Wolverhampton Gateway is affiliated to Wolverhampton Mencap and is a club for adults with learning difficulties. We cater for adults of all ages and have members in their teenage years as well as several members who are senior citizens. We have met at a number of venues over the last forty years, but Beckminster Church has proved to be the most accommodating and the most welcoming. We all value their help and friendship and look forward to our Friday evenings at Beckminster.
Gateway aims to provide friendship and support for all people with learning difficulties. Members socialise; play pool, table tennis, darts and Wii games; run a tuck shop; engage in literacy and numeracy challenges; listen to music; engage in craft activities; take part in karaoke and play bingo. Gateway organises a number of trips and events for members including visits to theme parks; to places of interests such as the Space Centre; to the theatre and for meals in pub restaurants. We take members on residential weekends to the Towers Outdoor Education Centre in Capel Curig twice a year and, from September 2016, have taken a number of groups for horse-riding lessons. We have visitors to the club, such a local choir; a drama teacher; the fire service and the police.
Wolverhampton Gateway is a busy club, with over seventy members and a waiting list. We can make a justifiable claim that we are one of the most diverse clubs in the area in terms of age, ethnicity and ability and that we are able to make a significant difference to the lives of the learning disabled in Wolverhampton. We have a small staff who are all volunteers.