Thank you so much for this. As an autistic person I always thought that I couldn’t be an Access Support PA to someone else, but actually it sounds like it can be the perfect combo.
This is such a valuable and inspiring read. Thank you so much for sharing all this. The missed opportunities element has really hit home and it's so useful to get an insight into this experience from the other side.
A great story. So glad it’s working so well. I’m on the team of a dear friend who benefits hugely from Access to work. She was awarded a three year grant and is flying with her two small businesses and being single mum to two t(w)eens plus a dog! I love helping her with admin or practical tasks and the modest income is lovely on top of state pension. Plus I feel so seen and appreciated in my creative thinking, empathy and practical abilities with communication. Win-total-win!!
I loved this blog post. I hope it inspires others to seek this funding and find their own "Poet PA" too then it's poets being paid which needs to happen more. I ran my own business for many years and started crumbling managing it all. I worked out I could afford a PA one day a week. I searched online and noticed one of my neighbours was really savvy, polite, had excellent writing skills and could be a match. So I went round, knocked on her door - literally cold-calling - and offered her an hourly rate well above her usual freelance work as a cleaner, with holidays and flexible working hours. (I'd rather pay people well for a few hours, than badly for several). She stayed for 9 years until I had to take early retirement through ill health. It was the best thing having 8 hours of the work I wasn't interested in doing to be done by someone else. In this time we went to conferences together, book events (she handled the machine and books, I gave the talks). She even designed a portable mud kitchen and got royalties for several years from the company who made it, that I worked with. The thing is to make the PA work fun and interesting when possible and to use the strength the PA has to bring "value added" to both of you.
Clare and Olivia - love this blog, and especially today's, but what I know and feel about them all is the same- I'm 88 and know that this is my first really meaningful and necessary education/learning in all my life-time. Thank you both and as Clare reminded me/us a while back - I've just got to simply love you. Love Tom
Thank you so much for this. As an autistic person I always thought that I couldn’t be an Access Support PA to someone else, but actually it sounds like it can be the perfect combo.
This is such a valuable and inspiring read. Thank you so much for sharing all this. The missed opportunities element has really hit home and it's so useful to get an insight into this experience from the other side.
A great story. So glad it’s working so well. I’m on the team of a dear friend who benefits hugely from Access to work. She was awarded a three year grant and is flying with her two small businesses and being single mum to two t(w)eens plus a dog! I love helping her with admin or practical tasks and the modest income is lovely on top of state pension. Plus I feel so seen and appreciated in my creative thinking, empathy and practical abilities with communication. Win-total-win!!
Love this column. It is so encouraging to see how you can thrive as a neurodiverse creative. Thanks for the information.
I loved this blog post. I hope it inspires others to seek this funding and find their own "Poet PA" too then it's poets being paid which needs to happen more. I ran my own business for many years and started crumbling managing it all. I worked out I could afford a PA one day a week. I searched online and noticed one of my neighbours was really savvy, polite, had excellent writing skills and could be a match. So I went round, knocked on her door - literally cold-calling - and offered her an hourly rate well above her usual freelance work as a cleaner, with holidays and flexible working hours. (I'd rather pay people well for a few hours, than badly for several). She stayed for 9 years until I had to take early retirement through ill health. It was the best thing having 8 hours of the work I wasn't interested in doing to be done by someone else. In this time we went to conferences together, book events (she handled the machine and books, I gave the talks). She even designed a portable mud kitchen and got royalties for several years from the company who made it, that I worked with. The thing is to make the PA work fun and interesting when possible and to use the strength the PA has to bring "value added" to both of you.
I am a poet and I have a VA and a support worker - both invaluable in the work I do too. Good for you both!
Sounds like a wonderful and life-affirming experience for you both. What a team! ❤️
Clare and Olivia - love this blog, and especially today's, but what I know and feel about them all is the same- I'm 88 and know that this is my first really meaningful and necessary education/learning in all my life-time. Thank you both and as Clare reminded me/us a while back - I've just got to simply love you. Love Tom