Couple to wed after finding love at event run by housing charity

Published by Ross Macmillan for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government, Communities, Local Government

A couple who met at a social club for people with learning disabilities - run by a housing charity in the Midlands - have announced their engagement.

Trident Reach the People Charity - which provides accommodation and support services for vulnerable people - runs the Birmingham-based 'Reach for the Stars' service and organises a wide range of social events throughout the year for its 330 members.

Wesley Davies and Kate Linley (pictured) met at one of the services “single and mingle” nights - and have since got engaged.

Wesley, 34, from Rugeley, and Kate, 30, from Erdington, will shortly be moving into their own flat together in Sutton Coldfield – and are looking forward to planning their wedding.

“We met at a Reach for the Stars night and hit it off straight away," said Wesley, who DJs at his local pub. "It just developed from there and I proposed the following year with an amethyst ring, which is Kate’s birthstone.

“We are looking forward to moving in together but we really want to get married as soon as possible because it is meant to be lucky to marry in a leap year.”

'Reach for the Stars', based in Balsall Heath, started life as a dating group for people with learning disabilities.

Members staged a protest when it was threatened with closure due to funding cuts and then Trident Reach stepped in to save it.

Although it has become more of a general social club, it still has “single and mingle” nights. 

It organises almost 200 activities a year, from discos to cinema visits, seaside visits to men’s curry nights.

The charity is looking to expand the service to other areas, starting with Dudley, and into rural areas where people can become particularly isolated.

Reach for the Stars facilitator Laura Jones said: “The service  has proved so popular that we are looking to expand our membership and branch out into other areas.

“I am currently working to get the project off the ground in Dudley, looking at different venues and activities, as well as contacting social services and care and support providers there to see how many people would be interested."