Wiltshire charity wins national award for support for disabled people

Local charity Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living (Wiltshire CIL), which helps disabled people live more independent lives, has been named as one of this year's winners of a GSK IMPACT* Award. From over 400 charities nationwide who applied to be part of GSK's flagship UK community investment programme, Wiltshire CIL is one of only ten winners and stood out for its approach in meeting the needs of disabled people. Seventy five per cent of its trustees are people living with a disability.

The charity supports independent living for those with learning difficulties, frailty of old age, mental health issues, physical and sensory impairments and long-term conditions. Services include one-to-one help, peer mentoring, workshops, short courses and conferences. The organisation is involved in a number of areas of work including welfare reform, Independent Living Fund, Direct Payment support for disabled and older people and they also provide a Home from Hospital service.

The GSK IMPACT Awards, run in partnership with The King's Fund and now in their seventeenth year, are seen as a mark of achievement in the healthcare charity sector. In addition to the £30,000 they receive in unrestricted funding, winning organisations are able to access training, development, and networking opportunities through a dedicated programme organised by The King's Fund.

Wiltshire CIL will be recognised, along with other award winners, at a ceremony to be held at the Science Museum in London on Thursday 15 May. An overall winner, who will receive a further £10,000 in funding, will also be announced at the ceremony.

Geraldine Bentley, Director of Wiltshire CIL, said:

'This is a massive achievement for Wilts CIL in a relatively short period of time having only received recognised statutory funding since 2010. I am delighted that all the hard work and dedication of the staff and volunteer mentors has been recognised on such a huge platform as this award.

'We absolutely believe in the right of all disabled and older people to lead inclusive lives in their local community but people need the support and information to be able to do that. Who better to support others than those who already have the 'lived experience' of disability or old age, as a staff team we merely facilitate that process and ensure that people can exercise choice and control when it comes to making decisions about their own lives'.

Lisa Weaks, Third Sector Manager at The King's Fund said:

'Service users are put at the heart of the work that Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living does - it is clear that they are passionate about the work they do. They are a well-run organisation and have grown significantly in recent years. This is an excellent example of a local organisation providing much needed support for disabled people.'

A judging panel of health and charity experts who chose the winners includes broadcast journalist Fiona Phillips; Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector of Primary Care at the Care Quality Commission; Gilly Green, Head of UK Grants at Comic Relief; Sir Christopher Gent, Chair of GSK, and Sir Chris Kelly, Chair of The King's Fund.