Where it all started

United Response was co-founded in 1973 by Erwin Klinge (Chairman) and Su Sayer (Director).

Mr Klinge had already established schools, hospitals and charitable foundations in many of the developing countries, and now wanted to focus on similar projects here in the UK.

Whilst he and Su Sayer were giving a lecture to local dignitaries in West Sussex about a project they had just initiated in Brazil, a member of the audience, who had a son with a learning disability, approached them and asked them if they would consider working with people with a learning disability.

The lady in question donated her house to the charity and it became United Response’s first residential home in West Sussex for 12 people with a learning disability.

A real family spirit developed at the home. With birthday parties, festivals, carol singing and regular events in the neighbourhood, we were a forerunner of care in the community, years before that phrase was coined.

Growing our services

Over the next few years the home continued to develop to a point where other people became interested in our model of care and United Response was asked to establish more homes in West Sussex. By 1979 we were the largest charity working with people with learning disabilities in West Sussex.

We opened our first services in the North of England in 1983. In 1990 we started working with people with mental health needs, as well as people with learning disabilities.

Since then we have expanded across England and Wales. We now have over 200 services across England supporting nearly 1,500 people and employing over 2,000 staff.

Our timeline

Here are some key moments in our history from the past 50 years:

  • 1973 – United Response established, Tillington Old Rectory opened
  • 1977 – Second residential home established in Bognor
  • 1979 – United Response becomes the largest charity working with people in learning disabilities in West Sussex
  • 1983 – Three services established in the Chesterfield area
  • 1986 – Official Northern Office opened
  • 1987 – National Health and Safety Award (RoSPA) for the way United Response enabled people to take risks and engage in a wide range of activities previously denied them
  • 1990 – United Response began working with people with mental health needs
  • 1992 – Erwin Klinge retires as chairman, succeeded by Sir Alexander Graham
  • 1997 – Bob Tindall appointed managing director following his success in working to ensure the smooth transition of a number of Barnado’s services to United Response
  • 1997 – Active support principles embraced as best practice
  • 1998 – The Practice Development Team introduced
  • 1999 – UR In Business launched to offer employment opportunities to people with learning disabilities
  • 2000 – Su Sayer awarded OBE for services to disabled people
  • 2000 – UR In Business wins Charity Award for best disability project
  • 2004 – North West Division created to support work in that area
  • 2004 – Su Sayer wins Lifetime Achievement award at Charity Awards
  • 2007 – The UR First group releases its acclaimed DVD “Can You Hear Us?”
  • 2007 – Charity Times names United Response one of best six charity employers
  • 2013 – United Response celebrates 40 years and launches Easy News – accessible news stories in an easy read format written by people we support
  • 2020 – The Covid-19 pandemic started – our staff went above and beyond, sleeping at services for days on end and supporting people through multiple lockdowns
  • 2021 – United Response launches Accessible Voting Day – an annual awareness day championing disabled and autistic people’s voting rights
  • 2023 – My Vote My Voice is launched – a joint campaign between United Response, Mencap, Dimensions and Ambitious about Autism to make voting and elections more accessible
Read next: Our life stories