The Calling Festival - 4th July
Joe, Michael, Paul and Dan put on their sunglasses and suncream and headed to Clapham Common for this years Calling Festival. They saw loads of great bands whilst chilling out in the sun with friends. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds were the headlining act, they were great!! The fesitval offers really good disabled access, with reduced rate tickets, and free companion tickets for carers.
Disability Sports Festival - 22nd July
Go Anywhere, Do Anything put on their sporting gear and headed to Kensington Leisure Centre to try out some new sport. We welcomed new volunteer Sophie, who supported the group along with Darren, Chris and PAul. The event was run by Disability Sports Coach and members from QPR football club and Middlesex & Surrey cricket teams were there. We tried out football, goalball, badminton, tennis, dance, golf, hockey, martial arts, cricket, netball, and squash. The entire day was free and really great fun!!! Thank you so much for inviting us! To see all the photos from the day, click here.
Putney Arts Theatre - 23rd July
Go Anywhere, Do Anything members enjoyed an evening out at the theatre to watch Chilli Beans latest performance at Putney Arts Theatre. The Baked Bean Company really know how to put on a good show. We couldn't think of a better way to spend an evening than watching the residents of Hummingford Village fight to save their village green from being taken over by fast food chain McDougalls. Full of quick wit, great costumes, catchy songs and talented performers, we were entertained throughout. What's next Chilli Beans?! We can't wait!!
To find out more about Chilli Beans visit their website here. To see more photos from the night, click here.
Mansion House - 24th July
6 of our members enjoyed a fabulous day at Mansion House, official residence of The Lord Mayor of London. Thank you to John (our brilliant tour guide!), Mansion House staff and the Lady Mayoress for providing us with such a lovely opportunity. We loved seeing all the grand rooms that are used to entertain guests, admiring the gold and silver on display and hearing the sound of the gong which indicated dinner was served. We felt so lucky to have this experience. The day was summed up perfectly in one word by Donna - ‘WOW!!!’. To see all the photos from the day, click here.
Kisstory club night - 1st August
Dan, Harish, Michael and Joe set off from Share HQ for intent on having a night to remember. We got to the 02 at North Greenwich and decided to head to the pub for a pre club drink. One or two members of the group were obviously a little nervous as this was the first time they had been anywhere like this, but after a drink and chat about what to expect, everyone was settled and up for the night ahead.
We were a little worried about getting into the club, as it turned out one of the group didn't have the correct form of identification. Luckily, the staff were really helpful and made sure we got through security checks without any problems. They really were some of the nicest door staff ever! After getting through what felt like airport security, we were ready for a drink and a dance. We spent the first 30 minutes checking out the venue, looking in all the rooms and discovering a big outdoor area which was perfect for getting away from the noise and crowds if it all got a bit too much.
Once settled and at ease with our new surroundings, it was time for a dance. We were seriously excited about seeing Coolio perform Gangsta's Paradise, live and the wait seemed to go on and on. This wasn't a problem though, as the tunes the DJ's were playing were epic!
The night was such good fun and the guys can't wait for our next late night GADA trip.Check out the Share Facebook page for a video of our dance moves!!
Buckingham Palace - 22nd August
The Go Anywhere Do Anything steering group is notorious for finding the very best of what’s on offer to see and do in London, but this time they really went for the Capital’s finest- Buckingham Palace. Home to the British Monarch for almost 200 years this world famous palace has 775 rooms and over 40 acres of gardens. We just had to see it! So off we went to the palace, in two carriages (ok, taxis) on a beautiful summer’s day. The palace offers fantastic support to disabled visitors, including a free carer pass and access via a mobility car driven through the front gate (yes, the big ones protected by the queen’s guards!). We had great fun once inside nosing around the state rooms. Doris kept Alix entertained with ghost stories and legends about the historic palace and its royal residents.
We highly recommend a visit to Buckingham Palace, it’s a great place to learn more about history and see beautiful artefacts such as paintings and sculptures.
The Shard - 24th August
WOAW! What a city and what a view! Here at Go Anywhere Do Anything we LOVE London, and what better way to see it than from the tallest building in Europe!
Kellie, Nigel, Jodian, Edmund and Andrew welcomed new social buddies Karen and Jess to the GADA club. We were also joined by old friends Courtney and Ali. Some of us were a bit nervous about taking the lift 310 metres up into the air to the viewing platform, but we helped each other out and had a fantastic time picking out landmarks and finding our home towns from the 365 degree views of the city. Andrew in particular loved the challenge of finding landmarks- St. Pauls Cathedral, London Eye, Hampstead Heath, Clapham Junction... all visible if you search hard enough.
As a group of visitors with mixed abilities we found the Shard to be friendly and inclusive. A free carer pass is available for disabled visitors' companions.
The Lion King - 30th August
Kellie, Joyce, Diana and Jess enjoyed an afternoon out to see the Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre which was organised by The National Autistic Society in conjunction with Disney. It was fantastic to be able to interact with some of the cast as they came out and introduced themselves prior to the show. Kellie and Joyce thoroughly enjoyed themselves and loved being able to sing and bop along! This was a social buddy led trip, something we hope to do more of here at Go Anywhere, Do Anything, meaning we can offer more fun trips to our members.
