- Sports Performer with a Disability
Nomination form (PDF, 260kb) from the Living Sport website.
The Cambridge Way To Be awards are all about removing obstacles in the way of disabled people.
There was karaoke and live music, which I love because I am a big music fan. They were raising money so they could throw a Halloween party as well as fund Funky TV, a TV channel for people with learning disabilities.
The best thing about the event was how friendly it was. I like doing lots of different things in my spare time with all sorts of people. But sometimes it's nice to go to a place where people with learning difficulties are very welcome.
One of the first people I spoke to was Amanda Kleherer from the charity Inspire, which organised the event. She says: "Funky Flamingo isn't about being different or exclusive," she says. "It's meant to be just as much fun whether you have a learning disability or not. I've got friends who came to our club night and didn't know anyone who had a learning disability before, but they ended up loving it."
When I was younger I didn't know about anything like this. I think it would have been really fun if I'd been able to go to events like this and meet new people. I talked to a man called Darren Moore, who performs at the events as a Tom Jones impersonator and also helps organise them.
Darren says: "My advice to everyone would be 'get involved'. It takes a lot of organising, but they train you to help and it's all worth it. I've had so much fun."
Final nominations for the 2007 awards:
Cherry Hinton Village Centre management team * Papworth Everard Brownies * Co-op, Hills Road (shop assistant Chathura) * Cambridgeshire County Council postal tapes service * La Mimosa (manager Dom) * 112 Wulfstan Way (Care team ) * John Loader (Camsight volunteer at Chesterton swimming class) * Granta Punts (3 nominations) * The Pavilion, Impington Village College * Brown's Restaurant * Cambridge Dial-a-Ride * Andy Cabs (3 nominations, including for driver John) * Lakeland * Mencap staff at Edmund House, 2 Cambridge Road, Milton * Shopmobility * City Council Sports Development Team * Ware Anthony Rust graphic design * Valerie Carter * Chesterton Indoor Bowls Club (5 nominations) * Cambridge University Botanic Gardens * Fitzwilliam Museum * Lion Yard Car park attendants * Community Learning team at Saxongate Centre, Huntingdon * Next Steps Drop In, 1a Fortescue RoadHello, I'm Mark Taylor the Access Officer at Cambridge City Council. I'm also a rugby fan with a degree in history and a fondness for open air Shakespeare and eating good food with friends.
Hello, I'm Philippa Slatter, co-creator of the Way To Be Awards with Mark. I am a city councillor and exploit that position to pursue disability access concerns I developed as a community nurse working for people with MS and spinal injuries. I love my adopted city of Cambridge, especially when I can stop for a chat with friends while cycling through it on the way to a good pub.