Mid Dorset Mencap recently hosted a special garden celebration at our Trinity Street premises, welcoming local learning disability groups, volunteers, members and the people we support. It was a wonderful afternoon filled with friendship, conversation and enjoyment of our beautiful garden space.

We were honoured to receive a £250 grant from Royal Mencap as part of their 80‑year anniversary celebrations. This generous support made the event possible, and we are extremely grateful to be chosen as one of the network groups to benefit from this funding.

It was a pleasure to welcome Laura Francis, Engagement Lead for Royal Mencap, and David Symes, Community Activism Coach for Royal Mencap, who joined us for the afternoon. Their visit was greatly appreciated, and we were delighted to share our garden and community with them.

A heartfelt thank you also goes to our fantastic volunteers, who helped set up the event, welcome guests, prepare drinks, support activities throughout the afternoon and clear everything away afterwards. Their hard work and kindness ensured the celebration ran smoothly and was enjoyed by all.

The garden party was a true celebration of inclusion, community and connection. We look forward to hosting more events in our garden and welcoming everyone back again soon.