Prime Minister announces disability charity as next Big Society Award winners

An Oxford based charity is the latest winner of a Big Society Award, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced.

Disability charity, My Life My Choice work to improve the confidence and self-esteem of people with disabilities through training, employment and social opportunities in the Oxford area.

The Big Society Award celebrates groups, charities and organisations which tackle society issues to boost the lives of others in their community. Winners have included BT, the Gloucestershire based Furniture Recycling Project and the Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre.

My Life My Choice trustee, Dawn Wiltshire, said: “This is amazing and inspiring news for everyone at the charity. We are so glad that the Prime Minister has recognised a charity where people with learning disabilities are doing things and changing things for themselves.

“This award will help our members and volunteers with learning disabilities to continue making a positive and valuable contribution to their communities on a daily basis.”

Since 2011 My Life My Choice has created a training programme inspiring 130 people with learning disabilities to challenge and deal with hate crime, as well as a transport buddy scheme to enhance the independence of 55 people with disabilities.

With over 200 people attending monthly gigs, the charities' ‘Stingray’ night club project has also been a great success for DJs with learning disabilities running the event.

Prime Minister, David Cameron said: “I’ve seen at first hand the great work this organisation does. From support using public transport to club nights, ‘My Life My Choice’ empowers people with learning difficulties to design and run the services they want to see. “This Big Society Award recognises the huge difference everyone involved in the charity is making.”

The charity has 30 specially trained volunteer Champions who provide specialist advice to MPs, Councillors, and health officials based on their own and others' experiences of living with learning disabilities in the community. The charity continues to work to provide a range of holistic ways to increase confidence and improve the quality of life for people with learning disabilities.