Keira didn’t think she’d ever come to Parklife again. Now 22, she came for the first time in 2017, and then again in 2018 and the last time in 2019. She’s always loved electronic music.
She was diagnosed with a brain tumour three years ago, and has been recovering ever since from the treatment that has left her severely disabled. She’s gone full-on flouro with her outfit today, with bright orange cargo pants and a bright orange bikini.
“When I was asked if I wanted to go to Parklife, I said ‘well, yes… but how can I?” she says. But she’s here, and she loves it. “I never thought I’d ever come again. So it’s all kind of new, in a way,” she says. A lot of it is just how she remembers it was, though now she needs a little more help.
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She’s made it because of her trainer, 38-year-old Javeno McClean. For the past six years, he’s run the J7 Community Health Centre in Blackley. A former fast bowler for Lancashire, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire, he began training people before his cricket career ended with a ripped achilles and snapped a knee tendon.
His training now focuses on the disabled, the elderly and people who have suffered severe illness, something he’s been doing, for free, since he was a teenager.
“I didn’t like the injustice I was seeing with the disabled and elderly community, the patronising way that people with disabilities are spoken to,” he says, a streak of shimmering blue glitter in his beard. “The lack of empathy and understanding and normality.
“I’ve trained people with cerebral palsy, down syndrome, terminal cancer, stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s, any kind of disability. Most gyms are concentrated on aesthetics, getting muscles, six packs.
“What we do is about improving life. It can change not just the person’s life, but their family’s lives. I don’t care about people’s illnesses, respectfully. I care about the individual, and what you can do. I don’t care what you can’t do.”
He told a handful of his clients of his plan to take them to Parklife a few weeks ago. “A person with a disability has just as much right to enjoy themselves and live life,” he says.
“Today I’ve got five of my guys here today, and we’re just having the most fantastic time. To see what it means to them, it’s unbelievable.
“They never thought they could do this. They never thought this could be possible. When I told them, there were a lot of tears. Of course it’s possible.”
28-year-old Francesca has cerebral palsy, and has never been to a festival before. She's looking forward to Becky Hill, but will also be heading to the main stage for Wu-Tang Clan. “I’ve been surprised by it all,” she said. “There’s a way to go in terms of making things more disability friendly, like real accessible toilets. Why shouldn’t disabled people be able to enjoy live music? But I think someone like Javeno can make it happen.
“Javeno to me is one of my best friends, a mentor, he kicks me up the arse when I need it. But he’s just an amazing human. He’s not just changed my life, but so many others too.”
Keira agrees. “That situation isn’t as good as I thought it would be,” she says. “There’s work to be done.” She says as well as the loos, getting to some of the disabled viewing platforms was also challenging. Parklife does have a silver award rating from live event accessibility body Attitude Is Everything, and says that it 'is committed alongside other major UK festivals to improving facilities year on year'.
Josh, who’s 27, is a huge music fan. He likes film soundtracks mostly, and some broadway musicals, but he has eclectic taste. This is his first time at a festival too. Like Francesca, he has cerebral palsy, meaning he’s unable to walk and uses an electric wheelchair.
“Honestly, I’m just excited about the whole experience of doing this,” he says. “When Javeno said what we were going to do, I thought ‘alright, why not?’ I wasn’t intimidated by it, if anything I was excited for the opportunity.” The training he does with Javeno is not as intimidating as perhaps with other gyms, he says.
“I think it’s because it’s like a family. Everyone knows each other.”
Javeno now has more than 240,000 followers on his Instagram page, his life-affirming training sessions frequently getting thousands of views. He goes on: “These people are no different, and we’ve proven today that it is possible. I’m praying to god that other disabled people see this and say ‘do you know what, let me give it a go’.”
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