Stay Up Late is a grassroots charity that enables adults with learning disabilities and autistic people to lead active social lives and make decisions about how they want to live their life. We work to tackle social isolation and push back against restrictive social care practices.

We do this by campaigning for change and running projects that support people to build real friendships through shared experiences like going to gigs and taking part in mainstream events.

We’re a charity that believe that all people with learning disabilities, and autistic people, should be able to lead full and active social lives. This is not only important for peoples’ mental health, it’s also good for the health of the whole community.

We challenge inflexible support systems that prevent people with learning disabilities from staying up late.

We know that if you’re supported to have a great social life, you’re probably going to have great support around other areas of your life.

That’s why being able to choose to Stay Up Late is important.

Our Gig Buddies projects are about making sure people with learning disabilities and autistic people get to lead the life they want.

With Gig Buddies we match people up with a volunteer who shares the same interests so they can go to “mainstream” events. Working to normalise the idea that disabled people have the right to an ordinary life full of things that matter (friends, dancing, a rich social life…), and being able to Stay Up Late if they want to too!