30 Sep 2026
St Albans Mencap members, volunteers and staff came together with the Mayor of St Albans to celebrate the 80th birthday of the Royal Mencap Society.
Around 50 supporters attended the event at Trinity Community Project at St Albans URC Homewood, which included music, games and a fish and chips supper.
St Albans Mayor Cllr Matt Fisher also joined in the celebrations and spent time chatting with members, volunteers and staff.
He said: “It was a pleasure to join St Albans Mencap to celebrate 80 years of Mencap. The atmosphere was wonderful, and it was particularly good to meet members, volunteers and staff and hear about the important role that the charity plays in bringing people together.
“Celebrations like this are a great example of the community spirit and sense of belonging that make St Albans such a special place.”
Chair of St Albans Mencap David Keen said: “It was a really special afternoon and a wonderful way to celebrate 80 years of Mencap. The sheer sense of joy in the room was fantastic – members, volunteers,
staff and supporters all coming together and enjoying themselves.
“We are very proud to be part of the wider Mencap family, but we are equally proud of the community we have built here in St Albans. Our members are at the heart of everything we do, and it was wonderful to see everyone celebrating together.”
Dean Davis, service manager at Trinity Community Project, added: “It was fantastic to see so many people coming together to celebrate. Trinity is all about people having opportunities to meet others, build friendships, take part in activities and feel part of their community, so an event like this really captures what we are about.
“The atmosphere was brilliant and it was lovely to see members, volunteers and staff celebrating together.”
Mencap was founded 80 years ago by families who wanted better lives and greater opportunities for people with learning disabilities. Eight decades later, that spirit of inclusion remains just as important.
St Albans Mencap continues that work locally, supporting children and adults with learning disabilities and mental health challenges, alongside their families and carers.
The Trinity Community Project provides opportunities for adults to socialise, learn new skills, try different activities and build friendships in a welcoming environment.
