Description:

The Glades asked local personal trainer, James O’Driscoll – Britain’s first blind CYQ qualified fitness instructor – to launch the event, along with Councillor Graham Arthur, portfolio holder for Bromley’s Adult and Community Services. Members of Magpie Dance – the award-winning dance company for people with learning disabilities, based at The Churchill Theatre – added extra sparkle to the launch by performing with shoppers in an interactive workshop. Says Laura Riches, General Manager for Magpie Dance, “I’m so grateful to the Glades for providing this opportunity to perform, partly because our dancers love to participate in public shows but especially because we recruited a brand-new member at this event who was not aware of our existence before!”

The week-long event, designed to raise the profile of the needs of disabled and infirm people in the town, allowed a number of charitable organisations, government agencies and disability suppliers to showcase their products and services. Says Maria Cooper, Marketing Manager for the Glades, “We were delighted that James O’Driscoll, a Bromley resident, was able to launch our new event. Since losing his sight unexpectedly twelve years ago, James has built a new life as a personal trainer with Virgin Active and is a truly inspirational figure.”

The Glades’ Shopmobility partner, Scooter & Mobilitymart, and other disability suppliers hosted displays and demonstrations of mobility vehicles, wheelchairs and a large range of equipment for daily living.