The More2Life project has been developed by the Maldon and Dengie Local Action Group (LAG) working in partnership with Maldon and District Community Voluntary Service (M&DCVS). The project aims to enrich the lives of individuals with learning disabilities and very complex support needs who are living with their families – people who may have physical disabilities or medical conditions or very challenging behaviours as well as profound learning disabilities.

The project will focus on:

• people living with family carers so that both the person and their family benefit.
• people who require high levels of support, as they are able to do little on their own and so have restricted social lives. 
•  people living in rural areas of the district as well as the two towns in order to understand and address issues relating to options and accessibility
•  People aged 18+ and those approaching adulthood
  

The project will have a person centred approach and will find out the wishes and requirements of individuals and their carers to develop ways in which they can access activities of their choice and how support can be provided for families to manage budgets and employ support workers to enhance leisure time.

Additionally the project aims to develop systems and infrastructure so that changes will be sustainable for the individuals participating and for the benefit of others in the local area.  This will involve working with local authorities and leisure providers to look at improvements or changes that can be made to increase accessibility and the support available in the district.

The Local Action Group and Maldon & District CVS have agreed a number of principles underpinning the project -

• Developments must promote social inclusion and community involvement
• Developments have to be responsive, flexible and meet individual needs in terms of leisure activities and interests
•  It has to reach people whose voices often are not heard and/or who live in outlying areas of the district
•  It has to offer choice and options for different types of leisure activities
•  It has to offer support in the evenings and at weekends
• People with learning disabilities and/or family carers must be involved in leading and monitoring the project.