Salford-based charity Disabled Living celebrates 120th anniversary

DISABLED LIVING hosted its annual equipment exhibition on its 120th anniversary

A Salford-based charity has celebrated its 120 year anniversary during its annual disability support exhibition at EventCity.

Organised by Disabled Living, the Kidz to Adultz North exhibition features stalls showcasing new equipment which is not readily available through local authority schemes.

Thousands turned out to view the equipment and to listen to seminars detailing the funding schemes and support services on offer.

To cater for the children and young people, there was even an appearance from Santa in his grotto with two donkeys – a homage to the company’s roots.

According to the charity’s senior manager Carmel Hourigan, the visit from Santa and his helpers is the children’s favourite attraction.

She said: “The donkeys come from our original charity started as the Band of Kindness where if children were taught to be kind to animals they would be kind to each other and staff.”

“So we’ve tried to introduce some elements that will go flowing with our history over the years.”

Take a look at the charity’s 120 year history here.

Mrs Hourigan also explained the purpose of the event’s ‘Innovation Hub’, where children could talk to engineers and suggest possible future projects in the disabled technology industry.

She said: “From history going back in time we are now looking into the future.”

“On numerous occasions you hear how they didn’t know these pieces of equipment were out there, the services were out there to support them, the funding was there to support them.”

Mrs Hourigan labelled the exhibition a ‘one stop shop’ for information, including a funding point which outlines the support available.

She added: “Obviously in the current era funding is very difficult. People are cutting down the funding.”

“They need to be able to know where they can go to get funding for certain pieces of equipment that local authorities won’t fund.”

Fifteen members of staff and thirty volunteers helped out at the event, which has been running since 2001.