About

Climb Any Mountain was founded in 2011 as a not-for-profit, voluntary organization and became a UK Registered Charity in October 2012 (registration number : 1149311). Our mission is to transform what’s available for people with learning disability and mental illness in South Africa using global best practice. We want to see people with intellectual disability and mental illness empowered by their right to the same opportunities, choice and control over their lives that the rest of the population has.

The vast majority of individuals with disabilities in South Africa cannot live their lives the way they want without their personal freedom being compromised by being confined to an institution, or alternatively, being left vulnerable to fend for themselves in world that does not accommodate their unique needs.  This calls for a fundamental change in the choices available for housing, support, opportunities to develop and opportunities for employment.

Over the last 20 years the move from institutional care to supported community based care has been a challenge for many organizations, countries and service providers. Working with our partners, the Pietermaritzburg Mental Health Society, we have jointly designed a unique, purpose-built residential facility that not only provides a safe supported living space for people with learning disability and mental illness, but also aids the development of social and life skills.

We have called the facility  the Transitional Living Centre (TLC) as it aims to provide a stepping stone for individuals as they move from institutional to community-based care, having achieved their personal goals of attaining the life skills necessary to live independently.

The TLC will be built on the grounds of  an existing service in Pietermaritzburg run by the PMB Mental Health Society, and will provide residents with the chance to move to a more independent living space as they develop their skills.  Our goal is that it provides the blue-print for future care facilities nationwide and will accelerate the successful transformation from institutional to community based care within South Africa.