Drive Ability North West

02/06/2026

As we leave behind May and Stroke Awareness Month 💜 here is a little reminder that we are here all year round to offer driving support and assessment after a stroke 💟

Did you know? 🤔
* Stroke affects around 100,000 people in the UK every year
* Stroke can cause a range of physical 💪🏼 , visual 👁️ , communicative 🗣️ and cognitive 💭 impairments that may impact a person's driving ability 🚗
* Seeking professional assessment and advice is important when thinking about returning to driving after a stroke 🤝

How can our Driving Assessment Centre help you or a loved one after a stroke? 🚘

✅ Friendly team of Occupational Therapists & Approved Driving Instructors to offer driving assessment, advice and practical solutions
✅ Provide assessment of driving safety after a stroke
✅ Support a graded return to driving including rebuilding confidence
✅ Explore vehicle adaptations for those with physical impairment
✅ Provide guidance on the legal requirements for driving post-stroke
�🚨 Always remember the signs of a stroke and think F.A.S.T.‼️
F: Face - has their face or mouth drooped on one side?
A: Arms - can they raise both arms?
S: Speech - is their speech slurred?
T: Time - if you see any of these signs or suspect a stroke, call an ambulance immediately!

Post credit to our OT student, Alex!! 😀

01/06/2026

🚗 Monday Motivation 🚗

😊 Some lovely feedback below from a client who visited us recently for an adaption assessment!

“A great experience at DANW during my driving assessment. The assessment team were patient, supportive, and incredibly knowledgeable. The assessment gave me reassurance and confidence about my driving and the options available to help.”

If you’re unsure how a disability or health condition may be affecting your driving, it’s worth getting checked. Sometimes a small adaptation can make driving safer, easier, and more enjoyable.

🤩Great work as always from the DANW team!

27/05/2026

Well done Si!! 👏🏼

A great win for team DANW 🏆🤩

Congratulations to Simon Gregory from our Drive Ability North West Team on winning the Rising Star Award at the Driving Mobility Awards 👏

The awards evening is part of a national conference that brings together centres and partner organisations from across the UK to recognise the achievements of staff delivering Driving Mobility and ShopMobility services, and to share learning about the future of safe, independent mobility.

Well done Simon 👏

22/05/2026

💙 Yesterday, we proudly attended the Dementia Action Week event at St Helens Town Hall in support of the incredible work being carried out by the Alzheimer’s Society 💙

▪️Dementia Action Week is all about raising awareness, encouraging understanding, and helping people affected by dementia access the support they need.

▪️At Drive Ability North West, we are passionate about supporting individuals to maintain independence, mobility, and quality of life for as long as possible.

Did you know:

🧠 Every 3 minutes, someone in the UK develops dementia

🧠 1 in 3 people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime

🧠 Dementia is now the UK’s biggest killer

This year’s Alzheimer’s Society campaign also highlights the importance of early diagnosis, with around 1 in 3 people living with dementia in the UK still without a diagnosis.

🤩 It was fantastic to meet so many people yesterday, share information about our services, and stand alongside organisations committed to making communities more dementia-friendly.

Together, we can help raise awareness, reduce stigma, and support those living with dementia and their families 💙💙

ℹ️ To find out how we can help you or a family member in relation to driving, please get in touch

📱 0300 300 1100

21/05/2026

Congrats and goodbye to our Occupational Therapy student, Alex who has just completed her first placement with us! 🥳 We have loved having you with us- you’ve been a great addition to the team and we’ll miss you! 🤩👋🏼

A few parting words from Alex:
“I’ve really enjoyed my time at DANW as an OT student! The team are really friendly and supportive! I feel I have learnt so much from my experience and all the clients I had the opportunity to meet and work with over the past 6 weeks! Thank you!”

Good luck with the rest of your studies! 🫶🏼🍀

21/05/2026

💙 Today we are attending the Dementia Action Week awareness event at St Helens Town Hall

💙 Come along and see us to discuss all things driving!

💙 Doors open at 11am

📍 St Helens Town Hall, Victoria Square, St Helen’s, WA10 1HP

15/05/2026

💚MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK💚

This mental health awareness week consider how your mental health may affect your driving🚘!

Stress, anxiety, low mood and fatigue can all affect your driving style by:

- Losing concentration 🙇🏽
- Being preoccupied by other stresses 😓
- Decreased reaction times⏳
- Feeling fatigued 😴

If you’ve had a break from driving due to mental health or physical illness or injury:

- Confidence may be low ⬇️
- Stress may be high ⬆️
- Your mobility or vehicle access needs may have changed 🩼
- You may not be feeling as independent 🙂

What support can the driving assessment team provide?

- Support a safe and graded return to driving after a break 🚙
- Provide advice on rebuilding your confidence 📈
- Recommend advice or adaptations to increase independence and manage symptoms ✅
- Provide advice to family members supporting you 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒
- Support managing anxieties around your return to driving 💆🏻

Always seek out the right support for you and take care of your mind this mental health week! 💚

Post credit to our OT student, Alex!

12/05/2026

Last week we presented at the Early Onset Dementia Awareness Day in Liverpool 💛

Here are Gaby and Martin at the event! 😀

Did you know that we assess clients with all types of dementia? 💡

Here are a few of the ways we can help:

ℹ️ Provide information and advice regarding dementia and driving.

✅ Complete an on-road assessment of driving safety.

📆 Offer a free review service to complete assessments at frequent intervals to monitor change and ensure continued safety on-road.

🤝 Provide support for life after driving.

Get in touch for more information:

📞 0300 300 1100
📧 [email protected]

06/05/2026

We will be attending the Young Onset Dementia Awareness Day in Liverpool tomorrow (7th May 2026)!! 😀

Come down and say hi 👋🏼
⭐ We will be presenting at 12:45 to talk about driving and dementia
⭐ We will also have a dedicated stall where we can answer any questions and provide further info

💛 Young Onset Dementia Awareness Day – Free Event 💛

We’re pleased to share details of Young Onset Dementia Awareness Day, a free, drop‑in event aimed at improving understanding and highlighting support for people affected by young onset dementia (under the age of 65).

📅 Thursday 7th May 2026
🕙 10:00am – 4:00pm
📍 Central Library, William Brown Street, Liverpool, L3 8EW

The day will include:

🗣 Expert talks from specialists in young onset dementia
📋 Information stands from local and national organisations
💬 Lived experience stories
❓ Q&A sessions
⚖ Free legal advice on dementia‑related matters
🤝 Dementia Friends sessions delivered by Alzheimer's Society

This event is suitable for:
✨ People with a diagnosis of young onset dementia
✨ Family members and carers
✨ Health and social care professionals
✨ Friends, supporters and anyone wanting to learn more

🎟 Free entry | No booking required
(Booking is only needed if you’d like to attend a Dementia Friends session.)

For more information, visit 👉 www.yodevent.org
Or email 📧 [email protected]

Please feel free to share, raising awareness helps ensure the right support is available when it’s needed most. 💙

30/04/2026

Today we held the NW regional meeting at our St Helens site and caught up with colleagues at RDAC and Angela from Northern Ireland (via Teams- see if you can spot her on the photo 👀). Lots of shared learning and new ideas discussed! 💡

Eddie from the National Association for Bikers 🏍️ with a Disability (NABD) also visited with an adapted trike as pictured! Thank you Eddie for joining and for providing useful information about how the charity can help disabled motorcyclists! 😀

Check out: The National Association for Bikers with a Disability for more info! ✅🤩