Disabled actress Cara Readle is one of the stars of our new national television campaign. Here, she discusses how her Motability Scheme car helps her with her career as well as her day to day activities and what she’s looking forward to doing now COVID restrictions are easing.
We’ve all been waiting for life to return to some semblance of normality and to embrace freedom again. For many, especially those who have been shielding for such a large proportion of the last 18 months, it is understandable that there are anxieties around the relaxation of restrictions and leaving lockdown life behind.
One of the stars of our national advertising campaign, actor Cara Readle, is contending with just that. Like so many of us, when the pandemic hit, so did the worries and fear. Cara decided to shield at home in South Wales with her partner, “I’ve felt particularly scared over the last year,” she said, “it was all so concerning as everything came to a grinding halt in March last year. Despite all the chaos, I’ve been so impressed with how everyone, including the entertainment industry, has adapted. We’ve all been able to do so much more from home than many of us have previously felt possible. And personally, I’ve done more self-recordings to audition for roles over the last 18 months than I ever have before”.
Once restrictions are lifted and she feels safe to come out of shielding, there are many things Cara is looking forward to doing. The most important to her is to be able to hug her mum and nan again. It’s the seemingly small things in life that so many of us are excited to return to. Cara says she can’t wait to be able to go and do her own food shopping again.
“It’s those everyday freedoms that I’m looking forward to. Having no restrictions and being able to get in my car to just go about my everyday life. Without my car I wouldn’t have that feeling of freedom and independence which I really cherish.”
How the Motability Scheme helps
Cara started to learn to drive when she was 17. Her mum had been a Motability Scheme customer on her behalf since she was a small child and Cara joined once she passed her test. She’s leased five cars in her time on the Scheme so far and uses a steering ball to make driving easier.
“I mostly use my Motability Scheme car for small personal journeys such as popping to the shops. But it also makes getting to and from work so much easier as when you’re filming, shoots can take place all over the UK.”
“I’m incredibly excited for a new project I have coming up for a children’s television series based in Manchester, which starts in September. On longer journeys like that, often my partner will drive my car for me.”
Getting back to our everyday freedoms after the pandemic means being able to travel to work or pop to the shops. Cara is also looking forward to getting back to her hobbies again as around six months before the pandemic, she took up boxing with a trainer to improve her coordination after seeing someone else on Facebook with cerebral palsy greatly benefitting from it. When the pandemic hit, her motivation dipped a little, but she’s been continuing with virtual sessions and does it as often as she can.
The Motability Scheme provides everyday freedom to over 630,000 customers across the UK, find out if you’re eligible to join here.
About the Motability Scheme
The Motability Scheme supports families in staying mobile by offering a unique, all-inclusive leasing package for brand new cars from all the major manufacturers. If you care for a child or someone who doesn’t drive, you can be added as a named driver instead. And as well as standard cars from a range of manufacturers, cars with adaptations, Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles, scooters and powered wheelchairs are available too.
If you’d like to find out more about the Scheme, request an information pack below and we’ll send you all the information that you need to make the right choice.
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How the Scheme has made a difference to Barbara’s life
