Alice is taking on the London marathon 2025 for Mencap, "I've worked at Mencap for 10 years, I have been a
support worker
Support workers
Support workers are people who are paid to give care and support to people who need it.
are people who are paid to give care and support to people who need it.
,
service
A service gives people what they need, like healthcare services that help people when they are ill, and support services that give people support.
manager
A manager is a boss at work. They tell you what you need to do and give you support if you need it.
, and done various other roles in Mencap so I know firsthand how hard Mencap teams work, and how passionate they are about making the UK the best place in the world for people with a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
to live. The London Marathon makes our campaigning and
advocacy
Advocacy is when you get support to have your say.
stronger which benefits everyone. I am so glad to be raising money for Mencap."
Alice has been
involved
Involved is being included in something or taking part in something.
with learning disability support provision for almost 15 years and she will be running with her mum Becky. Becky will be running for Mencap because her son Samuel, who had
Down Syndrome
Down syndrome, also known as Down's syndrome, is a type of disability. People with Down syndrome may find it hard to learn new things and may need support. They may have more problems with their health too.
. Unfortunately, Samuel didn't live long enough to be able to have used an
organisation
An organisation are a group of people who work together.
like Mencap.
"It will be 35 years since Sam died when we run the marathon and we're still thinking about him, and this is a way for us to show how much he was loved".
Aside from working for Mencap, Alice is also a trustee for a local Down Syndrome charity, so she stays connected with her local
community
A community is the people and places in an area.
, as well as to the national communities that she connects with through Mencap. Alice also finds that meeting and chatting with adults with learning disabilities through her work is the best part of her job. "It often makes me think of Sam, wondering how he would have grown up to show his personality".
Alice says “Being on the front line, either by working with Mencap, volunteering, or doing something that helps us raise funds, such as running the London marathon, is one of the best ways to support Mencap's work.
I regularly speak to people with a learning disability who have campaigned in
Parliament
Parliament is a group of people who make laws and check what
the government
The Government are the people who run the country. They decide how much
tax
Tax is the money that pays for things like schools, hospitals and the police. There are different types of taxes like
income tax
Income tax is the money that is taken out of the money you earn every month. It helps to pay for things we all need like hospitals and schools.
,
VAT
VAT is also called Value Added Tax. VAT is the extra money you pay when you buy things. The money goes to the government to pay for things like schools and hospitals.
and
council tax
Council
A council is also called a
local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
Tax is the money that people pay to the
council
A council is also called a
local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. It helps to pay for things like social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
.
people should pay for things and how things like the National Health Service should work.
is doing.
, or who have supported the national campaigns we do, such as ‘Treat Me Well’, or ‘Here I Am’ and the thing I most often notice is the pride they feel that they have this opportunity to share their lived
experience
Experience is when you have learned or tried something before.
. The money fundraised directly supports this, and brings strength and empowerment to people whose voices are often dismissed. The hours and miles you spend training for a marathon are long, but the value that fundraisers bring to Mencap is immeasurable."
Becky also told us "Mencap is an amazing charity and they do wonderful things. We all know how badly the social care sector is doing with funding, so a chance to support Mencap is really valuable. Their campaigning helps all people with a learning disability in the UK, not just those supported by Mencap, which I think is so important. It’s a great thing to do!"
Thank you to Alice and Becky for taking on this incredible challenge for Mencap. Their combined target is £5000 which could help pay for our media team to support twenty families to tell their story in the national media about their loved one being detained in a mental health hospital and call for change.
By Mencap