Disability Action Yorkshire Appoints New Access Coordinator
Disability Action Yorkshire is pleased to announce the appointment of Nigel Thompson as the Harrogate-based charity’s new Disability Access Coordinator.
Nigel joins from North Yorkshire Council where he was Strategic Property Manager, having previously spent close to 40 years in a similar role at Harrogate Borough Council with responsibility for the strategic asset management of its land and property portfolio and a £9m building management budget.
Nigel is delighted to be joining the charity and is keen to get right on with the vital job in hand. He says: “This is a new era for me and I am extremely enthusiastic about getting to understand how the charity works, what its strategy is for the longer term and how I can make a contribution to that.
“My job is to go out there to advise and to achieve what is fair and reasonable in terms of adaptations to take account of disability and to make people more aware and also importantly to publicise that the charity has this service available.
“And to organisations, be it the private sector or maybe someone such as a Scout group that needs a little bit of advice, I say Disability Action Yorkshire is the place to come to, just knock on our door and we can help. And that is one of the key roles I will have.”
Chief Executive Jackie Snape says: “We are delighted to have Nigel join us at Disability Action Yorkshire. He brings a huge wealth of experience that will ensure community and social responsibility as well as the statutory requirements for supporting people with disabilities are applied wherever and whenever appropriate.
“Yorkshire, and North Yorkshire in particular, is a vibrant and busy region of the country that is constantly growing and developing and Nigel brings his knowledge to the team at Disability Action Yorkshire as we continue to play our part as a significant charity working with disabled people in the region in ensuring the disabled are not forgotten and that new services are developed for them where there is a need.”
Nigel is already settling in to his new role at the charity which has been providing services that create opportunities for disabled people to live the lifestyle of their choosing for more than 85 years.
As Disability Access Co-ordinator, Nigel will enhance the vital link that exists between the charity and the local community using both his asset management and people skills to ensure awareness about disability is front of mind in areas such as transport, tourism and among businesses.
He will also represent Disability Action Yorkshire at groups such as North Yorkshire Disability Forum where he was a member as a local government manager. He has already met with Destination Harrogate, the region’s destination management organisation.
The issue of disability has been a thread throughout Nigel’s career. His first involvement was back in 1985 when, as a local authority officer, he oversaw the conversion of people's houses to take into account their disability or life-affecting illnesses.
He was also tasked with ensuring the former Harrogate Borough Council correctly applied the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act in the 1990s and the Equality Act in 2010.
Outside his career, Nigel has carried out voluntary work as a swimming teacher for disabled people and has passed his interest on to his family with one of his children becoming a special needs teacher.
Disability Action Yorkshire firmly believes Nigel’s know-how and experience can only serve to boost its current and future activity.
For more information about Disability Action Yorkshire, and the services it provides, please visit the website at www.disabilityactionyorkshire.org.uk.
