Each issue we profile somebody from Sheffield Mencap and Gateway, to find out more about what makes it such a varied and special place. This autumn we get to know our member Richard Mills better.
How long have you been at Sheffield Mencap and Gateway (SMG) and what do you do here?
I’ve been at Mencap about 7 years. Maybe longer! I’ve done lots of different activities including cooking, art, drama, woodwork and bowling.
What are the best things about coming to SMG?
I like coming to groups. Otherwise I’d just stay at home. It gives me a routine. I have made loads of friends at Mencap. I’ve done 4 or 5 shows at The Crucible Theatre with Mencap. I am really proud of this and I have all the scripts and things at home to remind me. I very much missed it in lockdown.
What are your goals for the next year at SMG?
I just want to keep going how I’m going! It’s great how it is.
Can you tell us your favourite story or memory from SMG?
One dinnertime, Billy was acting as he usually does and being an entertainer. He went in his bag and brought out a tiny piano! I wasn’t expecting that! He started playing music off it and dancing about – it was very funny! Billy always makes me smile.
What do you like to do outside of attending SMG?
I like going bowling. I like going to the pictures – the last film I saw was ‘Haunted House’. I am a big music fan and some of my favourites are Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Travis, oasis and Pulp.
Finally, tell us a fact about yourself that people at SMG don’t know…
I grew up living in pubs. My Mum and Dad used to run pubs around Sheffield. They used to run The Moorfoot Tavern and The Cross Scythes. One of my earliest memories is being in the bar while my Dad was working and I was drinking a coke.
