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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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Property consultancy Vail Williams has bolstered its London operation with two new young hires as business demand continues to grow.


The firm, an active property adviser in the capital for more than two decades, has a team of 20-plus experts working from its base just off Soho Square.


Freddie Worth, who has rejoined Vail Williams as a valuation surveyor following a pre-arranged career break, specialises in commercial property valuation, secured lending valuations, due diligence, building surveying, inspection and measurement


He began his property career on work experience with the firm in 2022, to support his real estate degree and spent a further six weeks on rotation across agency, planning, valuation, building consultancy, and investment teams in London, Crawley and the Solent.


Having subsequently been appointed on a temporary contract to assist the London planning team, Freddie took a break to go travelling before returning to Vail Williams full-time.


He is now working on his Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) studies to become a chartered surveyor by 2027 and has ambitions to become a registered valuer.


Sophia Piatto, who has joined Vail Williams as a planner, has key skills in planning applications, pre-applications, planning appraisals and planning policy advice.


She was previously studying for her BSc in real estate at the University of Reading and spent a year at Vail Williams working full-time as part of her studies in 2022. In 2023, she returned to her studies, also working part-time at Vail Williams to broaden her practical property experience.


Sophia supports the planning team with the formulation of planning applications and preparation of relevant planning documents and reports.


She is currently enrolled at the University of Westminster studying for an MA in urban and regional planning through the Royal Town Planning Institute professional apprenticeship scheme.


James Lacey, Vail Williams London regional managing partner, said:

“We are committed to continued growth of our London operations and the expansion of our offering. These new appointments also reflect our strategy of growing our own talent. Both Freddie and Sophia have been known to us for some while and it is heartening to witness them beginning to bloom.”

“Freddie is currently on rotation in the valuation team, supporting clients with the full range of commercial property valuation needs – and he is a fast learner, already dealing with a host of services as he grows his experience."


“Although in the early stages of her career, Sophia has gained a great deal of work experience with various property consultancies and developers. Being able to see things from both a developer and consultant perspective provides her with a unique approach to planning consultancy.”


Vail Williams’ property experts provide a range of advisory services for occupiers, landlords, investors, developers and lenders across the city.


Services provided cover everything from investment expertise and business rates support, to lease advice and property valuation.


Above Photo: New Faces - Vail Williams’ two new London hires Freddie Worth, second left, and Sophia Piatto, centre, are flanked by James Lacey, London regional managing partner, left, and partners Varun Dev Gudka and Sarah Isherwood

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