About Mensa
The world’s leading high IQ society
British Mensa provides its members with a space for like-minds to socialise, stretch themselves intellectually and engage in interesting activities.
We have around 18,000 members in the UK and Ireland, who are all part of the wider Mensa family comprising approximately 140,000 people across more than 100 countries.
Our history
Mensa was founded in England in 1946 by Roland Berrill, a barrister, and Dr Lance Ware, a scientist and lawyer, with the aim of creating a society for bright people. The only qualification for membership was, as it is today, a score within the top 2% of the general population in an approved intelligence test.
The name “Mensa” was chosen because it means “table” in Latin and represents the idea that all members of the society sit as equals around a table, regardless of racial, religious, political and socioeconomic distinctions.
Our objectives
The society’s three official objectives are:
To provide
A stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members;
To identify
And foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity;
To encourage
Research into the nature, characteristics, and uses of intelligence.
Our members
Members of Mensa come from all walks of life, almost every job and profession, and range in age from two to 102. Each member will have their own reason for joining, but for most it is the opportunity to engage with other lively minds, whether that be through the exchange of ideas, social events, or the provision of intellectually stimulating content.
