Supporting Mencap Through Career Transitions

Recently, we’ve had the privilege of working with the team at Mencap to provide career coaching and CV support to staff affected by funding changes and redundancies. As part of our ongoing commitment to give back, we volunteered our time to offer practical help — from 1:1 CV reviews to coaching conversations focused on confidence, direction, and telling your story.

What we found wasn’t just a group of people looking for new jobs — we found a group of genuinely inspiring individuals who have poured their energy, passion, and values into the work they do. Mencap has clearly been home to some absolute gems.

Time and again, we heard from people who live and breathe the organisation’s values. Many have been working on community contracts that have now come to an end due to funding, but their impact is lasting. Whether it was inclusive sports, local peer support groups, or helping people navigate daily life with greater independence, the work these individuals have done is nothing short of incredible.

One conversation that stood out was with a woman who had helped create an inclusive surfing programme for disabled clients — not something you see on a typical CV, but a powerful story of accessibility, confidence-building, and community connection. Another person had developed peer-led groups for people with disabilities, creating safe spaces where lived experience became a source of support and strength.

What became clear very quickly is that many of these community professionals don’t always see their work as exceptional — it’s just what they do. But from where we sit, these are exactly the kinds of stories that deserve to be told, and they deserve to be told well.

One of the biggest lessons we’ve shared through these sessions is this: your CV is more than a list of duties — it’s a story of the difference you’ve made. Especially in roles like community development, where outcomes aren’t always measured in numbers, storytelling becomes essential. It’s not about exaggeration — it’s about clarity. About helping others see the thread between your values, your work, and the positive change you’ve helped create.

It’s genuinely a joy sitting down with people and coaxing out those stories. Helping someone go from “I just ran a local group” to “I created a peer-led support group that now runs independently and serves 30+ people every week” is what good career coaching is all about.

At Red 5 People, we’re proud to support organisations like Mencap in these moments of transition. And we’re especially proud to support the people behind the work — those who’ve given so much, often quietly, and now just need a bit of help translating that impact into the language of the job market.

Because when you have a story to tell — especially one that shows the heart behind the work — telling it clearly isn’t just helpful. It’s powerful.