_edited.jpg)
What a way to start the year for the CFDN!
- CFDN
- Jan 14
- 2 min read
On New Year’s Day, CFDN was proud to take part in the London New Year’s Parade as one of the Mayor of Redbridge’s chosen charities for 2025. Surrounded by astronauts, planets, dancers, singers and community champions, the parade offered a powerful moment of visibility for disability inclusion and for the partnerships and people who make our work possible every day.
Our CEO proudly represented CFDN alongside the other mayoral charities, joining James and Emily from Redbridge Foodbank and Marion from Friday Night Swimming Club. Together, we came as one Redbridge community, celebrating the strength, creativity and compassion that exists across our borough and its voluntary sector.
Taking part in an event of this scale simply wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and generosity of so many people. We are deeply grateful to every volunteer who gave their time, energy and warmth on the day, helping everything run smoothly and ensuring the experience was welcoming and positive for all involved. Our sincere thanks go to Maria and the team at Treehouse Nursery Schools, whose planning, organisation and generous support played a vital role in bringing the parade entry together, as well as to the donors whose kindness helped make the day a reality. We are also thankful to the dance school for their creativity and commitment throughout weeks of rehearsals and to our singer, Cllr Niki Shahal, whose performance brought the parade to life and represented Redbridge with pride. We extend our thanks to the London New Year’s Parade team for the opportunity to take part in such a significant and well-loved event.
The celebration continued last week at the awards evening in central London, where we were delighted to learn that the Redbridge entry placed second overall, securing a £10,000 prize to be shared between the three mayoral charities. This recognition reflects the collective effort, care and commitment of everyone involved and will help support vital community work across the borough.
Reflecting on the day, our CEO Dan Ruscoe said:
“Taking part as a charity in the London New Year’s Parade was about far more than being seen. It was about standing proudly alongside our community and fellow charities to show that disabled people and their families belong at the heart of public life. Seeing some of our members along with our Redbridge Mayor champion this was great.
I’m incredibly proud of the way CFDN was represented and deeply grateful to every volunteer, partner and supporter who made this possible. Moments like this remind us what can be achieved when communities come together with inclusion, dignity and shared purpose at their core.”
This experience was about far more than a parade. It was a visible expression of community, inclusion and partnership in action, and a reminder of what can be achieved when people come together with shared purpose. We are incredibly proud to have been part of it and grateful to everyone who helped make it possible.
Comments