top of page

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.



Most Read

New Wellbeing Programme Sees Aberdeenshire Business Branch Out

New Wellbeing Programme Sees Aberdeenshire Business Branch Out

Two former teachers from Banchory, Aberdeenshire have built a horticultural design and care business, turning an idea into a full-time venture, with Business Gateway.

British Superbike Rider Gears Up For Charity

British Superbike Rider Gears Up For Charity

Edmund Best, a British National Superstock rider for team SymCirrus Motorsport, has declared his support for The Bridge Homelessness to...

RHS Calls For Compensation Due To Financially Devastating Impact Of A3/M25 Roadworks

RHS Calls For Compensation Due To Financially Devastating Impact Of A3/M25 Roadworks

With 350,000 fewer people visiting RHS Garden Wisley annually due to the National Highways A3/M25 roadworks, resulting in £6 million...

Categories

Aug 8, 2024
3 min read


Community projects across Charnwood are continuing to be supported through Charnwood Community Grants.


Over £80,000 has been allocated to 18 projects which are making a difference across the whole borough, including supporting residents with the cost-of-living.


Charnwood Borough Council awards tens of thousands of pounds each year to support groups and projects. The projects which have received funding in the latest round of Charnwood Community Grants include a food bank, a sensory garden project and a youth theatre.


Councilllor Liz Blackshaw, the Council’s lead member for communities and neighbourhoods, said:

“The Council is committed to supporting community led projects and I am so pleased to announce the latest round of funding. These projects are at the heart of our community and they do so much to support residents."

“I would like to encourage all community groups who are running projects to look into the support they can get through a Charnwood Community Grant.”


Two projects which are supporting residents with the cost-of-living are St Mary’s Grub Club and Charnwood Money Advice Centre. Both projects have received a Charnwood Community Grant to allow them to continue the work they are doing in the borough.


Sense have been awarded £2,500 to use towards a sensory garden. The project will help support those in Charnwood who have disabilities and their families.


The Charnwood Men and Women in Sheds project has been supported with £3,500 of funding. The group offers the chance for people to socialise and share skills in producing pottery, woodcraft, ironmongery and gardening.


Community group, Charnwood Arts has been allocated £3,200 towards running costs of their Breathe Create project for people struggling with social isolation.


Local theatre, Starlight Youth Theatre has been awarded £2,000 to go towards staging costs of their next show.


Loughborough Rugby Football Club has been awarded a £15,000 facility grant towards Project 100 which is to modernise their changing rooms.


£7,473 has been allocated to Loughborough-based Modern Painters & Decorators for renovation of their venue, including to the kitchen and accessible toilet.


Charnwood Eco Hub has received £10,000 towards a meeting space where workshops and projects can take place.


The 15 Charnwood Community Grants which have been awarded are:


  • £3,160 to Falcon Support Services – Recovery Month and Health Day toward event running costs.

  • £4,000 to The Bridge (East Midlands) towards the talk2sort mediation project.

  • £5,000 to New Life Community Church towards the Loughborough Food Bank Operations Manager post.

  • £5,000 to Charnwood Money Advice Centre towards the Money Advisor post.

  • £2,500 to Sense towards their Sensory garden project for people with complex disabilities.

  • £4,000 to St Mary’s Grub Club towards their Food and Fun summer holiday club for families that are in difficult financial circumstances (Awarded from the Loughborough Grant).

  • £3,500 to Loughborough Mela Group towards running costs for the 2024 Loughborough Mela in August (Awarded from the Loughborough Grant).

  • £3,500 to Age UK toward the running costs of Charnwood Men and Women in sheds project.

  • £4,000 to Joy of Music (Sileby) toward running costs of pilot for music therapy weekly activities.

  • £3,500 to Loughborough Town of Sanctuary for leisure passes for asylum seekers resident in Loughborough.

  • £3,200 to Charnwood Arts towards running cost of their Breathe Create project for people struggling with social isolation.

  • £3,500 to Regu8 Mental Health & Wellbeing towards running costs De-stress Club for young people aged 8-12 years old.

  • £5,000 to Studio 17 towards running costs of its new beginning project to increase access to their art studio and support members.

  • £2,000 to Starlight Youth Theatre towards costs of staging their next show.

  • £2,000 to Golf in Society towards weekly golf sessions for residents with disabilities and other health conditions.


The three Charnwood Community Facilities Grants which have been awarded are:


  • £15,000 to Loughborough Rugby Football Club towards their Project 100 to modernise the club's changing rooms.

  • £7,473 awarded to Modern Painters & Decorators arts and community venue fit out, kitchen and accessible toilet.

  • £10,000 awarded to Charnwood Eco Hub to fit out a space for Eco Hub project to provide space for a meeting place/workshop, to include tool library and scrapstore.

Most Read

New Wellbeing Programme Sees Aberdeenshire Business Branch Out

New Wellbeing Programme Sees Aberdeenshire Business Branch Out

Two former teachers from Banchory, Aberdeenshire have built a horticultural design and care business, turning an idea into a full-time venture, with Business Gateway.

British Superbike Rider Gears Up For Charity

British Superbike Rider Gears Up For Charity

Edmund Best, a British National Superstock rider for team SymCirrus Motorsport, has declared his support for The Bridge Homelessness to...

RHS Calls For Compensation Due To Financially Devastating Impact Of A3/M25 Roadworks

RHS Calls For Compensation Due To Financially Devastating Impact Of A3/M25 Roadworks

With 350,000 fewer people visiting RHS Garden Wisley annually due to the National Highways A3/M25 roadworks, resulting in £6 million...

Categories

Hendy Group Launches $10,000 Community-Led Campaign At Ford Dealerships

Hendy Group Launches $10,000 Community-Led Campaign At Ford Dealerships

Hendy Group has launched a new community-led grant giving campaign across its 10 Ford sites to support local charities.

Lamont Pridmore Calls On Parents To Consider The Cost Of University

Lamont Pridmore Calls On Parents To Consider The Cost Of University

With university fees of £9,790 per year in the UK and average monthly living costs whilst studying hitting £1,142 per month, Lamont Pridmore is calling on parents of future students to plan for these costs in advance.

Gordon & MacPhail Appoints New Global Marketing Director

Gordon & MacPhail Appoints New Global Marketing Director

Gordon & MacPhail, the Elgin-based, family-owned whisky specialist, is welcoming Jo Coomber as its new Global Marketing Director.

Recent Posts

bottom of page