Able Magazine was proud to again be the media partner for the seventh National Diversity Awards (NDAs).

Community organisations and role models from across the UK headed to the breathtaking Liverpool Anglican Cathedral on 14 September to witness the awards which have become synonymous with the best in British diversity. Able Magazine editor, Tom Jamison attended the awards and co-presented the Community Organisation: Disability award with NDA judge and disability campaigner, Simon Green.

Before handing the award to the ADHD Foundation, Tom Jamison remarked to the audience that: “It’s really important that we celebrate these achievements to keep the conversation regarding diversity on the national agenda”.

The ADHD Foundation were commended for changing attitudes and improving life chances through tireless campaigning, with their umbrella project attracting over 30 million media hits.

The backdrop to the awards was a record 24,584 nominations with an astonishing 124 nominees being recognised for their various achievements nationwide. Although the awards recognise achievements in all forms of diversity, other individuals and organisations in the disability sphere were also commended.

Rocking2Stomas blogger, Rachel Jury, received the Positive Role Model: Disability category, using her impressive following to shine a light on urostomy awareness. Recently, Rachel went to the beach in a bikini with her two stomas visible and wrote a Facebook post to remove stigma that garnered 40,000 views.

Former Real Housewives of Cheshire star, Leanne Brown, awarded Autism Isolation No More founder, Rachael Pearson, the Gender accolade for converting her home into a sensory space for children and parents, whilst quadriplegic, Geoff Holt MBE scooped the Entrepreneur of Excellence Award for founding Wetwheels, an organisation that takes more than 5,000 disabled people on the water each year on a fully accessible powerboat.

A popular highlight of the evening came when actor, Warwick Davis accepted the Celebrity of the Year Award for co-founding Little People UK, offering friendship and support to people with dwarfism.

The National Diversity Awards continues to amaze year-on-year, recognising incredible and inspirational stories that might otherwise be left untold. It’s definitely one of the highlights of the diversity year and that’s why Able Magazine has already confirmed its involvement next year!

The full list of winners is as follows:

Positive Role Model for Age: Abdul-Karim Abdullah

Positive Role Model for Disability: Rachel Jury

Positive Role Model for Gender: Rachael Pearson

Positive Role Model for LGBT: Abbey Kiwanuka

Positive Role Model for Race, Faith & Religion: Salma Bi

Community Organisation Award for Age: Strength Within In Me Foundation

Community Organisation Award for Disability: ADHD Foundation Trust

Community Organisation Award for Gender: Action Breaks Silence

Community Organisation Award for LGBT: Sail NI

Community Organisation Award for Race, Faith & Religion: Kick It Out

Community Organisation Award for Multi-strand: Radio Reverb

Entrepreneur of Excellence: Geoff Holt MBE

Celebrity of the Year: Warwick Davis

Diverse Company: Touchstone

Lifetime Achiever: Dr Lewis Turner