Early Years (from the ages of 5 - 25)
Have a look below at some of the services we offer for younger people…
M8s Youth Club (5 - 18 yrs)
M8s In House
Our in-house M8s group meets every Saturday at our Clarence Street building for a range of fun in-house activities for a range of ages. Activities at the sessions include sensory play, music and fancy dress.
There are two sessions during the day:
M8s AM: 9am - 1pm
M8s PM: 1.45pm - 5.45pm
At our sessions we promote independence and confidence in our young people by empowering them to explore new activities and places in a supported and friendly atmosphere. M8s is a great place for developing and discovering new skills and making friends.
You can access this service by using your personal budget (direct payment or any other form), direct funding through your local authority or private funds.
Please take a look at the activity planners below to see what activities we have arranged for the next few months.
M8s Out and About
We also run two M8s Out and About groups, for those children who thrive on going out and taking part in activities in the community. Just some of the activities we have run: having a tennis lesson, doing an assault course, visiting Stonebridge City Farm, and having a picnic in the park.
There are two different sessions:
Clarence Street Out & About: 9 - 1pm
Sneinton Community Centre Out & About: 2pm - 6pm
We focus on developing independence skills, self-confidence and self-esteem. Our ethos encourages respect for each other and our environment and promotes socialisation skills within the group.
M8s Lite
M8s Lite is a new youth group designed for children under 8 years old (minimum age 5). It offers shorter sessions as an introduction to the Saturday M8s group, providing similar activities in a condensed 2 hour format. The sessions are held every Sunday from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm at Nottingham Mencap's Clarence Street building.
The activities at M8s Lite mirror those of the Saturday M8s in-house group, including arts and crafts, music and sensory play. These sessions aim to promote independence, confidence, and self-esteem in a supportive and friendly environment.
Additionally, M8s Lite is open to children over 8 years old who wish to gradually transition to longer sessions. These older children can work up to participating in the Saturday M8s group, which offers a 4-hour session from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm or 1:45 pm to 5:45 pm.
You can access this service by using your personal budget (direct payment or any other form), direct funding through your local authority or private funds. Please see below for upcoming activities.
Gener8 (14 - 24 yrs).
Gener8 runs on every Sunday between 10am and 3pm.
Gener8 is for young people from 14 to 24 years old with a range of learning disabilities. It is similar to M8s but with more emphasis on transitioning into adulthood. Our days are filled with fun, activities in-house and out in the community. The young people that attend can access arts and crafts, singing, music, dancing, drama, computers, X-Box and Wii, pool and outdoor fun including football and cricket. We go on a range of trips including the cinema, Stonebridge City Farm and meals out in the community.
As part of transition into adulthood we develop independent travel skills, personal hygiene awareness, money and cooking skills. We also focus on developing self-confidence and self-esteem. Our ethos encourages respect for each other and our environment and promotes socialisation skills within the group.
You can access this service by using your personal budget (direct payment or any other form), direct funding through your local authority or private funds. Please see below for upcoming activities.
Short Breaks and Befriending.
We offer a sitting and befriending service for residents of Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County for people with learning disabilities over the age of 5.
Support is available either in the client’s home or out and about in the community. This could include, for example, trips to the cinema, walks in a park, swimming, trips to the shops etc. Our aim is to offer the client the opportunity to access activities and social experiences to build their life skills, self-confidence and self-esteem. We help to develop basic life skills in the home and community, including independent travel training and making healthy lifestyle choices.
This service also gives the parents, carers and their families some respite time and an additional source of support.