Promoting A Level Playing Field For All Football Fans

July 2007

From the new Chair - Joyce Cook

Dear friend of NADS

I am delighted to be writing to you in my new capacity as NADS chair. Some of you will already know me through NADS (Vice Chair) and the disabled branch of englandfans. For those of you I have yet to meet in person, I very much hope to see you in the near future at one of NADS local or regional events.

Some of you will have seen our recent press release announcing a number of changes at NADS. These were presented at our 9th Annual General Meeting held at the Ability Suite, Old Trafford in Manchester on Friday 13th July. Even though it was a particularly wet Friday afternoon, disabled supporters and club representatives travelled from across the country to this event, with attendees from afar afield as Birmingham, Brighton, Doncaster, Lincoln, Newcastle and Plymouth.

There was real excitement and commitment in the air with NADS able to present its new Blueprint to the members. This document sets out the charity's aims and direction as we go forward, along with an increased emphasis on inclusion, equality and team work. The NADS Annual Report (which includes the NADS Blueprint) is also now available and you can download this via our website.

Following the presentation of NADS annual report, the afternoon saw the election of the charity's trustees, with some choosing this time to retire from office. Among these, Mr Phil Downs MBE also chose this year to "hang up his boots" as chair and trustee and will now concentrate on the other disabled charities he is involved with. Phil has also agreed to take up a post of Vice President to NADS in recognition of his past work. The NADS committee were keen to acknowledge the good work done by all the retiring trustees in setting the foundations for NADS. I would also like to take this opportunity to offer my personal thanks and confirm my commitment and that of the committee to the future success of NADS.

I am pleased to tell you that the new committee has a very good feel about it, with an energy and determination to get the job done. There is a healthy mix of existing and long serving officers, with the addition of several new members. This combination will serve NADS well as it moves forward and continues to "Promote a Level Playing Field for All Football Fans". We are determined to reach out to all disabled supporters, their DSAs, clubs and DLOs much more than we have perhaps been able to in the past.

The success of the afternoon was completed with a photographic presentation of 'All for One, One for All' by Mr Phil Colvin and Mr Samuel Burch. This is a fascinating exhibition that has been on display at the National Football Museum in Preston until very recently and celebrates the experiences of a disabled fan (Samuel Burch) following his team home and away. I am delighted to be able to tell you that the photographs have now been donated to NADS for use in our promotional materials and at future events. The exhibition can still be hired through the National Football Museum, where archives will be held. I would like to take this opportunity to warmly thank Phil and Samuel for their generous support of NADS.

This is an exciting time for NADS, with the football authorities, clubs and all supporters working together to ensure that we can boast the very best of facilities and experiences for all fans. NADS is an umbrella organisation representing all disabilities and we will continue to form alliances and friendships with other disability charities and organisations as we all work towards equality in our daily lives.

Please look out for news and further communications from NADS in the coming weeks and as the new season starts. We are keen to hear from you with your ideas, issues and needs, so please do drop us a line or pick up the phone (0845 230 6237). If you have colleagues, family and friends who you think would like to receive our e-newsletter updates, please send us their email contact details (email to info@nads.org.uk) so that they can be added to our database or get them to sign up online at www.nads.org.uk

Please may I also ask you to forward this message to all your contacts and help us 'spread the word' about NADS and the work that we do. We are keen to welcome all friends who have an interest in disability and/or football.

Thank you again for your support and interest and we will be in touch again soon with further updates on proposed changes to our membership and communications.

We are committed to representing you and and we can only truly achieve this through regular dialogue and by listening to all of you; the disabled supporters, carers, advocates and friends.

With Kindest Regards



Joyce Cook NADS Chair

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