On Saturday 3 March 2018, Jackie Driver, Chief Executive of Breakthrough UK, and Jenny Gradwell, Daughter of the late Lorraine Gradwell, launched The Trust Lorraine Foundation at the Walk for Women in Manchester. The Foundation - in Lorraine Gradwell’s name - is a joint project between the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP) and Breakthrough UK to increase disabled people’s representation in elected office. 
Lorraine Gradwell MBE was a founding member of Breakthrough UK and GMCDP - her drive and involvement in both organisations continued right up to her untimely death last year. She was also a passionate advocate locally and nationally for disabled people’s democratic participation and access to elected office.
The Trust Lorraine Foundation has a clear purpose – to develop the strong representation and fair leadership that is so vital to democracy.
The Foundation aims to do this by removing the many barriers to elected office that Deaf and disable people face – a major barrier being the government’s decision to close the Access to Elected Office Fund. The recent pressure on the government has led to a new 12 month period of re-opening it. The fund provides disabled candidates with a grant to cover the extra disability related costs of standing for election, such as assistive technology, a BSL interpreter or a provision for the extra cost of travel where public transport is still inaccessible.
The Foundation’s work will focus on supporting disabled ‘would be’ candidates with information and advice on the skills required for elected office, internships, shadowing and apprentice opportunities as well as working with political parties to ensure they are as accessible as possible and disabled candidates are no longer turned away because of their impairments.
Read more about Lorraine Gradwell's life at: www.lorrainegradwell.weebly.com
You can find out more about the Trust Lorraine Foundation, here: www.breakthrough-uk.co.uk