“A new way to see disability” – Happy Smiles all round
You can’t help but smile when you hear the name Happy Smiles and they are a delightful bunch with infectious enthusiasm. But don’t be fooled; behind their sunny disposition they carry an important message.
In just two years the Happy Smiles Inclusion Champions have trained and empowered over 4,000 children, young people and adults. That’s over 4,000 people who are now more inclusive and positive about disability!
“Incredibly inspiring training, I would highly recommend to anyone. It was delivered by real people sharing real life experiences with incredible strength and determination.”
The Happy Smiles team deliver awareness and inclusion training across the community. They speak directly to school students, community groups and businesses, and empower fellow disabled people to realise their potential and create positive social change.
Like many disabled people, they often face challenges overcoming barriers to employment for disabled people. And some members of the group have faced mental health challenges over the pandemic and the extended periods of isolation.
Turning negative experiences into positive change
“The journey from not existing in 2019 to now delivering training across the North West has been full of ups and downs!
“Our team has grown from a small group of friends to a thriving community of supportive colleagues. They are proud of their achievements and some have overcome fear of public speaking to get here.
“We are desperate to change the way that disabled people and differences are viewed in general society.”
A brief history of Happy Smiles
Haydn co-founded Happy Smiles two years ago. He has a learning disability and a limited vocabulary of about 10-15 words but he has lots to say! Managing Director, Alex Winstanley, tell us how smiles for Haydn brought with it a new organisation…
“In 2017, Haydn spent nearly a year in hospital due to multiple surgeries and complications.
“We asked people to post pictures of their ‘Happy Smiles’ for him, to keep his spirits up. We had a huge response, with hundreds of pictures being posted. This led to the creation of the Happy Smiles Blog in 2018!
“Haydn began to deliver awareness assemblies in school and with local community groups.
“Once again, the impact generated an eye-opening response and, after multiple phone calls from parents about the impact of the assemblies on their children, I knew that we had to take this further.
“In September 2019 we became a registered organisation and soon rebranded to become Happy Smiles Training CIC.
Onwards and upwards
Since their debut, the organisation has expanded their team to include other local disabled young adults.
They aim to empower their team of Inclusion Champions, who promote positive social change by creating inclusive communities.
Support their work
Book a bespoke training for your school, community group or business by emailing them at the email address below. See their website for more information on what they can do to support you!
Email: info@happysmilestraining.co.uk
Meet the members
Alex Winstanley | Haydn Smith | Amy Jamson | Anna Woodray | Chloe Gregory | Ella Mawdsley | Elle Prescott | Kurt Watson | Nik Cottam | Ryan Griffiths
How does it feel to win?
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