Accessible summary• Feeling alone and not connected to other people where you live affects many people and especially people with a learning disability. The government and the newspapers are talking a lot about this, they want to understand who is affected and what can be done.• Our group did a research project to find out some of the things that stop us getting involved in local places with local people where we can make and keep friends.The people in the research project mainly lived independently and did not use learning disability services, so needed to use local community organisations.• Pictorial cards, made by one of the group members, using photographs were used to sort out all the things we talked about into groups. These included transport, fear and anxiety, limits on our choice and control, risks and personal safety.• We then talked about what could be done, this included more easy read information, so people know what is available locally, more support to go to places and advocacy to get involved. There also needs to be better community safety including more Safe Places in the community. AbstractBackground: Social isolation is an issue that affects many people and especially people with a learning disability. There is an association between social exclusion and feeling lonely, an issue currently highlighted as a growing concern which needs to be addressed both in the media and by the government. Methods: The Building Bridges Research Group do inclusive research projects aboutthe issues that are important to them. Over the summer of 2018, the research group undertook an inclusive research project to identify some of the specific barriers that prevent community inclusion and the opportunity to develop friends. The people involved mainly lived independently and did not use learning disability services, with the exception of evening clubs, so needed to use universal services.Results: Pictorial cards, made by one of the group, using photographs were used to organise the data into themes. These included transport, fear and anxiety, limits on choice and control, risks and personal safety. Conclusion:The inclusive research design enabled people with a learning disability to contribute to all stages of the research project, from identifying the issue, gathering data, the analysis and writing up. They also made suggestions of ways to increase social networks, friendships and well-being and so decrease loneliness. These include more access to easy read information, more support and advocacy and measures to address

Accessible summary A group of people with a learning disability joined a group to talk about their lives Being part of it was important, and they have continued as a research group The group gives the members a voice and it helps them to know other people have similar issues to deal with. It has also shaped their identity – how they feel about their lives and themselves. SummaryMoney, Friends and Making Ends Meet was an inclusive research project; it enabled a group of people with a learning disability who do not receive specialist support services to explore their own lives. This group are often labelled as having a mild learning disability. The research project focused on the strategies they used to cope with day to day living, their experiences of poverty and the support received from their social networks and social capital. The group members found participation in the research project enabled them to have a voice, identify the social barriers in their lives and gave them support and confidence to take action about them and so resolve some of their difficulties. They also embraced the label of learning disability and wanted staff in front‐line services to be aware of this, so they had greater understanding and support. This article is written by the instigator of the research group, but with a central part written by the group members in their own words. It focusses on how participation in the research project had a major impact on the group members as they moved from individuals involved in a short term research project to an established research group with its own motivation and direction. The group has since received further grant funding to research the effects of the welfare reform on their lives, and some have completed a bespoke accredited course on doing inclusive research.

Purpose Tackling social exclusion, which can lead to social isolation and loneliness, is an important current issue. People with a learning disability have a right to be full members of their communities, yet often experience social exclusion. Community connections play a key role in people developing reciprocal relationships. It is therefore important to know the barriers to full inclusion. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This paper builds on an inclusive research project exploring these issues (Mooney et al., 2019) and aims to place that study’s main findings in a broader academic, policy and practice context. Findings Whilst there is a wide range of literature about social exclusion, lack of friendships and loneliness experienced by people with a learning disability, there is a gap in knowledge regarding some of the specific social barriers that prevent wider social inclusion, and therefore opportunities to make and keep friends. Originality/value This paper relates the findings of an inclusive research project to the current literature. It identifies the social barriers that limit community involvement and draws on the experience of people with a learning disability to find possible ways forward.

This paper is concerned with as mallg roup of peoplew itham ildl earning disability; whot heya re and what their livesa re like.T hisg roup is not typically knownb yt he label of mild learning disabilityi nr esearch,s ocialp olicy or in service provision, due to al acko fs uitablea ssessment or identification methods. This smallstudy,usingfocus groups as adata collection method and undertaken as ap ilots tudy for further research,h as shownt hisg roup experienced wide ranging sociald isadvantage, and difficultiesa nd challenges in daily livingd ue to theirl earning disability.T hesei ncluded travel,s hopping, parenting, lack of IT skills, plus experiencingl ocal anti-socialb ehaviour on ar egular basis. Lacko f recognition and appropriate supportc an leavet hem vulnerable to ar ange of difficultiesand issues including social isolation and harassment.

People with learning disabilities have both increased mortality and an increased morbidity; there is poor uptake of health promotion, unrecognized health needs and poor access to health care. They also have a reduced ability to understand, retain and implement advice and information and have difficulty in both identifying and communicating health care problems. There is a great disparity between their health and that of people in the general population. A Health Action Plan is a personalized plan that states the health needs of a person with a learning disability and how these needs should be met; it can support the person in managing their own health needs, and identify which ordinary healthcare services and professionals are needed to enable people to have the necessary support to stay healthy. Including people with disabilities is an essential step in creating sustainable communities.