Meet the Pelicans

  • Mya

  • Patrick

  • Izzy

  • Grace

  • Kirsty

  • Lauren

  • Sophie

  • Liam

  • Olivia

  • Joe

  • Jason

  • Joseph

  • Ben

  • Iona

  • Lily

  • Caspar

  • Chris

  • Lucy

  • Eli

  • Emma

  • Georgia

  • Katie

  • Katie S

  • Molly

We are The Pelican Project; a group of young people with learning-disablities from across Devon.

We are at the centre of a collective that includes community organisations, teachers, creators, students, our carers and families.

Together, we collaborate with partners from across our region. We aim to help each other thrive, to make a positive impact on our communities and to make sure the learning-disabled community belongs.

Meet Liam

Liam uses Oxygen to help him breathe and can have hundreds of seizures a day. His family are familiar with hospital visits and the difficult decisions that come with them. He is non-verbal, and in a busy room, you might think he doesn’t move. Everyone at Pelican knows that despite his extreme vulnerability, Liam experiences a full range of emotions. His subtle expressions tell us that he is happiest in a room full of his friends.

This is why Liam’s failed transition from school was so devastating for his family. Due to his complex medical needs, he was rejected from local providers, leaving him isolated from the community he needed to thrive. Liam’s family provide his 24 hour care, which can be exhausting and leave them equally threatened by isolation. But far from being cut-off, Liam is at the heart of our Pelican community, where his mum and Carer, Natalie, also enjoy respite from a pressured daily routine.

“Pelican has made sure my boy isn’t forgotten”, Denise (Liam’s Mum)

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Meet Ben

Ben has cerebral palsy and uses a ‘talker’, a computer that replaces natural speech. After school, the closest place that could support his needs was a hundred miles away, meaning he left his school community, and his family home. Three years later, Ben transitioned again, this time back to Devon. He hoped to move in to supported living with friends, but as is the case for many of our members, there was nothing available. Ben’s family continued his 24 hour care as they struggled to find enablers to support him from home. 

Throughout years of change and uncertainty, Pelican has given Ben structure to his week and a community to be part of. He has performed live Street Dance, seen his work in public galleries and provided the voice over for an exhibition at the museum. Most importantly, he sees his friends every week. From beaming in online from college, to coming to Dance sessions with his Dad, Ben now attends Pelican with his new enablers.