Podcast Episode 75 If not now when? Planning for the future can be scary for anyone but it’s especially hard when that planning is for a young person who we know will face any number of challenges as they navigate towards their ideal life.

In this episode Carol Wakeford from Heartventure shares her story about how she and husband have planned and then worked towards providing an independent future for their son. Carol talks about the original idea she had of starting a dating agency and why that original model didn’t work and how it has now transformed into a different model which provides not only a social life for her son and his friends but also helps to break down barriers and build wider understanding in the local community.

Carol also talks about independent living in terms of how to create a supported living house for young people. She discusses the practical challenges of making it work and how to find the right people to work with.

Planning for a future, we won’t always be a part of, isn’t ever going to be easy. Planning though can not only provide our young people with the security of realistic options it can provide us with peace of mind and help us stop asking what happens when I’m no longer around.