What is My Community?
MyCommunity is a project run by Mencap that partners with local people who want to make their
community
A community is the people and places in an area.
a great place for people with learning disabilities to live.
We recruit local people to become 'Community Partners' and help communities come together to take action on things that matter to them.
We have also hired people with learning disabilities as 'Community Connectors'.
They use their experiences to tell us what matters to them and what would help make their communities better places for them to live in.
Where is My Community and how do I get in touch?
There are 9 different My Community projects across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
You can get in touch with My Community by using our online form.
Or you can phone or email the Community partner for the My Community project nearest to you.
Areas where there are My Community projects
Carrickfergus
Contact: Lynn McKenzie
07793548908
lynn.mckenzie@mencap.org.uk
Croydon
Contact: Stella Osan
07977055465
stella.osan@mencap.org.uk
Harrow
Contact: mycommunity@mencap.org.uk
Hull
Contact: Laura Beech and Emily Clixby
07989739077 (Laura); 07890591796 (Emily)
laura.beech@mencap.org.uk emily.clixby@mencap.org.uk
Leeds
Contact: Matt Bellbrough
07907354551
matt.bellbrough@mencap.org.uk
Lowestoft
Contact: Lynne Fulcher
07880888356
lynne.fulcher@mencap.org.uk
What does MyCommunity do?
MyCommunity projects do lots of different kinds of activities like:
Raising local awareness of
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.
, for example, by arranging training for local
organisations
Organisations are groups like companies and businesses.
.
Giving money to help local projects.
Organising events to improve people's digital skills.
Creating information about what is going on in the local area that is easier for people with a learning disability to understand.
These are just a few examples. There is lots more activity happening in My Community!
Dylan's story
My Community in Tenby gave seed funding to Blue Horizons Surf School so they could run surf clubs for people with learning disabilities.
Many people have benefited from this including Dylan whose mum said "I never thought that Dylan would be able to confidently do surfing even though he loves being in the sea and has no fear of the water... He has improved so much in such a short space of time... The carers he goes with, who watch, say they have never seen him happier!"
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know about learning disability to get involved with My Community?
No, we’re looking for people who are passionate about making a difference and committed to inclusion for everyone.
What do we mean by community?
We think a community is about a group of people who care about each other, care about where they live and have a sense of belonging to that place. This can be in a town, a village or a neighbourhood.
Is there funding involved in My Community?
Yes, My Community does have some funding. However, we don’t just want to provide funding and then disappear.
Most of the funding has gone towards ‘people power’. We have recruited people who know the communities where My Community is active, and they are helping to bring people together.
We also have some funding to support new ideas local people would like to work on.
What does it cost to get involved?
Nothing. There are no costs to get
involved
Involved is being included in something or taking part in something.
. All we might need is some of your time, some of your
knowledge
Knowledge is knowing a lot about something.
and a lot of enthusiasm for making a difference.