The Right Start Appeal

Whizz-Kidz needs your help to change the lives of young people in your area. There are an estimated 7000 young wheelchair users in the West Midlands. Many of these are in desperate need of the right equipment and many more could benefit from Whizz-Kidz' other work.

This includes wheelchair skills training, campaigning work to raise awareness of the issues faced by disabled children and young people and improving services for them.

We won’t stop until every disabled child in the West Midlands has the right wheelchair, training and opportunities at the right time – early enough for them to enjoy their childhood just like any other child.

That’s why we’re asking you to support our ‘Right Start’ appeal today.

Quick Facts
• The Right Start appeal aims to raise £250,000 over 3 years
• £5,900 will give a child the right specially adapted powered wheelchair
• £2,000 will deliver wheelchair skills training for 10 children and young people
• £750  will provide a child with an adapted trike so they can enjoy play time
• £250 will run the Whizz-Kidz  mobility centre in Birmingham for 1 day.

The Urgent Need

Whizz-Kidz 'Don't Push Me Around !' report published with Barnardo's found that over sixty percent of children surveyed said they were forced to use unsuitable wheelchairs. Therefore an estimated 4200 children in the West Midlands are using unsuitable equipment. Often children receive manual wheelchairs when they need powered ones, or wheelchairs that they can’t take outside.

This means children who could quite easily control a powered or lightweight wheelchair are being denied their independence because they are provided with heavy and cumbersome wheelchairs that their condition prevents them from self-propelling.

Instead of being able to control where they go and when, they are dependent on parents and carers pushing them around. Whizz-Kidz trained therapists assess each child’s individual needs and provide specially adapted wheelchairs tailored to these individual needs. Whizz-Kidz also provides bikes and trikes that enable young disabled people the freedom to play and join in with their friends.

As we rely on voluntary donations it’s vital we raise more money to sustain our work. With your support we can help many more children in the West Midlands.

In addition to providing equipment we help hundreds of children by offering advice, information and wheelchair training sessions at our Birmingham Mobility Centre. Your help is crucial in keeping this centre running.

Here are some young lives we’ve already changed in the West Midlands:

 

 “The new trike and wheelchair have given Kaitlin an overwhelming new lease of life, she is now able to play with her sister, move herself around more freely and do lots of things that she wasn’t able to do before.” (Kaitlins mum) 

“The powered wheelchair from Whizz-Kidz has allowed Jack to have independence and freedom for the first time.” (Jacks dad)

.....and here are some young lives we are still waiting to transform with your help:

 “A powered wheelchair would give Jodie freedom and independence. She would not have to rely on me all the time, at the moment I feel as if I am smothering her.” (Jodie’s mum)

“In his manual wheelchair Luke cannot self propel very far and becomes frustrated when he cannot get to where he wants to go, a powered wheelchair would give Luke a whole new lease of life and independence” (Luke’s mum)

The Aims

The Right Start appeal, with your help, aims to raise £250,000 over 3 years to support children and young people in the West Midlands area – including those located in Birmingham, Warwickshire, Hertfordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire.

By helping us fundraise, or even by raising awareness of the appeal , you could help us transform the life of a child in your neighbourhood – enabling their childhood to truly begin.

Support our appeal today

Wolverhampton Wanderer’s star midfielder Karl Henry is backing our campaign, he commented: “The Right Start appeal will give disabled kids a brand new life by providing them with essential wheelchairs and other vital mobility equipment. A childhood can be transformed overnight and that’s an amazing thing to see”.

Also backing the campaign is MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, Lynne Jones. ‘‘I am delighted to support Whizz-Kidz’ Right Start initiative to give local disabled children the wheelchair they need to live a full and active childhood. I hope that as many local people and businesses get behind this appeal so that we can help transform many more young lives in the region’’

We would love it if you could join our team of supporters too!

How can you get involved?

• Organise a local fundraising event
• Get your local school or club involved.
• Ask your company to support us.
• Give through your payroll
• Give a donation by monthly Direct Debit
• Make a single gift today.
• Give online now - fill in your details on the right hand side.

We’ll be on hand to support you and keep you up to date about how you are making a difference to local children by joining our Whizz-Kidz supporters team. Thank you.

To support The Right Start appeal and join our supporters team, please call us now on 0121 472 3261 or 020 7233 6600.

To find out more about the importance of our work, please go to Why Whizz-Kidz

To get started download our fundraising pack.

 

 

 

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