Sir Andrew Mitchell recently visited Lisieux Trust, making good on his promise to do so, as he was unable to attend the 40th anniversary celebration.

Residents and tenants from across the Trust joined staff and our Chair of Trustees, Paul Eeles, to welcome Sir Andrew, who has represented Sutton Coldfield in Parliament since June 2001.

During his visit, Sir Andrew listened to residents and tenants talk about their lives, the activities they enjoy, and the support they receive. Meeting people from several of our homes gave him an insight into the different experiences and achievements across Lisieux Trust.

Sir Andrew said in his weekly newsletter to constituents: “As I missed the 40th anniversary of the Lisieux Trust recently, I had the pleasure of visiting one of their homes last week.”

Describing the charity as a “much-loved Royal Town institution”, he added: “In their 10 homes across Sutton Coldfield, they enable people to live their best lives and to make their best choices, living independently while also receiving the vital support and guidance they need.”

Paul said: “We were delighted to welcome Sir Andrew back to Francis House. Our tenants, residents and staff greatly appreciated the time he spent listening to their experiences across our services.

“Meeting people from a mix of our homes gave him a genuine insight into the impact Lisieux Trust has had over the past forty years.”

Lisieux Trust now operates four care homes and eight supported living properties throughout Sutton Coldfield and North Birmingham, providing homes and personalised support for more than adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults.

During the visit, Sir Andrew was given a history booklet showing how the charity has grown from one family home into an organisation rooted in community, dignity and independence.

The visit was also a chance to recognise the importance of choice, both within people’s homes and in the wider community. For Lisieux Trust, personalised support means helping each person pursue their own interests, develop independence and take part in the activities that matter to them, with the support and guidance they need.

Paul continued: “The visit highlighted the importance of enabling people to live the lives they choose with the support they need to enable them to do that. There are still too few meaningful opportunities for people with learning disabilities to participate in community life.

“To help address this, we are transforming our head office, just over the border in Erdington, into the Lisieux Trust Community Hub: a welcoming centre where people with learning disabilities can connect, take part in activities, and pursue new opportunities.

“It is still early days, but a response to what is a growing need.”

We thank Sir Andrew for taking the time to visit and listen, and the staff and tenants who helped make his visit to Francis House such a welcoming occasion.