Wny Grove Cottage needs to make a big step to keep pace with demand for its support in Bishop’s Stortford

Grove Cottage, the home of Bishop’s Stortford Mencap, is embarking on an ambitious project with a simple slogan - A better building for a brighter future. In the second of a series of articles for the Indie, it sets out why the upgrade is desperately needed.

Grove Cottage is taking a significant step forward with its new build project, addressing the growing demand for quality support and resources for individuals with learning disabilities and special additional needs in Bishop’s Stortford.

As the town experiences rapid growth in housing and population, this new facility is essential to ensuring that the charity can continue to meet the community’s evolving needs.

Across the country, schools are struggling with insufficient funding and too few spaces for children who need extra help.

Our town’s growing population means more children and adults need the kind of support that Grove Cottage provides.

Reports show that children with special needs often face long waits for assessments and adequate support.

That’s where Grove Cottage steps in—we are the only local organisation that offers crucial support from the early years through adulthood as well as respite for families.

We help children from a very young age, even before they get an official diagnosis, and we stick with them through their school years and beyond.

Our after-school clubs and weekend activities provide a safe, fun and inclusive environment for our members.

Bishop’s Stortford is expanding fast, with new housing estates bringing in more families. This could mean up to 200 more families needing our support.

Not only that but since 2017, there’s been a huge increase in the number of children needing EHCPs (educational and health care plans) in our area— up by 32%.

This makes our new building project even more important. We need more space and better facilities to keep helping everyone who needs us.

In a recent survey, 86% of families told us they need more help. This new building will help us meet those needs.

Richard Smith, Grove Cottage’s treasurer, said: “We’ve been planning this for 10 years. We’ve thought it through carefully while raising funds in the background. This new building is a big step forward, and it’s going to help us support our community even better.

“Grove Cottage’s new building project is about making sure we can keep up with the growing needs of our town. We’re committed to helping everyone with learning disabilities and special additional needs live better lives. With this new building, we can make sure we’re here for our community for many years to come.”