Wigan disabilities group nominated for National Diversity Award

Haydn Smith, Kurt Watson, Alex Winstanley and Ellie Greenawary, members of Happy Smiles CIC, a Wigan-based disability awareness group, who have been nominated for a National Diversity Award

Happy Smiles is a community organisation which seeks to overturn negative preconceptions about disabled people by focusing on what they can do rather than any limitations they may have.

It was founded by friends Alex Winstanley and Haydn Smith and its work includes visiting schools to explain the mindset needed to succeed in a diverse society and train inclusion champions to speak positively about disabilities.

The concern started as a blog to cheer up Haydn, who has cerebral palsy and other complex needs, with his carer Alex asking people to send in pictures of happy smiles.

Now the group, which was only set up at the end of 2018, has been nominated for the Community Organisation (Disability) award at the National Diversity Awards.

The awards recognise individuals and groups from grassroots communities who have contributed to creating a more diverse and inclusive

society.

Mr Winstanley, 27, from Swinley, director of Happy Smiles who are based outside the indoor market in Wigan, said: “It’s fantastic to be nominated and it’s really good to know the community support us and that people believe in what we do.

“This is a massive boost and will raise the profile of our organisation.

“Hopefully we’ll be shortlisted for the awards.”

Work of Happy Smiles includes training people with additional and complex needs to become inclusion champions.

As a trained Inclusion Champion, they then have the opportunity to deliver training around disability awareness and social inclusion across their communities.

Mr Winstanley, who used to work as a teacher, said: “We work with young adults with disabilities and train them to be inclusion champions.

“We want to raise awareness of what people can do rather than focus on what they can’t.

“We aim to help people into work and training and want to make a positive difference to our community.”

Nominations for the awards close on May 18 when the group will then find out if they have been shorlisted.

The awards will be held on September 25 at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.