New Board charity donations will help to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities in Wales

Mencap Cymru and Learning Disability Wales are to receive £30,000 each to support their work in improving the lives of people with learning disabilities.

The funding will be split into donations of £10,000 across three years after the organisations were chosen as Wales & West Housing Group’s 2026 Board charities.

Learning Disability Wales provides information, training and campaigning centred around achieving its mission of making Wales the best country in the world for people with a learning disability to live, learn, love and work.

Mencap Cymru’s vision is for people with a learning disability to live their lives to the full. They are making this a reality through providing services, offering information and advice, helping people gain employment skills, campaigning locally and nationally, and empowering people, groups and organisations to create real change in their own communities.

Peter Harding, Chair of the Wales & West Housing Group Board, said: “Learning disabilities present significant challenges for individuals and families who live in our communities, so we are delighted to support Learning Disability Wales and Mencap Cymru.

“We hope that our donation will support their work in promoting equality, improving access to services and ultimately creating inclusive communities where people with learning disabilities can thrive.”

Peter Harding, Chair of the Wales & West Housing Board

The first £10,000 donation to Mencap Cymru will be used to develop a new sensory room at Bryn Siriol, a respite service in Aberystwyth.

Bryn Siriol is a three-bed bungalow for 18-70 year olds which currently supports 25 individuals on a regular basis. They attend the centre to enjoy a range of activities; the breaks at the centre are designed to feel like a holiday for them.

They are building and fitting a sensory room at Bryn Siriol that will help the people they support benefit emotionally and mentally from the calming environment.

The sensory room at Bryn Siriol is called the Jan Kench Sensory Room, dedicated to a much-loved Mencap campaigner.

Jan’s son Dylan Kench said: “My mother has been at the heart of people with a learning disability and their families in Ceredigion since my sister Bethan was born. It will be a powerful testament to her many years of campaigning in Ceredigion.”

This year’s donation to Learning Disability Wales will go towards supporting the organisation’s Gig Buddies Cymru scheme in Cardiff.

Gig Buddies Cymru helps adults with a learning disability and autistic adults to overcome loneliness and social isolation through friendship, culture, and fun.

It operates in Cardiff, Neath, Port Talbot, Swansea and all six counties in north Wales, matching people with a learning disability in Wales with a volunteer who shares the same interests, so they can go to gigs and other events together.

Kai Jones, development officer with Gig Buddies Cymru said: “We are so thrilled to receive this funding from the Wales & West Housing Group. The funding will help us to make more gig buddy matches and to enable more people with a learning disability and autistic adults to enjoy the things they love in life with a new friend.”

Zoe Richards, CEO for Learning Disability Wales said: “We are looking forward to working closer with Wales & West Housing and sharing our knowledge and experience of policy and Easy Read information to help improve the lives of residents who have a learning disability.”