Following this summer’s warm welcome and successful turn out The Big Event, the UK’s largest display of cars, scooters and powered wheelchairs for disabled people, will return to the NEC in Birmingham on 28-29 June 2019.

The Big Event is the flagship show that kick-starts the popular programme of Motability Scheme events taking place next summer, and offers the widest range of cars on display and available to test drive. In addition to The Big Event at the NEC in Birmingham, there will be four more regional One Big Days taking place across the UK.

The 2019 Motability Scheme events:

  • Friday 28 and Saturday 29 June, The Big Event at the NEC, Birmingham
  • Saturday 27 July, One Big Day at Westpoint, Exeter
  • Saturday 10 August, One Big Day at Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate
  • Saturday 7 September, One Big Day at East of England Arena, Peterborough
  • Saturday 21 September, One Big Day at Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh

Motability Scheme’s The Big Event and One Big Days are free to attend, with free parking too. They offer disabled people and their families a great way to find out everything they need to know about Motability.

Over the past decade these informative events have helped over 120,000 disabled motorists to find out more about leasing a car, powered wheelchair or scooter through the Motability Scheme’s worry-free leasing package.

While The Big Event at the NEC is the largest show of the year, all One Big Day events have a wide range of cars on display including Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs), adaptations, scooters and powered wheelchairs. There will be helpful Motability Scheme advisors at every event to answer questions about the Scheme, as well as representatives from the Scheme partners, RAC, RSA and Kwik Fit. Information will also be available from Disabled Motoring UK.

Visitors can test drive adapted and non-adapted cars with a professional instructor to find out which vehicles are best suited to their individual needs. Test drives can be booked on the day – visitors simply need to bring along their full driving licence and choose a car to test drive.

Alison Beasley, One Big Day Event Manager at Motability Operations Ltd, said:

“The One Big Day events have continued to be extremely popular and attracted over 20,000 visitors in 2018, and we’re excited to welcome even more people to the events next year. The Big Event at its new venue, the NEC, proved to be very popular with over 8,000 disabled people and their families coming along to find out about worry-free motoring with the Motability Scheme. It was a weekend of many firsts as we introduced passenger WAV test drive experiences and a series of hourly expert speaker sessions, live-streamed on the Motability Scheme Facebook Page for those unable to visit.”

“Next year there will be even more opportunities to gather information and advice, see a wide range of vehicles, and take a test drive, all in one accessible place.”

All visitors receive a free tea, coffee or soft drink and the whole family is welcome to come along. Children can meet the Scheme mascot, Billy the Bear, who is always happy to take selfies. There will also be free face painting and a kid’s play area as well as cafés, plenty of seating, and accessible toilet facilities. Ear defenders are available at all the events, and sensory quiet room spaces can be found at each venue.

Find out more about The Big Event and the regional One Big Days online at motability.co.uk/thebigevent and for the latest announcements, pictures and videos, visit the Motability Scheme Facebook page (facebook.com/motability).

For more information on leasing a car, scooter or powered wheelchair through the Motability Scheme, visit motability.co.uk or call 0800 953 7000.

About the Motability Scheme:

The Motability Scheme is the UK’s leading car scheme for disabled people. It provides affordable, convenient, worry-free motoring to over 600,000 disabled customers and their families. Scooters and powered wheelchairs can also be leased through the Motability Scheme.

The Scheme is available to anyone who receives the Higher Rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance, the Enhanced Rate of the Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment or the War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement or the Armed Forces Independence Payment. Customers transfer their mobility allowance to Motability Operations Ltd to lease a car, scooter or powered wheelchair.

When leasing a Motability Scheme car, insurance for two named drivers, servicing and maintenance, full RAC breakdown assistance, tyre and windscreen replacement and 60,000 mileage allowance over three years are all included in the cost of the lease. A range of popular car adaptations are also available at no additional cost.

When leasing a scooter or powered wheelchair, insurance, breakdown assistance, servicing, maintenance and repairs and tyre and battery replacement are all included in the cost of the lease. Pricing is standard nationwide.

A wide range of ‘green’ vehicles with emissions of 100g of CO2 per km or less are available through the Scheme.

Motability is a Registered Charity in England and Wales (number 299745) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (reference number 736309). Motability also provides grants to customers, who would otherwise be unable to afford the mobility solution they need.

Motability Operations Ltd is an independent company that operates the Motability Scheme under contract to Motability (the charity). Any profits are non-distributable and are reinvested for the benefit of customers. Motability Operations Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under reference number 735390.