Wish 6- Safe and Easy Travel

16th June 2025

The Child Friendly Leeds 12 Wishes represent the voices of children and young people in Leeds.

Here at Leeds Mencap, we support the CFL 12 Wishes and the campaign to raise awareness of these.

Wish 6 says: Children and young people can travel around the city safely and easily.

Do you need support or advice regarding travel for your child?

The Leeds Local Offer website has information and links for who to get in touch with regarding transport and travel.

Visit Transport | Leeds Local Offer

Lords Mayor's Charity Appeal 2025-2026

10th June 2025

We were thrilled to attend the recent inauguration of the new Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Dan Cohen.

As his chosen charity, Leeds Mencap is excited to work alongside the Lord Mayor of Leeds to raise awareness of the work we do and raise funds to further support our families.

You can find out more here: https://www.leeds.gov.uk/councillors-and-democracy/lord-mayor

Early Years SEND Inclusion Reception

10th June 2025

Staff from Jimbo's Community Nursery attended the Dingley's Promise's Early Years SEND Inclusion Reception at the House of Lords.

The event shared key recommendations from Dingley's Promise for a vital policy change to improve access for children with SEND to an early years education.

You can find out more about these and call to actions here: Early Years SEND Inclusion Recommendations - Dingley's Promise

Wish 5- Protecting the Environment

2nd June 2025

The Child Friendly Leeds 12 Wishes represent the voices of children and young people in Leeds. Leeds Mencap supports the CFL 12 Wishes and the campaign to raise awareness of these.

Wish 5 says : 'Everyone takes more action to protect the environment from climate change'

Leeds Mencap is committed to sustainability and limiting our impact on the environment as well as the importance of educating children and young people about their environment. 

Our home, the Vinery Centre, is equipped with solar panels, air source heat pumps and we keep up to date with technology and look for opportunities to increase and improve our ability to use renewable energy.

At our Outstanding Jimbo’s Community Nursery we include the environment as part of our Early Years Curriculum. We have wilder areas around our grounds to support biodiversity and have a bug hotel as part of the outside play resource for children.

To find out more about Jimbo's Community Nursery and our after school and school holiday provision visit Jimbo's Community Nursery - Learning Disability Charity - Leeds Mencap 

Volunteer Spotlight- Amelia

2nd April 2025

My name is Amelia Ritchie, and I study English Literature with Film Studies at the University of Leeds! I’m in my second year, and I’m originally from a town in Greater Manchester. I wanted to volunteer for Leeds Mencap as a Marketing and Communications Volunteer to help boost the visibility of a charity whose work is so important. Mencap have helped members of my family in the past, so it’s great to be able to give back in any way I can. 

Due to my background working at a marketing agency in Manchester, I wanted to exercise these skills in a positive way and gain new skills within marketing that I can take forward. I worked as a Content Writer, meaning I have experience in writing material that satisfies a user and engages a range of audiences. I wanted to gain some experience outside of agency life, and Leeds Mencap seemed like a great place to learn more about the inner workings of charity marketing and social media marketing. 

I’m a keen writer and hope to write some engaging material during my time at Leeds Mencap. I enjoy going to concerts, reading and watching films, cooking, and going on dog walks when I’m back home. I also enjoy creative writing and writing about films when I’m not writing Uni essays! I hope to start my own film blog one day. I love going to the cinema, so being near Hyde Park Picture House and Cottage Road Cinema is a bonus of living in Leeds! 

I currently also volunteer at Leeds Industrial Museum as a Film Histories Volunteer, helping assist with film history research and creating an exhibition. I had only volunteered on one off occasions for local charities in the past, which is why I want to gain more experience whilst I can. I believe volunteering is so important, and I’m excited to have this opportunity to volunteer for Leeds Mencap!  

Wish 3- youth voice

13th March 2025

The Child Friendly Leeds 12 Wishes represent the voices of children and young people in Leeds.

Leeds Mencap supports the CFL 12 Wishes and the campaign to raise awareness of these.

Wish 3 says 'Children and young people express their views, feel heard and are involved in decisions that affect their lives.'

Here's how we support this wish at Leeds Mencap:

Wish 2- safe spaces

28th February 2025

The Child Friendly Leeds 12 Wishes represent the voices of children and young people in Leeds.

Leeds Mencap supports the CFL 12 Wishes and the campaign to raise awareness of these.

Wish 1 says ‘Children and young people have safe spaces to play, hang out and have fun.

All Leeds Mencap's clubs meet at The Vinery Centre, which has purpose built facilities including activity spaces, soft play and sensory rooms and an outdoor, enclosed play area. It's perfect for our club members to play safely and have lots of fun at the same time!

For more information about the spaces we have and how you can hire them, visit https://www.leedsmencap.org.uk/hire-our-rooms/

Wish 1- mental health and wellbeing

30th January 2025

The Child Friendly Leeds 12 Wishes represent the voices of children and young people in Leeds.

Leeds Mencap supports the CFL 12 Wishes and the campaign to raise awareness of these.

Wish 1 says ‘Children and young people know how and where to get support for their mental health and wellbeing if they need it.’

Here's how we support mental health and wellbeing at Leeds Mencap:

We run activities all year round that give children and young people with learning disabilities a chance to meet new friends, learn new things and play together in a safe, welcoming and inclusive space.

We know how important it is for encouraging positive mental health to have opportunities to socialise, enjoy fun activities and to enjoy new experiences.

For more information about our fantastic youth clubs, playschemes, siblings groups and our dedicated SEND Stay and Play sessions, visit www.leedsmencap.org.uk

Did you know you can also hire our fun, safe and accessible activity rooms, sensory room and soft play area for parties, individual time or groups? To find out more, contact us at info@leedsmencap.org.uk

If you are a child or a young person, or a parent or carer looking for mental health support, please visit the MindMate website- www.mindmate.org.uk

Our Christmas Quiz!

30th December 2024

On the 5th December, we held our annual Christmas Quiz! The night consisted of five teams ready to go, with only one winner and a £50 bar tab – everyone wanted to win! 

It was so lovely be able to come together and share the Christmas spirit with our quiz master Tom keeping us entertained throughout the night. We had some intense rounds of questions which consisted of music, rhyming, riddles and more.

It was so nice to see everyone come along and show their support for Leeds Mencap, including our friends at Ison Harrison Solicitors. The money raised will help us support children and young people with learning disabilities and autism and their families across Leeds.

We want to extend our thanks to Headrow House for allowing us to host our quiz- it was a great atmosphere and overall great night!

We also want to thank anyone who supported the event in some way whether that be by signing up for our raffle, donating or attending the quiz. This amazing amount would not have been made possible without your help!

-Millie Mangham, Marketing and Communications Volunteer

The Allan Boffey Memorial Trophy

12th November 2024

The Allan Boffey Memorial Trophy is a fitting tribute to a man who didn't think twice about helping others. Family and friends of Allan get together annually to raise funds for a local charity. This year, the event supported Leeds Mencap.

Allan's son Shaun writes:

My dad Allan Boffey spent his whole life going over and above what was expected of him. He put more into the world than he took out. So when he unexpectedly died in 2018, it wasn’t just his immediate family that were impacted; his wider family, friends, work colleagues, strangers whose cars he would push out of the snow on a hill outside his house, all knowingly or unknowingly felt the loss. He also supported charities throughout his life, taking it upon himself to pull people together and raise money for local causes. He never did any of this in his own name or for self promotion. He did it because it was the right thing to do.

To keep his memory and his spirit going, The Allan Boffey Memorial Trophy was born, whereby a group of friends and family who knew him, meet annually in some form of competition (crazy golf this year) and raise money for a local charity on his behalf.

This year we were happy to raise money for Leeds Mencap; a wonderful charity supporting young people, people with learning disabilities and vulnerable families. Allan would certainly have been a supporter of the work this charity does, because our communities are better if we support the most vulnerable parts of our society, and hopefully this money will be a small contribution towards that support.

Thank you Leeds Mencap.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part in this year's Allan Boffey Memorial Trophy. Your generosity and commitment to honouring Allan's memory has made a real difference in the lives of those supported by Leeds Mencap.

Enhancing Sensory Experiences

17th October 2024

As we continue our series of blog posts this is an important one to kick off the new academic year!

Here, at Leeds Mencap, we would like to say a big thank you to the Trustees of the Skipton Building Society Charitable Foundation who have kindly given a grant towards a range of sensory resources for our sensory room.  

Many children with learning disabilities and other additional needs such as autism, have sensory needs and benefit from access to sensory resources. Here at Leeds Mencap we provide a sensory room with built in sensory experiences such as soft lighting, tactile surfaces and a range of resources for interactive experiences. Our sensory room, a space utilised by families, local schools and community groups, offers a range of modern equipment to support a variety of sensory and interactive experiences for all ages. Our room is specifically designed to give a sensory experience for children and adults with additional needs. We have a tracked hoisting and changing places toilet on site as well as free accessible parking.  

This kind donation has enabled us to further enhance this space and provide children with sensory experiences. Examples include a sensory tactile play track which creates a multi-sensory experience for children. By encouraging children to explore the different textures under their feet, they stimulate their tactile sense, promoting sensory exploration and motor skill development.

We have also invested in some sensory fluid ball which caters to individual children’s preferences for sensory experiences though differences in texture, density and bounce.

A final example is our sit and spin carousel which allows an enhanced sensory experience by providing tactile stimulation during play, aiding in the development of body awareness.  

Sensory rooms have a range of benefits. They have been shown to decrease anxiety and increase relaxation. Our soft lighting and tactile materials promote this as well as enhancing emotional well-being. Having access to a sensory room can evoke positive emotional experiences. Lastly, a sensory room offers a controlled and safe environment for individuals to explore sensory stimuli at their own pace. This allows them to gradually become more comfortable with sensory experiences that might otherwise be overwhelming.  

At Leeds Mencap you are able to book a variety of our rooms, including our sensory room. In addition we also offer soft playrooms, meeting rooms and activity rooms. We aim to cater to everyone’s needs with free parking, free Wi-Fi and a friendly and experienced on site team. You can find more information on our website under ‘Hire our Rooms’.  

Thank you to the Skipton Building Charitable Foundation for their generous donation!

Summer 24 Newsletter

10th September 2024

Well, summer is officially here, and although it's the school holidays, we have been busier than ever with our summer playscheme and healthy holidays taking place. It's been lovely to see all the children and young people enjoying activities at the centre and having fun!

Click here for all the details!

https://mailchi.mp/leedsmencap/leedsmencapnewsletterseptember-17393354

Volunteer Spotlight- Millie

26th July 2024

This month, we've welcomed a new Marketing and Communications Volunteer to the team!

'Hi, my name is Millie Mangham. I am from a small town in the West Midlands called Shrewsbury.  I am currently going into my second year at the University of Leeds studying Business Management with Marketing. My time in Leeds so far has been very enlightening and has allowed me to understand more about myself whilst further broadening my passion for marketing. Within my course, I have learnt the more technical side of marketing. However, during my time at Leeds Mencap I am excited to gain more hands-on experience in the industry and showcase my skills in any way I can.

Ever since I was a child, I have always had a unique interest for marketing and the different ways consumers behave. I want to put this into practice and help Leeds Mencap in any way I can grow into a more recognisable charity. I have previously worked with charities such as Self-Help Africa raising money for less fortunate children in underdeveloped countries. This experience sparked my interest in charities as I could see how much impact a small gesture can make. This led me to join Leeds Mencap as I feel their charity values and beliefs are extremely admirable.

I have always had a keen interest in sports from a young age – I wish to continue this passion for the future hoping to pursue a career in sports marketing. I am an active member of the University of Leeds Women’s Hockey Society where I was previously appointed captain of my team in my first year of university. I have now been given the opportunity of publicity secretary going into my second year. I am hoping my experience with Leeds Mencap provides me with insightful knowledge and experience, allowing me to relay my understanding for any future opportunities.

I am eager to continue to develop my marketing and creativity skills with Leeds Mencap by creating new content and material for their socials and continue to network further.'

If you’re interested in volunteering at Leeds Mencap then please get in touch with us on info@leedsmencap.org.uk or 0113 235 1331