The final day of ‘Live at The Castle’ will see a line-up of events specially tailored for disabled adults at Enniskillen Castle, under the Big Top.

Named after JustUs, the friendship group set up by Shelley Cowan to provide safe, socialising opportunities for disabled adults in the area, the six-hour event featuring live music will close out the festival week this Sunday, March 20.

Starting at 3pm and running until 9pm, JustUs at Live at The Castle, in conjunction with Experience Enniskillen, will include performances from Country star Johnny Brady and Back for Good – a Westlife/Take That tribute act.

Talking about how the event came about, Shelley told The Impartial Reporter: “I knew the organisers, Davy and Michael [of DM Events].

“I got in touch with them; just sent them a wee message to say ‘By any chance is there a spare day, or can it be extended to do an event for a disabled group?’

Organise

“They jumped on board and basically they are helping me organise a big event for disabled adults, their family, friends and carers,” said Shelley, noting that with each ticket, one carer goes free.

She went on to highlight how the event caters for disabled adults on the day. “It’s really good because there is a changing space which enables anyone who requires hoisting or a changing bed for toileting – that is actually at the castle already.

“Then there is going to be disabled areas and First Aiders on hand. There will also be plenty of stewards and security at it.

“There’s room for people to dance, and it’s also on flat ground, so anyone in wheelchairs or with mobility issues can get in there as well.

“I have asked that extra seating goes in as well, because a lot of people have mobility issues and things like that.

“It’s going to be a festival as we know a festival, but it’s also a festival worked around disabled needs,” she added.

Explaining that the JustUs festival event will follow a 80s/90s theme, Shelley said: “Firstly, there’s going to be a disco, and then Johnny Brady is going to be playing.

“There’s going to be a Take That/Westlife tribute band as well,” she said, going on to outline that alongside music, there will be more entertainment and food available on the day: “There will be a photo booth, ice-cream van and chip van.”

Looking forward to the day, Shelley said: “It’s just lovely! I suppose it’s so inclusive for everybody, and it’s nice with Covid starting to ease off a wee bit, and restrictions starting to ease.

“So many vulnerable people have been isolated more as they haven’t had their day centres as much, and there’s been a lot of restrictions put on them as well with Covid.

A celebration

“It’s just lovely to have one big, special day; I suppose, a celebration of disability, and to have it come to Fermanagh, I’ve never heard of an event of this scale come here,” she said.

Shelley set up the JustUs group in late 2019. “It’s a disabled group for disabled adults, to allow them to go to a safer environment and a more inclusive environment for clubbing or music events. I used to hold them in the Enniskillen Hotel when the group started up.”

Unfortunately, Covid struck only a few months after the formation of the group.

“I didn’t feel like I could put on an indoor event; I didn’t want to make vulnerable people sick or anything.

“So this is a great opportunity because it’s so spacious and it’s airy. With restrictions easing, it’s like an outdoor event, but covered,” said Shelley, noting that the festival event has been supported by Lottery funding.

“The group actually got Lottery funding before Covid-19, and unfortunately with Covid restrictions, that just went to the wayside.

“But we got an extension with the Lottery and that extension is actually coming to an end, so the group wanted to do something very big – and what better way to celebrate the start of spring and the start of things starting to ease up, as getting everybody together and have one big day, one big party,” she told this newspaper.