Foundation

Portway become key partners of Foundation

PORTWAY Lifestyle Centre has been named as the third key partner of The Albion Foundation's Disability Department.

The charity has been working with the centre for all of the five years that it has been open and celebrated its five year anniversary in September.

Many of the Foundation's sessions are run from the Portway, enabling the centre and the charity to attract lots of participants on a regular basis, with new exploits such as the Sandwell Inclusion League originating from the centre.

Two members of staff from Portway Lifestyle Centre were awarded a plaque from the Foundation to mark the partnership at the recent Disability Awards.

Ajay Gill, a Disability Development Officer at the Foundation was appreciative of all the support that the charity get from the centre.

"I can't put it into words to be honest," he said.

"From the department point of view I think it's just an honour to have such a great facility and the guys who run the facility that look after us are always accommodating, so it's brilliant to have them on board.

"Without having the Portway and their facilities, we wouldn't be able to run if not the majority of our sessions."

The partnership works both ways, with Michael Bott, a Disability Coordinator at Sandwell Council happy that the charity help the centre attract so many participants and send them away happy.

"It's great, I mean that's what it is all about," said Michael.

"If we can send people home with a smile on their face and say that they have had a good day, we ourselves and The Albion Foundation have done our job really.

"I think we have worked together so long because we have both got the same kind of outlook. It's about giving people with disabilities something to kind of do and have a focus on life."

The sessions at the Portway have been a saving grace for many of the participants, including Muhibb Iqbal, who insists he would be doing very little without the centre.

"If it wasn't for the Portway, I would be doing nothing," he said.

"I'm very thankful and grateful that I have the Portway, that I get to use the facilities, the gym, the sports hall and the football pitch to play football."

For more information on the charity's Disability Department, please contact paul.glover@albionfoundation.co.uk.