Livability and Greenbelt Festival collaboration

Comms Team

15/06/11

Festivals and accessibility are rarely considered compatible, but Greenbelt Festivals and the UK’s largest Christian disability charity Livability are working together to change that.

Greenbelt is a richly diverse, four-day faith based arts festival. The festival usually attracts audiences of 20,000 people.

This year’s Greenbelt festival, which takes place at Cheltenham Racecourse on 26-29 August 2011, will have more wheelchair ramps, accessible toilets, and hearing loops than ever before.

Greenbelt have also announced that – thanks to the support of Livability – they will, for the first time, be offering electric and manual wheelchairs for hire throughout the weekend.

The festival already offers dedicated camping areas, free tickets for carers and support groups to help people with learning difficulties but, according to festival director Jenny Baker, this new partnership will make this year’s festival “the most accessible Greenbelt yet”.

For the duration of the festival Livability’s Community Mission team will have a stand within the G-Source exhibition space. Visitors will be able to get information on the charity’s work and engage in a discussion around the teams collaboration with churches to help and support disabled and disadvantaged people.

Adam Bonner, Community Mission director at Livability, said: ”We are delighted to be able to work with Greenbelt Festivals to improve access for disabled people. Greenbelt is a fantastic celebration of the Christian faith and a great opportunity to enjoy a varied programme of creative and inspiring events.”

Jenny Baker, festival director, said:”Greenbelt wants to be inclusive and we welcome any initiative that helps us to do that. We want to make the festival accessible to as many people as possible, and we are grateful to Livability who have provided both advice and funds that have made these changes possible.”

Concession tickets for Greenbelt 2011 are available for £68 until the 30th June. Disabled carer tickets are available free of charge. For more information visit www.greenbelt.org.uk