Weston’s disabled people break down barriers
Disabled people are joining forces with the Chairman of North Somerset Council, the Mayor and Mayoress of Weston-super-Mare and local organisations, to break down barriers to disabled people participating in community life.
This project has been an incredible journey for people to not only discover more about their local community and how they may wish to improve things but also an opportunity to discover new skills.
Lora Tanner, Leonard Cheshire’s local campaigns officer
They will be coming together on Wednesday 23 January for the celebratory ‘My Voice, My Choice’ showcase event, run by leading charity Leonard Cheshire, at Locking Castle Church from 10am-1pm.
All disabled people in Weston are invited to come along, speak up on the local issues they face and connect with their wider community. They can also find out about the local and national services available to them.
Areas covered at the event will include volunteering, education, employment, transport, access, safety, activities, lifestyle and health. There will also be light refreshments, inclusive sporting activities and assistive technology on show at the event.
This showcase comes as part of the Big Lottery funded ‘My Voice, My Choice’ project, which has also seen Leonard Cheshire run a series of successful workshops in Weston-super-Mare last year.
These gave disabled people in the area a chance to highlight issues they face locally and create powerful messages to share with the wider public.
The disabled people who took part in the workshops will attend the upcoming showcase event, along with exhibitors from local groups such as The Notable Club, Parent Carers Working Together, North Somerset Council, Avon and Somerset Police, and Weston Hospital. There will also be representation from GWR Trains and Weston and District Community Transport.
Leonard Cheshire’s local campaigns officer Lora Tanner said:
‘This project has been an incredible journey for people to not only discover more about their local community and how they may wish to improve things but also an opportunity to discover new skills.
‘We’ve seen confidence growing through workshop discussions, friendships have been made and participants now have the understanding that their voice counts and needs to be heard!’
For more information on how to attend the My Voice, My Choice showcase, please contact Lora Tanner on 01288 359813 or email lora.tanner@leonardcheshire.org.
The showcase event will take place at: Locking Castle Church, Jasmine Way, Weston-super-Mare, BS24 7JW.
Time: 10 am – 1 pm
Date: Wednesday, 23 January 2019
Media enquiries
For further information and interview requests, please contact: Claire Farrell on claire.farrell@leonardcheshire.org or call 020 3242 0389.