A Phab Year! A look back at 2023

Phab Adventure Residentials

In 2023 Phab delivered a programme of inclusive residential activities to over 300 children, young people and adults, in partnership with Bendrigg Trust, Cumbria and Avon Tyrrell, Dorset. These accessible organisations share our values of inclusion, working with the Social Model of Disability to remove barriers to participation.

We are planning more Phab Adventure activities in 2024 and will be kicking off the year in February and running through to October. The application process to is now open on our Adventure page too!

Four people are doing the conga, laughing and smiling with their arms outstretched.One person wearing an orange helmet, is helping to push someone sitting in a wheelchair up a hill. They are both smiling.

 

The New Phab Brand

We were very proud to launch the new Phab branding in July, created by Our Design Agency (ODA), who worked closely in partnership with Phab, listening and learning about how to truly represent our values and ethos through new artwork and messaging. Phab and ODA consulted with supporters, Phab Club Leaders and members, stakeholders, community partners and corporate partners to find out what was important to them. The ODA created a brand that we can all work with to shape for our individual clubs. The branding showcases Phab’s 66-year legacy, together with Phab’s place in the world today and in the future. Thank you to everyone who helped to bring the new branding to life.

 

A graphic image of banners, T-shirts, vests and posters all adorned in Phab logos, largely in the colour blue.

Phab Clubs

Our Phab Clubs are central to our mission to build an inclusive world, enabling disabled and non-disabled people of all ages to socialise together, improve health and well-being, learn new skills, improve life chances, grow confidence and self-esteem and to challenge the perceptions about disability in Society. We have a big ambition to grow our Phab Club network across the UK, to provide opportunities for everyone in every town.

We are therefore thrilled to welcome new Phab Clubs and Phab Affiliate members in 2023. New Phab Clubs include Epsom & Ewell Mini Phab Club (for pre-school aged children), Sydenham High School Phab Club, Torbay Phab Club, Motiv8 Lancashire Phab Club, Worthing Phab Club and Colchester Phab Club. 

New Phab Affiliate members include DanceSyndrome, CHUMS CIC, Tail Feather Dance, Disability Snowsport UK, Burnley Play Association, Camp Jojo and Swimtime.

An adult wearing blue jeans and a blue top is kneeling on the floor, surrounded by different small music instruments, and holding a yellow and blue instrument. A small child is kneeling on the floor looking at the adult.Six people, four standing, two standing, are all dressed in a variety of ski gear, standing together on a very sunny day.

Here are just some of the activities that have taken place in 2023

In January we launched The Phab Lottery, where our supporters can win £1000 every week whilst helping Phab to fundraise more, which means Phab can offer more personalised support to our Phab Clubs to enable barriers to inclusion to be removed.

Starting in February and running throughout the year, Phab held lots of Challenge events to get us all moving more, including the Tatton 10k and the Wimbledon Common Half Marathon. We also met friends new and old at the Kidz to Adultz events in Coventry and Manchester.

We started a series of online events with our new Co-CEOs Mik and Dawn, with the aim of getting together online with Phab Club Leaders to share and learn from each other about issues that affect all clubs, like gaining new members, new volunteers and succession planning. More events are planned over 2024.

A photo of an adult and young adult hugging and smiling, both wearing red and blue caving suits. One of them has a blue T-shirt on reading Phab, and there is text on the image also reading

In April the London Marathon 2023 went ahead. We were honoured to be there to support our amazing runners and we cannot thank you all enough for your support of our work.

In June and July we were so excited to hold our inclusive Flying Days in Manchester and Redhill, in partnership with Freedom in the Air charity. People of all ages attended and flew aeroplanes. We are proud to showcase and celebrate the flying days in 2 films made by Gautam Lewis. With huge thanks to Gautam and his team for making this happen.

A photo featuring someone smiling mid run, wearing a green Phab running vest and black hat. They're hands are outstretched, and behind them you can see other people running as well as Buckingham Palace.A young person is sitting in the front of a small plane, holding onto the steering wheel. They are wearing large headphones, and you can see a view of the ground through their window.

Next, we were packing our bags to go to a Phab Adventure weekend or week at the Bendrigg Trust, Cumbria and Avon Tyrell, in the New Forrest, Dorset.  We met with so many friends old and new, and had wonderful experiences enjoying thrilling activities together, learning new skills, building confidence and making memories.  We could not have done this without our army of much-valued volunteers, thank you so much to you all.

A group of people are wearing red and red and blue caving suits with orange helmets, with one person directly smiling at the camera and smiling.Two people are ziplining side by side.

Phab was proud to launch new branding this July at the Disability Expo at the Excel Arena, London. Phab also attended Parallel Windsor and Disability Awareness Day, Warrington. We were thrilled to meet our supporters and many Phab Club members at these events and to gain your feedback about the new branding.

Co-CEO Mik Scarlet delivered the Social Model of Disability training to ATG Theatre Group in London in August to enable theatre staff to understand how to create an inclusive environment within buildings that are not always fully accessible. Plans are in place to grow Phab’s inclusion and social model training offer and to work with more experts with lived experience from our Phab Clubs.

A table covered in a table cloth, reading “Phab - building an inclusive world where everyone can Learn, Thrive, Belong.” They’re 4 banners reading the same.Four people are standing side by side outside, smiling and giving thumbs up. Three are wearing tops reading Phab on them, and Ellie Simmonds is standing in the middle.

We returned to our House of Lords event where we presented our Phab Award winners from the past three years with their trophies at a fantastic celebration and afternoon tea party in September 2023. The Virtual Volunteer Awards 2023 was then held at Bradford Phab Club, bringing a wonderful, heart-warming close to this exciting year. Thank you to Bradford Phab Club Leader Akbar and his amazing team for inviting us and to Martyn Blunt and Goose Live Events who provide the brilliant volunteer production team who make these events happen.

We look forward to more exciting opportunities for everyone in 2024, as we grow our inclusive activities offer, inclusive partnerships and Phab Clubs across the UK. Working together, we can build an inclusive world.

Thank you to everyone in our Phab Family.

10 people are grouped together in front of a red curtain with blue banners reading Phab. Five are holding trophies and everyone is smiling at the camera.Five people, two adults, three children, are sat within a studio, and talking. They're several Christmas trees, two banners reading

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