Details
MENCOP (West Herts) is a registered charity run by serving and retired Police Officers and civillian Committee Members to raise funds to help persons with learning disabilities (mentally handicapped children and young adults).
Although the officers had been raising money for some years, to help St. Albans MENCAP, they actually formed their own group of MENCOP, after they had made a visit to Rome and had an audience with the Pope in 1981.
At this time they were still raising money for the A.S.C.U. Centre in St. Albans.
They also visited Boston USA with the Biggest Bobbies Bonnet in the world (There is an entry in the Guinness Book of Records).
They visited 10 Downing Street where they met with Prime Minister Mrs. Margaret Thatcher on the day that Goose Green was invaded. She showed much kindness and thanked them for their efforts on behalf of the children.
In November 1983 they became a Registered Charity, with the late Sir Eric Cheadle as life-long President, and Frank Ifield as Patron.
The specific aims of MENCOP are to promote the quality of life, the safeguarding of mental health, and the relief of persons suffering from learning difficulties (mental handicap).
Hospitals, schools and private individuals experience difficulties in obtaining "luxury" items, as they are not made available by the state due to the lack of funds.
One of the ways that MENCOP has been able to alleviate this, to some extent, has been to provide some of these items.
E.g.
They have helped families with the financing of a downstairs toilet in a private house.
MENCOP's founder chairman, the late Graham Russell and his wife are the parents of a handicapped young adult, as are some other members of the committee, and they know only too well the difficulties and frustrations encountered when bringing up a child or young adult with learning difficulties.
Since MENCOP became a charity in the early 1980's they have raised over £100,000 with the help of the public, and have been able to assist in many projects at both a private and community level. They have a holiday bungalow in Llanbedrog, North Wales, which is available for respite care.
To help finance the bungalow, a group of officers cycled from Winterton-on-sea, in Norfolk (a MENCAP bungalow) right across the country to the MENCOP bungalow. They raised over £4,500 in so doing.
The bungalow is used on a regular basis for respite care, and is in the process of having further work carried out to improve the facility.
Two of the officers and their families and friends cycled around Malta and Gozo to help the island's mentally handicapped and raised over £9,000 Malta pounds). During the trip the group had an audience with both the Chief of Police and the President of Malta.
Each year the group hold a couple of Dinner Dances and also a Mile of Coins event in the High Street at Harpenden during early August, and just before Christmas a group of friends from MENCOP used to visit local hotels and sing Carols, again to raise funds for the charity. Another annual event in December is the Sleigh Pull around Watford town centre.
A past chairman (as a serving Police Officer of MENCOP was awarded the BEM for services to the community, through charity work and Po1ice work.
In 1987 a group of 12 young adults were taken to Orlando for a Holiday of a Lifetime. This event was repeated in 1992 when 11 young people were flown across with the help of Virgin Airlines.
With the help and Support of the public, MENCOP's projects will continue from strength to strength....
The Inaugural meeting was held on Friday 27 November 1981 at North Watford Police Station.
The organisation was founded in 1982 and registered as a charity with the Charity Commission in 1983.
Original President: The late Sir Eric Cheadle.
Original Patron: Frank Ifield.
Current President: Right Rev. Christopher Foster (Bishop of Hertford).
Hon. Vice Presidents: Bill Wells, Senga Russell-Wells.
Current Patron: Philip Madoc.
Any donations to the charity can be made directly to the charity bank account (see Donations)
Thank you.
Page updated: 20 May 2006