We’re excited to announce that award-winning entrepreneur, author and founder of Ablepreneurs, Helen Pugh, will be joining us as our keynote speaker at our FREE Business Networking Event in Market Drayton on Thursday 12 November 2026.
Our event, Making Business Accessible for Everyone, will bring together local businesses, employers, entrepreneurs and community organisations to explore how we can make Market Drayton a more accessible, welcoming and inclusive place to work, shop and do business.
We’re particularly pleased to welcome Helen, whose work supporting disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent entrepreneurs is helping to challenge perceptions and create new opportunities across the business world.
Meet our keynote speaker – Helen Pugh
Helen Pugh is the founder of Ablepreneurs, an inclusive business ecosystem dedicated to helping disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent entrepreneurs succeed in business.
An award-winning entrepreneur and author of The Ablepreneur Advantage, Helen is a two-time Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday (#SBS) winner and has been recognised as one of the #IAlso100 Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs of 2026.
She is also the driving force behind National Ablepreneurs Day, which celebrates the talent, resilience and contribution of disabled and chronically ill entrepreneurs.
Drawing on her professional and lived experience, Helen is passionate about challenging perceptions, breaking down barriers and ensuring that talented people are not overlooked because of disability, chronic illness or neurodivergence.
Her message is one we believe every business should hear:
“Talent doesn’t disappear with illness or disability, it just needs the right environment to shine.”
We’re looking forward to hearing Helen share her experiences, insights and ideas about how businesses can become more accessible and inclusive.
Why we’re organising this event
At Make it Market Drayton, we want to support local businesses to grow, connect and succeed, while helping to make our town a welcoming place for everyone.
Accessibility is something that affects us all, from the way customers enter a shop or access a service to how businesses communicate, recruit employees and support people with different needs.
Sometimes relatively small changes can make a significant difference.
Our networking event is an opportunity to bring businesses together, encourage conversations and explore practical ways to remove barriers.
You don’t need to be an expert in accessibility or inclusion to attend. In fact, we’d particularly welcome businesses that are interested in learning more and finding out where to start.
A chance to network, learn and share experiences
As well as hearing from Helen Pugh, the event will provide an opportunity to meet other local business owners, employers and organisations.
We want to hear about your experiences too.
Have you made changes to your business to improve accessibility? Have you encountered challenges or barriers? Are there things you would like to do but are unsure where to begin?
These are exactly the conversations we hope to encourage.
Helen McCabe, who runs the Make it Market Drayton campaign, an initiative of Market Drayton Town Council, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Helen Pugh to Market Drayton. Her work is inspiring and her message is relevant to every business, regardless of size or sector.
“We want businesses to come together, share their experiences and learn from one another. Accessibility isn’t just about buildings and physical access. It’s also about attitudes, communication, understanding and creating opportunities.
“We hope everyone who attends will leave with a greater understanding of the challenges people can face and some practical ideas they can take back to their own businesses.”
Book your FREE place
Making Business Accessible for Everyone is completely free to attend, but places are limited, so advance booking is essential.
We welcome businesses of all sizes, including independent shops, cafés, hospitality businesses, professional services, employers, entrepreneurs and community organisations from Market Drayton and the surrounding area.
Event: Making Business Accessible for Everyone – Business Networking Event
Date: Thursday 12 November 2026
Venue: Royal British Legion, 24 Church St, Market Drayton TF9 1AF (Car park available)
Cost: FREE – booking essential
Book your place by clicking this link
Please help us spread the word by sharing this event with other businesses, colleagues and organisations that may be interested.
We look forward to welcoming you.
Make it Market Drayton is a town council initiative.
