An important part of MCP’s work is delivering social value. It’s a chance to give back to communities local to our work and a responsibility we take very seriously.
MCP manages a kitchen and bathroom replacement programme for Red Kite Community Housing residents. This work has presented a fantastic opportunity to help very deserving causes in Red Kite’s High Wycombe area.
To determine how best to provide support, we spoke with the Red Kite Housing community team to learn about local initiatives and to ensure we reached grassroots organisations. Nahida Latif (Community Investment Specialist), Jon Upchurch (Volunteering Engagement & Events Manager) and Lucisha Martindale (Project Manager) were very knowledgeable and helpful. Exploring options with them ensured our social value support would offer maximum benefit on a day-to-day basis.
We are proud to support SEND Holiday Club and Social Link, two High Wycombe-based initiatives. Their work is incredible:
SEND Holiday Club
This holiday club welcomes SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) children and is run by parents for children and their carers. The club welcomes SEND children aged 3 – 19 and has grown to a membership of 140 people. Established in 2022, it proactively addresses the limited number of opportunities for SEND children to socialise and enjoy activities during school holidays.
MCP’s Rosie Hughes visited SEND Holiday Club, meeting its founders, Claire Dancer and Sima Marley. The club supports the whole family, welcoming SEND residents of Red Kite. There are weekly meetings during the school holidays with extra sessions during the summer break.
SEND Holiday Club caters for all ages offering crafts, games and toys as well as SEND equipment, a tuck shop and a dedicated area for teenagers. Claire and Sima have worked hard to expand the range of activities offered to members, such as accessible boating. It was a pleasure to meet them and learn more about their holiday club.
MCP is pleased to offer funding to support:
· a club outing to Gulliver’s Land, involving transport and theme park tickets,
· hall hire for 12 months, and
· Christmas gifts ready for Father Christmas’ visit.
Social Link
Founded by Wendy Dunn in 2010, Social Link offers a safe space and stimulating pursuits to young adults with learning disabilities. Based in High Wycombe and Aylesbury, the charity helps over 150 people aged over 19 to:
· enjoy a range of activities such as shopping, bowling, mindfulness and cooking,
· develop new skills to boost confidence and independence, and
· enjoy social time together.
The Social Link team works hard to boost the independence of their young adults. Their gardening service is a huge success with service users securing commercial gardening contracts. Recently, 14 Social Link members and staff including 4 service users (Sarah, Rachel, Carlos and Lindford) travelled to Wales with the aim of climbing Snowdon. Everyone showed tremendous strength and courage. Social Link made sure the expedition was fully inclusive; members who couldn’t join the climb monitored their steps as if walking up the mountain.
Another successful Social Link initiative is its cooking course. This has progressed to opening a new café in Holmer Green. Linking with a local college, users have an opportunity to become qualified in hospitality.
MCP supports these fantastic initiatives with:
· transport and accommodation for the Snowdon challenge,
· walking boots and clothing for the expedition team, and
· boot and jackets for the gardening team.
Social value is extremely important to MCP. We work hard to ensure our support makes a genuine, positive difference to local communities and are proud to support both SEND Holiday Club and Social Link. We’re looking forward to our ongoing work in the area and keeping in touch with both initiatives.
