Historic NN Fest and Access Outdoors collaboration breaks new ground for inclusive events

The innovative partnership between Mo Sounds' NN Fest and Nick Wilson's Access Outdoors CIC created something entirely unprecedented - a fully inclusive event where live music and accessible adventure came together on the Abbey's historic south lawn.

Sir Stephen Timms, Minister of Disabilities and Social Security attended the event alongside Mike Reader MP for Northampton South. Together they met with exhibitors and organisers for a round table meeting to discuss accessibility in events and to hear more about Access Outdoors.

Mike Reader said: “Accessibility and inclusivity are hugely important to me, both as a Member of Parliament and personally. I want to do all I can to showcase Northamptonshire as an exemplar in this regard – a place where innovation, community spirit, and opportunity come together to ensure no one is left behind.

"NN Fest is a brilliant example of how we can celebrate inclusivity in action, and I am proud to see our county leading the way”.

Nick Wilson, known as The Disabled Adventurer said: "This weekend proved that inclusion isn't just the right thing to do - it creates better events for everyone. Watching families discovering all-terrain wheelchairs for the first time whilst dancing to live music, seeing the joy on faces as people experienced freedom they'd never imagined possible - that's what accessibility should look like. Fun, celebratory, and totally normal.

"We achieved our first mission by midday: having a guest say hello to a tree in Delapré woods that she hadn’t seen in over 20 years"

The Access Outdoors element featured a specially designed all-terrain circuit where visitors experienced cutting-edge mobility technology from suppliers including AJM Healthcare, Quantum, Sunrise Medical, Steering Developments Ltd, Mybility All-Terrain Wheelchairs, Trekentic and local work coaching service Empower Access Thrive.

The event also showcased the locally designed and engineered record-breaking extreme all-terrain prototype RockClimber which enabled Nick to achieve his solo ascent of Yr Wyddfa. Guests enjoyed free transport to the festival courtesy of Driving Miss Daisy Rushden and benefitted from accessible toilets provided by RevoLOOtion.

Pre-registered guests enjoyed free chair trials on stewarded routes, with many trying all-terrain equipment for the first time.

Suzy Jones from Mo Sounds said: "We're absolutely thrilled that NN Fest returned to the beautiful grounds of Delapré Abbey - it's such a special venue for live music. What made this year extraordinary was our partnership with Nick Wilson and Access Outdoors. We believe music has the power to unite people, and this collaboration proved that accessibility and entertainment create something magical when they come together."

The event's accessible features included a mobile Changing Place by RevoLOOtion, a quiet sensory zone managed by local SEN groups, and live demonstrations of the latest mobility technology. Volunteers stewarded the chair trial routes whilst enjoying full access to the music programme, demonstrating the event's commitment to inclusive participation at every level. Guests in wheelchairs even enjoyed free transport to the festival courtesy of Driving Miss Daisy Rushden.

Access Outdoors CIC continues its mission to place all-terrain wheelchairs at outdoor venues nationwide whilst building a network of disabled content creators. The organisation advocates for policy changes including statutory waiting times for Access to Work assessments and national commissioning standards for NHS wheelchair services.

The collaboration supports the growing recognition that the Purple Pound - the £274 billion spending power of disabled people - represents a significant untapped market for events and venues willing to invest in genuine accessibility.

Plans are already underway to expand the model, with discussions about bringing similar collaborative events to other locations across the UK.