Enabled Summer Extravaganza 2026: Faith, fun and fellowship

Learning Disability Inclusion Development Manager Chris Stringer (THQ) reports on this year's Enabled Summer Extravaganza.

There were 115 of us at the Enabled Summer Extravaganza – the highest number for some years!

The joint leaders for the week were Kate Powell (Wimbledon) and Lieut-Colonel Paul Kingscott (THQ), and the theme was The Climb. In our fellowship groups we considered the Ten Commandments, when Moses climbed Mount Sinai, Joseph, who climbed out of a well, and Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree. The message of the week was that, whatever your situation, God is with you.

On Sunday evening, supporters received safeguarding training from Kevin O’Donnell (THQ). This was followed by a time of considering our wellbeing. On Monday morning, there was a time for briefings and team meetings. Members arrived from noon on Monday afternoon, with a welcome session after lunch.

Each day started with worship. This was led by Amy Raddon (Llanelli) on Tuesday and by Matthew Martin (Gosport) on Friday – both of whom are Enabled members and were leading worship for the first time.

In addition to choir and Godly craft, there were eight main options: band, timbrels, Music Man Project, musical theatre, singing group, photography and social media, dance and drama. The photography and social media group launched an Enabled TikTok channel.

There was a large range of optional activities, including crafts, chair exercise, mindfulness and baking. On Monday evening, Reuben Dykes (Kidsgrove) entertained us. On Tuesday evening, we were entertained by Tristan and Mandy Lanceley (Bromley Temple). On Friday afternoon, we were joined by Get Playing, which led a Lego workshop.

We had some sports activities planned for Thursday and Friday. The walking football and rounders were due to take place outside on the multipurpose sports pitch, but had to be cancelled due to the extremely hot weather. We were able to move the boccia indoors.

On Tuesday, we hosted a community event. Among our many guests were Territorial Leader Commissioner Paul Main, Major Gordon Cotterill (THQ) and Ivan Radford from Salvationist. Activities included head and neck massages, SP&S, face-painting, a climbing wall, reptiles and an ice cream van. It was Commissioner Paul’s birthday, so we sang happy birthday and presented him with a card and photograph, along with a cake!

On Wednesday, we had a fiesta day, when people could choose to go out for the day or take part in informal activities at King’s Park. The informal activities included a sing-a-long with Ben Ellis, a drama workshop with Sarah Grace, and samba drumming led by Beat Goes On. Due to the heat, the exercise session became a short water fight and the afternoon ended with an art session, led by Cerys Jenkinson (Leicester South).

Wednesday evening started with a sparkle extravaganza, led by entertainer Kat Collett. This involved tricks including juggling with fire and fire eating. This was followed by singing around a campfire in the spinney at King’s Park. Although we were unable to have the campfire, due to the risk of fire spreading in the hot weather, it was a wonderful evening, led by Andrew Renouf (Plymouth Barbican).

Thursday was a very hot day. In the afternoon, we suspended the planned activities due to the extreme heat. Instead, we gathered in the air-conditioned John Kirkham Hall and enjoyed some films. On Thursday evening, we gathered again in the hall and enjoyed our spotlight evening, when members and supporters shared their skills and talents. We enjoyed dance, singing, poetry, piano playing and juggling. Among the highlights were singing performances by Phillipa Senior (Wakefield), Music Man Project ambassador Claire Alderton singing ‘Music Is Magic’ and Sam Doran (Hoyland Common) singing ‘Tomorrow’ from the musical Annie.

Friday evening was a country and western evening. This started with a barbecue, during which we all received the government emergency alert about the risk of disposable barbecues. This was followed by an evening of line dancing, led by a band called the Blazing Saddles. There was also a photo booth and a sweet trolley.

On Saturday, we were joined by Assistant Chief Secretary Lieut-Colonel Jane Cowell and Assistant Secretary for Mission Mitch Menagh. We had the presentation of certificates as well as an award to Louise Brookes (Ipswich Citadel) for her support of SAFE and Enabled summer schools. This was followed by group performances, the Enabled choir and Godly craft group. The afternoon ended with a buffet.

I am grateful to all the supporters and people who led sessions for making the Enabled Summer Extravaganza so successful. It would be wrong not to mention the wonderful staff at King’s Park, including the catering, cleaning and duty manager teams, who make our stay so easy. It was a wonderful week of faith, fun, friendship and fellowship!

Beth 

Brushed Beauties Face Paint

I returned again to the Enabled Summer Extravaganza because the atmosphere is so warming! I’ve built up a great rapport with the familiar faces over the past three years, especially those who have sensory issues – having someone close to your face who is essentially a stranger can be super daunting, so to be trusted to face paint the lovely individuals who attend the week is such a privilege.

My favourite part is sharing the joy of the week with everyone there. It’s such a wonderful bunch of people I look forward to seeing! One young chap is very passionate about the circus and each year has a clown face. This year I’d done a bit of research about clowns and their make-up, and each clown has their own style that is often avoided being repeated by other clowns, even if there are subtle differences. With that in mind, we have officially created his own clown look!

Tom has visited me each year and every time has something different! Last year, it was a snake on his face. This year, Stitch on his arm!

While Spider-Man and unicorns remain firm favourites, I do get some custom requests. Trudy, every year I have attended, has asked for a Lego brick – each year I try to get better at doing it and, of course, we did it in purple!

Major Gordon Cotterill 

THQ

My overwhelming impression of the Enabled Summer Extravaganza was one of joy, belonging and gratitude.

Here was a beautiful and genuine sense of community, where people were welcomed, valued and encouraged to participate fully. While I expected it to be a positive experience, I was struck by the warmth of the relationships and the way people delighted in one another.

It was a powerful reminder that inclusion is not simply about making room for people, but about creating a place where everyone can belong, contribute and thrive.

God’s presence was evident in the way people cared for one another and celebrated each person’s unique gifts and value. It felt like a glimpse of God’s Kingdom, where community is deepened and every person is recognised as loved.

I left feeling encouraged and deeply grateful. I would gladly go again, not only because it was enjoyable, but also because it was such a powerful expression of friendship, belonging and God’s flow of love.