Community News

Saffron Walden Mencap Society has a vibrant community of more than 100. This is made up of young people and adults with learning difficulties, carers, trustees, staff and volunteers. Members of the community have a vast array of interests and talents. Read on to find out what some of them have been getting up to!

Fun, Food, and Friends at GrowAbility!

Wednesday was a beautiful, lovely dry day at the allotment—but that meant the soil was parched! We all kicked off the session by filling up watering cans and walking around the plot to make sure absolutely everything had a good, deep drink. Once the watering was done, it was back to business with our usual weeding and planting. We also enjoyed a wonderful meeting together around the table on the decking. It was especially lovely to be joined by our fantastic Side by Side volu

diannecarter0908

2 days ago1 min read

GrowAbility: Wednesday 22nd April 2026

The Grow Ability team (Matthew, Barry, Esther, Claire, Tristan Julie and Charis) had a busy one today: We welcomed our lovely new (and very first!) operations manager Emma 🌱 it was so nice to welcome her to the group! We planted a variety of pepper and chili seeds. Watered the WHOLE plot. Weeded the raised bed and 🥬 Harvested heaps of “volunteer” lettuce (the flavour is incredible!). 🌯 Built-our-own fresh wraps for a team lunch. And then 🧁 Celebrated Julie’s 61st birthday

diannecarter0908

Apr 251 min read

GrowAbility: Wednesday 25th March 2026

Wednesday at Growability was a total whirlwind—literally! We had everything from biting wind and sleet to bursts of glorious sun and deep grey skies. But a bit of "four seasons in one day" didn’t stop us. When the clouds rolled in, we headed into the safety of the summerhouse to get busy. Together, we planted out our beetroot and radish seeds, tucked away from the rain and ready to grow! Whether we were ducking inside to stay dry or out on the plot soaking up the sun, one thi

diannecarter0908

Mar 301 min read

GrowAbility: Wednesday 15th October 2025

A tiny bit chilly on the plot today, but still lots to do to keep us warm and happy! We had weeding and harvesting and composting old tomato plants from the greenhouse. We had a surprise visit from our lovely new staff member, Ewelina, who stayed for the session. Lisa Harper had made the most lovely green tomato chutney which we all enjoyed with cheese and crackers. Most of the ingredients were grown by us - we talked about the natural ingredients and how we can use up thing

diannecarter0908

Oct 16, 20251 min read