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Accessible Clothing Project Receives Funding Boost



People living with disabilities and age-related mobility challenges will be able to enjoy improved independence thanks to a project that adapts everyday clothing to meet their individual needs.


Sharon Tombs and the team at Dressability are expanding their Mobility Matters project, helping more people stay comfortable and confident in the clothes they choose to wear.


Based in Wiltshire, Dressability is a specialist garment adaptation charity that works with disabled and older people throughout the UK. Its skilled dressmakers make custom alterations that help clients dress more independently, move safely and maintain their own personal style without compromising comfort while using mobility aids.


The Mobility Matters project focuses on removing the barriers that standard clothing can create, such as trip hazards or loose pieces catching on wheelchairs, that most of us never need to think about.


The adaptations made by Sharon and her colleagues range from replacing fiddly fastenings such as shirt buttons with magnetic alternatives, adjusting garments for wheelchair users, accommodating spinal curvature and reinforcing clothing for children who achieve mobility through crawling.


By tailoring garments to meet individual mobility needs, the charity helps people reduce reliance on others and remain active in everyday life. The service also supports dignity, choice and self-esteem, ensuring that functionality does not come at the expense of personal identity and style.


The project has received a £2,490 donation from the Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust, the charitable branch of the UK’s largest manufacturer and seller of wheelchair accessible vehicles, Allied Mobility.


The funding will help Dressability to adapt more than 30 garments for people who need them, and continue delivering its specialist service to people whose quality of life can be improved through carefully considered clothing adaptations.


Sharon Tombs, General Manager at Dressability, said:

"A huge thank you to the Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust for their donation. We are entirely reliant on the support of organisations such as these to deliver this valuable service."

"We will use the money carefully and effectively as part of our Mobility Matters project, enabling us to alter many more garments."


Ben Jenkins, National Sales Manager at Allied Mobility, said:

"At Allied Mobility, we supply wheelchair accessible vehicles to customers across the UK and we understand how important independence and personal choice are to people's daily lives."

"Style and comfort needn’t be given up in the name of accessibility. We are delighted to support Dressability’s Mobility Matters project as it helps bridge the gap, ensuring more people can wear the clothes they love while maintaining comfort and dignity."


The funding will help ensure more people can access clothing adapted to their personal needs, allowing them to move more freely, maintain their own individual style and enjoy greater confidence in everyday life.



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Oct 17, 2023
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A detailed new report has shown the wide-ranging concerns Leicestershire County Council has with the proposed Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI).


Responding with a written representation as a statutory consultee on the proposal, the county council’s report states that it cannot support the application due to the lack of information provided by the applicant.


HNRFI is planned on land to the east of Hinckley with access from M69 Junction 2. Plans submitted by Tritax Symmetry have been assessed by the county council, who found significant gaps, including:

  • Only 21 of 45 junctions needing detailed assessments by the applicant having been carried out.

  • No detailed assessment of impact on M1 J21/M69 J3.

  • No detailed analysis of the impact of the development on Sapcote village.

  • Significant impact on public rights of way and lack of proposals for new walking and cycling routes.

  • Overexaggerated carbon benefits of the scheme.

With the scale of the development increasing demand on the surrounding road network, Tritax have failed to properly address or plan for appropriate access infrastructure on numerous elements of the scheme.


Concerns in relation to economic information and carbon emissions have also been highlighted, including inconsistencies over employment claims for the development and the additional emissions being bought to Leicestershire that have failed to be mitigated against.


Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, cabinet member for highways and transport, said:

“It’s plain to see that the highways information provided by Tritax is nowhere near enough for us to support this proposal. Information is lacking and where it is provided, some is inconsistent."

“I hope this reassures residents who will be most impacted by this development that our representation to the Planning Inspectorate makes it clear the information supporting the proposals falls way short of what we’d expect to see.


“Rail freight interchanges do have benefits and another in Leicestershire would be welcomed, but it has to be right for the county and our road network, and from what we can see this location just isn’t suitable.”


Due to the scale of the development, the final decision will be made by the Secretary of State for Transport.


The council’s cabinet will discuss the HNRFI at 2pm on 24 October.




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