Looking back, I’m amazed at all our activities in 2025!
The new Committee elected at the AGM in November 2024 continued to organize events with energy and enthusiasm and our members continued to participate with the same energy and enthusiasm!
The first three months of the year can be quiet, but not for South Oxfordshire Mencap – our weekly Thursday evening Meteor Club activities included a Ukelele band, a disco, bingo, card and board games, and a quiz. Monthly Saturday afternoon swimming sessions continued, and our members participated in the fundraising Swimathon on 22 March.
In April we had the first of our three Theatre trips for the year to see Robin Hood at the Kenton Theatre in Henley.
June was our busiest month. We enjoyed singing in Market Place in Henley on Learning Disability Awareness Day on 14 June. Our members and volunteers raised over £600 from a street collection and cake sales, and we received a generous donation cheque from Henley Freemasons. On 18 June, during Learning Disability Awareness week, six of our members enjoyed a hot air balloon trip over Henley and the surrounding countryside, organized by Royal Mencap Society, and on 28 June our Chair, Marie Byrne, took part in a Pedalathon on a very hot day, raising £850 for South Oxfordshire Mencap.
Thanks to our determined team, South Oxfordshire Mencap won the Carolyn Molyneux Challenge Cup at the Regatta for the Disabled on 30 August. The Cup is awarded for effort, stoicism and resilience!
Theatre outings continued with High School Musical at the Kenton Theatre on 8 November and a special relaxed performance of Peter Pan panto also at the Kenton Theatre on 15 December.
And throughout the year we carried on with our weekly Thursday evening Meteor Club activities, including bingo, crafts, music, mini golf, singing, Pictionary, green bowls, a visit to the Fire Station, handbells and a film night, as well as our monthly Mencap swimming sessions on Saturday afternoons and regular Mencap discos on Tuesday evenings.
We had another fundraising collection in October and our great Christmas party on 7 December rounded off the year.
Looking forward to 2026!