DISABILITY campaigner Dave Thompson had a memorable night when he took centre stage at the London Palladium as guest speaker at an international appeal for the Middle East healthcare crisis
Dave, Chief Executive of Warrington Disability Partnership and his wife Pam, who is President of the charity, were special guests of Warrington based international charity St Mark Universal Copts Care.
WDP in partnership with St Mark, have launched the Phoenix project, which involves collecting used mobility and independent living aids for refurbishing.
St Mark are funding the project and they are identifying the locations across the Middle East where they are needed, such as Syrian refugee camps in Jordan and their own cottage hospitals across Egypt and Sudan.
Special guests at the event included Egyptian, Lebanese, Jordanian, Swiss Ambassadors, UN Peace Ambassadors and international film and music stars.
Dave said he most memorable moment was a standing ovation from audience when mentioning sending a container of aid (mobility and independent living equipment) to Syrian refugee camps in Jordan.
Dave said: “Having the opportunity to showcase the work we do here in Warrington, in the knowledge that it will have a massive positive impact on the lives of disabled people in the Middle East, whilst providing jobs for disabled people here, was a truly memorable occasion.
“Add to this the fact I was actuall on stage at the London Palladium on a Sunday night – ‘Sunday night at the London Palladium’ was the title of a show on TV when I was younger.”
WDP are now taking the keys to an industrial unit and deliveries of donated aid should start to roll out by early November, with plans for the first container of aid ready for shipping mid-November.
WDP are currently collecting items for the project including old wheelchairs, 3 and 4 wheeled walkers, zimmer frames, crutches, walking sticks and ramps.
Items can be donated at the charity’s premises in Beafort Street or call 01925 240064.
Dave on stage at the Palladium
