A great event hosted by Stratford Pathway! Trying to attend some of the bigger community bonfire events can be very challenging for people with a learning disability – Transport can be difficult to arrange and for some it may be too overwhelming. Our tailored bonfire party was a perfect way for us all to be involved and to experience a traditional autumnal event – A beautiful warming fire, toasted marshmallows, hot chocolate, twinkling sparklers and of course some good old fashioned campfire songs!
There will be even more opportunities for people of all abilities to saddle up in Stratford, thanks to funding from Sport England.
Heart of England, which supports local people with learning disabilities, has been granted more than £4,000 to add to its growing fleet of accessible bikes – which are available for free inclusive cycling sessions, open to all each week on Stratford’s Recreation Ground.
The grant – totalling £4022 – has come from Sport England’s Together Fund, set up to tackle some of the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly around minority groups gaining access to sport, leisure and social community activities.
It will enable Heart of England Mencap to purchase two new trikes, safety equipment and adaptive cycle training for nine of the charity’s employees – meaning it’s weekly Cyc-Ability sessions can gear up for even more riders in the New Year.
Kate Buttrick, Health & Wellbeing Programme Manager for Heart of England Mencap, said:
“When we heard about the funding we applied straight away. We’d like to say a big thank you to Sport England on behalf of everyone who gets so much out of our Cyc-Ability sessions already – and a big thank you to Royal Mencap Society who were instrumental in facilitating this grant for us too.
“The money will have a huge impact, meaning Heart of England Mencap is able to reach more people with a learning disability or autism, who still face many barriers engaging with social and physical activities in their community. We believe that any person, of any ability, should have the opportunity to enjoy having fun in their community and that’s what Cyc-Ability is all about.”
Heart of England Mencap’s fleet of bikes includes side-by-side cycles and a wheelchair adapted trike, with a team of specially trained staff on hand to help everyone saddle up safely.
Cyc-Ability is open to all, with free sessions on the Recreation Ground from 10.30-12 every Thursday. Evening and weekend sessions can be arranged too. For more information call Kate on 07791 394276 or email kbuttrick@heartofenglandmencap.org.uk
More freedom to get outdoors and be part of the community – two of the driving forces behind a big move to a new base for Pathway in Warwick.
Pathway is our day activity service providing meaningful leisure and learning opportunities to adults with learning and physical disabilities.
After a brilliant 8 years at WarwickSpace, Pathway is now running from the HQ of the 2nd Warwick Sea Scouts in St Nicholas Park.
The hope is that the new base will allow Heart of England Mencap to expand its day services in Warwick, opening more days each week and offering more activities – especially out in the community as Lorna Hayes, our Head of Community Day Services, explains:
“The space at the sea scout headquarters is absolutely fantastic for us – not only giving us more room to enhance our indoor activities like cooking or upcycling projects, but crucially it’s about the outside space too – like having the freedom to go out for an Autumn walk. We also want to start up accessible cycling sessions in the park, as we have done in Stratford.”
“Being part of the community and being positive faces within the community for adults with disabilities is hugely important to us and to the people we support,” added Activities Coordinator Shivorne Poole.
“One of our customers took two buses on their own for the first time to get to our new venue because they wanted to be part of it so much. We are looking forward to a wonderful, fulfilling future.”
The new partnership is key for the 2nd Warwick Sea Scouts too, keen to use their new £1.1 million headquarters to benefit the community as much as possible.
Group Chair Viv Bosworth said: “We are delighted that Heart of England Mencap is able to use our building to provide its hugely important service. It was wonderful to meet with the dedicated team and to understand how they will be able to use the space to enhance what they can deliver for their customers. A big part of our project to build our new Scout HQ was based around being able to offer local organisations a new community space, and it is wonderful to see this partnership getting off to such a great start.”
Pathway currently runs every Monday and Friday, providing a place where people with learning disabilities can come together to access new opportunities and take part in a wide range of meaningful activities – from the cooking and upcycling already mentioned, to crafts, filmmaking or life skills. It’s about encouraging teamwork, independence and friendships and building confidence and self-esteem.
For more information on Pathway and getting involved call 01789 298709 or click here
Over the past 12 months, we have built a great relationship with the team at The Apple Farm in Snitterfield, enabling really valuable opportunities for the people we support to volunteer and gain confidence and skills through our work experience programme.
“Being able to support an activity that is community-led and that embraces people with all abilities is a wonderful achievement for us all,” says Kate Buttrick, our Health & Wellbeing Programme Manager.
“It helps us to take positive steps forward to help build a society that is more inclusive, caring and accepting of others with a disability. It’s been a delight to watch our customers from different services take part in this programme and to see them develop skills that will help build confidence and demonstrate to others in our community what can be achieved when barriers and assumptions are removed.”
Marie, a Team Leader from our Fordsfield service said customers looked forward to going to the farm on a Monday:
“Being out in the fresh air in a calm environment surrounded by trees and animals has a positive impact on wellbeing. It is extremely challenging to find work experience placements for customers with complex needs, and it’s great having the opportunity to do work experience in an inclusive space. For some it will enhance the skills they already have and for others it’s the opportunity to learn new skills.”
Jon, a Support Worker at Fordsfield, added: “Today was the largest group – seven staff and seven customers. It’s so good to go out in a big group like that, as it’s something we rarely do. The fact that we are going somewhere that is so beautiful and away from crowds makes it a really pleasurable experience for everyone. It’s also very satisfying to see customers getting involved in the work – they all have a go!”
Heart of England Mencap has been privileged to welcome another intern from the University of Warwick to the team this summer. Amy Bill joined us for six weeks as our Digital Marketing Intern – playing a key role in supporting our internal and external communications.
We say a big thank you to Amy for being such a brilliant part of our team – we hope we have given you an insight into the huge variety of careers the charity sector offers, and the difference you can make.
Amy, who has just graduated from studying her BA in Philosophy and Literature, details her experience for us:
“I have always been passionate about social issues and wanted to work in the charity sector after university. While I am still figuring out what is right for me, I would like to try working with a lot of different organisations and help out wherever I can, learning new skills.
“I found the digital marketing internship advertised through the Warwick Internship Programme platform and was interested by the relationship the organisation seemed to have with its customers. The aim of providing ‘just enough’ support to help those using the services live a fulfilling life tailored to their individual needs really resonated with my own beliefs and person-centred values.”
During her internship, Amy has been creating internal and external communications, including templates for newsletters and social media campaigns. She created and ran a marketing campaign for Heart of England Mencap’s involvement in the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay, which also launched our new accessible cycling programme.
She said: “This has been my first experience in a professional working environment, and I think it has been a great introduction to the working world. I have been challenged by having to complete a wide variety of tasks, learning new skills from each, and being offered support whenever I have needed it. Everyone in the office has also been so welcoming and put me at ease from day one.
“My favourite moment has been attending the Baton Relay event and getting to see the customers enjoying the services I have been marketing! It really made me feel like I have been doing work which genuinely makes a difference to the organisation and put into perspective how the work I have done will be carried forward after I leave.
“Thank you to everyone I’ve been working with! It’s been lovely to be around such passionate people who have put so much effort into making sure I get the most out of this experience.”
The vision was to set up a ‘day centre without walls’ – a place where local people with learning disabilities could be as much a part of the community as anyone else.
Fast forward a decade and Mencap Pathway, run by Heart of England Mencap, has achieved just that, celebrating its 10th birthday with a party at Stratford Town Hall on Saturday July 23rd – and reflecting on the countless opportunities it has enabled.
Pathway now runs not just in Stratford where it started, but also in Warwick and Malvern, providing empowering and meaningful day activities for adults and young people with learning and physical disabilities.
From cooking to gardening, swimming to cycling, drama, singing, photography, art, science and core skills like maths, reading and writing, it’s an individually-tailored service which focuses on abilities and not disabilities.
Some 260 Pathway sessions are now accessed each week, with active involvement in the community playing a key part too. There are lots of trips out and opportunities to volunteer, helping to litter pick with Rubbish Friends or lending a hand at Mary Arden’s Farm.
Pathway was the vision of its founder Jake Thornton, who said: “A decade ago during a time of many council-run day centre closures, my mission behind setting up Mencap Pathway was to create something new and radically different for our customers. Pathway could be summed up as ‘a day centre without walls’ – the aim was for our customers to become as much a part of the community as anyone else, through our activities and continuous community participation.”
Kate Buttrick, Health and Wellbeing Programme Manager for Heart of England Mencap, was also there at the start.
She says: “From being one of the original team to now, I can truly say this has been the best 10 years in my working life. We have achieved so much over the years and managed to overcome many obstacles. Between the staff, past and present, we’ve built many vibrant, person-centered, multi-activity centers to help people with a learning disability and autism achieve their personal goals – whilst having much fun and laughter along the way.”
Whilst the last two years have thrown up so many challenges, the Pathway team have been committed to continuing their support throughout, setting up online groups and sending activity packages home when it wasn’t possible to be together in person because of Covid restrictions.
Pathway highlights include cycling in the Forest of Dean, a photography exhibition at Shakespeare’s New Place and the drama group’s 2021 production of ‘A Christmas Carol’.
At its heart, it’s about the smaller moments too; giving people choice, developing skills, increasing independence, building friendships and sharing a lot of smiles.
Sandra says: “I love going to Pathway and I go 5 days a week! My favorite activities are cooking, exercise class on Fridays and listening to my music. I like meeting new people at Pathway and the staff are really friendly.”
Russell says: “Coming to Pathway has given me lots of chances to try new things like volunteering at Mary Arden’s and the Apple Farm. I also like to help staff at the day centre. I’ve made new friends and I always feel happy when I’m here.”
Diane says: “I wanted to join Pathway to see my old school friends but I’ve made new friends too! I have learnt new skills like painting and upcycling. I learn better here because the staff help me. I’ve been given opportunities to try new activities which I’ve never done before and I like being part of a team that helps other people.”
For more information on Pathway and getting involved, call 01789 298709.
All abilities came together to celebrate as the Queen’s Baton Relay made its way through Stratford, with an accessible cycling session pedalling to success.
Heart of England Mencap was honoured to be part of the action as the baton-bearers made their way to the Recreation Ground’s ‘learn to ride’ cycle track on Friday, July 22nd.
We ran ‘Cyc-Ability’ sessions throughout the afternoon, for anyone keen to saddle up and have a go on a range of accessible bikes.
It was all about promoting the importance of delivering inclusive community-based activities which all can enjoy.
Kate Buttrick, Health & Well-being Programme Manager for Heart of England Mencap, said: “We had a fantastic day celebrating the Queen’s Baton Relay. It was wonderful to see so many of the people that we support and so many people from the local community all coming together to enjoy our accessible Cyc-Ability sessions, helping us to promote inclusivity and celebrate all abilities. A big thank you to all those who supported us on the day – especially Stratford Bike Hire, Cycle Projects and our volunteer Rod Jones.”
Heart of England Mencap will be running more Cyc-Ability sessions throughout the year – for more information email kbuttrick@heartofenglandmencap.org.uk
Maria and Shivorne were nominated for staff recognition by their colleagues, for their commitment to our values, and for going above and beyond for the people we support. We were told so many wonderful things about each of them, here’s a flavour…
“Maria is one of a kind…She isn’t someone that ever wants or needs recognition, but she deserves it…I can think of quite a few customers that she’s helped get so far because of her persistence and communications with outside agencies…If I could be half the person she is in 10 years I would feel I had made a solid difference to the people we support…”
“Shivorne ticks all of our boxes for our values… She is a very caring and hard-working individual, not only with the people she looks after when she’s at work, but also thinking of them outside of her working hours…She doesn’t just love her job, she loves the adults she works with and the staff…I’m really proud she is a part of Heart of England Mencap and I know that everyone who knows Shivorne is proud to know her.”
Keep your ‘Give a Heart’ nominations coming in – we will be announcing a winner (or winners) each month! Anyone can make a nomination – just tell us who you are nominating and which of our values they demonstrate and how!
We’re looking for new Trustees to further strengthen our Board – if you are looking for an opportunity to really make an impact, we would love to hear from you!
We welcome ALL skills – whether that’s charity, corporate or real life.
You don’t need to arrive with experience – what’s really important is your passion to support us and make a difference.
We’re an established charity covering South Warwickshire and North Worcestershire, supporting adults with a learning disability to live their best life. Through the provision of Supported Living, Respite, and Day Services we strive to be the best in our field.
We’re looking for people who can demonstrate they have the dedication and innovation to make a positive impact on the lives of people with a learning disability. People to champion disabled people’s rights and their meaningful inclusion in community life.
We want people with passion, people who want to speak up for those without a voice, people who can relate to those we support and share our charity’s key values:
Our priority is to have an inclusive Board of Trustees, consisting of a range of experiences and perspectives. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply especially people who have skills or life experience in any of the following areas:
Mental Health
Disability
Marginalised groups
Social Housing
NHS
We also welcome applications from young people looking for their first role as a trustee and offer the opportunity to develop in a role where you really can make a difference. We’re keen to hear from BAME candidates too, as we continue to diversify the make-up of our Board to reflect the celebrated cultural differences in our communities.
As a member of the Board of Trustees, you will play an important part in an enthusiastic and energised team. Your contribution will help to shape the organisation for the future, working effectively with the Executive team to ensure our business plans are delivered in line with the strategic objectives.
As a Trustee, we would be looking for a commitment of approximately 15 hours per month. This is a voluntary, unpaid position, however, mileage and agreed expenses would be payable. The reward is knowing you are making a real difference to the lives of vulnerable people!
Anyone can make a nomination, whether you’re a colleague, customer, friend, or family member.
All you need to do is email heart@heartofenglandmencap.org.uk telling us who you’re nominating and giving us a short description of which value you think they demonstrate and why!
