Why we ask for donations

Throughout the year, we ask you to support our fundraising campaigns. Today, we want to share the ‘why’ behind those asks and celebrate a recent victory with you.

Thanks to your incredible generosity, back in December we hit our Giving Tuesday ‘Help us keep our doors open’ goal in less than a week!

We are over the moon with this achievement but we also want to be transparent about why we have to ask for your help so often – and why your donations are so important. Beyond the one-off campaigns, there is a constant challenge to keep our doors open at 21 Alexandra Road.

While we are proud to be affiliated with national Mencap, we are a stand-alone charity and receive no funding from them. Every penny needed to run our services in Reading must be raised by us, for us.

Ever increasing costs

It costs around £46,000 a month – or £550,000 a year – to keep our vital services running. In the past, we relied heavily on council grants, but the funding landscape has changed significantly.

From grants to contracts

Fifteen years ago, we were almost fully reliant on unrestricted grants from Reading Borough Council. However, 10 years ago, guaranteed council grants stopped and we must now tender for competitive contracts to receive funding, with no promise of success.

Last year, while we secured two contracts from the council, the essential funding for our Learning Disability Support Services was almost halved, forcing us to reduce our club hours.

Understanding our income

It is also important to understand how our daily services are funded. Around 42% of our overall budget comes from fees – mainly paid by local authorities through Adult Social Care Personal Budgets – for members to attend our 4ME Activities Day Service.

However, this money is strictly designated to cover the high costs of delivering and reinvesting in this core service.

It doesn’t pay for the extras. We must secure additional funding for day trips, specialist tutors to provide dance, yoga and tai chi or wheelchair rugby sessions that make attending the service so special to our members.

Other grants

While we win grants from the National Lottery, foundations, trusts, companies and local organisations, allowing us to expand our Family Support Service to keep up with demand, these grants are becoming harder to secure due to increased competition from other charities.

The ‘restricted’ trap

A further pressure is that most grants we win are ‘restricted’, meaning they can only be spent on specific projects. They often won’t pay for the unseen essentials like utility bills, IT, accountancy or repairing our aging Victorian building.

Why your donation is different

This is why your individual donations are so important to us. When you donate, you aren’t just helping us pay a utility bill; you are ensuring a local person with a learning disability has safe place to go, a friend to talk to and is part of a community that cares. 

Your unrestricted donations are the most valuable gift you can give. They allow us to spend the money wherever the need is greatest – and when you give to Reading Mencap, your money stays in Reading.