Wave was established in 2009 when a group of parents decided they wanted to ‘do something significant’ to improve the inclusion of individuals who are marginalised as a result of having a learning disability.  Wave is founded on the belief that God values us equally, irrespective of our (dis)abilities.  The background and roots of Wave are from within a local Parish Church. Our work is inter-denominational, with a focus on welcoming those of all faiths or none. Our over-riding ethos is one of inclusion – simply sharing the love and acceptance that we have found in Jesus through friendship-building activities in the heart of communities.

Our aim is to make it easy for people with and without learning disabilities to meet, comfortably socialise, work, and worship TOGETHER.  In doing so, we overcome the fear and ignorance that is often at the root cause of exclusion and social segregation. You can see more of our story here: Mixing with wave

Wave has initiated mixed abilities groups and places that have started to transform our home community of Muswell Hill, in North London.  Individuals with and without learning disabilities are interacting more confidently with each other, and starting to better appreciate each other’s differences.  Our founders received the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Langton Award for Community Service in 2020 - an award that gives appreciated recognition to our dedicated voluntary team.

We are now extending our work geographically by encouraging and enabling other communities to develop more inclusive opportunities. We are building new connections and co-creating resources to make this happen:#WithNotFor - Creating inclusive communities together 

Research conducted in 2019 shows that 61% of adults with and without learning disabilities in the UK are interested in mixing, but that the majority lack the opportunity and confidence to do this.  Wave wants to help bridge this gap.