DAVE Thompson, founder and chairman of Warrington Disability Partnership, was among community heroes honoured for commitment to equality at Britain’s largest diversity awards ceremony.
Dave – who has already been awarded the MBE for his work for the disabled – received the Entrepreneur of Excellence award at the National Diversity Awards ceremony in Leeds.
He was among a group of the nation’s most inspirational and selfless people at the glittering ceremony.
The award recognised his commitment to disability rights over the past two decades.
Warrington Disability Partnership (WDP) provides a leading-edge Centre for Independent Living in Warrington.
Through its trading arm, disabled people can seek advice and access anything ranging from equipment, IT training, holiday provision through to complex support on a whole range of independent living related issues.
WDP’s roots go back to 1991 at a Social Services day centre that Dave attended as part of his rehabilitation after a spinal cord injury sustained in 1989.
With two other clients, Eric James and Alan Shaw, he set up a disability information group reliant on charitable funds from the day centre, paid at a maximum of just £50 per month.
In comparison, the combined turnover of WDP and its trading arm during 2012/13 totalled approximately £1.4 million.
It employs more than 40 people and additionally, 200 individuals volunteer.
The organisation runs the annual Disability Awareness Day that last year attracted 250 exhibitors and 28,000 visitors and it reputed to be the world’s largest ‘voluntary led’ pan disability event.
The partnership Dave has established has negotiated a myriad of contracts with public and private sector concerns, all of which have resulted in not just a successful business, but services of very high quality for disabled people.
Dave said: “I am honoured and humbled to win this award. I was absolutely speechless, which is difficult to believe for those who know me”.
He said “team work” was the key to the development of Warrington Disability Partnership, their social enterprise The Disability Trading Company and continuing success of Disability Awareness Day.
Dave paid tribute to his wife Pam and two children Gavin and Emma, friends, members of “Team WDP” past and present, his employers the 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust and dozens of agencies that continue to support his philosophy of looking at what disabled people can do, and not what they can’t do.
The awards ceremony featured a line-up of celebrities including CBeebies presenter Cerrie Burnell, soccer star Sol Campbell, Paralympian Peter Norkfolk and singing sensation Misha B.
Paul Sesay, chief executive of the Diversity Group and National Diversity Awards said: “What an incredible evening. The atmosphere was electric and I was humbled to be celebrating in a room full of so many inspirational individuals and groups”.
Today Dave is the Assistant Director of Inclusion and Partnerships at 5 Boroughs which has its headquarters at Hollins Park in Winwick.
Nick Rowe, Director of Corporate Services said: “Dave’s commitment to improving the lives of people with mental and physical disability is second-to-none. Last year alone, under Dave’s leadership our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team created more than 2,500 opportunities for service users, carers and volunteers to get involved at this Trust. As an organisation, we congratulate him on this well-deserved national recognition.”
Pictured: Dave Thompson on stage at the awards ceremony.
