Hachette UK’s Accessibility Network partners with Mencap

Hachette UK’s Accessibility Network, which supports people with disabilities and neurodiversities, has announced a partnership with charity Mencap to deliver talks, fundraising activities and events starting from this month.

The partnership aims to raise awareness and improve understanding of learning disability by generating as much visibility of people with a learning disability as possible, reducing the everyday stigma and misunderstanding this group faces.

It forms a key part of the Accessibility Network’s outreach agenda for this year and aims to host at least five fundraiser activities, encouraging network members and other Hachette UK employees to engage with the work Mencap does.

The activities planned include a virtual cocktail class and cook-along on 17th June with Hachette UK authors Dan Whiteside and Sam Gates, which will be ticketed, with all funds raised going directly to Mencap. Members of the network have also committed to taking part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October this year.

Jasmine Palmer, Cecilia Rushton and Aine Ryan, co-chairs of the network, commented: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Mencap and look forward to growing our relationship with the charity this year, as we host both social and educational fundraisers for employees of Hachette UK.

“The partnership is a vital step for our network outreach and we will be conducting a survey to see how much awareness has improved at Hachette UK in order to benchmark our progress.”

Mary O’Hagan, director of fundraising at Mencap, said: “We are incredibly excited to partner with Hachette UK to see what we achieve together in the coming year. Not only will this partnership raise vital funds to support people with a learning disability, but it will also help increase awareness about learning disability.

“People with a learning disability have been hit hard during the pandemic. Every penny raised will go towards Mencap’s life-changing programmes, which will help people with a learning disability lead happy and healthy lives, just like anyone else.”

For more information, contact access@hachette.co.uk. To book your place onto the virtual cocktail class and cook-along event on 17th June, visit the event website.