There’s nothing “special” about our Wednesday social at The Hideout in Taunton – and that’s what makes it magic.
We’re just hanging out. Chilling, chatting, eating, drinking, vibing. It’s relaxed, it’s friendly, and it feels *normal*. Because it is.
This isn’t a special event. It’s a regular one.
We don’t host our socials in designated zones or special rooms tucked away from the public. We do it in a real pub, in a real town, because our members are real adults who deserve to feel seen, respected, and included – just like everyone else!
We’re proud to work with The Hideout, who’ve been incredibly hospitable, patient, and welcoming. Their staff go the extra mile to make the space accessible and they treat our community with kindness and respect. That kind of allyship makes a massive difference. We started meeting in the Hideout with 8 members on 2 tables – we now take over half the pub with 30 plus members arriving each month! The pub staff and us have grown together organically to make this space as safe and accessible as possible for all our members. We heart you Hideout!
One of our biggest aims is to bring people together who wouldn’t usually meet. Many adults with learning disabilities or autism only socialise within their own support service bubbles. We’re gently breaking those walls down – creating space for new friendships to form naturally, across different settings, in a relaxed environment.
These are not “clients.” These are people. They’re dancing, laughing, trying new drinks, celebrating birthdays, and having first crushes. We are proud to be fostering adult socialising in public places – because loneliness isn’t solved by services alone. It’s solved by community.
We’re not here to babysit. We’re here to belong.
Too often, people assume that adults with learning disabilities need to be restricted or managed. Loveable is challenging that mindset. We believe everyone deserves the chance to make friends, explore their identity, and have real, meaningful relationships – including romantic ones. One of our biggest aims is to bring people together who wouldn’t usually meet. Many adults with learning disabilities or autism only socialise within their own support service bubbles. We’re gently breaking those walls down – creating space for new friendships and relationships to form naturally, across different settings, in a relaxed environment. Our guys range from 18 – 60 years old and everyone is so friendly! Its lush to be a part of.
We want our members to be seen as adults first – independent, capable, and full of personality – not just through the lens of their support needs. We encourage our members to come as they are and find their tribe. (Oh, and we also throw awesome parties, attend banging club nights and teach our members to act and DJ but thats another blog post all together!)
And it’s working. People are messaging each other between socials. They’re planning meetups. They’re gaining confidence. They’re building lifelong friendships. This isn’t a service. It’s a movement.
What’s next?
We’re ready to do more. We want to reach more people. We want to train more volunteers. We want to support more pubs to become inclusive, welcoming venues. We want to expand into more towns and counties. And we are exploring ways of bringing together microproviders to provide more person centred, values based care and support for our community.
Because no one should be lonely. Everyone deserves to belong.
And honestly? The shuffleboard tournaments are getting seriously competitive now.
