News
Welcome Back to Genesis News – A Fresh Start for 2026!
We’ve been a little quiet on here… but that certainly doesn’t mean we’ve been quiet at Genesis!
First of all, we’d like to apologise for the lack of updates on our News page over the past few years. While we’ve been busy behind the scenes, we haven’t done the best job of sharing all the wonderful things happening across Genesis Orwell Mencap, and that’s something we’re determined to change!
As we refresh our website, we’re giving our News page a fresh start, beginning with 2026. From exciting customer activities and special events to developments within our Green Bike Project and Garden Furniture Workshop, community partnerships, fundraising and everything in between, there’s so much we want to share with you.
Our promise moving forward? To keep you better informed, celebrate our achievements, recognise the amazing people who make Genesis what it is, and give you a real insight into everyday life at our charity.
Thank you for sticking with us. We can’t wait to bring you along on the journey!
Genesis Orwell Mencap – Empowering Lives, Crafting Legacies.
Six Months of Making Every Day Count
Of course, none of this would be possible without the people who make Genesis what it is.
To our incredible staff, tutors, volunteers, trustees, supporters and local businesses, thank you for the time, energy and dedication you continue to give.
Most importantly, to our customers: you are at the heart of everything we do. Your achievements, personalities, friendships and enthusiasm are what make every day at Genesis different.
As we look ahead to the second half of 2026, we’re excited to continue developing our services, strengthening our community partnerships and creating even more opportunities for the people we support.
Here’s to another six months of learning, laughter, achievement and making memories!
Genesis Orwell Mencap – Empowering Lives, Crafting Legacies.
September 2026 – Celebrating Skills, Independence and Community Connections
September was another exciting month at Genesis Orwell Mencap, as we continued celebrating the achievements of our customers, promoting our social enterprises and sharing the many opportunities available across our charity.
Our Green Bike Project was a real highlight throughout September. We showcased a fantastic selection of refurbished bicycles through our popular Bike of the Week posts, including a traditional Pashley, a Giant TCX children’s bike, a Trek Silque carbon road bike and a Hotrock mountain bike. Each bicycle represents the hard work and dedication of our customers, who develop valuable practical skills while helping give donated bikes a new lease of life.
We also gave the Green Bike Project a promotional boost with new posters encouraging the local community to donate unwanted bicycles, purchase refurbished bikes and learn more about the project. We highlighted how every purchase and donation helps support Genesis and the meaningful opportunities we provide.
Celebrating our customers and their individual achievements remained an important focus. We explored introducing a new Meet a Customer series, giving the people who attend Genesis an opportunity to share their experiences, favourite activities and what being part of our community means to them.
September also saw us highlighting the importance of corporate volunteering and community partnerships. We shared what businesses can expect when joining us for a CSR Day, from meeting our CEO, Rob Hart, and exploring our facilities to getting involved in practical projects and enjoying a freshly prepared lunch from our chef, Richard. These volunteering opportunities make a real difference to our charity while helping businesses connect with their local community.
Our Garden Furniture Workshop continued to be part of our wider promotion, showcasing how handmade products and practical activities help customers build confidence, independence and a sense of achievement.
We also supported opportunities to raise awareness of Genesis through professional partnerships and LinkedIn, helping more people understand the valuable work taking place across our charity.
August 2026 – Making Memories, Building Skills and Enjoying Summer at Genesis
August was another wonderful month at Genesis Orwell Mencap, with plenty of opportunities for our customers to enjoy activities, develop new skills and make the most of the summer.
Throughout the month, we continued highlighting the variety of opportunities available at Genesis, from creative arts and hands-on workshops to spending time in our gardens, socialising with friends and developing everyday life skills. Every activity is designed to give our customers the freedom to explore their interests, make choices and take part in ways that suit their individual abilities.
Our Green Bike Project and Garden Furniture Workshop remained an important part of life at Genesis. These social enterprises provide meaningful, practical experiences where customers can learn new skills, build confidence and take pride in their achievements, while producing products that support our charity.
We also continued promoting our Thursday Social Club, offering opportunities for adults with learning disabilities to enjoy an evening of friendship, activities and socialising in a welcoming environment.
With summer in full swing, we reached out to our wonderful local community with an appeal for three garden parasols and stands, helping us create more comfortable shaded outdoor spaces for our customers to enjoy. It’s often the little things that can make a big difference to someone’s day.
Throughout August, our social media also helped raise awareness of the different services and opportunities available at Genesis, showing how our person-centred approach supports independence, confidence and meaningful experiences.
July 2026 – Summer Fun, Community Spirit and Making a Difference
July was another busy and exciting month at Genesis Orwell Mencap, filled with summer activities, community support and opportunities for our customers to learn, grow and enjoy new experiences.
One of the highlights was sharing memories from our wonderful visit by Our Animal World, where customers had the chance to get up close to some fascinating animals, including a snake and a chameleon. Experiences like these bring plenty of smiles while encouraging curiosity, confidence and interaction.
Community spirit was a big part of July, as we welcomed fantastic volunteers from CEVA Logistics, Suffolk County Council and Gallagher for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) days. From clearing overgrown areas and tackling bamboo to gardening, painting and improving our wildlife pond, their hard work made a real difference to our Genesis grounds. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who gave their time to support us.
Our Green Bike Project continued encouraging the local community to donate unwanted bicycles, helping us give old bikes a new lease of life while providing meaningful opportunities for our customers to develop practical skills.
We also highlighted our popular Thursday Social Club, promoted our showroom and its handmade products.
Behind the scenes, we continued looking for new team members, including a minibus driver to support our important transport service.
Throughout July, our customers continued enjoying a variety of activities, from creative sessions and hands-on workshops to music, socialising and spending time outdoors.
June – Partnerships, Experiences and Celebrations
June was packed with activity, and it was wonderful to see so many people coming together to support Genesis.
AXA CSR Day – 11 June
We welcomed the AXA team for a day of volunteering. From assembling safety kits for our Green Bike Project to helping begin the transformation of our old Skills Kitchen, their contribution made a real difference.
Sailing with the Woolverstone Project
Our customers enjoyed an opportunity to get out on the water, experience something different and make wonderful memories.
Our Animal World – 24 June
A special visit from Our Animal World brought the joy of animal encounters to Genesis, creating opportunities for interaction, learning and plenty of smiles.
We also continued recognising the dedication of our team through our Long Service Awards, celebrating staff who have devoted years of care, commitment and hard work to Genesis
May – Community Support and the Suffolk Show
May was certainly a month to remember!
The Suffolk Show
On 27 and 28 May, the Suffolk Show provided a fantastic opportunity to showcase Genesis, connect with the local community and raise awareness of the work we do.
We were also delighted to welcome volunteers from Birketts LLP, who generously gave their time to support improvements across our centre.
Their hard work included gardening, planting, removing an old shed and helping refresh our computer room.
May also saw the launch of our new Facebook page, marking a fresh chapter in how we connect with supporters, families and the wider community.
April – A Fresh Look for Our Showroom
April brought an exciting improvement to our Garden Furniture Workshop, with the refurbishment of our showroom.
The refreshed space provided a welcoming environment to showcase some of the fantastic handcrafted products created through the workshop, including planters, birdhouses, bug hotels and other wooden items.
Every purchase helps support the opportunities we provide for adults with learning disabilities, making our showroom much more than simply a place to shop.
March – Preparing for the Months Ahead
March was another busy month at Genesis Orwell Mencap, with plenty to celebrate across our charity.
Our Garden Furniture Workshop took centre stage as we showcased some of the fantastic handmade products available, from garden benches and picnic tables to bird boxes and bug hotels.
We also took time to highlight the importance of wellbeing, reminding everyone that having opportunities to relax, socialise and recharge is just as important as learning new skills and staying active.
Finally, we began looking ahead to our upcoming Long Service Awards in July, taking time to reflect on the dedication and commitment of our wonderful team. With colleagues reaching milestones of between 5 and 20 years of service, we started thinking about how we could celebrate and recognise the incredible contribution they have made to Genesis and the people we support.
February – Building Skills and Confidence
February was a month of highlighting what makes Genesis Orwell Mencap special and the difference our charity makes within the local community.
We took the opportunity to share more about why Genesis exists, the importance of providing meaningful opportunities for adults with learning disabilities, and how our workshops, activities and social spaces help individuals build confidence, independence and friendships.
We also celebrated the important role Genesis plays in supporting families, recognising that our services provide not only opportunities for the people attending but also reassurance and valuable time for their loved ones.
With Mother’s Day approaching, we showcased some of the wonderful handmade gifts available in our Genesis showroom, encouraging the community to shop locally while supporting a worthwhile cause.
January – A Fresh Start to the Year
The beginning of 2026 was all about getting back into the swing of things, welcoming our customers and setting the foundations for another exciting year.
Behind the scenes, our team was busy reviewing systems, improving administrative processes and planning activities and opportunities for the months ahead.
We kicked off 2026 by celebrating the creativity, dedication and opportunities that make Genesis Orwell Mencap such a special place.
Our Garden Furniture Workshop was busy promoting its beautiful handmade memorial benches and environmentally friendly wood briquettes, demonstrating how our workshops combine practical skills, sustainability and meaningful opportunities for adults with learning disabilities.
January also brought exciting developments as we promoted our search for a new Drama Teacher, looking to bring even more creativity and sensory-based activities to our customers.
We also introduced our new Instagram page, @GenesisWorkShops, bringing our Green Bike Project and Garden Furniture Workshop together in one place to share their fantastic work with a growing audience.
To round off the month, we celebrated funding through Suffolk Community Foundation’s Private Fund–JA Grant Making Programme, helping us provide essential bike safety kits through our Green Bike Project.
