Duchess Sophie attended the 80th anniversary of Mencap, a charity supporting people with a learning disability, at an event in London today. New images released today show the duchess showing her support for the cause.
Royal Patron's longstanding commitment
As Mencap celebrates its 80th anniversary joined by Royal Patron, Duchess Sophie, the charity has highlighted the stark reality that reaching the same milestone remains rare for people with a learning disability. The Duchess has been patron of Mencap since 2002 and is "deeply committed to supporting people with a learning disability", the charity says.
It adds: "Over the years, the Duchess has shown her support for Mencap in many meaningful ways, from backing the charity during its time as an official London Marathon partner, to attending Mencap’s Health Inequalities Summit in 2023 to learning more about the barriers people with a learning disability face in healthcare."
Guest of honour Geoffrey Leer
Guest of honour Geoffrey Leer, who turned 80 on September 1, was presented with a special birthday card by Duchess Sophie during the celebrations. Geoffrey has a learning disability, dementia, and sight and hearing loss yet he has remained committed to campaigning for making the lives of others better.
New analysis from the Learning from Lives and Deaths programme by King’s College London reveals just how rare Geoffrey is, the charity says. It shows only around one in ten (10%) adults with a learning disability live until 80, compared with more than half (55%) of the general population in England.
Health inequalities highlighted
These findings highlight the stark health inequalities people with a learning disability continue to face, as they remain three times more likely than the general population to die from treatable causes such as pneumonia, epilepsy and ischaemic heart diseases.
Jon Sparkes OBE, chief executive of Mencap, said: "Eighty years after Judy Fryd brought families together to demand better, we’ve seen extraordinary progress. But we cannot accept a world where reaching 80 is still remarkable for someone with a learning disability.
"Geoffrey’s birthday is a wonderful milestone and one worth celebrating. Everyone with a learning disability deserves the chance to live a long, healthy and fulfilling life.
"Our 80th anniversary isn’t just about looking back at how far we’ve come. It’s about demanding more for the future: better health, greater opportunities and the right support at every stage of life, so every person with a learning disability can live their life to the full."
