Lat year we were delighted to visit the not-for-profit Combined Disability Disco in Canvey, and recently I caught up with Pete Lynam, who runs the club, to find out how things are going. Pete explained,
‘Our club was started about fifteen years ago on Canvey Island. It was held on a Tuesday evening at a local pub and was originally called the Combined Disability Disco, or C.D.D. The club was originally run by a lovely lady, who unfortunately passed away just before the Covid-19 lockdown. The people who took over running the club were then asked to find a new venue, which resulted in it moving to Wickford.
I was approached by people from Canvey who couldn’t get to Wickford, and really missed what the club had to offer, and asked if I would try and find a new venue for them. In May 2024 we moved the disco to Monday evenings and for a while were at a local football club in Canvey but then were offered the use of the Warehouse Bar, Unit C7, Brunel Road in Benfleet. This has been a great venue for us. We realised that there was another club called C.D.D so we decided to change our name to avoid confusion. We asked the clients to choose our new name, and they came up with Moley and Friends Disability Disco and Karaoke Club. We are open every Monday evening from 7pm to 9pm with admission on the first visit being £2.00 then £4.00 a week thereafter. Carers are very welcome too, with no charge for entry.
We have full wheelchair access and licensed bar and free parking, and a hold a weekly raffle in which everyone who buys a ticket gets a prize. We are hoping to get more clients interested in coming to use our club. All are welcome with no age limit, including siblings and other family members, regardless of whether they too have disabilities, and the events are staffed by experienced community carers who are fully trained and DBS checked.’
At our visit last year, we loved meeting the people and families there, who were really enjoying the opportunity to have a night out and socialise together. There was some amazing karaoke talent too, although not from the Healthwatch Essex team! Lots of care has been taken to ensure that the disco nights are provided in a safe and inclusive environment, with additional provision of ear defenders and epilepsy-friendly party lights, for example.
If you would like to attend one of the sessions, or find out more, you can contact Pete by telephoning 07913 731745 or email [email protected]
If you would like to access support around any of the issues mentioned in this blog, or to share your own lived experience, give the Healthwatch Essex Information & Guidance Service a call on 0300 500 1895, email [email protected] or text/WhatsApp on 07712 395398.
Sharon Westfield de Cortez
Information & Guidance Manager