Disability Awareness Day Sunday 12th July 2009

1997 Sunday 20th July

The event attracted 170 exhibitors and approximately 12,000 visitors. Torrential rain was to blame for the reduction in visitors, but the rain was good news for all of the exhibitors who were situated inside the marquees the rain kept the visitors inside where they kept the exhibitors busy all day

Performing Arts was introduced this year, but due to the fact the Arts area was outside the heavy rain spoilt the day. A new layout saw us create a Main Arena for family entertainments and move some of the main marquees over towards the Zoo area. Members of Warrington Rotary Club got involved to provide much needed support to the ever growing team of Lions Clubs members.

As a result of last years traffic problems we introduced a free Park & Ride service, accessible minibuses from Warrington Community Transport ran a shuttle service to and from Priestly College.

DAD received a BT Innovation Award for getting to message across to disabled people.

I have always said that DAD always seem to run in a swan like fashion, smoothly on the surface but with the team paddling like hell below the surface, well this certainly was the case this year. Not many people know that we had a major incident that involved the police, fire service and motorway rescue team! A very eager steward had unfortunately directed the driver of a very large, and heavy display unit the wrong way over a hump backed bridge, which had a weight limit of three tons, but the unit was nearly eight tons. The vehicle got jammed on the crest of the bridge and for hours it looked certain that the bridge might collapse forcing the vehicle and display unit into the Bridgewater Canal below. Needless to say hours later the safety teams did what they do best and lifted the vehicle free, but not before some of us lost a few pounds in sweat and added a few grey hairs in the process.

On Saturday 6th September the team from Gibraltar realised their dream by running their own DAD. I was honoured to have been invited to open the event that was moved from Saturday to Sunday due to the tragic death of Princess Diana. It was an incredible feeling to see how our dream, which had started back in Warrington had had such an impact on people living thousands of miles away in Gibraltar. The TV stations from mainland Spain, and local radio and newspapers covered the event.

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