MIX56: Out and About in the Community

Thursday 17 July

A Jam-Packed Weekend with MIX56: Supporting Cheshire’s Big Events

It was non-stop action for the MIX56 team last weekend, as we hit the road across Cheshire to support some of the region’s most celebrated events.

From heartwarming family festivals to historic machinery and community empowerment, MIX56 was there to help amplify the fun and the good vibes all around!

Live in the park neuromuscular centre winsford smithy mix56 — Smithy hosts Live in the Park for the Neuro Muscular Centre

Live in the Park: A Festival with Heart

Arley Hall’s spectacular grounds were transformed into a festival playground as “Live in the Park” returned in support of Winsford’s Neuro Muscular Centre.

Families from across the county flocked to enjoy an evening packed with live music from the John Collins Band, Carrie Nichol as Blondie and the incredible 80’s Revellers.

MIX56’s Smithy was on-site, keeping spirits high and helping shine a spotlight on the outstanding work NMC does for those living with muscular dystrophy.

cheshire steam fair 2025 mix56 — Cheshire Steam Fair – celebrating the best the countryside has to offer

Full Steam Ahead at the Cheshire Steam Fair

Next stop: Daresbury Showground, where the annual Cheshire Steam Fair roared into life.

Steeped in nostalgia, this beloved event showcased a jaw-dropping display of vintage steam engines, classic cars, tractors, and traditional fairground rides.

MIX56 cheered on engineers and enthusiasts young and old, with plenty of on-air shoutouts for milestone moments and prize-winners.

More than Steam!

Paul caught up with Ray from Runcorn Sea Cadets who offer incredible adventures and life skills for young people across Cheshire.

Runcorn Sea Cadets

RUNCORN SEA CADETS MIX 56

#DAD2025 mix56 — #DAD2025 at Walton Hall Gardens

Disability Awareness Day: Celebrating Inclusivity

On Sunday, Walton Hall Gardens played host to the UK’s largest voluntary-led disability exhibition – Disability Awareness Day.

MIX56 joined hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of visitors in celebrating diversity and promoting accessible opportunities for all.

From sport demos and live entertainment to workshops and networking, the positive energy was contagious.

Special Feature: Motability

If you were driving around the UK in the 1950s all the way through to the early 2000s, you couldn’t miss the little sky-blue Invacars zipping along the roads.

Nicknamed “Ministry Blue” after the Ministry of Health, these quirky three-wheeled mobility cars were designed as a single-seater to give independence to people with disabilities at a time when options for accessible transport were incredibly limited.

Early Invacars, with their distinctive fibreglass shells and hand controls, were distributed free of charge through the NHS and Department of Health, offering a rare taste of freedom for thousands. By the mid 1970’s there were over 21,000 on UK roads.

The Invacar was officially banned from UK roads in 2003 – and the vast majority were scrapped.

Warrington Disability Partnership have one of the few surviving examples.

Eventually, new thinking and technology brought the Motability Scheme in the late 1970s, offering disabled motorists the chance to drive conventional – and far safer – adapted cars. We caught up with Tony from Pentagon Ford Warrington who explained how the Motability Scheme works.