Dave Thompson was born and raised in Warrington. A keen sportsman, he took part in many sporting events until he was injured in a game of American football in 1989, and sustained a life changing spinal cord injury.
Dave is founder and chair of Warrington Disability Information Service and the chair of the Warrington Committee for Disabled People. He was the founder and a trustee of Shopmobility and the founder and Vice-Chair of Warrington Disability Sports Forum before all four organisations joined to form Warrington Disability Partnership.
He is the founder and current Event Co-ordinator of the North West Disability Awareness Day, Europe’s largest and longest running voluntary-led independent living exhibition, and was a founder and past Chair of the Cheshire Disabilities Federation and the founder of the North West Positive Action Awards. Dave has travelled widely across the UK and Europe promoting the development and sustainability of partnerships involving disabled people and carers. He is the Assistant Director of Inclusion and Partnerships at the 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust and leads its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Unit, covering patient and public involvement, equality and diversity, and social inclusion.
In June 2001 Dave received an MBE for services to disabled people and the NHS; in 2004 he received the Paul Harris Fellowship, an International award from the Rotary Foundation. In 2006 he was commissioned a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Cheshire and the same year the North West Disability Awareness Days received a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services.; Dave is a trustee of the Tim Parry Jonathan Ball Foundation for Peace and Trustee and Chair of the Griffiths Court Foundation. Warrington Disability Partnership (WDP) celebrated its 20th anniversary last summer.
It has organised and coordinated 450,000 volunteer hours, taken and addressed 560,000 telephone calls. 400,000 people have attended Disability Awareness Day events. Over £1 million has been raised by WDP, then distributed and used through other disability charities. Warrington Disability Partnership currently employs 50 paid and nearly 200 volunteer staff delivering a wide range of independent living services including an Independent Living Centre, Direct Payments and Employment Support.
