Lamin Manneh, inspirational disabled war veteran, Invictus Athlete and star of BBC TV’s DIY SOS ‘Homes for Veterans’ Special, has accepted the invitation to open The Mobility Roadshow at Silverstone Circuit – 10am, 26th May.

Press call: Following the opening Lamin will be available for interviews and photographs during the first day of the show. Contact the Mobility Roadshow press office for timings and more information. 

To date, the DIY SOS Big Build ‘Homes for Veterans’ Special was the most ambitious construction challenge undertaken by the building renovation TV programme. It involved the redevelopment of an entire dilapidated terraced street in Manchester to provide homes for injured servicemen and women. Lamin, a 39-year-old disabled ex-Guardsman and his family were grateful recipients of one of the new accessible homes.

Lamin comments: “I have always had a massive passion for cars and sport so the opportunity to officially open The Mobility Roadshow and drive around Silverstone is a dream come true. I am so honoured to be recognised as a VIP and to be an event Ambassador. Day-to-day living can be tough with physical disability, however keeping your mental health in good order can be harder. By coming to The Mobility Roadshow I hope I can help as many people as possible sustain a positive mental attitude.”

Lamin continues: “Just before attending the Mobility Roadshow I will have competed at Rowing, Archery, Shot put and Discus at the Invictus Games, a high-profile annual Paralympic-style tournament for disabled servicemen and women. Hence I will also be really looking forward to playing the various accessible sports available at the Roadshow and sharing my Invictus experiences.”

The two-part DIY SOS episodes that Lamin appeared in generated significant press coverage as HRH The Duke of Cambridge and HRH Prince Henry of Wales visited the extensive two-week build. BBC production, in association with the charity Walking with the Wounded, aimed to provide 20 new homes for injured military veterans and their families. The Mennah family was a major focus throughout the show with Lamin explaining to the Princes the huge difference a new accessible home would make to him, his wife and five children.

Lamin, originally from Gambia, moved to Britain in 2005 to join the British Army. As Gambia is a Commonwealth country, residents are allowed to join the British Armed Forces and Lamin served in the Irish Guards for five years. On New Year’s Eve 2010, he was severely injured by an exploding IED in Afghanistan resulting in the loss of both legs and one arm. Lamin survived this horrific ordeal and now continues to rebuild his life whilst looking for opportunities to motivate and inspire fellow disabled individuals.

Since 1983, the Mobility Roadshow has been the UK’s leading disabled consumer event that showcases the latest assistive products and services for independent driving and mobility. This remarkable event is organised by the charity Mobility Choice so that the widest choice of accessible vehicles, adapted driving controls and mobility products can be trialled and tested. Being held at the iconic home of the British Grand Prix for the first time this year, the Mobility Roadshow will provide the unique opportunity for disabled drivers and passengers to test-drive the latest wheelchair-accessible and adapted vehicles around the Silverstone circuit.

www.mobilityroadshow.co.uk