A bit of history

Learning Disability England was founded in 2015.
It is a registered charity.

Watch the video to listen to Gary Bourlet, now Membership and Engagement Lead, as he helped to set up Learning Disability England.

For a long time people with learning disabilities have not been seen or treated as equals in society.

Self-advocate Gary Bourlet tried to change this by setting upĀ a national self-advocacy organisation called People First England.

He was supported by Housing & Support Alliance, a charity promoting good support and housing for people with learning disabilities.

But both People First England and Housing & Support Alliance wanted to do more.

They wanted to do something new.

They could see change wasn’t happening fast enough because the learning disability sector was fragmented.

People weren’t working together.

 

 

Gary and the Housing and Support AllianceĀ  brought some like minded people together to create a movement for change.

 

 

These self-advocates, families and organisations worked with Gary and the Housing and Support Alliance to build Learning Disability England.

They made this new organisation a membership organisation where people signed up to the values.

Every member would be equal, whether it was a big support provider or a self advocate, with one vote each for decisions and elections.

Our Founding Members are the organisations that helped build Learning Disability England.

 

We are very grateful for all their support, time and funding.

 

 

Learning Disability England’s Founding Members are:

Advance

Aldingbourne Trust

Avenues Trust

BILD

Brampton

Brandon Trust

Bromford

Centre for Welfare Reform

Certitude

CHANGE

Choice Support

CMG

Connect In The North

Dimensions

Essex County Council

Essex Family Carers Network

Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities

Hft

Inclusion North

Kent County Council

KeyRing

MacIntyre

mcch

NDTi

Paradigm

Progress Housing

Reside Housing

Respond

Swanton Care

Three Cs

United Response