The Friends for Friends group was formed from a church initiative in the 1980’s during a time when many long-stay mental hospitals were subject to closure and people with learning disabilities (then known as mental handicap) were being moved to smaller community homes. This upheaval caused much distress in their lives and this needed urgent attention from the local community.

A few church members started visiting one such residential home almost 20 years ago, and this led to outings such as cinema, theatre, boat trips and as the numbers grew, it became necessary to find a venue where volunteers could meet up with their friends and enjoy a social life together. St John Fisher Parish Church in Rayners Lane came to the rescue, offering the free use of their church hall facilities, and their generosity continues to this day which has enabled the 1:1 club to be one of the most popular clubs in the diaries of our friends with learning disabilities and their volunteer friends.

The club has since evolved to reach out to people from every ethnic background, and the club is now a richly rewarding mixture of abilities, cultures and traditions, a tribute to the total commitment of the many unpaid volunteers whose input over the years has contributed to its success.

What has made it exceptional over the last two or three years is that young people and adults with learning disabilities who have been attending for so many years are now sitting on the organising committee and taking over the duties of running the club which was previously handled by the volunteers, e.g. manning the entrance and keeping the register up to date, setting up and helping the live band to rig up their equipment and playing in the band, managing the canteen, going round the club serving food and drinks during special occasions and help clearing up.  This gives the impression that the club, which started off to support them, is now truly their very own as they are taking more responsibilities through the committee to run the club which meets their own needs.

The enormous success of this club is clearly shown by its longevity. Over the years it has provided a warm, friendly and enjoyable atmosphere for friends, volunteers and guests. It has enabled many people, not only from the church congregations but even from ethnic minority communities who had become isolated from their local community, to meet others in a totally integrated environment.

Click here for The 1:1 Club  activities page.