https://www.keynshammencap.org.uk/

This Is Me Keynsham, 44 Bath Hill, Bristol (2026)

10/03/2026

"I thought that after we moved, when we had it all set up that he would want to join us, but he never has. I think it’s because his life there in Keynsham is so good - and that is because of Mencap."

We lived in Bristol, but I fought really hard to get J supported living in BANES as the provision was so much better.

We have lived in Cornwall for four and a half years now. When we were looking to move, I always thought that J would come with us, but he never wanted to! I loved the peace and quiet as soon as we moved down here. We bought a 4-bed house so we had a room set aside for J in the hope that he would move down with us, but now we know that he doesn’t want to. Of course, we are going to accept that and be grateful.

I thought that after we moved, when we had it all set up that he would want to join us, but he never has. I think it’s because his life there in Keynsham is so good - and that is because of Mencap. Choosing to live independently is not something that you think is going to happen when you have a child with a learning disability, you change what you think is going to happen.

Mencap has changed his world. Really! It’s absolutely true. Music Man is his favourite. The work that Laura, Naomi and the team have put into that is gobsmacking. It is inspirational. Keynsham is a really safe place for him to live, and he has his community and so many friends there. He is happy.

Cornwall is slower, quieter… more chilled. I get that J doesn’t want to move down with us. We are both in our 60s and we wanted this more chilled life, but he doesn’t. He’s young. We raised our children to be independent and make their own decisions, and that is what he is doing. By saying that he doesn’t want to move here, he is doing what he wants.

He’s visiting at the moment. His cousins are all visiting from London too, so he is hanging out with his them. They went to the local village pub, which I know is safe for him. He can have a good night out here. He visiting because he likes to see his niece too, my daughter and his niece.

I love beaches which is a big reason why we came here. There are lots of thing to do. I lived in Bristol when I was young. We were over in South Bristol and then moved to the East for work. Then covid hit and we decided to retire early. Life is too short! I was going to wait, but, well, it made a lot of people reassess things.
When family visit Keynsham and J takes them out and about, people always say, my sister-in-law always comments that people say hello when he is walking around the high street. He has so many friends. He has made himself a world there and he loves it.

When we lived in Keynsham, my husband used to do volunteering for the Football Club on a Monday, and I used to volunteer at Fitness on Tuesdays, so we could both pick him up and take him and he would do those clubs as well.
He makes his own choices, which has been quite hard in some ways. I have to become comfortable with that though. I can’t manage his world anymore – he’s an adult. He has got really good support in his supported living. Everyone at Mencap is really important to him too. I know that they were why he stayed.
Oh and the holidays!? He absolutely loves them. He talks about them, and looks forward to the holidays all year. They had to initiate a draw (for who can go) as they have become so popular. We always put him down for both of the holidays, as he wants to do them both.

The organisation has grown so much. He has been going since he was 4, and he is in his 30s now! It used to be called Gateway. I used to drive him over when we lived in Whitchurch. He has been going all that time, and made lifelong friends. I totally get why it is so important as it is to him.

He absolutely loves the Music Man. We’ve been twice to see them at the Royal Albert Hall! As a parent, to see your child do that would be amazing, but for someone who has a limited world, it really is breaking down barriers. Laura is amazing. She is a true friend to Jed, not just a Mencap leader, but a true friend. He appreciates all that she and Moly do for him. He is even volunteering at the new Play & Shine toddler group which he loves.
What you do touches people. Having a child with a learning disability changes people’s world. My daughter is a SENDCO. I wonder if she would have done that without knowing her brother. It brings positives beyond...

Keynsham Mencap, the organisation is driving change. I am so grateful to them. My son is happy, and it is because of Mencap. It has empowered him. He was a confident child and is a confident adult, and I am sure that having that support network and community is why.

I hope that this is a positive story for people with a young child with an LD. The barriers are not going to stop your kid from doing what they want to do. After he visits us down here, he gets the train home by himself. Assisted travel on the train reminds him when he has to get off. When he was young, I never would have thought of that. He wants to do it. He takes the opportunities presented to him. He is always saying “Don’t worry about me, don’t worry mum,” but mums worry!

The next time I will be back will be the Music Man Project Christmas concert. They are always so good!

**Unusually, this meeting was an online one, as this K&DMS parent now lives in Cornwall**

15/01/2026

"We honestly can’t put into words how special it is."

We’re Roger and Hazel Heal. Our son Matthew (Maff) joined the Keynsham Mencap Club 25 in September 2024, and it has truly transformed life for our whole family, including his twin sister Rachel and older brother Daniel.

Keynsham Mencap has been brilliant for Maff. We can see how much he enjoys himself and how much he looks forward to it each week. He might not always know the time or days, but he always knows when it’s Thursday—and he gets excited because it means Club 25. Maff doesn’t speak much, but once you get to know him, he can be understood. He also understands far more than people might expect.

The dedication of the staff and volunteers who work to make the Club a fun, engaging, and safe environment for every member is remarkable. It stands in stark contrast to Maff’s experience at the Special Needs School he attended from age 4 to 16, where his emotional and physical wellbeing was unfortunately not given the care it deserved.

Maff’s school experience sadly left him feeling anxious around other people, but with lots of patience, support, and hard work, we’re beginning to see our old Maff return — and it’s truly wonderful to see.

We’re incredibly fortunate to have a strong family support network for Maff. His uncle and auntie, Stan and Kathy, have spent a lot of time with him over the years and even took him on a trip of a lifetime to Florida, which he absolutely loved—especially the flights. Those longer trips really helped build his confidence, and ours too. Thanks to that, Roger and Rachel were able to take Maff to Switzerland in May this year.

Maff is part of Club 25 and has such a brilliant time there. On our very first evening, a couple of people came straight over to say hello to Maff. They’ve always been so kind to him and really taken him under their wing. Everyone there feels like good friends. We take Maff every week, and it’s always such a genuinely welcoming atmosphere. We’re so glad we gave it a try because it has opened the door to so many wonderful experiences and has given Maff so much.

Roger and Maff also really enjoyed the Keynsham Mencap holidays this year. They went to Devon and Cornwall and had a fantastic time taking part in lots of different activities.

Roger volunteers at Club 25 and one of the reasons is simply because it’s so much fun. Maff’s twin sister, Rachel, comes along from time to time when Roger isn’t available, and she loves it too. The club has become a place where the whole family feels welcome and involved, which makes the experience even more special.

Maff also started the Fitness Club in September. Which he absolutely loves, especially when everyone cheers when he scores a goal!

There are far too many activities to list, the variety is incredible. Every week brings something new, and Maff throws himself into it all. He especially loved tobogganing recently!

The club has made a huge difference, it’s truly amazing. It’s a fantastic club, and seeing Maff so happy means the world to us. The club has exceeded every expectation we ever had. We honestly can’t put into words how special it is.

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25/11/2025

Donations from Tuesday midday will be doubled for one week only!!

06/11/2025

2025 has been a big year for our family. My wife, twin daughters and I all had ‘big’ birthdays and our eldest got married this year too, which has taken a significant amount of planning and preparation.

We all (me, my wife, 3 daughters and various animals) moved to the area in 2017 (having lived in Surrey since 1988) when my work took me from London to Bristol. We wanted to live somewhere with good access to the countryside so round here is perfect for us.

One of our twins has a learning disability and we had very good provision for my daughter’s care in Surrey, so we were trying to get similar support for her here. We started Lara at Go Explore which is for 18–25-year-olds, and she loved it. Now she has moved up to Club 25 which she also loves.

It gives her a chance to be with people of her own age rather than be with her boring parents. She likes the energy of young people. The volunteers are mostly young people too, which is important. They are all so committed and enthusiastic, and just a fun group of people. She enjoys all the activities they do too, especially the trips out like going doughnutting - when you sit on one of those big doughnuts and go down a ski slope. She’s quite a speed demon, my daughter. She loves dancing and singing too.

She absolutely loves the Mencap holidays - you can see the fun she’s having in the various photos of the activities that they do. They visited Bournemouth last year, and she did a zip wire off the pier. She loves the thrill of fast rides. It took her a while to summon up the courage to go, but as soon as she had finished, she wanted to go and do it again - she likes the adrenaline high from being scared.

We used to live around the corner from Thorpe Park. You can get a time stamped ticket that means you don’t have to wait in a queue, which she isn’t good at doing, but wait outside the ride for your turn, which is an excellent idea. There is one ride called the Nemesis Inferno, which is really fast and twisty. She loved it and did it 8 times in one visit - not something we repeated on future visits!

When we first got married, we lived in a flat, then moved to a wreck of a house in a nice part of Woking. Not much had been changed since the 1920’s when the previous owners bought it, so we had to take it back to a total shell. It had a roof and walls, but not much more. We did it all, which meant that we made it as we wanted.

Our house near Keynsham wasn’t so much of a project luckily as there are only so many years you can live in a building site! We are really lucky as we have no near neighbours and have a fantastic view towards Wales. Of course, when the children were young it’s nice having neighbours for play dates and sharing childcare, but now I like the space and peace.

After nearly 30 years with Lloyds Bank, in December 2019, I was given the option of early retirement and I jumped at the opportunity. I figured that I would take a few months off and then get another job but of course, the world closed down for lockdowns and I got used to being at home with the family.

I decided to take my pension and properly retire. Being at home rather than going to work has driven home to me how hard it is looking after an adult disabled child. It’s really opened my eyes to how much credit I owe my wife Catriona for doing that role all those years whilst I was working. I had a role that required working quite long hours, so wasn't there as much as I should have been. She did the majority of the parenting for all of our girls as they were growing up and, although I worked hard, I realise that she had the harder role.

Since retiring I’ve taken up golf and play at Lansdown. I do a bit or woodworking too and have been on a bread making course, baking bread 3 or 4 times a week for us. During lockdown, I built a workshop from scratch - I’m pleasantly surprised that it hasn’t burnt down, since I did the electrical wiring as well!

I am aware of how much Lara gets out of Club 25. When I saw the ad for new trustees I thought my business experience may be of use so made contact and here we are, as I was accepted as a trustee about a couple of months ago. I have so much to learn about Mencap, and find out new things all the time. It is humbling to see how much the people involved in the organisation care.

Lara wouldn’t like me to be active at her clubs, as that’s her place outside of home. I hope that the skillset I can bring to the trustee team is in adding value to implementing the exciting plans they have.

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18/06/2025

"For me, the best thing about the job is seeing the progress of our members and knowing you are making a difference to those children’s lives."

I started in January this year, so it’s coming up for 6 months now, which is crazy! It has been so much fun, so perhaps that is why the time has flown! I love it. It’s so nice seeing the progress and watching the members having fun. We see such personal growth and even in such a short time, I can see the difference in how some of the members face challenges and can see them doing so more fearlessly now.

I was looking on Indeed for jobs. When I saw this role, I went onto the website and applied quickly. I was interviews by Charley the Trustee and Laura, the Operations Manager. It felt like a nice, friendly vibe as soon as I met then. I then started the first week of term in January.

Until recently, I was covering some 1-2-1 work with a boy who wasn’t in mainstream schooling, as well as doing some cover teaching assistant work. Now, I am looking to see what else I can do and am looking to learn some new skills alongside my work at Keynsham Mencap. I graduated last year from University of Bath. I was at Bath for 3 years doing Education with Psychology. It was good to have the mix of the two and opens up a lot of opportunities.

I am from Longwell Green, but a lot of my family are in Keynsham so I know it well and am here quite a lot, even without work. I used to work with Bath Area Play Project over the summer holidays and do playschemes as a playworker. Finding this job as SENSations leader was a new opportunity to use those skills and as a weekly thing was just perfect. When I saw this, I knew it was something I wanted to go into.

I love photography. I like going out and capturing things. I am particularly interested in nature photography. I also like going on walks with friends and family. I feel like we have a lot of nice places close by to enjoy. I’m currently doing driving lessons too and look forward to when I can drive properly. There is a massive backlog since covid for tests however!

I really enjoy working with Keynsham Mencap. We are all here to make a difference. It’s a real community. For me, the best thing about the job is seeing the progress of our members and knowing you are making a difference to those children’s lives. It is meaningful; it’s a rewarding feeling. The team is amazing too - all the volunteers are amazing. Without them we couldn’t run the clubs. I think they do a lot more than they realise!

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03/06/2025

I work at Cleve Court a couple of days a week. It’s a home for old people and people with disabilities. I’m a Housekeeping Assistant. I really like it there. It’s lovely. The staff are really lovely there and I am a part of the team. I’ve been there since January, so I’m quite new.

I used to be a travel buddy for years. I helped people on the buses. I helped them to get bus passes, and helped them with money. I did that for years. Then Covid hit and I couldn’t do that anymore. Then I worked at a day centre called Carswood. I did the same sort of thing.

I went to Fox’s Academy, where people with learning disabilities go and learn to live on their own. I actually worked in a hotel, and learned about money and how to meet other people. I was there for 3 years.

Keynsham Mencap
I went to my first Keynsham Mencap group when I first moved to Saltford. I went to the Junior Club. My parents still live in Saltford, but I live in Keynsham now. I met my husband at Bath Mencap. He was there too. We married in 2018. It will be 7 years in July. We got married at the Chocolate Factory.

I go to Club 25. I like doing different activities and going out from time to time – like bowling or going out for a meal. I like to see all my friends, and the volunteers are lovely. I think that Mencap is a lifeline for me. If I didn’t have Mencap, then I would be isolated. I have a lot of friends at Mencap. I used to live with one of the other members - Suzie.

I’ve been on the Mencap holidays. They are so much fun. I used to go every year. I really enjoyed them. I’ve got my husband now, so we go on holiday together. Last year we went to Norfolk. This year we are going up to Fort William. It is lovely up there.

Abseil
I did the abseil last month. I met Molly and my family, then got the harness and hat on. I did it for a good cause. I have been involved in Mencap for a long time, so when I saw people abseiling last year, I thought I would do it this year. It was amazing! I raised money for it on Local Giving. I asked my family, and friends and at work as well.

I think the abseil is enough for me. I don’t want to jump out of a plane or walk on hot coals. I might abseil again next year. It wasn’t hard. I suppose one of the highs was being at the top. It was such a nice view.

Family
I like spending time with my family. I have a brother. He is married and lives in Saltford too, so I am very lucky to have my family close by. Some people don’t.

I love dogs. My parents have a dog, and my husband and I walk him quite a lot. We walk around the lanes and the woods. Me and Mark love looking after him. He is 9 years old now, but he doesn’t act like it. He is so cute.

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06/05/2025

I live in Keynsham now. I’ve been here 4 years. I grew up in Bath, until I was 22. I was there a long time, until I was 23, actually.
I like buses. I go to the big bus display every summer at the park and ride. I’ve liked buses since there was a bus stop near opposite my house when I was young. On the 22nd November 2015 which was a Sunday, I caught the bus at 20 to 2. I didn’t like that bus, but I preferred the 20 to 1 bus because it had a picture of a house on the side.

I went to Threeways School until I was 19. I did PE every Friday afternoon, from 13:30-14:30. I started in the 6th form in 2014. There was a Sainsbury's nearby where we went to buy food to practice cooking. We also went on day trips to Weston-Super-Mare and we went to the Christmas Market in Bath in 2015.
After that, I went to Bristol College in Hengrove, where I did a life skills course.

I go to Connections 4 days a week in Radstock now. With Connections, we do life skills. We went to pubs last year. We get ice cream – been getting it the last couple of years. I enjoy the Dig It group, where we do gardening every Wednesday. I like to ask staff what the door codes are at Connections. It's funny when they say ‘I can't tell you, it's staff only’.

I’ve been at Mencap for 2 years now. I started in Go Explore (for 18-25 year olds). It’s from 7 to 9pm. My first day was 15th February 2023. I remember dates and times – people’s birthdays. I like it. My sister started the week before me as a volunteer. My first session was sports. I like lots of the activities. We’ve been to Kaspa’s and the Hippodrome twice. We get back at 22:45, it’s quite late!

On the 1st of March 2023 Kath took us to Bristol on the minibus once, I asked her what time she got up that morning, and she said half five. I think that’s far too early. Hazel also gets up at half five on a Wednesday. I tell her its far too early and that she should get up at 9am.

I like Uproar (club night at Komedia for similar groups from across the region). It’s nice. We go every 3 months. I saw someone there from my school. She used to be on the second floor at school. I enjoy dancing to Take That, Blue, Belinda Carlilse. My favourite Take That song is ‘Could It Be Magic’.

I have now moved up to Club 25, I was excited to move up as a couple of people who go to Connections are in Club 25 and I look forward to seeing the volunteers. Last month at Club 25 we did curling – that was nice. We did pancakes too. We did flamenco dancing once too. I like dancing.

At Mencap there used to be two Lauras. One of them used to give us a lift, but she left last year. So now its just Laura Jefferies who got me an RUH pen on the 18th October 2024. I like Bailey, and I like Molly. I like seeing the people.

Last Thursday I went to the RUH. I enjoy going into the RUH more than once in one day. It's funny. On Thursday I went in 4 times! I like going in for a hot chocolate in the café. On the 9th of March I went to the RUH with Lucy and we went in 3 times. We got a hot chocolate in the café and Lucy took a picture and sent it to my sister, although I was a bit cheeky and finished Lucy's hot chocolate.

My nan lives in Warmley. I stay with her every other week. We watch Deal or No Deal and the Chase. I like Noel Edmonds, I’m not a fan of Stephen Mulhern’s Deal or No Deal. It makes me laugh when £250,000 goes out and Noel goes "Ahh noo!"

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27/03/2025

My mum used to work as the accountant at K&DMS - that was when I was 8. I was adopted at 7. My mum was working with Laura, so I have known about Keynsham Mencap ever since I moved to Keynsham 17 years ago. I wasn’t a helper at that point of course, as I was too young, but we used to do some things as a family like the sponsored walks. I remember taking our newfoundlands along the cycle track to raise money on the sponsored walk. Also, when I was about 9 we did a bake sale. I went to school with some of the other regular volunteers, with Izzy and Molly. My mum is a very supportive person. She is a trustee, and the Treasurer, which she juggles alongside her day job as an accountant.

One of the main reasons I was drawn to Mencap was that my mum’s brother-in-law is disabled. He had an accident and is now wheelchair needing some support. As a family we have always had the idea that people with disabilities shouldn’t be held back or stopped doing things. We spend time with Uncle Neal which has given me an understanding of, and passion for inclusivity.

Home
I live with my partner and we’ve got 2 guinea pigs. They’ve just had surgery, but are back to OK now. I’ve had them a year. They are like my little babies. I am a little allergic to them - I get hives!

Volunteering
I first started volunteering shortly after some friends from second school had volunteered. I started off at the SENSations club at Somerdale . I helped out because I wanted to help and grow as a person, and also because I wanted it for my CV. Also, I wanted a new hobby, and it has done all three!

There is such as sense of community. I love it. I did it for about a year and then took a break. I came back to volunteer in the summer of 2023 with Club 25, which is for people 25 and over. They are so much fun.

I started working with Go Explore, the club for young adults aged 18-25, last summer. Lottie leads it and I am the Deputy. I really like working with her. We do lots of differing things with the young adults from cooking to paddleboarding.

Between stopping at SENSations and starting at Club 25, I kept in touch with Molly, Lucy and Izzy who were all friends from school, and who have all been regular volunteers for ages. I helped out at the summer fete, and then realised what an amazing community it is and decided to be a regular volunteer again. Quite a lot of volunteers and staff work or volunteer at more than one club like me.

Running & Fitness
I ran the Bath Half Marathon! Training was really hard. I am so proud of myself. I am hypermobile, have issues with my knees, and have got plates and screw in my ankles. I had a hip injury when I was 9, which has been problematic. I ran it with my partner, who I live with. He is amazing and we fundraised together. His workplace BSI agreed to match fund our total up to £1000, which is so generous.

I ran the Saltford Santa Dash last year too. It was much harder than I thought running in a Santa outfit! It was sweaty and made it much tougher as I am used to running in stretchy leggings and a top.

I don’t even really like running! I tried a lot of sports growing up. I enjoy going to the gym. I lift. I love going on hikes. I like being outdoors. It is so refreshing! I love stars and stargazing too.

Club Members
One of the reasons I love helping is the members. They are so amazing. They are always so happy and charismatic. Being with them really lifts your mood and cheers you up after a hard day at work. The members become your friends. It is a lovely bond.

I grew up in a neurodivergent family before moving to Keynsham, and am neurodivergent myself. My view is that nothing should hold anyone back, which is why I love Mencap so much and the message I try to hold close for myself. I apply it to my life too.

I think that volunteering and working at Mencap has helped me to realise that we all need to have fun in our lives to have a fulfilling life. You can have mental health needs, physical health, nutritional health needs, but social needs are so important and often overlooked. I have formed friendships with the staff, other volunteers and members, it is amazing seeing the impact of what we do and being part of this community.

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01/01/2025

Happy New Year!

27/11/2024

"I am going shopping now. I like new clothes, anything dinosaur, Dr Who and nail varnish. "

I got a new Mencap Ambassador t-shirt and a new jumper. People voted for me (to represent the club members on the Membership Committee). I was in the newspaper.

I go to Keynsham Mencap on Thursday, to Club 25. We do bingo and games and music. I like karaoke.

I held a snake around my neck last time, and I held a lizard. It was good. I stroked his body. Joss, my support worker, held it too. He usually takes me.

My name was in The Keynsham Voice. It was the first time I was in the newspaper. (p24 here- https://bit.ly/JohnInTheVoiceOct24 )

My house was a Mencap house. Now it’s Dimensions. It’s closing. Need to find another one. We had a Halloween party at home. We put up decorations. I had a vampire mask. Bats and skeleton decorations, and spiders. I was a vampire.

I came to Keynsham in 1987. 43 years ago. I have friends at Keynsham Mencap. I know the people.

I go to church and talk to people that go there, I have known some of them a very long time. Kevin is the Minister. He’s nice. I like singing and praying. I go with friends.

I love pop music…60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. I like dancing.

The clocks went back. It will be the Mencap Christmas party soon.

I am going shopping now. I like new clothes, anything dinosaur, Dr Who and nail varnish.

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This Is Me Keynsham

10/03/2026

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25/11/2025

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18/06/2025

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