A charity in Ealing has opened a new retail space in West Ealing selling handcrafted goods made by adults with learning and other disabilities, as part of an initiative to help improve skills, confidence and access to employment.
The Dare to Dream Showroom, part of Ealing Mencap’s wider employability programme, was officially opened on Saturday (28 June 2025) at a special community event attended by local residents, supporters and dignitaries.
The Showroom is non-profit, with all proceeds reinvested into the service. Members have been involved in all aspects of the creation of The Showroom including creating the business plan, designing and decorating the shop and producing the merchandise on sale.
Local Walpole ward Councillor Grace Quansah formally cut the ribbon to mark the occasion and also shared a number of her own personal poems with guests.
Also in attendance were Councillor Polly Knewstub, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for healthy equal lives and Ealing Mencap CEO Nik Demetriades.
The launch of the showroom comes a week after Learning Disability Week, which took place from 16 June to 22 June 2025.
Located in the heart of West Ealing on Leeland Road, The Showroom offers an array of handmade products including jewellery, ceramics, plants and more.
The initiative forms part of Ealing Mencap’s Dare to Dream programme, a service training members aged 20–50 in practical employability and life skills. The launch also comes as Ealing Mencap celebrates its 60th anniversary, marking six decades of advocacy, empowerment and support for people with learning and other disabilities.
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Councillor Quansah reflected on the significance of the opening and how much it means to her: “It’s my mantra, because all my life I’ve been dared to dream, and I have come from a position of struggle. I have adults in my family right now who are registered as disabled — not necessarily learning, but physical disabilities and neurodiverse. So disability is something that, if we don’t have an understanding of it, then unconsciously or consciously we create barriers.”
Councillor Quansah added: “I have been honored to be invited today to participate. This project is enabling individuals who work very hard. I spoke to young people here and they shared why Dare to Dream means so much to them. We are changing lives and that’s what it means in the heart of Ealing.”
On the broader importance of the initiative, she remarked: “Today, we’ve seen people from all backgrounds and cultures — class, creed, colour, disability, age, sexuality – we’re all interconnected. You never know whether something might happen to you, or you might give birth to a young person who has additional needs. It affects everybody.”
Harminder Rana, employability & community service manager at Ealing Mencap, told EALING.NEWS: “Dare to Dream is a service Ealing Mencap provides to train and equip our members who range from the age of 20–50 years old to work towards opportunities they may not have always had.”
Ms Rana continued: “A lot of our members are high functioning and very talented and capable of leading a quality of life with equal opportunities. We at Dare to Dream like to give our members the options to aim for realistic targets that will accelerate their growth.”
Ms Rana also highlighted the project’s collaborative and empowering ethos: “This initiative has been led by the members themselves, ranging from the business plan, decorating the showroom and producing the merchandise. We are very excited to see the potential of how this showroom opportunity will not only support our members into paid employment but also be a voice to many other people with learning disabilities that you ‘Shall be Seen and You shall be heard’ and work together as the Sky is the Limit.”
The Dare to Dream Showroom, located at 1–2 Leeland Road in West Ealing, will be open to the public every Friday throughout the summer, with plans to expand its opening hours later in the year.
