Disability awareness and advocacy organisation Able2UK received a £50,000 grant at a special live performance by Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi.
The accessible concert, held last month at London's O2 Forum Kentish Town, was staged by Able2UK in partnership with UK charity Carers Trust to celebrate and support unpaid carers across the UK.
The grant was the first from the Nimbus Social Impact Fund since it was set up to reinvest profits from Nimbus Disability's Access Card – used by disabled fans to access live events – into accessibility projects and disability-led organisations.
"As an Access Card holder myself, I am absolutely blown away by this generous £50,000 donation from the Nimbus Social Impact Fund," said Howard Thorpe, founder and CEO of Able2UK. "Having lived with cerebral palsy my whole life, I founded Able2UK to prove that disabled people are 'able to' experience and achieve anything – including enjoying live entertainment without barriers."
This funding will allow us to expand our campaign work, tackle social isolation, and ensure accessible live music remains at the top of the agenda
Howard Thorpe, Able2UK
The presentation also saw Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg, a longtime supporter of Able2UK’s live music accessibility initiatives, dial in via video call to personally thank Capaldi for supporting unpaid carers and championing disability inclusion.
"To receive this backing surrounded by unpaid carers, with Lewis Capaldi performing and my good friend Mark Wahlberg calling in to show his support, makes this unforgettable," said Thorpe. "This funding will allow us to expand our campaign work, tackle social isolation, and ensure accessible live music remains at the top of the agenda."
Martin Austin MBE, MD and founder of Nimbus Disability, added: "When we established the Nimbus Social Impact Fund, our goal was simple: to turn the commercial success of the Access Card into a powerful engine for real social change. Presenting our very first £50,000 grant to Able2UK at an event honouring unpaid carers is a deeply proud moment for all of us.
"Howard Thorpe and the team at Able2UK have spent decades breaking down barriers for disabled music fans and amplifying marginalised voices. This grant reflects our core commitment to ensuring that profits generated by the disability community are directly reinvested to enrich lives, improve live event accessibility, and build a truly inclusive society."
