Liz Lynne MEP opens the Mercian Ability Partnership. (Stoke On Trent Liberal Democrats)

Stoke On Trent Liberal Democrats <jpr160@tiscali.co.uk>

Liz Lynne MEP opens the Mercian Ability Partnership.

July 14, 2009 8:05 PM
Originally published by West Midlands Liberal Democrats

From left to right: Jan Winter, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People; Kate Darby, Member of Mercian Ability Partnership Bid Team; Liz Lynne MEP; Richard Burford, Martial Arts Expert; Patricia Lambert; John Moore, Mayor of North Warwickshire.

Liz Lynne, the LibDem MEP for the West Midlands, officially opened the Mercian Ability Partnership, a new User-Led Disability Organisation for Tamworth, on Friday.

from left to right: Kate Darby; John Moore, Mayor of North Warwickshire; Liz Lynne MEP; Gerry Pinner, Mayor of Tamworth; Brian Jenkins MP (Tamworth); Paul Lewis, Day Centre manager.

Liz, who is Vice- President of the European Parliament's All Party Disability Intergroup, spoke at the launch day for the new partnership which will work to promote and encourage independent living for people with disabilities in Tamworth and the local area.

Liz was joined by local MP Brian Jenkins, and the Mayors of both Tamworth and North Warwickshire, for a day of celebrations and activities including a self-defence class and a chance to try African drumming.

Speaking at the launch Liz said:

"This will be a fantastic facility for Tamworth and for the surrounding area. User-led organisation such as this are so important in helping people with all forms of disability and providing a wide range of services from group support meetings to offering expert advice.

"I believe that we should be encouraging more European countries to move towards user-led support for disabled people so that everyone from across Europe can have access to the same high-quality facilities now available to the people of Tamworth."