Agenda item

In recognition of the achievements and contributions of the H&F Disabled People’s Commission to the wellbeing of the residents of our borough, this Council is requested to confer on them the “Freedom of the Borough”.

8.51 – The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan.

The report and recommendations were then put to the vote:

FOR:                      UNANIMOUS

AGAINST:               0

NOT VOTING:        0

Following the vote, speeches on the report were made by Councillors Stephen Cowan, Emma Apthorp, Andrew Jones, and Rory Vaughan (for the Administration) – and Amanda Lloyd-Harris (for the Opposition).

Tara Flood, Kate Betteridge, Victoria Brignell, Ali Buhdeima, Martin Doyle, Mike Gannon, David Isaac, Ramona Williams, Jane Wilmot OBE, and Kevin Caulfield gave speeches of thanks.

9.49pm – RESOLVED

That the Council confer the “Freedom of the Borough” of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham” on the following members of the H&F Disabled People’s Commission in recognition of their achievements and contributions to the wellbeing of the residents of the borough:

Tara Flood

Tara is a disability rights activist. She was Director at the Alliance for Inclusive Education and has been involved with the disability rights movement at a grassroots level for many years. She is committed to creating social and political change, that will deliver equality for all Disabled people at a local, regional, national, and international level.

For over 20 years, Tara has worked with local and national organisations led by Disabled people, allied organisations, voluntary organisations and groups, statutory agencies and government departments, both in a personal and professional capacity. She is committed to the voices and experiences of all Disabled people being at the heart of discussions and decision-making about our lives.

Tara is a former chairperson of Hammersmith & Fulham Action on Disability, member of Hammersmith & Fulham Coalition against Cuts, and a trustee of Inclusion London. Tara currently works as Strategic Lead for Co-Production for H&F Council.

Kevin Caulfield

Kevin Caulfield worked at H&F Council for eight years and played a huge role in supporting Disabled residents. He worked as policy officer to the Disabled People's Commission, which produced the 'Nothing about Disabled people without Disabled People' report, and the eight recommendations on co-production that have become the foundation for co-production across all the council's work. He then took on the role of Strategic Lead for Co-production (job sharing with Tara Flood).

Kate Betteridge

Kate’s professional background was in the development of information to support people with long-term conditions to make informed decisions about their health and lifestyle choices.

She has lived in Hammersmith since 2002.

Victoria Brignell

Victoria has been Chair and a trustee of Action on Disability. She worked full-time as a radio producer and is a tetraplegic wheelchair-user.

Victoria is an ambassador for the international disability charity CBM UK, a patron of the Friends of Sunera Foundation, and secretary of Hammersmith & Fulham Amnesty International group.

Previously she was a governor of a White City primary school for eight years. In 2013 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by Anglia Ruskin University for being a disability champion.

She has also been an active Co-opted Member on the Health and Adult Social Care Policy and Accountability Committee since 2018.

Ali Buhdeima

Ali was deaf born and raised in London. His family are all hearing. Going to a mainstream school with a deaf unit helped him develop his communication skills with both hearing and deaf people. He considers himself an advocate for deaf people who may find this to be an obstacle.

As a disabled people's commissioner, he wanted to improve support and services for deaf people and make British Sign Language more accessible.

Martin Doyle

Martin served as Chair of Safety Net – People First (SNPF). SNPF is a charity and self-advocacy group run for, and by, people with learning disabilities. Its priorities are to raise awareness of our rights and the issues faced by people with learning disabilities. They do this by working with other Deaf & Disabled People's Organisations, delivering workshops and having a presence in the wider community.

He joined the commission because he wanted to make Hammersmith & Fulham a better place for Disabled people, particularly people with learning disabilities and to make the area more accessible, including buildings, information and services.

Mike Gannon

Michael was born in Hammersmith & Fulham and has lived in the borough for most of his life. Up until his retirement he worked as a trade journalist, predominately specialising in the built environment and transport issues. His experience, both as a journalist and a Disabled person, informed his contributions to the Disabled People’s Commission, especially in looking at accessibility and facilities in the built environment.

David Isaac

David volunteered for a local charity befriending the elderly in the borough, and was also a volunteer and speaker for the Guide Dogs organisation as well as being a member of the Earls Court Redevelopment Taskforce set up by H&F Council.

He joined the Tenants' and Residents' Association of the West Kensington Estate. Before losing his sight, he worked in the design industry for 20+ years. He has been registered blind since 2013 and has lived in Hammersmith for the past four years.

David now works for H&F as a Co-production Coordinator in Residents Services.

Ramona Williams

Ramona lives in Hammersmith and has volunteered with many different organisations to help people who are blind or partially sighted to become confident and independent in their own home or out and about. She helps people to have a much better understanding of a how people live with blindness or partial sight.

Ramona set up her own social enterprise, Eyes For Success CIC to carry on the work she has done volunteering.

Jane Wilmot OBE

Jane is deaf and lived in Hammersmith & Fulham for over 30 years. She has worked with disability organisations at national, London and local level. Jane was a trustee at Action on Disability for 25 years and a lay member for health commissioners who procured healthcare for Hammersmith & Fulham residents.

She is passionate about promoting co-production with patients and carers to improve health services for local people. Jane chaired the Disability Forum Planning Group, advising the council on ensuring access for Disabled people on major planning applications.

Jane also co-chaired the Civic Campus Disabled Residents Team which championed co-production, accessibility, and inclusion for disabled individuals. The team was instrumental in shaping an accessible and inclusive environment, ensuring a welcoming experience for all visitors, staff, and residents. Their proactive approach in addressing accessibility issues early in the planning stages garnered recognition at the 2020 Planning Awards for Highly Commended Stakeholder Engagement in Planning.