DISABILITY POSITIVE
Registered charity 1091744 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as CHESHIRE CENTRE FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING, CHESHIRE DISABILITIES FEDERATION, Cheshire Centre for Independent Living
We are Disability Positive. We provide services, opportunities and a voice to people living with disability and long-term health conditions. We have services to help people with everyday life and being part of their local community. We offer advice, help with practical tasks and advocate for people in lots of different situations and we share peoples' experiences to influence positive change.
Objects
TO PROMOTE INCLUSION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SOCIAL MODEL, AMONG DISABLED PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO ARE OR MAY BE EXCLUDED DUE TO BARRIERS IN SOCIETY (REGARDLESS OF THE CAUSE OF EXCLUSION) BY: MEETING AND FACILITATING THE SUPPORT NEEDS OF DISABLED PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES; PROMOTING AND INCREASING THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISABLED PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY, WORK AND/OR VOLUNTEER IN THE COMMUNITY; ASSISTING DISABLED PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES TO MAKE CHOICES AND ACCESS THE SERVICES AND SUPPORT THEY MAY REQUIRE TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY IN THE COMMUNITY WITH APPROPRIATE SUPPORT; SUPPORTING AND EMPOWERING DISABLED PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES SO THAT THEY MAY CARRY OUT SOCIAL ROLES (FOR EXAMPLE, WITHOUT LIMITATION, PARENT, EMPLOYEE, STUDENT, FRIEND AND PARTNER); AND PROMOTING INCLUSION OF DISABLED PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES AND PREVENTING THE EXCLUSION OF DISABLED PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES.
Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED.
The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.
Causes: Disability · website · Get email alerts
Registered contact address: Cheshire West and Chester, North West, England (from the postcode on the register)
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the group generated a surplus of £118,302 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total unrestricted funds standing at £1,910,891. The trustees report that financial sustainability is the major risk but are confident that reserves are sufficient to continue activities in the event of a significant drop in funding. The auditor confirmed that the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: 3 months of expenditure with an additional 2 months to meet long term contractual commitments (reserves figure: £1.9m)
“It has established a policy whereby the unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets held by the charity should be 3 months of expenditure with an additional 2 months to meet long term contractual commitments. Charity expenditure for 2024/25 is £2,733,800 and therefore the target (less restricted funds) is general funds of £989,781.” — page 9
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Remuneration paid to M Ford, employee and daughter of trustee Dr J M Ford.
“M Ford, an employee of Disability Positive, is the daughter of trustee Dr J M Ford, M Ford is employed as a Community Engagement Sessional Worker, the total cost during the year amounted to £278 (2024: £765).” — page 41
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: North West Care Cooperative Limited
“The North West Care Cooperative is a separate Company but a trading arm of Disability Positive.” — page 5
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Xeinadin Audit Limited. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Policies the charity declares
In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.
- Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
- Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
- Complaints handling
- Complaints policy and procedures
- Conflicting interests
- Financial reserves policy and procedures
- Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
- Internal risk management policy and procedures
- Investing charity funds policy and procedures
- Investment
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding policy and procedures
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
- Social media policy and procedures
- Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
- Trustee expenses policy and procedures
- Volunteer management
From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)
Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025
- Volunteers: 19
- Government income: £1,878,124 — contracts £1,876,924 (6), grants £1,200 (1); 45% of the £4,198,967 total gross income on the same return
- Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£70,001–£80,000: 1)
- Has a trading subsidiary
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024
- Volunteers: 18
- Government income: £1,878,311 — contracts £1,875,811 (6), grants £2,500 (1); 48% of the £3,884,406 total gross income on the same return
- Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£70,001–£80,000: 1)
- Has a trading subsidiary
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023
- Volunteers: 40
- Government income: £1,874,451 — contracts £1,874,451 (6); 59% of the £3,167,338 total gross income on the same return
- Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£60,001–£70,000: 1)
- Has a trading subsidiary
Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.
Corporate structure
NORTH WEST CARE COOPERATIVE LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
What the charity says about itself (2024/25)
From its own voluntary annual review / impact report — the charity’s account of its work, distinct from the statutory accounts analysed above.
The charity provided 56,357 hours of support to 10,463 people with lived experience of disability, and long-term health conditions, and their families.
“We have provided 56,357 hours of support to 10,463 people with lived experience of disability, and long-term health conditions, and their families.”
98.1% of people accessing services reported an overall improvement in areas such as self-confidence, choice and control, independence, dignity, reduced isolation and upholding of rights.
“98.1% of people accessing our service(s) reported an overall improvement in one or more areas (self-confidence, choice and control, independence, dignity, reduced isolation and upholding of rights) with an average overall improvement in score of 18% over the year.”
The charity generated 40% Social Value across all its services, with a financial proxy value of £1,676,470.
“This year we have generated 40% Social Value across all our services, with a financial proxy value of £1,676,470”
The charity supported 22 organisations to remove societal barriers for people with lived experience of disability and long-term health conditions.
“We have supported 22 organisations to remove societal barriers for people with lived experience of disability and long-term health conditions.”
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Disability Positive (matched by registered charity number).
Leadership, per the charity’s website
Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.
Company officers (Companies House)
Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.
- WOODWARD-BROWN, Amber Jemma — director, appointed 27/04/2026on trustee list
- DRDAKOVA, Ivana — director, appointed 27/04/2026on trustee list
- JACKSON, Darren Lee — director, appointed 27/04/2026on trustee list
- MARTIN, Clare Helen Elizabeth — director, appointed 12/12/2024on trustee list
- GRETTON, Sara — director, appointed 12/12/2024on trustee list
- MILLS, Jackson Harvey James — director, appointed 12/12/2024on trustee list
- MORRISON, Michael — director, appointed 19/07/2022on trustee list
- BRIDSON, Amie — director, appointed 29/06/2022on trustee list
- TOONE, Anne Elizabeth — director, appointed 05/05/2022on trustee list
- GALBRAITH, Andrew James — director, appointed 04/01/2022on trustee list
- WARREN, Christopher James — director, appointed 28/02/2020on trustee list
- FORD, Judith Margaret, Dr — director, appointed 17/10/2019on trustee list
- TURNBULL, Lynne — secretary, appointed 12/12/2024
Official officers record.
Public-sector contracts awarded
From the official Contracts Finder and Find a Tender notices (supplier matched by exact registered name). Contract income is distinct from grants.
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Reported reserves equal ~3.6 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (62% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).
- Amber Jemma Woodward-Brown
- Amie Bridson
- Andrew James Galbraith
- Anne Elizabeth Toone
- Christopher James Warren
- Clare Martin
- Darren Lee Jackson · trustee of 1 other charity
- Dr Judith Margaret Ford
- Ivana Drdakova
- Jackson Mills
- Michael Morrison
- Sara Gretton
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Bolton · Cheshire East · Cheshire West & Chester · Lancashire · Liverpool City · Manchester City · Warrington · Wirral
Income and spending
Common questions
Is DISABILITY POSITIVE financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the group generated a surplus of £118,302 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total unrestricted funds standing at £1,910,891. The trustees report that financial sustainability is the major risk but are confident that reserves are sufficient to continue activities in the event of a significant drop in funding. The auditor confirmed that the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Xeinadin Audit Limited.
Who funds DISABILITY POSITIVE?
Funders whose own accounts filings name DISABILITY POSITIVE as a grant recipient include TARPORLEY WAR MEMORIAL HOSPITAL TRUST, BAIN CHARITABLE TRUST, THE WO STREET CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, THE FORBES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
Funders of similar charities
Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with DISABILITY ACTIVE.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.