Annual General Report 2006-2007
Making A Difference

Click here to download the full AGM Report for 2007 (623KB PDF).

On behalf of our team I am delighted to welcome you to the Annual General Report for Warrington Disability Partnership for 2006 – 2007. As you can see the title of this years report is “Making a Difference”. Words which will resonate with our stakeholders which include disabled people, their carers and families, managers and staff from the statutory and voluntary organisations, local businesses, schools, students and the general public.

The “difference” we make depends on the individual or the organisation. It will include empowerment, enabling, informative, involving, all of which are integral to supporting Warrington’s “social inclusion” agenda. During the past 12 months, we have continued to sustain and develop a range of services and partnerships aimed at ensuring disabled people have a “choice of opportunity”. The driving force behind this statement are the needs of disabled people, identified through involvement with local people via our staff, volunteers, service users, partners, events and forums.

In last years report we set out our aims for 2006 – 2007, which included:

• To complete the next stages of the refurbishments at the Centre for Independent Living, including a Community Café area, extended Discover IT Suite, develop a dedicated reception point and increased showroom areas.
• Transfer our main Shopmobility service to the new location in the Golden Square Shopping Centre and expand the fleet of scooters and wheelchairs.
• Secure funding to employ a dedicated volunteers support worker and a young disabled people development worker to support the development of the WDP Young Ambassadors Scheme.
• Develop an “Information Pathway” which will provide disabled people, their carers and families with step-by-step prompts on the range of issues relating to independent living.

I’m pleased to report that all of these aims have been completed or are in progress.

Partnerships through Community Involvement is high on our agenda and includes attending a wide variety of strategic and developmental forums. This year we have also worked closely with the Warrington Chamber of Commerce local employers and businesses. The outcomes have not only included raised awareness and increased opportunities in employment, access and facilities but also increased support in our fundraising events and the recruitment of two local businessmen Gary Skentlebery of Warrington Worldwide and Jeff Greenwood of North West Guard Security who joined us as Trustee/Directors. Pat Kitto a key figure at Warrington Collegiate also joined us later in the year.

Other outcomes include:

• A Disability Equality Duty Workshop attended by over 100 disabled people and involved six local statutory service providers
• Improved access and facilities in large and small schemes such as the multi million pound transformation of the Golden Square Shopping Centre and refurbishments at Warrington Amateur Radio Clubs HQ
• Procurement of goods and services from local sources including printing, advertising, IT support telecommunications, office supplies, equipment, repairs and general maintenance to our van, narrow boat and facilities
• Local recruitment of 44 Trustee/Directors and staff. You may be interested to know that 59% of them are disabled people, 36% are carers and 52% started out as WDP volunteers

In keeping with our ambition to operate as a “Social Enterprise”, I am pleased to report that nearly half of our services are “self funded”. The North West Regional Development Agency signed up as principal sponsors for this year’s Disability Awareness Day and Positive Action Awards. Phil Friend OBE Chair of RADAR, the UK’s premier disability campaigning charity, was our guest speaker at the award ceremony. One highlight of the year resulted from a conversation with Scott Barron a local and internationally renowned artist. An initial project with members of our Discover IT Suite and Camera Club was the beginning of an international project, which will see the continuing exchange of works as Scott makes his regular visits to and from Osaka in Japan.

Earlier in the year we had an excellent turnout at the teams annual away day, which offered an opportunity for the whole team to develop a vision for the future. The outcomes included our aims for the next year:

• To develop the Warrington Access Guide, which will be made available through the Internet
• To build on the foundations of the WDP Young Ambassadors Scheme including links with Osaka Japan
• To develop a resource and exhibition house featuring leading edge assistive technology
• To explore opportunities to upgrade the environment and physical facilities of the Centre for Independent Living
• To explore further partnership opportunities with statutory, private and voluntary sector organisations in towns across the North West

On behalf of the team I would like to thank all of our partners especially Warrington Borough Council, Warrington Primary Care NHS Trust, North West Regional Development Agency and Leonard Cheshire Disability for their continuing support and interest in our work. I would also like to thank my fellow Trustee/Directors, our excellent team of staff and volunteers for their commitment to WDP and the people who use our services.

I look forward to working with you in the year ahead.

Dave Thompson MBE DL

PS Last minute news:
With great assistance from staff at Warrington Borough Council we have submitted a bid for nearly £1million to the National Community Assets Fund. A successful bid will provide funding to completely refurbish our Centre for Independent Living. Fingers crossed! Dave