Doing what matters to me

This year, we are making ‘Doing what matters to me’ our key theme. Throughout the year, we are exploring the activities, hobbies, interests, and events that matter to us.

Doing what matters to us is a very important part of life. It’s what makes us unique and happy, and it helps us lead fulfilling and satisfying lives. That’s why, this year, we have made it our annual theme, and we are asking the people we support to think about what matters to them and showcase who they are.

What hobbies and interests matter to you? Is it drawing, singing, crafting, dancing, cooking, or simply being around those you love? At Creative Support, we know that the people we support have a huge range of different interests, and we understand this is one of our community’s biggest strengths.

For instance, there is Aneesa from the West Midlands, who is a huge Elvis fan! She loves to sing his songs and sent in a wonderful video of her cover of ‘Can’t help falling in love’. You can hear how deeply she cares about Elvis’ music, and singing his songs allows her to express how she’s feeling, all while having some fun at the same time.

Keeping with the theme of music, Adam, from Calderdale, loves to dance and he has been dancing away for over a decade now. He competes in competitions twice a year and holds many certificates and has even got the nickname ‘Snake hips’! Adam says he will continue to dance for the rest of his life as it provides him with a deep sense of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Or, perhaps you’d like to get crafty and make creations! Amanda, from Doncaster, began sewing sessions at her local day centre, and within a year, she had produced a room full of handmade treasures. Amanda has made all sorts of things, from door stops to coasters, cushions, and teddies! “It makes me feel better to have time to myself; it makes me feel calmer and passes the day,” she explained.

As you can see, there are so many ways the people we support keep themselves busy and do what matters to them. Whether it’s music, art, sport, dancing, reading, or anything else, there are so many benefits to doing what matters to us.

To help us think about what matters to us most, we have designed a handy journal, which is available in all our services across the country and can also be found on the link here.

This journal is packed to the brim with all sorts of fun activities, questions, information, and stories to help us get thinking and acting on the things that matter to us. We have also made a colourful poster for anyone who would like to track the activities they do this year.

Although this year, we are asking people to do what matters to them, we are also focusing on different themes throughout the seasons to really dig into the details. From the New Year until March, we are thinking about the theme of ‘Connecting with your Community.’ Then, during Spring, we will turn our attention to trying new hobbies and activities to help us ‘keep learning’.

Over the summer, we will be heading outside and discovering all the ways we can be fit and ‘keep active’. Finally, towards the end of 2025, we will focus on ‘create and give’ where we aim to make art as well as volunteer our time for others.

We would love to hear from you and learn what matters to you. You can send in your stories, pictures, artwork, videos, or anything that shows us your interest to our Communications Team via communications@creativesupport.co.uk , who can then share your amazing work across the Creative Support community.