Award-winning charity Warrington Disability Partnership (WDP) recently announced their principal sponsors for this year's Disability Awareness Day event at an event hosted by the Mayor of Warrington.
Councillor Karen Mundry, Mayor of Warrington, hosted the event at Warrington Town Hall, where Dave Thompson MBE DL, Co-founder and Chief Executive at WDP, revealed Warrington-based Harry Fairclough Construction and Leigh-based Expanse Learning Group are the joint principal sponsors for this year's Disability Awareness Day.
Described as the world's largest 'not for profit', voluntary-led disability exhibition, Disability Awareness Day is held annually in a large tented village within the grounds of Walton Hall Gardens in Warrington.
This year's Disability Awareness Day will be the 28th-anniversary event taking place on July 14th, hosting approximately 250 exhibitors, alongside live entertainment and a fully accessible sports zone and arts marquee.
"It's a free event but without the sponsors, it wouldn't take place; the sponsorship is vital to us," commented John Gartside, OBE JP DL, Chair of WDP's board of trustees.
Discussing the decision to sponsor the event, Martin Budden, Chairman of Harry Fairclough Construction, commented: "Listening to Dave, it's about a can-do attitude, an opportunity to allow people to reach their potential and when you look at it from that perspective, why wouldn't you want to be involved in the event".
Also backing the event as a joint principal sponsor is Expanse Learning, a provider of Education, Health & Social Care and professional skills development across the Northwest.
In addition to supporting WDP's Disability Awareness Day, the two organisations have recently teamed up together to offer a supported internships programme for young disabled people located at one of WDP's Centres for Independent Living.
Tony Brown, CEO at Expanse Learning said at the launch: "Last year, it was absolutely amazing to see the passion of people talking about what DAD is all about.
"It's something that we're really pleased to be involved in".
Praising the two sponsors, Dave Thompson, MBE DL, Co-founder and Chief Executive at WDP added: "Without their support, Disability Awareness Day just couldn't take place. We feel honoured and humbled that DAD continues to receive the support from all of our sponsors, and the exhibitors and thousands of visitors each year".
Recently, WDP was awarded the Cheshire High Sheriff's Award for Enterprise 2018/19 in recognition of its business acumen and the success of its ethical trading arm Disability Trading Company at the prestigious Cheshire High Sheriff's Awards for Enterprise.