Last weekend from Friday 12th of September to Sunday 14th September, over 200 community groups and charities across London, including Bexley Mencap, took part in the Mayor’s Community Weekend.
The aim was to unite people through community-led activities and events which bring London’s communities together and make a positive difference to people’s lives. The Weekend highlighted what Londoners can achieve together and was an opportunity to showcase London’s vibrant cultures, communities and diversity.
The Mayor’s Community Weekend was funded in partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund and the Mayor of London and was a fantastic opportunity for Bexley Mencap to support our members in trying new activities and socialising together, to encourage members of the wider public to learn more about us, and showcase plans for our new Community Hub.
Held in Bexleyheath, our Community Weekend event saw more than 100 people come and try fairground games, listen to music provided by our very own DJ Chris Perks, and enjoy a shared lunch provided by local supplier Grace and Flavour, all for free! The day was a buzz of activity and joy with everyone in our community, those with and without learning disability coming together to celebrate diversity and create an inclusive environment for everyone to enjoy.
Attended by Daniel Francis MP, the National Lottery Community Fund and the Mayor of London provided £2,000 of funding to support the day, with Bexley Mencap partners Wates and L&Q providing volunteers for the day alongside our staff team and other local volunteers.
As Sunder Narashiman, Community Development Lead from L&Q say: “Thank you and the entire Bexley Mencap team, for a memorable Saturday Community Event. It was great to meet individual team members and Bexley Mencap members alongside the wider public.
It was also great to see all the valuable benefits of your services, and I was impressed with the number of attendees who left the venue, saying how much they had enjoyed the event.
The candy floss was a great hit! We look forward to helping to support future events. Well done to you and the entire team.”
With £486,000 of funding from the National Lottery Community Fund recently secured to launch a new Community Hub in Bexley, a venue now secured in Sidcup, and a team in place to run the Community, including four team members with lived experience of learning disability, Bexley Mencap took the opportunity across the day to showcase plans for the building. It also gave members with a learning disability, their families and carers, as well as the wider public an opportunity to feed in thoughts and ideas for the name of the new space and activities and services they would like to see there once open.
Vikki Russell and Gemma Doucy, who are leading the project, both agreed “We had a range of brilliant ideas, from cooking and dance classes through to financial advice and that will not only give members a better opportunity to try new things, make more friends and reduce the isolation many face, but will also bring the wider community together. We can’t wait to get started on creating the schedule and opening this fantastic space for all to enjoy”
Lucy, a parent of one of our members, attended the event and shared with us ‘the event was well organised and welcoming. It was clear how much thought had gone into making the event accessible and informative, with lots of activities for all to get involved. I appreciated how clearly the new hub services were explained and also to hear directly about plans and ideas and being given the chance to make suggestions. I left feeling positive about what the hub will offer. It’s reassuring to see how much Bexley Mencap is doing to involve its members and the community in the plans’.
The Mayor’s Community Weekend was a great success for us and we look forward to hosting more events like this in our community in the future.
If you would like to get involved with future events, volunteer, or have skills that can help us bring our new Community Hub to life, from renovations to supporting classes and activities, then get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!