How the Together Trust brings accessibility to the forefront with Join Together Festival
With around 700,000 people in the UK with autism, 1.5 million people with a learning disability, and one in four experiencing mental health problems each year, many potential festival-goers could be missing out because their physical and/or mental needs are not being met. Stockport’s family-friendly accessible festival, run by the Together Trust, is less than a month away. Here’s how our charity has improved accessibility for those with additional needs, bringing together the local community on 6 July in Cheadle.
Quiet Hour: Minimising noise and sensory overload
Music and crowds at mainstream festivals are often loud and overwhelming – particularly for festival-goers who are neurodivergent. Being in a noisy environment for an extended period can be stressful and tiring – limiting access to festivals for many people. That’s why, at Join Together Festival, the first hour of the event is Quiet Hour: ensuring visitors with additional needs can enjoy the full range of activities and stalls without the noise, strobing lights or distractions that come later in the day. Additionally, ear defenders are available to borrow free of charge at the entrance, and there are plenty of calming spaces, a sensory bus and a chill-out zone outfitted for those who need to ease out of a sensory overload away from the hustle, as well as easily accessible toilets.
Activities for everyone
For animal enthusiasts, there are a bunch of furry friends looking forward to being stroked and brushed, including ponies, sheep and a variety of other therapy animals. Interacting with animals has been shown to help people with autism cope with anxiety, decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure, as well as increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood.
Many of the festival’s activities, including an inflatable dart board and axe throwing activity, are accessible for wheelchair users. Another opportunity which can’t be found at a commercial festival and a lot of the visitors enjoy exploring is the emergency services. Last year, the fire service team were more than happy to help people in wheelchairs explore the engine and take pictures with it, whilst others were delighted to meet real firefighters from Greater Manchester Fire Rescue Service.
Other activities during the one-day event include, facepainting, My Sen Den sensory room, TrainMaster (mini battery operated trains that whizz round a track), a soap bubble show, tombolas, as well as food and drinks stalls, including Rocco’s Neapolitan Pizza, Nellie’s Kitchen, Cof Cof Coffee, ice-cream, hot and cold beverages, cakes, candy floss, donuts and more.
Last but not least, the event offers a colourful mix of stalls with a range of products from local businesses, including handcrafted pottery, jewellery, resin gifts, crystals, pins, greeting cards, crochet items, wax melts, hand-sewn soft crafts, activewear, and many other items.
This year’s main sponsor is Vernon Building Society and is also supported by L’Oreal, Waitrose, Morrisons, and other small businesses, Join Together Festival welcomes families and friends from Stockport’s local community to enjoy a fun day out while supporting a not-for-profit organisation.
