Jameela Jamil launches first music and events members club aimed at people living with disabilities Submitted by: Lineup Media Monday, 26 January 2015

Experience What Freedom Feels Like with Why Not People? launches first music and events members club aimed at people living with disabilities Why Not People? was born because…. •77% of young disabled people believe that booking tickets for a live music event puts them at a substantial disadvantage to non-disabled people (MDC Trailblazers) •One in two disabled people has either missed out on buying tickets, or had a stressful experience booking them (MDC Trailblazers) •Members will be able to invite and share the experience with more than just one friend •It will provide people with disabilities a chance to have equal access and rights to events across the UK “A desire to create exciting events that people living with disabilities can enjoy alongside their friends”. This is the reason Radio 1 presenter, Jameela Jamil has founded Why Not People? - a new social venture, hosting exclusive and accessible live music events built for its members, hosted for everyone. Why Not People? was created to help impact significant change in society for the 11.8 million people living with disabilities in the UK and the issues they can face when booking or attending events. Founder Jameela Jamil, says: “I one day decided I simply can't continue living in a world that excludes such a large part of society. Some of my best friends are those people. Their disabilities should not prohibit them from having the same social experience as those of us who do not face the same challenges. In this day and age, and with so many technological advances, I simply refuse to believe we can't make more effort to create a more balanced society, one that accommodates those of us who already face so many daily struggles already. I am so grateful that I am finally in a position where I can help to do something about it” Hosted by Jameela, Why Not People? will host a number of events headlined by leading international music artists including Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, , , and other UK’s chart toppers. In order to help enhance the experience, Why Not People? is committed to introducing new technologies – such as the SubPac. This new piece of wearable technology transfers low audio frequencies onto the body, reinventing the way we experience music. Members will be able to connect through a social community, taking advantage of exclusive offers and advice from one of the UK’s biggest online fashion brands and Time Out, and be able to secure tickets for other special events, club nights and gigs. Why Not People? is supported by a group of professionals including: Professor Nick Webborn, Ade Adepitan, Alex Brooker, Martin Dougan, Jordanne Whiley, Sophie Morgan, Hannah Cockfroft and Giles Duley.

Page 1 To learn more about Why Not People? go to WhyNotPeople (http://www.whynotpeople.com/), [https://www.facebook.com/whynotppl] and : [www.twitter.com/]whynotppl ENDS Contact: FOR MORE INFORMATION, IMAGES OR INTERVIEW REQUESTS, PLEASE CONTACT EVA-MARIA MAIERHOFER AT LINEUP MEDIA ON 01202 798 989 / [email protected] Notes to the Editor: What is Why Not? -A members club for those living with disabilities -A platform to create incredible events, built for people living with disabilities… hosted for everyone -Headline artists include Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Mark Ronson, Tinie Tempah, James Blake and further UK chart toppers -Hosting live music events and curating areas within other promoter’s events, catering for those with both physical and sensory impairments -Introducing new technologies and creative solutions that will enhance the experience had by all -Creating a social community for our members where they can do everything from catch up with mates and arrange travel to gigs together to receiving personal styling tips & discounts from one of the UK’s biggest online fashion brands to getting involved in our collaborative blog -Making the hottest tickets in town exclusive for Why Not Members (members can buy tickets for up to 3 mates) -Joining the movement to educate the world about disability as a whole and promote inclusion Jameela Jamil Jameela Jamil is a TV presenter, a DJ, a writer, a model and a BBC Radio DJ. She has always used her platform to bring light to the things she cares about. At the top of that list, for the past decade, has been disability, and society's attitude towards it. Having struggled with physical and hearing disabilities for years in her youth, including a car accident that left her so badly broken, she couldn't leave the house for over a year. She has lived first hand in a world that does not make room for those living with impairments, so has used her position to call in some of the finest talent, ambassadors and branding to help put on entertainment gigs that are fully accessible. Standing by her morals that a good, fun night out, isn't a privilege, it's a right. Professor Nick Webborn Professor Nick Webborn is a sports medicine specialist with a particular expertise in sport and physical activity for people with disabilities. Nick's life changed when he broke his neck playing rugby at the age of 24, leaving him partially paralysed. But he combined his love of sport, medicine, and his personal experience of rehabilitation into becoming one of the world leading experts in Paralympic sport. He has

Page 2 attended eight , including the role as chief medical officer for the Paralympics GB team at 2012 and at the 2014. He has a passion for music and has experienced at first hand the problems of attending a gig in a wheelchair, which really attracted him to supporting this project to help make things better. Nick runs a sport and exercise medicine clinic at the University of , where he is a clinical professor at the Centre for Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine. He has looked after hundreds of athletes with a wide variety of impairment types which gives him an insight into the problems disabled people face and will try and make sure they have the best experience. Sophie Morgan In 2003 Sophie was paralysed in a car accident aged only 18. She had planned to study Law, but decided instead to follow her heart and completed a Foundation Course in Fine Art whilst adapting to life in a wheelchair. She was offered an unconditional place to study Fine Art at Goldsmiths University in London and had her first solo show in 2004. She now trains as a Portraitist and Artist at Lavender Hill Studios. 2005 saw Sophie’s first television appearance in the ground breaking BBC series ‘Beyond Boundaries’ which followed an expedition of eleven disabled people across Nicaragua. Later that year complications related to Sophie’s paralysis rendered her recumbent and she was to see a further three years on bed rest. During the third year however Sophie was selected to feature in another BBC television series, ‘Britain’s Missing Top Model’. This pioneering program followed the lives of eight young women with disabilities competing for a modelling contract on BBC3. Sophie came runner up on the show, which acted as the catalyst for her innovative project, the Mannequal®. Sophie established her company, ‘Sophie Morgan Creative Ltd.’ in 2010 after creating the Mannequal®, a product which changes the way disability is represented in the high street. Inspired by the internationally recognised symbol of the wheelchair, the mannequin is a non-moving fiberglass model which seats a mannequin and successfully integrates disability into the retail industry. Launched in Debenhams 2010, the Mannequal® will be featured nationwide with more information found at www.mannequal.co.uk. 2010 saw Sophie’s first role as a Television Presenter on , and she also featured on Horizons ‘Fix Me’ documentary (BBC2). She also returned to studying, and enrolled on an English Literature degree with the Open University, which enabled her the freedom to continue managing her company whilst completing her degree. 2012 started with Sophie modelling for Stella McCartney’s Adidas Campaign (‘Write your Name’) and her career as a Presenter take off when a documentary for BBC3 ‘Licence to Kill’ was commissioned, and she was selected to join the exclusive team of TV Presenters chosen to bring coverage of the Paralympics worked for Channel 4. She was also part of the hand chosen team of aspiring talent to partake in the PresentAble Training Scheme established by the BBC to develop disabled talent. Sophie is also a keen writer and has enjoyed opportunities to write for a variety of publications including , The Mail on Sunday, Reveal Magazine and many more. Sophie has been a speaker at the world renown ‘TED’ Conferences in Canada and India. Her ambassadorial role for Road Safety initiative Drive iQ also has her polemically advocating the better education of young drivers, and the BBC3 programme ‘Licence to Kill‘ documented her investigation into the problems facing young drivers. ‘Licence to Kill’ received critical acclaim for its hard hitting content and Sophie’s

Page 3 ‘intelligent and insightful’ presenting. In an attempt to help other young people avoid the mistakes she has made, Sophie is now on a nationwide tour, supported by BBC Learning and Drive iQ, reaching as many young people as possible to educate them of the dangers as well as present immediate solutions. Sophie has recently won Ultimate Campaigner of the Year award from Cosmopolitan Magazine! (Sophie is NOT Sophie Morgan, Author of ‘Diary of a Submissive’ & other literature) Ade Adepitan Having survived polio as a youngster, Ade has gone on to compete as a wheelchair basketball player on an international level and has a wealth of TV presenting experience. 2014 saw Ade join BBC World’s The Travel Show; which sees him traversing the world. He fronted the live ten day coverage of The Winter Paralympic Games on Channel Four. Documentary work includes This World for BBC2 exploring the clothing industry in Ghana, a Dispatches on Stop and Search, an investigation into the growth of West African Churches in the UK, his third and fourth Unreported World’s on persecuted transgender individuals living in Jamaica and an inspirational teacher keeping a school open in gang torn Honduras all for Channel Four. Ade spearheaded all things Olympic/Paralympic for London 2012. He fronted the BAFTA winning daily live prime time coverage of Channel 4’s Paralympic programming alongside . He also played an integral role behind the scenes in the channel’s planning for the Games. Prior to this Ade fronted The One Show’s coverage in the lead up to the Games, through a series of films and studio appearances for the flagship BBC1 show. He remains a regular face The One Show, and recently made a series of films for them about UK cycle paths. He also recorded a Desert Island Disc’s for Radio Four in September 2012. Sporting presenting credits include reporting for The Clare Balding Show on BT, fronting four series of That Paralympic Show, British Basketball – Game On, Eindhoven Swimming Championships for Channel 4; interviewing big name stars at the O2 for NBA Europe Live, as well as at The All-Star Game in New Orleans. He travelled to the Beijing Paralympics for the BBC in 2008 to commentate on the wheelchair basketball and covered the Basketball Final for the Paralympic World Cup (BBC2) for four consecutive years. He has previously covered the European Championships for BBC2’s Grandstand and reported for BBC1’s weekly Sportsround series. Ade hosted his own documentary for Radio Five Live, A Pair of Trainers, which saw him follow the personal progress of two unlikely fitness candidates. Ade’s talents don’t just lie in sport presenting; in 2010 he acted as a judge on BBC3’s Dancing on Wheels, alongside Strictly Come Dancing’s James and Ola Jordan. Six couples consisting of an able bodied celebrity and a wheelchair contestant competed in Latin and ballroom disciplines to win the chance of competing at the Wheelchair European Ballroom Championships. 2005 saw Ade participate in Beyond Boundaries, a four part documentary series for BBC2, which took him on the trek of a lifetime across the rainforests, deserts, rivers and mountains of Nicaragua. 2006 saw him reporting for ITV1’s The Boat Show from the Atlantic Ocean. Ade regularly reported for BBC1’s Holiday series having travelled to France, scuba dived in Mexico, gone on safari in Kenya and the Gambia, skied in Canada and America as well as filming in Bonaire and Curacao in the Caribbean. He took on a new challenge in 2006 with his first principle acting role for BBC1’s popular kids’ drama, Desperados. He has also appeared in Brit feature film Freight, ITV1’s Hardware and BBC1’s Casualty. An instantly recognisable face, Ade appeared in the high profile idents for BBC1 and presented BBC’s daily X-Change programme for five years. Other credits include Tiger Tiger for Channel Five, where Ade reported on endangered species from around the globe. Highlights included riding elephants while looking for tigers in India and swimming with sharks in Australia, while personal triumphs included overcoming

Page 4 his fear of water and night walks in the depths of the African jungle. He also presented Dream Ticket for LWT in which he explored Jamaica and went diving in the Seychelles. Ade has done a number of high profile public speaking engagements including the launch of the 2012 Olympic bid at the Royal Opera House alongside Tony Blair. He works extensively in the UK giving motivational speeches to schools, charities and businesses including The Royal Mail, BUPA, NSPCC, BAA, Lloyds TSB and BT. In January 2005, Ade performed a poem with Stephen Fry detailing the plight of children with disabilities at The Holocaust Memorial in Westminster Abbey in front of the Queen and other luminaries. Ade has proved he is capable of a lot more than your ordinary presenter. He has represented Great Britain at the Olympics in Athens 2004 (Bronze) and Sydney 2000 plus competing in The European (Silver) and World Championships (Gold). Ade’s energy and enthusiasm comes through in everything he does, making him an ideal ambassador for the NSPCC as well as a patron for Go Kids Go. Ade was an Ambassador for London’s 2012 Olympic bid and now sat on the advisory board of LOCOG. He was also a consultant for Channel 4’s Paralympic coverage. In 2006, Ade was given an honorary Doctorate by Loughborough University and had the honour of being awarded an MBE for his contribution to disabled sport in the Queen’s 2005 Birthday Honours. More recently in 2010, Ade was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award from the University of East London. In 2007 Ade took on the challenge of the London Marathon, which he completed in just over two and a half hours. Not one to sit on the sidelines, Ade’s new sporting passion is wheelchair tennis. He can often be seen at Roehampton early in the mornings practising his killer serve! Alex Brooker It all began for Alex Brooker when he successfully auditioned for Channel 4, after seeing the advert for the Half Million Quid Talent Search to find new disabled talent for the 2012 Paralympics. Since then, Alex has appeared on over 25 TV shows such as The Last Leg, 8 Out of 10 Cats and The Jump as a guest, panellist, contributor, co-presenter, presenter, reporter and a contestant. Being born with hand and arm disabilities, Alex has found himself as a main influencer when it comes to raising awareness and highlighting issues about disabilities. Martin Dougan Martin Dougan is a regular Newsround reporter and presenter. He recently appeared on Channel 4’s prank show ‘I’m Spazticus’, challenging the public view on disability. Earlier this year Martin starred in the second series of ‘I’m Spazticus’ for Channel 4. He has also recently filmed a pilot game show ‘The Totally Senseless Gameshow’ for BBC Three. The show pits celebrities against each other as they battle to complete challenges without using one or more of their senses. Keep checking back for transmission details coming soon! Martin was part of the presenting team for Channel 4s Paralympic Games. He won a place through Channel 4s talent search and since then, he has worked for BBC Sport Scotland, IMG Premier League News and BBC Children’s. He also reported for Channel 4 at the Paralympic World Cup and the Wheelchair Rugby World Cup. Martin reported from On The Beach as part of the build up to the Paralympic Games and has also appeared as a guest presenter on Freshly Squeezed. He presented a campaign video for BBC in 2013.

Page 5 When Martin isn’t on TV, he plays wheelchair basketball and also makes beautiful pieces of furniture as he’s a keen carpenter! Martin captained the national wheelchair Basketball team for Scotland from 2010-2011. Jordanne Whiley Jordanne is Britain’s #1 wheelchair tennis player, who picked up her first tennis racquet at just three years old, having obviously inherited great sporting talent and passion from her Paralympian father. Spotted by the Tennis Foundation, Jordanne was asked to join their performance program at the age of eleven and competed in her first ever World Cup at age of twelve! Already the youngest ever winner of British National Championships at fourteen years old and three times World Junior Champion, Brittle Bone Disease (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) was not going to stop Jordanne, who has broken her legs twenty-six times, and she qualified for the Beijing Paralympic games when she was just sixteen. Jordanne then won a Paralympic Bronze medal in London 2012 for the women’s doubles. During 2014 Jordanne became the first player in British history to win all four Grand Slam tournaments, taking the Australian, French and US Open titles as well as her home tournament, the coveted Wimbledon. Jordanne Whiley is represented by 17 Sports Management Ltd Hannah Cockfroft Dr Ian Thompson coached Hannah for the first year of my career, guiding her on to the Great Britain Paralympic development team. As she moved forward, Hannah dropped both basketball and discus to concentrate on wheelchair racing. In 2010, Hannah broke her first world record in the T34 400m. She now holds the world records at T34 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m. In June 2010 Hannah broke 7 world records in 8 days, at the same time as becoming 'Prom Queen', completing her A-Level exams and competing in her first ever International overseas competition. In 2011 Hannah was selected for the IPC World Athletics Championships, held in New Zealand. Her senior debut on the Great Britain team saw her bring home two Gold medals and 'Hurricane Hannah' was born. This achievement made Hannah a solid contender on the start line of the London 2012 Paralympic games. Although they were her first games, the nation's 'sweetheart' thundered into the record books, bringing home double Gold and breaking four Paralympic records in the T34 100m and 200m. Following this victorious performance, Hannah was named on the Queens New Years Honours list in 2013 and awarded an MBE. Hannah also received the freedom of Calderdale upon her return from the games. Hannah has worked the red carpet at awards ceremonies such as Pride of Britain, BBC Sports Personality and National Television. She has done fashion shoots for Marie Claire and Fabulous magazines and appeared on the TV programmes Countryfile, Celebrity Mastermind and 8 out of 10 Cats. Hannah won two Gold medals at the IPC World Championships in Lyon, the T34 100m and 200m. She also won two Gold medals in the IPC European Championships in Swansea, this time in the T34 100m and 800m, to give her the full set of World, European and Paralympic medals. Giles Duley Giles Duley, Hon FRPS, worked as a successful fashion and music photographer for ten years. However, having become disillusioned with celebrity culture, he decided to abandon photography and left London to begin work as a full-time carer. It was in this role that he rediscovered his craft and its power to tell

Page 6 the stories of those without a voice. In 2000, he returned to photography, personally funding trips to document the work of NGOs and the stories of those affected by conflict across the world. In 2011, Duley lost both legs and his left arm after stepping on an Improved Explosive Device (IED) in Afghanistan whilst photographing those caught up in the conflict. He was told he would never walk again and that his career was over. However, characteristically stubborn, Duley told his doctors “I’m still a photographer”, and returned to work less than 18 months later. Duley has since documented stories in Lebanon and Jordan, and went back to Afghanistan in October, 2012, to complete his original assignment. His return was the feature of the award-winning documentary, Walking Wounded: Return to the Frontline. His work has since been featured in numerous papers and magazines, and he has talked about his experiences on television, radio and at several international and national events. His TEDx talk was voted one of the top ten TED talks of 2012. Duley is a Trustee for the Italian NGO Emergency and ambassador for Sir Bobby Charlton’s landmine charity Find A Better Way. In 2013, he won the May Chidiac Award for Bravery in Journalism and the AIB Founders Award for Outstanding Achievement, and was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.

Page 7

Distributed via Press Release Wire (https://pressreleases.responsesource.com/) on behalf of Lineup Media

Copyright © 1999-2021 ResponseSource, The Johnson Building, 79 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8AW, UK e: [email protected] t: 020 3426 4051 f: 0345 370 7776 w: https://www.responsesource.com