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. charity Mencap is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Executive Director of Fundraising, Mohini Raichura-Brown, who will take up the role in June this year.
Mohini joins Mencap with over 20 years’ experience Experience is when you have learned or tried something before. achieving income Income is all the money you get from things like paid jobs and government benefits. growth across charity and corporate sectors. Most recently she was interim Director of Fundraising at the British Asian Trust, and prior to that she was Chief Partnerships Officer at UNICEF UK.
Jon Sparkes OBE, Chief Executive at Mencap said:
“We are delighted to have someone of Mohini’s calibre joining our Executive team here at Mencap. She brings with her a strong track record in high-value fundraising, strategic partnerships and stakeholder engagement. She is a
values
Values are the things that are important to you. Mencap's values are being passionate, inclusive, brave, positive, and kind.
-led leader with a deep commitment to belonging, equity,
diversity
Diversity means people from all different cultures and backgrounds.
and inclusion, and a history of building ambitious, high-performing fundraising teams.
“Fundraising is a hugely important part of our Mencap 2030
strategy
A strategy is a plan to show what an organisation, or a person, wants to do and how they are going to do it.
, and I’m excited to see the impact of this work under Mohini’s leadership.”
Mohini Raichura-Brown said:
"I’m thrilled to be joining Mencap as Executive Director of Fundraising. Mencap’s new five-year strategy is clear and ambitious. It gives us a powerful opportunity to rally support and achieve meaningful, long-term impact for and with people with a learning disability. I’m excited to play a role in bringing that ambition to life.”
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Note to editors
About Mencap
There are 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK and they deserve to live their life to the full. So Mencap supports people with a learning disability to succeed in the things that matter to them. To ensure that people with a learning disability are not left behind at any stage of their life, we campaign A campaign is when people work together to try to change something. for a fairer society; work with families and partners to build inclusive communities; and we deliver person-centred services. We’ve spent 80 years changing lives. Now, with Mencap 2030, we’re changing the future.
What is a learning disability?
A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability which affects someone for their whole life. Typically, people with a learning disability need more time to learn and process information. They may need extra support to develop skills, complete tasks and interact with others, or they may have more complex needs requiring round-the clock care. The level of support needed is different for everyone and may change during a person’s lifetime.
Learning disability is NOT a mental illness or a learning difficulty. Often, the term ‘learning difficulty’ is wrongly used in place of ‘learning disability’. Having a learning difficulty (such as ADHD or
dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty. People who have dyslexia can find it hard to read, write and spell.
) may mean a person learns at a different pace or in a different way BUT – unlike a learning disability - it does not affect a person’s intellect.
With the right support, most people with a learning disability can lead happy, healthy, independent lives. At Mencap, it’s our mission to remove societal barriers and shatter misconceptions to make this more possible for more people.
Mencap’s guide to reporting on Learning Disability
When it comes to creating content with people with a learning disability, we know many people feel nervous about saying and doing the wrong thing. Our guide for journalists, covers everything from up-to-date facts and figures to the right language to use. It also includes tips on how to work with people with a learning disability to gather the best content.
For further information, please contact Mencap’s media team on: [email protected] or 02076 965414 (including out of hours).
