Pedal-powered fruit smoothies were the order of the day when volunteers took part in a week-long event for a charity for the disabled.
Harrow Mencap celebrated Learning Disability Week 2018 with a series of Treat Me Well events to raise awareness of the issues faced by people with learning disabilities when they visit hospitals.
From June 18 -24 a week of activities included blending fruit smoothies using “smoothie bicycles”, a fashion show at Pinner Green and Harrow Activity Centre, a health and well-being forum and a football tournament at Cedars Youth and Community Centre.
Harrow Mencap Fashion Show with Noel King as Elvis and Joanne Paine – Mamma Mia
The theme of the week was health where the Treat Me Well campaign seeks to highlight simple changes hospitals can implement to make life a little easier for those affected by disability.
The smoothie bikes saw Harrow Mencap colleagues, clients and members of the public peddling to create healthy drinks outside St George’s shopping centre with over 100 smoothies made throughout the day.
Harrow shoppers taking part on a smoothie bike
There was also a Treat Me Well forum held at Harrow Baptist Church offering health advice to the community from various organisations and featured the face of the National Treat Me Well Campaign and 2018 National Learning Disability Week, Brendan Chivasa. Brendan lives in Harrow and sits on the Harrow Mencap National Steering Committee.
Deven Pillay, chief executive officer of Harrow Mencap, said: “We would like to thank everyone who supported us during Learning Disability Week and our Treat Me Well events.
“I would like to give a special thank you to the Tortilla shop in Harrow for being extremely generous and feeding our young people who were peddling the smoothie bikes. At Harrow Mencap we support and inspire people with learning disabilities and their carers to use their voice and experience to bring about change in the health system.
“On average people with a learning disability die 17 years younger than the rest of the population, and 1,200 people with learning disability die avoidable deaths every year. We are using the 2018 Treat We Well Campaign to highlight this and to campaign for accessible health care for everyone, and for people with a learning disability to be treated equally.”
Harrow Mencap’s Cedars Youth and Community Centre carer’s and clients taking part in a friendly football match
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