Healthy Holidays with Leeds Mencap

We recently caught up with Leeds Mencap, who told us about their work and how they delivered Healthy Holidays this easter.

Can you tell us a bit about Leeds Mencap? 

We are an independent charity providing compassionate, tailored support to children and young people with learning disabilities, autism, and other complex needs, as well as their families. Our home, The Vinery Centre, is a safe and inclusive purpose-built space with soft playroom, sensory room, multi-purpose activity spaces, and an outdoor play area. 

From here, we offer a range of services designed to help individuals develop their strengths, build lasting connections, and achieve their full potential. These include youth clubs, holiday playschemes, sibling group and Family Support Service. We also operate Jimbo’s Community Nursery, which includes Hawthorn Playroom for children in the city aged 2 to 4 years who have special educational needs. 

 

What did funding from Healthy Holidays enable you to do at easter? 

The Healthy Holidays funding enabled us to provide 20 children from families who are eligible for income-related free school meals access to healthy meals, physical activities, and opportunities to learn about nutrition. Over four days at The Vinery Centre, the children enjoyed a wide variety of activities, all at no cost to their parents or carers. 

The funding made it possible for us to organise a trip to Temple Newsam Park and Farm, providing transport and entry. We also ran a series of Easter-themed activities, from decorating eggs to making Easter baskets. To encourage physical activity, we held group workshops focused on developing football and athletic skills. Our cook prepared fresh, nutritious meals and snacks daily, and we included food-themed activities like making fruit kebabs, banana bread, and pizza. The children also had access to our centre’s outdoor play area and a range of play equipment, ensuring they had plenty of opportunities to be active. 

 

Can you tell us about the impact of what you do on the people you work with?  

Our sessions provide children with a much-needed place to socialise and make friends during the long school holidays. It also gives them access to activities and outings that their families might not ordinarily be able to afford due to the prohibitive costs. We pride ourselves on creating a safe, inclusive, and fun environment where every child feels they belong. 

One child who accessed the Easter sessions has autism as well as complex medical and feeding needs. She had previously attended Jimbo’s Community Nursery, so our staff had full knowledge of her needs and how best to support her. The familiarity of the setting and staff gave her mum complete confidence in her daughter attending the sessions with us. It meant that the child was able to participate in activities that she may not have been able to access elsewhere due to her specific needs, while also giving her mum peace of mind. 

 

What are some of the biggest challenges you face as an organisation?  

Leeds Mencap is supporting communities at a crucial time. We’ve seen an increase in demand for our services, while facing the challenge of other services reducing or closing. One of our biggest challenges is the competitive climate for raising funds. We find that many funds are oversubscribed, making the application process much more competitive than it has been in the past. 

 

How is your organisation preparing for the future, and what kind of funding is needed? 

We are committed to building a sustainable and resilient future for Leeds Mencap, ensuring we can continue to meet the needs of our community. The kind of funding that would be most impactful is multi-year funding as well as unrestricted funding for covering our core operational costs.