A Harrogate charity has celebrated its 20th anniversary by holding a family fun day at a North Yorkshire theme park.
More than 300 employees and service users, together with friends and family, descended on Lightwater Valley, near Ripon, as The Avalon Group marked two decades providing social care to individuals throughout Yorkshire, The North East and The Wirral.
The charity, which was founded in 1994 and is located on the spa town’s Grove Park Court, provides flexible care, support and companionship for everyday life, as well as housing, learning and employment, supporting a wide range of so that they can live the lives they choose.
In addition to enjoying the full range of attractions and rides on the day, the guests were treated to a lunch and a number of activities.
These included a puppet show and Thirsk author Karen Murray reading extracts from her new book, which is for and about adults and young people with a learning disability.
Avalon Group chief executive Larry Hollando said: The fun day was held to say a big thank you to those who have played a massive part in our on-going success, namely our employees and those who use our services.
Over the last two decades we have developed our services to include specialist dementia care and our Shared Lives initiative, which offers adults with a wide range of disabilities and mental health issues the chance to become part of an extended family by living in the home of a trained carer.
We have also extended our reach too and continue to look at providing social care to individuals even further afield.
I’m incredibly proud of our achievements over the last 20 years. We are now looking forward to the next 20 years and all the challenges and opportunities that we will be faced with.
