Accessible Clothing Project Receives Funding Boost

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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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May 26

2 min read

A Uttoxeter charity is urging local men to sign up for its annual free prostate cancer testing campaign which this week received funding support from digger giant JCB.

The Rocester-based company, which also has three factories in Uttoxeter, donated £750 towards the charity’s annual testing event on Thursday June 4th at Oldfields Sports and Social Club.

This is the 13th time Uttoxeter Lions has put on the free testing event which over the years has seen thousands of local men take up the potentially life-saving opportunity. This year there are 600 free testing slots available.

The event kickstarts a weekend of fundraising celebrations on June 5th and 6th at the Party on the Pitch and Uttoxeter Beer and Cider Festival, with all proceeds going towards the £15,000 costs of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing campaign.

Uttoxeter Lions’ Vice President, Terry Adams, said:

“The test is just a simple blood test that is sent off for analysis by our partner the Graham Fulford Trust. Results are presented in a traffic light format. If it comes back green that’s fine, amber is ‘be careful and consult your GP if you have any unexplained symptoms’, and red is ‘go and see your doctor for further testing’.

“When I got a red result, my GP gave me a second test for confirmation, before referring me to hospital for further testing. Fortunately, my cancer is not very aggressive, so I am currently under active surveillance with my Urology consultant."

"I would urge everyone over 50 to take the test, because in the early stages you may have no symptoms of prostate cancer. Each year five per cent of the men we test need further tests or treatment. Some men with aggressive cancers run risk of dying if they are not treated."

“There is no government screening programme for prostate cancer and we believe that men, irrespective of their financial standing, should have access to this service. We are proud that over the years we have helped many men, who would otherwise have needed extensive treatment, major surgery, or could have died, had they not attended our event.”

Any men who are over the age of 50 from Uttoxeter and the surrounding area can book an appointment by visiting here. Tests are available, between 6pm and 9-30pm on Thursday June 4th, at Oldfields Sports and Social Club, Springfield Road. Attendance is by appointment only.

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Accessible Clothing Project Receives Funding Boost

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