@mencapliverpool

Wednesday 4th March 2026



On Monday 2nd March, three of our Learning Disability Awareness Trainers – Rachel, Racheal and Kyle – took part in the Learning Library with first year student doctors at the University of Liverpool. This was the first time this had been done and we were really excited to be invited along. The students had been asked to think about an “access audit” – looking at the barriers people might face when doing everyday things like going to the supermarket, visiting a coffee shop or attending a concert. They were asked to think about these situations from different perspectives, including someone with a visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical disability or learning disability. We were part of a group of 11 volunteers sharing our lived experiences to help students understand these challenges better. The Learning Library works by people sharing their real life experiences – almost like pages in a book. Dr Fiona Greeley, Director Dr Anna Stickland and Dr Becca Holmes (GP and Community Clinical Teacher) explained the idea to us. Racheal also pointed out that it is World Book Day this week, which made it the perfect time for the students to visit the Learning Library! One of the things we talked about was the extra planning and challenges people face every day. Kyle shared what it can be like just getting somewhere. Although he owns a car, he can’t drive it himself, so he relies on staff being available who can drive. If staff are off sick or covering shifts, it can affect whether he can attend activities. Sometimes he needs to book the Comfy Bus days in advance. Even using public transport can be stressful, as people with disabilities sometimes face bullying and skitting.  We are taught where to sit so we are close to the driver to avoid this and sometimes when we do this we are made to feel uncomfortable when using priority seating if people can’t see our disability. All of these challenges can happen before we’ve even arrived where we want to go, which can make everyday activities stressful and sometimes stop people from going out at all. The students were fantastic to speak to – really enthusiastic, thoughtful and full of great questions. Read More

@mencapliverpool

Wednesday 4th March 2026



On Friday evening, our Outreach Manager Jo and member Kenneth were invited by @CrosbyRotary to West Lancashire Golf Club for a presentation evening. Crosby Rotary have supported Mencap Liverpool and Sefton for a long time, and we were really honoured to be part of such a wonderful evening alongside so many other incredible organisations. Kenneth has attended our Thursday Club for 37 years and and it was a great surprise to find out that Kenneth knows the Crosby Rotary club President, Geraint Short. Kenneth was brilliant and gave a speech thanking everyone for their support and kindness to Mencap, and for making the evening so special. Making sure people with a learning disability attend events like this is so important and we are literally at the table included and are recognised for the important role people play in organisations like ours. The work we do at Mencap Liverpool and Sefton is so important – while we have lots of fun and make friendships, we also deliver training and raise awareness of learning disability.  Some of the inequalities people with learning disabilities face are shocking for example: • A man with a learning disability is likely to die 22 years younger than a man without a learning disability and it is 26 years younger for women. • 96% of people with a learning disability have experienced verbal harassment. • Less than 5% of people with a learning disability are in paid work. Challenging these inequalities is why we are so grateful to organisations like Crosby Rotary, who support us in our mission to create a world where everyone is valued and treated equally. Thank you to everyone at Crosby Rotary for such a wonderful evening and for your continued support. #MencapLiverpoolAndSefton #CrosbyRotary #LearningDisabilities #InclusionMatters #EqualityForAll CommunitySupport MakingADifference ThursdayClub Read More

@mencapliverpool

Wednesday 4th March 2026



On Friday, Mencap Liverpool and Sefton member Lewis Scott recorded an interview for our show “Reach Out” on @LCR1067fm! 🎙️ Lewis spoke with Bob Davis, who has volunteered at Merseyside Thursday Club since it began 60 years ago. The Thursday Club is a social club for adults with learning disabilities, set up in 1966 to provide a safe, welcoming, and friendly space where people can meet friends, take part in activities, and access the local community. It’s amazing that the club is still run entirely by volunteers after all these years. As well as weekly sessions, they organise holidays and day trips, creating lasting memories for members. Lewis asked some fantastic questions, including Bob’s favourite memories – and the water fights on holidays sounded like an absolute blast! Bob was keen to emphasise that he is part of a team of volunteers, and the joy he has experienced over the past 60 years comes from working with people with learning disabilities in an environment where everyone is equal and respected. There’s even a holiday to Skipton coming up soon! A big thank you to Lewis for doing such a great job and to Ste at @LCR106.7fm for producing the show – we really appreciate it! It’s wonderful to hear about all the great things happening for people with learning disabilities across Liverpool. Find out more: Instagram: @thursday_club_ Facebook: @MerseysideThursdayClub #ReachOutShow #LCR106.7FM #ThursdayClub #Volunteers #LearningDisabilities Inclusion Equality LiverpoolCommunity MencapLiverpoolAndSefton CelebratingVolunteers CommunitySpirit Read More

@mencapliverpool

Wednesday 4th March 2026



On Friday, Kyle delivered another Oliver McGowan Tier 2 Mandatory Training session in Prescot to a group of Social Care support workers. This training matters. At the heart of the Oliver McGowan training is a simple message: people with learning disabilities and autistic people must be listened to. Our voices matter. Our families matter. The people who know and support us every day bring knowledge, insight and understanding that should be valued – not dismissed. Too often behaviour is misunderstood, when really behaviour is communication. When someone is distressed, overwhelmed or struggling, they are trying to tell us something. It’s the responsibility of professionals to listen, understand and respond with respect and compassion. The training is named after Oliver McGowan, a young autistic man with a learning disability who tragically died in 2016 after receiving inappropriate medical treatment. His death highlighted the serious inequalities people with learning disabilities and autistic people still face in health and social care. Because of Oliver’s story and the determination of his family, the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is now required across health and social care. And that matters, because people with learning disabilities are experts by lived experience. We are not problems to be managed. We are not stories to be ignored. We are people. We deserve to be heard. We deserve to be respected. We deserve the same quality of care as anyone else. Great job Kyle! #OliverMcGowanTraining #LearningDisabilityAwareness #ListenToUs #Respect #HealthEquality Read More

@mencapliverpool

Wednesday 4th March 2026



On Friday, our Outreach Champions Lewis, James, Adam, Martin, Rachel, and Ste joined our Outreach Manager Jo at the Kirkdale Community Shop Partnership Day. This was their first community partnership event, and we were so proud to be invited. At Mencap Liverpool and Sefton, we believe that our members are equal partners in everything we do – making decisions, attending events, and shaping the work we deliver. The work being done at the Community Shop is truly inspiring. We split into groups with other stakeholders, including local police, NHS professionals, schools, and housing organisations, and heard three short presentations about the incredible work happening there: ✨ Emily spoke about the range of courses available and helped us to make own oat bags to help with relaxation. ✨ Angie led a cooking demonstration, showing us how to make butter from double cream and explaining how the shop uses surplus food to create breakfasts and lunches. She also explained that she runs various cooking courses that help people in various situations e.g. an air fryer couse, or hob only course for people who might only have access to limited cooking facilities – it was fascinating and really hands-on! Angie also creates daily menus  for the Community Café and these change daily depending on what stock comes in to the Community Shop.  The Café is open to everyone. ✨ Ian, the manager of the shop, told us about the UK’s first social supermarket, supporting people on means-tested benefits and tackling the root causes of food insecurity.  The ‘Plenty for 20’ range is a fantastic initiative and you should check them out to find out more. It was great to attend an event and meet such passionate people and see how collaboration, creativity, and community spirit can make such a difference. Thank you for a really informative and inspiring session! @KirkdaleCommunityShop NHS @PoliceLiverpool #OutreachChampions #CommunityPartnership #InclusionMatters #Equality #CommunityImpact Read More

@mencapliverpool

Monday 2nd March 2026



🤩 We’re proud to celebrate the completion of the first Media Module last Wednesday 🎬 at @ljmu as part of the “Yes! We See You” Phase 2 project. Our members, alongside @greenbankcollege students, have been taking part in a specially designed university experience made up of three mini modules. The first of these focused on Media Production 🎥 delivered by Chaddy and Daniel. Throughout the module, participants gained hands-on experience in camera work, explored professional studio environments including the green room🎬, and planned and set up their own interviews. It has been fantastic to see their confidence grow as they developed new technical and communication skills. The programme concluded with a graduation-style celebration, where members proudly received their certificates a real highlight for everyone involved. 🎓 We’re excited to continue this journey and look forward to the upcoming modules. A sincere thank you to @ljmu, Janette Porter, Janine Melvin and the Diversity and Inclusion team for creating and supporting this valuable opportunity. Partnerships like this make a meaningful difference. #yesweseeyou #ljmu #mediaproduction #inclusiveeducation #partnershipworking @mencap @janetteporterinsta @ljmumediaproductionsoc @greenbankcollege Read More

@mencapliverpool

Wednesday 25th February 2026



On Monday, Rachel, Kyle and Adam delivered Learning Disability Awareness Training to 4th Year student doctors at the University of Liverpool. @livuni We are proud to deliver the session alongside Dr Fiona Greeley from the University of Liverpool and Learning Disability Healthcare Coordinators Vivien Mansfield and Hilary Harper from Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. @merseycarenhsft Our members have been delivering this training for over 13 years. Our members talk to students about: - Communication differences and what to look out for -  The serious health inequalities people with a learning disability face e.g. that women with a learning disability die on average 26 years younger than women without a learning disability - The importance of Annual Health Checks — missing them increases the risk of death by 1.5 times - The importance of reasonable adjustments in healthcare settings Students have the opportunity to ask questions, build rapport and see the person beyond the label. Because we are the same as everyone else, we love travelling, we support football teams …some are better teams than others (!), we care about our families and we have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else.. We just might need a bit more time. A bit more patience and for professionals to really listen and include us.  Thank you to the university of liverpool for involving people with learning disaiblities for all these years and to the Leraning Disability Team at Mersey Care who support and promote people with learning disabilities. Together, we are helping to reduce health inequalities and raise awareness of learning disabilities and challenging the inequalities we face. #MencapLiverpoolAndSefton #LearningDisabilityAwareness #FutureDoctors #HealthInequalities #ReasonableAdjustments InclusionInHealthcare UniversityOfLiverpool MerseyCare LivedExperienceMatters Read More