About Us
About the Gig Buddies project
Gig Buddies Sydney is an initiative of ACL Disability Services which is a registered Not For Profit organisation committed to promoting the rights of people with learning disabilities to live the lifestyle of their choosing.
Going out to see bands, clubbing, or seeing friends is part of everyday life for many people. However, if you have a learning disability you may need support to do this. We have found many people with learning disabilities aren’t able to lead full and active social lives because their support workers finish at 10pm and therefore need to leave events at 9pm.
We believe that people with learning disabilities in Sydney have the right to stay up late, meet new people, go to events and have some fun.
Gig Buddies has "hubs" in Western Sydney, Southern Sydney, Northern Beaches, Greater Western Sydney, and on the Central Coast, NSW.
click below to watch a video about the Gig buddies project
Meet the team
Where is the Gig Buddies project?
Click on markers on the map below to see places and links to project websites
(Australia and the UK)
FAQs
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Can you provide a volunteer for a one-off gig?No. Gig Buddies Sydney is all about developing longterm friendships and expanding an individual’s social circles. Therefore, our matched buddies and volunteers are encouraged to catch up for a gig or event at least once a month for 12 months or longer*. Some paired-up buddies have been catching up for over 5 years!! 😀
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Who decides on the buddy?The team at Gig Buddies Sydney interviews everyone who gets involved in the project. This enables us to make an informed decision about who to match with who. Music tastes, hobbies, personal interests, age, gender and locality are just some of the factors we take into consideration when matching buddies with volunteers.
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You’ve found me a buddy... what happens next?The participant and volunteer will then be introduced to each other*, after which a staff member from the Gig Buddies Sydney team will join them on their first gig. Participants and volunteers are also offered ongoing support and advice from the Gig Buddies Sydney team. *volunteers must complete an NDIS Worker Check, an NDIS Worker Orientation Module, have two reference checks, and attend volunteer training.
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What if the pairing doesn’t work out?That’s totally fine. If it doesn’t work out we’ll offer support to see if there’s something we can do - and that may include finding a new buddy.
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Is Gig Buddies a Not-For-Profit project?Yes. Gig Buddies is a not-for-profit project. All monthly NDIS charges go towards running the project. Most of our group social events are free, and we only charge if there is a cost involved such as entry tickets, venue hire, transport. If a company donates or gives us discounted tickets, we pass on the savings to the participants and volunteers. (When buddies go to events with their volunteers outside of our group events, they pay for their own tickets.) The project is run by the registered charity Assisted Community Living Limited (trading as ACL Disability Services). ACL Disability Services is a not-for-profit organisation that was set up over 50 years ago to support adults with mild to moderate learning disability.