Wanstead set to host Disability Awareness Festival

Redbridge Council is hosting its annual Disability Awareness Festival on Wednesday 24 August, in Wanstead.

This is the first in-person Disability Awareness Festival in Redbridge following the COVID-pandemic and will take place at Christchurch Green between 12pm and 5pm.

The festival has been organised by Redbridge Council Day and its partners at Vision, Uniting Friends, Redbridge Forum and One Place East. The festival is now in its tenth year, having started in 2012 as a relatively small, low-key event and grown every year since. 

The festival aims to reach out to thousands of people to celebrate the talents and abilities of people with disabilities while spreading awareness and helping break down barriers between those with disabilities and the wider public. The festival attracts about 1,000 people and is free to attend. 

Festival goers will be treated to various fun activities, including games, sports, live music, arts and crafts exhibitions, and a wide selection of food and drink. There will also be a live performance from a Freddie Mercury tribute act, which promises to be a real showstopper. 

The event aims to:

• Highlight what statutory, private or voluntary services are available to enable people with a disability to stay independent
• Promote equipment and aids that could maintain or improve independence, not just what is offered by statutory service providers
• Provide an opportunity to showcase what people with a disability can do in the field of sport, arts and entertainment
• Improve and strengthen links between residents and service users in the borough

Councillor Mark Santos, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: “We’re delighted that local people can once again attend this brilliant event in person. The festival is a great opportunity to celebrate the lives of people with a disability in our community. The event also showcases the services provided by the Council & our partners in the NHS and Voluntary sector, supporting people to live independent and fulfilling lives.

“It is also a chance for us to showcase their invaluable contribution to our local leisure, arts and culture scene. I’m looking forward to attending the festival, and I hope to see many of you there.”

Full event details can be found on the My Life website.