Lola’s journey at Precious

A passion for trains, travel, and adventure

Lola has a lifelong passion for trains, particularly Thomas & Friends. Her favourite character is Rebecca, the yellow engine, whom Lola strongly identifies with due to Rebecca’s positivity, confidence, and warmth. This love of trains extends beyond TV – Lola enjoys travelling by train and bus, visiting museums, and planning trips across the UK.

Alongside trains, Lola also has a keen interest in motorcycles. She regularly spends time motorcycling with her friend Drew, who is DBS-checked and experienced in supporting people with learning disabilities. These experiences allow Lola to enjoy adventure while remaining safe and well supported.

Lola loves travelling and has several exciting plans ahead, including holidays to the Forest of Dean and Glasgow, where she will attend a My Little Pony convention. She is also looking forward to visiting heritage railways, zip-lining, and meeting friends along the way.

An active and meaningful routine

Routine is very important to Lola and provides her with structure, stability, and confidence. She prefers to wake between 6:30–7:00am and go to bed at 10:00pm each night. With staff support, Lola follows a weekly schedule that balances activity, independence, and relaxation.

Lola currently:

• Attends McIntyre sessions every Tuesday and Wednesday, which she finds highly enjoyable and socially rewarding
• Takes part in sports groups and film clubs
• Goes swimming regularly and is a confident swimmer
• Enjoys weekly go-karting, one of her favourite activities
• Plays bingo, where she sometimes wins
• Cooks meals from scratch, developing skills such as making sausage casserole and cottage pie

At home, Lola enjoys watching TV and films, listening to music, dancing with staff and peers, and playing with her electronic train set often inviting staff to join in.

Growing independence at home

Lola takes pride in her appearance and enjoys shopping for “girly” items. She keeps her flat clean, does her own washing with support, and prepares her own breakfast each day. She shops independently at her local Tesco, which is just a short walk from her flat.

Cooking and homemaking are areas where Lola has made significant progress. While she still benefits from staff support with tasks such as chopping and kitchen safety, her confidence and independence continue to grow.

A recent milestone for Lola was successfully registering with a dentist, something she is very proud of and which reflects her increasing independence and engagement with everyday life.

Positive risk-taking and safety

At Precious, we actively support Lola to take positive, well-planned risks. This includes community access, travel, swimming, cycling, and exploring new adventurous activities such as scuba diving, indoor skydiving. Each activity is carefully risk assessed, with Lola fully involved in understanding how we keep her safe while enabling her to live a full and meaningful life.

Staff support Lola with:

• Online safety and scam awareness
• Appropriate boundaries when meeting new people
• Managing finances and utilities
• Community safety and travel planning

This approach ensures Lola remains safe while continuing to build confidence and independence.