In June our Chief Executive Officer, Lynne Turnbull, celebrated her 20-year work anniversary with Disability Positive.
Lynne joined Disability Positive (which was then called Cheshire Disabilities Federation) in June 2003 as a Direct Payment Advisor and over the past 20 years has seen the company evolve from Cheshire Disabilities Federation to Cheshire Centre for Independent Living (CCIL) to our latest rebrand, Disability Positive. We’ve also moved our office base four times as the organisation grew, to where we are now at Sension House in Northwich.
20 years ago, there were only 10 members of staff. Very different to the 70+ strong team we have today. In those days we only had one computer which was connected to the Information Super-Highway. Fast forward to 2023 and we’re now able to offer hybrid working, supporting many of our team to work remotely!
So much has changed, however what hasn’t changed is the priority we give to people. It’s amazing to see how the organisation has grown over the years, driven by the commitment of all the staff who work at Disability Positive (both past and present) and our fantastic clients.
Lynne became Deputy Chief Executive Officer in 2007 and the Chief Executive Officer in 2009. She has guided the growth of the company so that we now provide over 132,000 hours of support to 8,953 people with lived experience of disability, long-term health conditions and their families or carers, helping them to realise their full potential through our increasing portfolio of services.
Reflecting on her time with Disability Positive, Lynne said,
“I’m proud to have been part of a disabled people led organisation that provides services, opportunities, and a voice to disabled people and their families. Our collective lived experience has enabled us to understand the challenges that disabled people have faced and continue to face: developing tailored solutions that are codesigned with disabled people. Together we have been able to bring long-term, meaningful, and positive change to the lives of thousands of disabled people, and I’m proud to have been part of that journey.”
But Lynne isn’t resting on her laurels and together with our board of trustees has set some ambitious growth targets for us, increasing our customer reach and doubling our turnover – no pressure!
A final word from Lynne:
“I have met and worked with some incredible clients, staff, volunteers and trustees over the years who keep me grounded and ever passionate about creating a world that is Disability Positive”.
Roll on the next 20 years!
