Disability Pride Month: Because of You, Our Place is transforming lives

What is Our Place, and what impact do you think it's had on being able to provide a safe and welcoming environment for Disabled people? 

Our Place is much more than a community hub. It is a welcoming, fully accessible space where Disabled people can come together to connect, learn, develop new skills and support one another. It was created by Disabled people, for Disabled people, because we know that too many community spaces still present physical, communication and attitudinal barriers. 

Since opening, Our Place has become somewhere people genuinely feel they belong. It has helped reduce social isolation, improve wellbeing and create opportunities for people to build friendships, gain confidence and become more involved in their local community. Whether someone wants to take part in a creative activity, join a peer support group, volunteer or simply enjoy being somewhere they feel understood and accepted, Our Place offers that opportunity. 

One of the most rewarding outcomes has been seeing many of the more than 130 Disabled people who completed Action on Disability's co-production training programme become actively involved in Our Place. Before Our Place existed, many had developed valuable skills but had limited opportunities to put them into practice. Today, many are helping to shape activities, lead peer support, volunteer, facilitate workshops and influence decisions about the future of the hub. 

One participant told us that, before discovering Our Place, they rarely left home because they lacked confidence and felt disconnected from their community. They now attend regularly, have made new friends and have even begun helping to welcome new members. Another participant who completed our co-production training is now confidently contributing ideas, helping to shape activities and encouraging others to get involved. Stories like these remind us that when barriers are removed, people flourish. 

Importantly, Our Place also welcomes the wider community. By bringing Disabled and non-disabled people together, it helps break down barriers, challenge stereotypes and build stronger, more inclusive communities. 

Our Place was co-designed with Disabled people. How do you think ensuring Disabled people's perspectives were included during the design stage contributed to the overall success of the space? 

Disabled people are the experts in their own lived experience. Too often, services and buildings are designed without involving the very people who will use them, resulting in unnecessary barriers and missed opportunities. 

At Action on Disability, we believe in genuine co-production, not token consultation. From the very beginning, Disabled people helped shape every aspect of Our Place, from the accessibility and layout of the building to the activities, services and welcoming atmosphere we wanted to create. 

Many of the people involved had completed our co-production training programme, which has now trained more than 130 Disabled people. They brought their lived experience, ideas and expertise into designing and developing Our Place, and many continue to play an active role today as volunteers, peer leaders, facilitators and members of the wider community. 

Because people helped create the space, they also feel a genuine sense of ownership. It is not unusual to see members suggesting improvements, welcoming newcomers, leading activities or supporting one another. That is the real strength of co-production. It creates communities, not just services. 

It proves a simple but powerful principle: when Disabled people help design services and spaces, the outcome is better-not only for Disabled people, but for everyone. 

Why is it so important to have spaces like Our Place that are designed with and for Disabled people? 

Disabled people continue to face barriers that can lead to isolation, exclusion and fewer opportunities to participate fully in society. Spaces like Our Place help remove those barriers. 

They provide somewhere people are respected, understood and treated as equals. They create opportunities to build confidence, develop independence, make friendships, improve wellbeing and discover new talents. They also encourage people to become active contributors to their communities rather than passive recipients of services. 

For some people, walking through the doors of Our Place is the first time they have felt they truly belong somewhere. For others, it has been the first opportunity to volunteer, share their experiences or realise they have skills and talents that others value. Those moments can be life changing. 

Our Place also challenges outdated perceptions of disability. It demonstrates what is possible when accessibility, inclusion and co-production are built in from the beginning rather than added as an afterthought. 

Ultimately, Our Place is about belonging. Everyone deserves somewhere they feel welcome, valued and able to contribute. 

What would you say to National Lottery players whose support has helped make Our Place possible? 

On behalf of everyone at Action on Disability and the many people whose lives have been touched by Our Place, I would simply like to say a heartfelt thank you. 

Every National Lottery ticket purchased helps make projects like this possible. Your support has enabled Disabled people to come together, develop confidence, build friendships, learn new skills and become active members of their community.

Your investment has not simply helped create an accessible building. It has invested in people, confidence, leadership and stronger communities for years to come. Because of your support, Disabled people are leading activities, supporting one another, influencing decisions and demonstrating what can be achieved when barriers are removed and everyone has the opportunity to participate. 

When someone tells us they no longer feel isolated, or that they have found the confidence to volunteer, make friends or become a community leader, that is the difference your support has made. 

Quite simply, Our Place would not exist without National Lottery players. Thank you for believing in communities like ours and for helping to create opportunities that will continue to change lives for many years to come. 

What changes do you hope Our Place will inspire for Disabled people in the local community? 

I hope Our Place demonstrates what can be achieved when Disabled people are trusted to lead and shape the services they use. 

I hope it inspires other organisations, councils and community groups to embrace genuine co-production and make accessibility and inclusion central to everything they do-not as an optional extra, but as a fundamental right. 

We have already trained more than 130 Disabled people in co-production, and Our Place has become the place where many can put those skills into practice. They are helping to shape activities, support others, volunteer, lead sessions and influence how services are developed. Before Our Place, many simply didn't have those opportunities. 

My hope is that someone who first walks through our doors feeling isolated or lacking confidence will, over time, become someone who welcomes others, leads a group, speaks up in meetings or helps shape future services. We are already seeing that happen, and it is incredibly inspiring. 

That is the lasting change we want to see: Disabled people not just accessing services, but leading them, influencing decisions and being recognised as equal partners in creating stronger communities. 

Our vision is simple: a society where Disabled people are not defined by barriers but are recognised for their talents, aspirations and contributions. If Our Place inspires that change-not just in Hammersmith & Fulham but across the country-then it will have achieved something truly special. 

What is your closing message for Disability Pride Month? 

Disability Pride Month is a celebration of identity, equality and the contribution Disabled people make every day. At Action on Disability, we believe Disabled people should not be defined by the barriers they face, but by their talents, ambitions and leadership. 

Our Place shows what is possible when Disabled people are trusted to lead, communities work together and accessibility is built in from the beginning. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have created far more than a building-we have created opportunities, confidence, friendships and a community where people can belong, contribute and thrive. 

That is something we can all be proud of.