d like to say a massive well done and thank you to Centurion Running Club for supporting SoLO as part of their 50th-anniversary celebrations. Collectively running 59,000km is a fantastic achievement for all the runners involved and we’re really grateful to you all for raising money for us in the process“.

Lesley Beer, CEO

About Centurion Running Club

Centurion Running Club was started in the 1970s by John Walker as part of his mission to make running more accessible to the masses. The club now was over 100 members and they welcome runners of all abilities to join. The group meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 18.30 outside North Solihull Sports Centre. Learn more.

A 6-week course designed to provide 14-19 year olds with practical sessions that promote independence.

In January, 12 members joined us on our first Independent Living Programme, a course designed to help teach new skills and support independent living.

“I love coming because of the people here, making friends and cooking the food here with everyone else”.

Participant

Across 6 weeks, participants attend weekly sessions that take place at our Walnut Close base in Chelmsley Wood. Each session lasts 2.5 hours and during this time the group cover a new theme.

Themes covered include:

The course costs £37.50 per person and is suitable for individuals with mild-moderate learning disabilities. Attendance of all 6 sessions is mandatory and places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

We are delighted to announce that we have been nominated as Solihull Chamber of Commerce Charity of the Year.

Becoming Charity of the Year is fantastic news for SoLO as it will enable us to raise our profile within the Solihull business community as well as receive vital support from the Chamber’s fundraising activities, all of which will enable us to help facilitate further growth.

Jan Prior, chair of SoLO, said: “We’re so pleased and thankful to have the support of the Solihull Chamber of Commerce following a long, hard journey through a pandemic, when staff have gone above and beyond to ensure its members continue to receive their activities and breaks“.

Samantha Frampton, head of Solihull Chamber, said: “Solihull Chamber is incredibly excited to announce SoLO as its newest Chosen Charity. The aim of this partnership is to support charities doing meaningful and impactful work in and around the Solihull area and it is already clear from conversations with Jan that there is a lot of passion behind the work taking place at SoLO. We are very much looking forward to engaging the business community in supporting their mission to provide quality services for people with learning disabilities.”

The Charity of the Year partnership will run until March 2023.

We’re delighted to announce we’ve been awarded the contract by Solihull Council (SMBC) to deliver targeted community short breaks for children and young people with a disability. This enables us to continue to deliver fun, engaging and inclusive holiday and term time activities and projects for children and young people with learning and other disabilities across Solihull. 

As a leader in supporting children with disabilities in Solihull for over 20 years we have built a strong reputation for delivering a wide range of exciting and high-quality opportunities. The award of this contract ensures as a charity we can continue to deliver services that support children and young people with their physical and mental health needs giving them the opportunity to take control of their own lives by improving their confidence and emotional well-being so that they enjoy life and have positive self-identities.

Jan Prior, Chair, said: “I know first-hand how much SoLO supported my son and our family through offering him opportunities he was unable to access elsewhere and confidently gave me a chance to recharge my battery and have a short break to focus on time with my daughter during her formative years.  The Board of Trustees are incredibly pleased that SMBC have continued to recognise the value of short breaks and the outstanding service SoLO provides leading to the award of this significant contract for the benefit of our community.  It’s great to know others will experience what has been so valuable to us personally“.

Over the next few months we will take the time to review and refresh the current service offering, which means there will be no change to the current children’s activities and services provided until consultation with children, parents, carers, staff and other partners across Solihull has taken place.  

Through this review activities and projects will be assessed to ensure much loved activities are retained, whilst new innovative ideas are developed to reflect the world in 2022 and beyond and provide new opportunities for members and individuals accessing the services. 

There will be a review of assessments of children and young people to ensure activities are person centered and aligned to meet their needs and children and young people who haven’t yet had the opportunity to attend or join a SoLO activity will be encouraged to access the service and experience what SoLO has to offer. 

To deliver the specialist activities we will bring in support from the most appropriate organisations and professionals and will work with other local service providers to utilise their facilities and strengths to achieve the best possible delivery and outcome for all.

Lesley Beer, CEO said: “we are excited to continue working with SMBC and families/carers to deliver a vital service to the children and young people of the borough.  The importance of continuing service under this contract has significant impact on the provisions for children and young people with learning and other disabilities to ensure varied opportunities and inclusivity for all and we look forward to working with partners to shape this future“.

Going above and beyond and getting stuck in to help others seems to be a thing these days – and we at SoLO, a learning disability charity for adults and children, are very grateful for that!

We are fortunate to have some amazing community partners who want to make a real a difference – and we are more than happy to celebrate them.

We love it when we receive donations as it enables us to buy those extras to support our members that we would otherwise struggle to find the ££ for.  But we love it even more when, all fired up with enthusiasm, folk are happy to literally roll their sleeves up and get hands-on with whatever needs doing because they know they are making a difference!

National Grid took on the challenge of our outside space at Walnut Close recently!  Ant and his team had a great day cutting back foliage and clearing the car park.  Then, not content with that, they came back with another team and did some heavy work in the back garden as well as clearing the patio and the surrounding areas, so everything is now spick and span and safe for our members to enjoy the outside. 

They were so enthused that even when some had to drop out on one of the days, one of their team was happy to do an extra day on his own – true dedication!

Thank you to our community partners who join our SoLO super-heroes – you have given us the gift of your time – which is precious to us all.

We’re nearly there for welcoming more members back to SoLO – our planning continues to ensure everything is as safe as we can make it and like everyone in this strange world we’re all in at the moment, we’re cleaning and spacing for appropriate social distancing. Like many organisations, we’re facing the challenge of changing the way things can be done. We successfully enabled our children’s services to continue over the Easter holidays and now we’re re-introducing our adults’ opportunities in our new Pods. We’ve been contacting our members and further details will be sent out over the next couple of weeks. Our PA service has continued to run to support members in their homes and we have Personal Assistants ready and waiting for those who would benefit from additional support.

As you may know, before the lockdown we were most of the way through a review both of our website, and of how we present ourselves more generally. The review included asking members, their families and SoLO staff for their views. Lots of the replies suggested that our website should be as user-friendly, helpful and professional, as SoLO itself.

Since then, the lockdown period has brought home, quite distressingly in many cases, how hard it can be to go without meeting friends to work and have fun together. The need for a varied, interesting social life has been demonstrated, by its removal. This convinced the trustees that the time is right for a new emphasis in our name. We are still SoLO but, whereas SoLO has, for years, been short for SoLO Life Opportunities, we are changing that to Social Life Opportunities. As we offer services beyond Solihull we removed Solihull from our name a few years ago but it remained as part of our website address. We’re also now picking up on another point which featured strongly in feedback – an association that new people potentially think we’re an agency for single people.

Our new look is “live” now, though, because of lockdown, we are still not permitted to offer the full range of features on the website. One of the practical highlights – being able to book and pay for activities online – will be available as soon as we’re able to add it. Feel free to browse and to let us know what you do and don’t like about it (we’re bound to have got some things that need tweaking!).

We’ll continue to be in touch with you and we look forward to seeing you, as well as hearing from you, as soon as circumstances allow.