About Barnet Mencap

Barnet Mencap has its roots in the powerful commitment of local families determined to create better lives for their children with learning disabilities. The movement began in the early 1950s, when parent-led societies were formed in Barnet and Finchley/Hendon. These grassroots efforts paralleled the beginnings of National Mencap, inspired by Judy Fryd’s landmark 1946 appeal for support for “backward children,” a term now thankfully outdated.

In 1965, following the reorganisation of local government in London, these early societies merged to form the Barnet Society for Mentally Handicapped Children, the organisation we now know as Barnet Mencap. This is the year we mark as our official founding.

Since then, Barnet Mencap has evolved in step with the growing understanding and rights of people with learning disabilities and autism. Our services have expanded from community clubs and family support to include housing, employment, advocacy, and education.