Changing Places conference - speakers

Over the next few weeks we will be introducing our guest speakers at the Changing Places Conference in Chesterfield. Today we begin with our friends at Accessible Derbyshire.

Accessible Derbyshire is a registered charity whose aim is to improve the lives of disabled people, their families and carers living in or visiting Derbyshire and the Peak District.
At its heart is a one-stop, award-winning website: www.accessiblederbyshire.org showcasing the best in accessible leisure and tourism in the area.

The charity was founded by Gillian Scotford and Jane Carver: two Derbyshire women with an established fundraising history having raised over £1.25 million pounds between them for local good causes in the past. The pair have a total of 6 children, three of whom are disabled, and it is this experience which has inspired their past fundraising efforts and their current charity work.
The charity has just launched a major two-year initiative aimed at making Derbyshire and the Peak District the most accessible county and National Park in the country!
'The Big Push' will focus on working with leisure and tourism providers in the area to raise awareness of their own accessibility and fundraising with them to provide the solutions. Training to support this initiative will also be available through the Accessible Training Company.
With its website receiving over 66,000 page views to date and with 23,500 Twitter views in just one week, the popularity of this unique charity speaks for itself and has seen Gillian and Jane invited onto the BBC Breakfast sofa and BBC Look North, asked to speak on accessible tourism to international press representatives at Haddon Hall as well as being guest lecturers to Sheffield Hallam University's tourism students and guest speakers at the annual Loo Of The Year Awards 2014! In addition, Accessible Derbyshire have produced a film in conjunction with Visit Britain on accessible tourism in the area which is due out shortly and, most recently, have held an MP's Parliamentary Reception for the charity in Westminster.
For further information contact Gillian and Jane on info@accessiblederbyshire.org.
@AccessibleDS Charities no.1155675