Everyone who knows me will know how much my family mean to me, especially my Uncle Henry! 

If you know me or my family you know what this would mean to us, what Uncle Henry meant to us! He was the life and soul of a party and there was never a dull moment when he was around, accusing people (usually my nana) for stealing his wheel chair and his bed, sometimes even his shoes!

He loved his music, he may not have known the actual words but he made up his own and had every rhythm and tune spot on!

His life was amazing, he went on fantastic holidays, seen some amazing shows, made lovely friends and gained a second family, all through being supported by the Mencap team at Lake Avenue South Shields!

Uncle Henry lived 35+ years in supported living with Mencap who cared and supported him to live his best life during this time, the staff team were truly his second family and gave him the best life he could have possibly had, and for that myself and my family are thankful! That is why me and David have decided we want to give something back for the hard work these guys do daily to ensure vulnerable people have some independence to live their lives as they wish, and we want to be part of making that happen! I truly believe My Uncle Henry had the best staff team ever!

A little about Mencap, Right now, people with a learning disability face inequalities in every area of life with almost 1 in 3 young people with a learning disability spending less than 1 hour outside their home on a typical Saturday.They face barriers finding a job, accessing activities in their local community and receiving good quality healthcare. We tackle these issues head on by providing support in a way that meets individual needs and encourages greater independence.We give expert advice and information that empowers people and their families. And we campaign relentlessly for changes that brings greater equality for people with a learning disability. By supporting Team Mencap you will be helping us to support people with a learning disability to live the life they choose, and do the things they love.