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Award-winning vlogger and disability advocate, Isaac Harvey, visited Bridge College in Openshaw this week to share his ‘This ability’ message with students.

The influencer, who was born with a form of limb hypoplasia, is a powerful advocate of what disabled people can achieve and uses his videos to inspire millions of followers. 

Natasha, 23 and Jamal, 17, gave Isaac a tour of the college and its facilities. 

The college is part of the charity Together Trust and supports 16- to 25-year-olds with disabilities, complex needs and autism.

Leading North West disability charity, The Together Trust, has strengthened its board with the appointment of seven trustees.

The new members, Gani Martins, Geoff Durbin, Jane Walapu, Jane Grime, Lyndsey Stark, Marcell Edwards and Nick Lowry each bring a wealth of expertise and lived experience to the organisation. 

The Together Trust cares for and champions the rights, needs and ambitions of care-experienced children and people with disabilities, autism and mental health differences.  

A new exhibition, exploring the 150-year history of one of the North West’s leading disability charities, the Together Trust, will open this week at Manchester Central Library.  

The High Court of Justice has found that the government acted lawfully when it banned care-less accommodation for children aged 15 and under without extending protections to 16- and 17-year-olds. The ruling was made in the Article39 v Secretary of State case yesterday by Judge Holgate.

Article39 brought the challenge in early February through Judicial Review, on three grounds:

A delegation of adults who were in care as children will this afternoon (1st February, 4 pm) petition Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging him to rectify a recent change to the law which will cause lasting damage to the lives of vulnerable 16- and 17-year-olds in care.

Students at Ashcroft Services, the Together Trust school that supports children and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs, have been getting crafty to show their support for frontline NHS staff and Covid-19 patients at Wythenshawe hospital.

The project was led by Angela Daniels, a learning support assistant at the school. Angela said: “Everyone here at Ashcroft is very grateful to our local NHS frontline staff and we’ve all been keen to show this, especially the children.

The Greater Manchester based charity the Together Trust launched its new virtual ‘I am thankful for…’ appeal this week, with the official launch date being Tuesday 5 May to coincide with ‘Giving Tuesday Now’.  

Giving Tuesday happens every year, however this year Giving Tuesday Now has been created in response the COVID-19 crisis. As charities have seen such a huge reduction in income since the outbreak of the virus, digital campaigns are now the focus for engagement with the community and businesses. 

Worsley resident Oliver Hague is backing the Greater Manchester based charity the Together Trust this week by taking part in the 2.6 Challenge.

Oliver is a marketer and analyst for Brunel International, a corporate supporter of the Together Trust. Last year students for the charities Inscape House School visited Brunel’s offices in Manchester to carry out work experience.

The Together Trust’s Bridge College in Manchester has been shortlisted for a national award, in recognition for its work in supporting students with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).

Natspec, the awarding body, shortlisted Bridge College from more than 50 entries from across the county in the ‘Inter-disciplinary Working’ category for the college’s project ‘Innovation in supporting students with PMLD: Achieving integration of learning and therapy through Physiotherapy and Sensory Sport.’