Mission Statement
The Camden Society runs services across London and Oxfordshire. With a reputation for creativity, innovation and enterprise we generate new opportunities for people with disabilities to achieve greater equality. All our services are person-centred, supporting people to develop their lives in whatever ways they choose.
The Camden Society is also a campaigning organisation. Promoting the human rights of people with disabilities in everything we do, we regularly support people to campaign on matters of local and national importance.
We started as a campaigning organisation over 40 years ago. Now as a registered charity, we support over 600 people across London and Oxfordshire every week and work in partnership with more than 100 organisations such as local authorities, health trusts and other voluntary organisations. As of 2014, we became part of the Thera Group; a group of organisations that share our person-centered ethos and ideas for the future. We look forward to working with Thera to create a better future for people with learning disabilities.
Description
Founded in the living rooms of a group of parents in the London Borough of Camden in 1966, the Camden Society began life as a campaigning organisation.
Initially coming together to offer one another emotional and practical support, the Camden parents soon began to campaign for a more inclusive society for people with learning disabilities.
Since then, we have expanded these services and widened our remit to include people with physical disabilities, people with mental health needs, and people who need additional support to maintain their independence. We now work across London and Oxfordshire, running supported living, training, employment and leisure services.
Today, we support over 600 people every week and employ 200 permanent staff with around 50 volunteers and an annual income of £9 million.
Whilst the lives of people with disabilities have been significantly improved over the last four decades, there is still much work to be done.
Today only 10% of people with a learning disability are in paid employment due to negative discrimination from employers, low expectations from staff, and a lack of opportunity to train for, and enter, jobs.
The health needs of many people are left unmet while the choice to live independently in housing that meet people's needs, culture and lifestyle is too often non-existent.
Most people with learning disabilities continue to spend their days in segregated, Government-funded day centres or attend colleges, enrolling onto the same courses year after year, with little support to progress.
The hospitals and segregation have largely gone but until all people with disabilities have the support and freedom to develop their lives in whatever ways they choose, the Camden Society's work will continue
