Lissy and Per: Love in Skagen

Lissy and Per

Lissy and Per, who have been together for 17 years and married for 11.
This is their story.

Lissy and Per

This is an interview I did 5 years ago with Lissy and Per. But it’s such a heartwarming interview about love and respect for each other, and I want to share it with you.

Lissy and Per in Skagen.

I’m in Skagen. Skagen is the northernmost city in Denmark and I’m here to do an interview with Lissy and Per, who have been together for 17 years and married for 11. Per is 61 years old and Lissy Simonsen is 64.

The interview was about how to be together for so many years, and I was also looking for the good advice for a good relationship.

Lissy and Per live right next to the church in a small apartment with a nice garden. They have lived here for the last 12 years. Or maybe it’s 14? They cannot not quite remember, but they tell me that this is the best place they have ever lived.

This Tuesday morning, have they set the table up with coffee, muffins, and the most amazing banana cake I have ever tasted? I quickly decided to see if I could lure the recipe out of Lissy.

How Lissy and Per meet

They met on Kos – the Greek island. And down by the pool you could get a massage. So Lissy and Per agreed to give each other a massage. And since then, they have been together.

Lissy lived in another city, when they met, so in the beginning Lissy traveled back and forth between Ringe and Skagen. She did that for two years, and then she moved up to Per.

Lissy was actually with another man when she and Per met at Kos, so she had to end that in a good way before she and Per could be together.

This podcast is an episode in our »what we do show« we host in the We are Friends App. This series is a podcast with the important stories of life and how it is lived by our amazing members of the community. For inspiration, for joy and for connections.

Lissy and Per really have love for each other

Lissy and Per really love each other – it’s so easy to see, and I enjoyed the day together with them so much. You can just feel the love and respect they for each other

We love to share stories like this

We mean it is important to share the story of our members life and do interview with organizations, activities, day centers, events and workplaces centered around people with learning disabilities and special needs to create content and tell the stories of all the great places to the members of the App.

To inspire we want to create present content which provides insight, information and inspiration into the life for people living with a learning disability and special needs.

Do you know of organizations and initiatives we should contact? 


We would greatly appreciate your help, so we produce exciting and encouraging content for our members.
Send us a tip at hello@wearefriends.today

Martin works in circus all summer

Martin works in circus

Martin works in circus all summer long. He has learning disability but that does not stop him from making friends and enjoying his job as a volunteer in Circus Arena 

Martin works in circus

I’m on my way to visit Martin – All summer long he works in the biggest circus in the Nordic countries called Circus Arena. Right now they are in a Town called Høje Tåstrup here in Denmark, and I’m on my way to meet him.

Martin and I shall meet at 8 this morning at the cirkus, and I have been on my way for the last 2,5 hour.

This morning I have seen the sun rise over the summer-dressed fields. It’s a beautiful day. As I drives the last stretch of the road up to the circus square, I see the circus wagons and the grassing horses in the morning dew. 

Martin works in circus all summer long

I had imagined that there would be a lot of noise around the circus, but here is quiet. Here are many people, but not much noise.

When I look around the circus square I see quite a few people with a coffee cup in one hand and a slice of bread in the other.

There is no doubt that they are getting ready for the day’s work.

Martin is waiting for me in the parking lot. He asks if I want to see the horses, and we walk to the fence.

On the way over, Martin tells that a long time ago he was encouraged to start as a volunteer. Now he has helped in the circus for over 20 years. He does it whenever and as for as long as he can every summer.

This podcast is an episode in our »what we do show« we host in the We are Friends App. This series is a podcast with the important stories of life and how it is lived by our amazing members of the community. For inspiration, for joy and for connections.

Martin works in Circus 

I can see and feel why Martin love the work here. Being a part of a circus is something very special. And I’m sure that Martin works in circus as long as he can.

We love to share stories like this

We mean it is important to share the story of our members life and do interview with organizations, activities, day centers, events and workplaces centered around people with learning disabilities and special needs to create content and tell the stories of all the great places to the members of the App.

To inspire we want to create present content which provides insight, information and inspiration into the life for people living with a learning disability and special needs.

Do you know of organizations and initiatives we should contact? 


We would greatly appreciate your help, so we produce exciting and encouraging content for our members.
Send us a tip at hello@wearefriends.today

Leander and his tuk-tuk

Leander and his tuk-tuk

Leander has always been told that his future was limited, that he couldn’t get a job. Now Leander and his tuk-tuk tell a different story.

Leander and his tuk-tuk

One Monday in early March, the sun was shining. There was spring in the air, and the hope of summer on the cloudless sky.

I have an appointment with Leander Grant.

He has just texted that he is ten minutes late because he needs to take a trip to the landfill for a customer before our interview.

So, while I wait, I catch a ray of sunshine on the bench opposite of the Café where we shall meet.

 

Leander and his tuk-tuk sounds a bit like a propeller plane

But it doesn’t take ten minutes before I hear the sound of a roaring moped, and two seconds later, Leander comes around the corner. He is a handsome young man of 29 years, with one incredibly winning smile. He’s walking a bit weird, and his face makes tics. Leander is spastic and is lamb in one side. But being spastic is not at all what this interview is all about.

I’ve asked if I could tell the story about Leander and his tuk-tuk business.

And luckily, he said yes. Because this is a good story, a story about daring, about talking a chance and about what you can do when someone believes in you.

This podcast is an episode in Our what we do show we host in the We are Friends App. This series is a podcast with the important stories of life and how it is lived by our amazing members of the community. For inspiration, for joy and for connections.

Leander and his tuk-tuk is are thriving business 

Leander has always been told that his future was very limited, that he couldn’t get a job. But he didn’t believe that. And neither did his father.

Now Leander and his tuk-tuk is a thriving business helping shops and people with all kinds of jobs. And he loves it.

We love to share stories like Leander and his tuk-tuk

We mean it is important to share the story of our members life and do interview with organizations, activities, day centers, events and workplaces centered around people with learning disabilities and special needs to create content and tell the stories of all the great places to the members of the App.

We want to create present content which provides insight, information and inspiration into the life for people living with a learning disability and special needs.


Do you know of organizations and initiatives we should contact? 


We would greatly appreciate your help, so we produce exciting and encouraging content for our members.
Send us a tip at hello@wearefriends.today

Coming to England. Let’s be friends

coming to England

Let’s be friends.
The We are Friends App today is coming to England. 

Do you know of organizations and initiatives we should contact?

coming to England

Personal message from Signe – our founder.
We are coming to England!

 

We are Friends today is now ready to be introduced to users and organizations in England.
And we are so exited to welcome British friends into the community.

Here at the team we strongly believe the best way to get the App launched in UK is in collaboration with organizations and member of the App.

The We are Friends team will learn from this collaboration and adapt all the knowledge, the wishes and the feedback we get to the App, to make the best experience for members and organizations in the UK. We do that in a pace where we have the time to take care of everyone in the App.

 

I’m coming to England

Do you know of organizations and initiatives I should contact?

In April I’m visiting Dorset, Devon and Somerset and Cornwall to interview organizations, activities, day centers, events and workplaces centered around people with learning disabilities to create content and tell the stories of all the great places to the members of the App.

We want to create present content which provides insight, information and inspiration into the life for people living with a learning disability in the South West, invite them to join us in the App and get to know all the great organizations and initiatives.

I would greatly appreciate your help, so we produce exciting and encouraging content and meet new friends. You can send me a message at hello@wearefriends.today

I’m sure you know of brilliant initiatives. Thank you for your help. 

I am really looking forward to visiting England again. I have fond memories of a two-week road trip around the south.

 
Want more information about We are Friends? 

Of course! I’m here to help. You can book a demo right here or send me an email. I’m here to help.

20 questions you can ask a new friend

20-questions-you-can-ask-a-new-friend

Ok – now I got a new friend. What should I say to them?

I think we all have had that question spinning our mind, when we got a friend request or meet someone for the first time.

20-questions-you-can-ask-a-new-friend

Know that award moment where you don’t have a single thing to say or ask a person you just met?

Our friend-maker-service to the rescue. Here you have 20 questions to ask a new friend that can start a longer conversation.

20 questions you can ask a new friend

1: Where did you grow up?

2: What do you like to do for fun? What do you enjoy?

3: What are your favorite TV shows?

4: What’s your family like? Do you have brothers or sisters?

5: What kind of music do you like?

6: What’s the highlight of your week?

7: What new things have you been enjoying lately?

8: What is one thing you’ve always wanted to do?

9: What’s your favorite movie you watched recently?

10: What are you looking forward to this week or weekend?

11: What is the best dessert you’ve ever had?

12:  If you could be one of the superheroes, who would you be?

13: Which is your favorite restaurant? What is your favorite dish to order?

14: Do you have a pet?

15: What is the best trip you ever took?

16: What are 5 things you couldn’t live without?

17: What are you most proud of?

18: What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

19: What are your hobbies, and how did you get into them?

20: What song always gets you out on the dance floor?

 

Here you have it. 20 questions that can start a conversation, and where you can also answer by telling your favorite or experience.

Maybe you find that your new friend and you have a lot more in common than you think.


I ♥️ dogs, you ♥️ dogs – Let’s be friends

We say that at common interest is a good start for a friendship. But how much do you really need to have in common?

I ❤️ dogs, you ❤️ dogs - Let's be friends

Jessica is a big dog lover. She has Max. A golden retriever of 5 years with the most beautiful eyes and the biggest love for Jessica.

Jessica and Max loves:

  • Long walks several times a day
  • Playing at the beach near their house
  • Toss sticks and balls
  • Play hide and seek
  • Agility

Amber is also a big dog lover. Her dogs name is Coco. A Shih-Tzu that hold her age of 12 very nice. When Amber is home, Coco is always by her side.

Amber and Coco loves:

  • A short walk in the park in the afternoon
  • Sitting on the veranda talking while Coco gets her fur groomed
  • Taking a nap together
  • Going on a bike ride – Coco majestically seated in the bike basket
  • Practice tricks like giving paw, playing dead and dancing

 

Jessica and Amber are two completely different dog lovers.

But they have one big thing in common:

They LOVE dogs!

And that can be the start of a beautiful friendship. They can tell and show each other how they are dog lovers, what they enjoy doing with their furry friend, share good experiences, give each other tips and tricks and by being friends they will see and learn that this shared interest can be carried out in so many varieties.

 

You don’t need to be two peas in pot to make great friends, and in the “We Are Friends” community, we help create connections between likeminded people who might only share a single interest…

But that single thing can be the solid foundation of a lifelong friendship. Join us today and find out for yourself

”Moooom! Can I share this picture of you?”

“What if I share a wrong picture, do I have to go to jail?”

That was the phrase I heard the most, when I started working with social media and people with developmental disabilities

Social media is not an easy ride for everyone.



Especially when it comes to sharing text, video, and images on the internet and especially on social media, our audience struggle to assess, if they are doing the right thing.

When I started working with social media for people with developmental disabilities, the phrase I heard the most was: “What if I share something that is wrong, and I have to go to jail for it?”

It was back in the winter of 2018, when the death video from Morocco made headlines and a number of fines and prison sentences were handed out. During the same period, a number of cases with sex videos were shared worldwide as a wildfire, and the fraud cases against people with developmental disabilities was growing.

Back in 2018 that meant - and it still means - that everyone knows a story about someone who had an unpleasant and unfortunate experiences on the internet and especially on social media.

There are so many rules about what you are allowed to share on social media and what you are not, and it can be difficult to know if you are sharing something you are not allowed to. The rules are not even the same in all countries. Therefore, it can be difficult to behave properly, and it all boils down to the fact, that YOU should feel safe online.

The same rules online as offline

The norms and rules that we live by in the physical world, are the same that we apply in the digital reality, and they are just as important to learn, know and remember as traffic regulations, queue culture and good table manners.

The better safe than sorry list

 

Feel free to share text, video or pictures of:

  • your face
  • yourself with clothes on
  • yourself in your swimsuit
  • your experiences (e.g., from trips and holidays you are on)
  • your pets
  • your things (but never share your address. Thieves can easily find you!)
  • food and drinks
  • flowers and nature
  • public places (e.g., from the Zoo, a museum, a park, lookout points, etc.)
  • your family and friends, but you have to ask them for permission, before sharing a photo of them.

 

Share text, video and pictures that:

  • tell a story about you and your life, that you want the world to see
  • is showing something, you want to tell the world

If you are ever in doubt whether to share an image on the internet, don’t do it. Your doubts are often a great guideline for knowing whether or not to share.


Always look at what you want to share and think about: is anybody going to be sad to see that picture of themselves? If yes, don’t share.

 

Do NOT share text, video or pictures of:

  • you or others without any clothes on
  • other people who have not agreed to you sharing their picture (this is called “consent”, and it means that they are ok with you sharing pictures, video and text, showing or mentioning them)
  • portrait photos of others (from a yearbook or similar)
  • other people’s misfortune, sorrow, grief, or accident
  • violence
  • sex and porn
  • animal cruelty
  • religious acts (e.g., people who pray)

 

A good rule to remember

Would you say, write or show it to your grandmother? If not, you probably shouldn’t share it online either.

 

We have built a Guardian support feature in the »We are Friends« App

It means that you, as a guardian, can support, help and overlook that everything is ok when your child is a member of the community.

The guardian account can be done in the registration or added later on, the options is always available.

 

Safety matters

In fact, our member’s safety is our highest priority. Adding a guardian is not the only way we protect our members; we have several layers of safety around our members as you can see here.

  • Closed system. Users cannot share links in the App

  • Friend request with selfie approval

  • Easy blocking and reporting tools for users

  • Admin screening processes of pictures and text

  • Screening of financial, bullying and insulting words (AI learning)

  • Get help through We are Friends, Guardians and Super Users

The »We are Friends« App is built as a safe and secure place to be. We know that the scammers are out there, we know they see our audience as an easy target and we do everything we can to keep them away from our community. Continuously, we built our safety net stronger and stronger.

Have questions about We are Friends? 
Of course! Feel free to send us a message right here

Interest is much more than something you have – it’s the core of everything we do in the App

I want you to meet Paul. Because Paul is such a great example of who one of our member-types is, and how he benefits from being a part of our online community.

Interest is much more than something you have – it’s the core of everything we build in the »We are Friends« App

I want you to meet Paul. Because Paul is such a great example of who one of our user-types is, and how he benefits from being a part of our online community.

Paul tells us his interest when he signs up in the »We Are Friends« App. The selections of interest will be the “friend and group finder” for Paul.

We suggest friends and groups that share the same interest, is in his area and within a certain age span. Our algorithm always starts with the interest and after that it adds more and more parameters to the search for friends and activities for Paul.

Of course Paul can do his own search based on all the interest and groups we will have in the app.

“We believe that joining a community/a group that shares your interest (small or big) is the best way to learn, develop, participate, enjoy, and engage. Having a mutual foundation helps ensure a successful experience from the beginning."

Starting a conversation with your shared interest of fishing, knitting, favorite music or something as small as a favorite tv show, gives you a good start and something to talk about and it takes away the pressure when meeting new friends online.
 
Let’s take an example
Let’s say that you enjoy baking like Paul. In the App, you click on the baking-icon and up comes a list of all the people in the app who enjoy baking.
 
Paul could start a conversation with a fellow baker with a: “What is your favorite thing to bake?” or “Are you baking cakes or bread?”, and instantly we have a conversation going, that goes so much easier than small talk. Small talk can be very hard to do – because Paul doesn’t know what his first question should be.
 
Talking about his baking is a completely different thing. Because he has something to put into that conversation.
 
Noticing and highlighting true similarities will not only make us feel more comfortable reaching out to others, it will also help us to be authentic and real. And that my friend, increases the chances of starting a good friendship.
 
Not just a friendship builder – it’s a good life builder

In the App Paul meets friends who shares his interests, and he joins partner groups who provides information, knowledge, activity, and events, that fits his interest and motivation.

Now he can get education, life learning lessons and be a part of different groups that teach him about baking, fishing, horseback riding or a group that has a Christmas activity in December.

We believe that joining a community/a group that shares your interest (small or big) is the best way to learn, develop, participate, enjoy, and engage.

Having a mutual foundation helps ensure a successful experience from the beginning.

We build the »We are Friends« App centered around interest, because it is much more than just something you have or do. It’s something you can use as an active asset and it grows and evolves with you the more you do it, the more you learn, and train and it grows even bigger and stronger when you do it with someone who shares that interest.

We are ready to welcome you all in our community!

The gift of communicating – even if you can’t say anything

You dream of going on that fishing trip because you’ve never tried standing on that boat. Not even once.

Imagine that your big interest is fishing. You dream of being on a fishing boat and pulling one big fish out of the ocean after the other.

On TV and YouTube, you watch all there is about fishing, you have posters with fish on the walls of your room, and you look at the pictures in books about fishing.

You dream of going on that fishing trip because you’ve never tried standing on that boat. Not even once.

You are lonely, your best friend is your support person, and she/he is not really interested in fishing. You don’t know anyone who shares your interest. Not anybody you can talk to or show your pictures from your book.

Online or on social media you have tried to connect with others, but you’re not that great with words. Others struggle to understand you and you don’t write that well.

Maybe you wouldn’t call it great or real communication, but for our users, it can make a world of difference.

This scenario is the reality for many of our users

In fact, a similar situation is what gave our founder Signe the idea for »We Are Friends«. You can read the whole story right here

In the »We Are Friends« app, we strive for EVERYONE to have an opportunity to communicate in a form that suits them.

In the App our users communicate by video, pictures, audio or in writing. They can even use our preset sentences to describe how they feel, what they are doing, what makes them happy or sad, what they dream of and so much more.

Maybe you wouldn’t call it great or real communication, but for our users, it can make a world of difference. All of a sudden, they can tell others about their lives. Send photos and videos to friends they’ve made online themselves, tell their story on their profile page and show the world that they exist.

That’s an opportunity many of them didn’t have before. Can you imagine how good it would make them feel?

We give them a voice– even if they can’t say anything.

Right now, the team and I are putting all the pieces together and getting ready to launch the »We Are Friends« app July 30th, 2021. We can’t wait to welcome all our new friends in the app.
 

I will see you inside the community

All my best

Signe Naessing

Founder CEO

Going online with a community as a Summer Camp

When you combine offline activities with online activities you can reach a much wider audience and help even more people.

Wouldn’t you love, if you could go to one platform and communicate with the members of your community in an easy way and where you knew that they would get your message?

Wouldn’t it be something if you could learn from your users, and create training and education that they require? And wouldn’t it be special if you knew they want that exact type of education because they told you directly?

You can get that in an online community.
In fact, building an online community is one of the most powerful ways to connect with your audience. Furthermore, a well-run online community will also help you build trust, get the engagement that can take you to the next step in terms of your education, training, activities and much more.



Connect your members with a community which can help them with their challenges and where you, as an organization, can do what you do best with the initiatives and support you provide. Additionally, you can learn and create your courses, trainings, activities, and events based on what your members tell you they want.

We have previously covered how you can use an online special community if you provide a support activity like horseback riding or horse therapy.

Let me give you another example: today we are talking about summer camps and the benefits of a special online community.

To be specific, I’ll use a summer camp for people with learning, developmental and intellectual disabilities as an example.

Covid-19 has made life for camps, festivals, sports events, music events and holiday activities really hard.

Covid-19 shut down almost all activities

Covid-19 has made life for camps, festivals, sports events, music events and holiday activities really hard. And not only were nearly all of them closed in 2020 – most of them will stay closed in 2021 as well.

Here in Denmark, where I’m located, we sadly see a lot of them shutting down for good, since two years with no income has simply undermined the economy of these major events. Unfortunately, I see this happening all over the world.
It’s such a shame and it will affect our population of people with special needs in an extremely critical and somber way as they are now facing yet another summer with no activities at all.

Could there be a way of doing these activities online?

Here at We are Friends we think you can – and with the pandemic, which has made our world so different, going online will help you and your customers greatly. Not only will you be able to reach your users, members and audience in a way that works for them right now – because they cannot be there in person, but it will also give you a great way to keep in touch with them throughout the year. You can attract new users when the world once again opens up and we are back to ’business as ususal’ but it will also give you an opportunity to create revenue, because you can charge money for some of your online activities or trainings.

Let’s take the summer camp and have a look at what they could do.

Online you could:

  • Do activities that doesn’t require in person or equipment for the participant (paid option)
  • Share knowledge on how to prepare for your camp
  • Do a series of activities that take the user from A to Z (paid option)
  • Show how to do specific activities you normally provide in person
    Run a series of training that prepare the users for your program

Online you could tell:

  • The story of your event
  • What you do and how you do it
  • Who your users are and why
  • All the practical things (where to buy tickets, parking, price, toilet facilities, with or without helper …)

Online you could show:

  • A filmed tour of what to do at your event
    A filmed activity with the doers’ eyes (camera on the head/helmet) so the spectator gets the experience from the right angle and in the right pace
  • Where does it all take place? How does it look
  • Your staff
  • Who you are
  • What happens the first time a user comes to your place

And the list could go on and on.

When we launch, »We are Friends« for partners – in October – you can have your own community of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities who need your knowledge, your service, your activities.

So, let’s do summer camps- in real life and in the online world. I know you can do it, and I know that the benefits of going online with your service will give you a much bigger audience, a much bigger impact and much more awareness and that will lead to that more people will enjoy your summer camp.

I also know that all across the world people with special needs, with learning-, intellectual and developmental disabilities need you to show up online, so they can enjoy some satisfying activities in their lives and be excited for the future, knowing we will be able to do things together again.

My goal is to get your help and support to those who need it the most.

Do you think that an online special community would be a match for your organization, service or business?
Send me an e-mail at signe@wearefriends.today, and let’s brainstorm on how we can get you started the best way in your (new) online adventure.

I’m here to help.