FAQs
- What is Whizz-Kidz registered charity number?
- Who does Whizz-Kidz support?
- What does Whizz-Kidz do?
- Why is mobility important for disabled children early on?
- Doesn’t the NHS provide this type of equipment?
- How many children has Whizz-Kidz helped so far?
- How do you assess a child for a wheelchair?
- Why is there a waiting list?
- How long does it take for a child to get their mobility equipment?
- How many children are there currently on the waiting list?
- How much does it cost to help a child?
- Why is the equipment so expensive?
- How is Whizz-Kidz funded?
- Are children directly involved in the charity’s work?
- How many pence in the pound go to the cause?
- Can I fundraise to help a child in my local area?
- Do you have regional offices or support groups around the country?
- What is your partnership with Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust all about?
- Are young people and their families happy with the equipment you provide – do you evaluate satisfaction?
- Are you working on ways to improve equipment delivery?
What is Whizz-Kidz registered charity number?
Whizz-Kidz registered charity no. is 802872. Whizz-Kidz is the working name for The Movement of Non-Mobile Children.
Who does Whizz-Kidz support?
We support children and young people who have mobility impairments and primarily those from families on low income and who would otherwise be unable to access appropriate equipment to meet their child’s individual needs.
Whizz-Kidz provides mobility equipment and wheelchair training to children and young people up to the age of 18, but our Ambassadors are aged up to 25.
What does Whizz-Kidz do?
Whizz-Kidz gives disabled children and young people in the UK the freedom and independence to live their lives to the full. We make a very powerful and dramatic difference to their lives. By providing customised mobility equipment like wheelchairs and tricycles, wheelchair training, advice and life skills, we give them the independence to be themselves.
The charity also raises awareness of the importance of mobility for disabled children along with the everyday issues that affect disabled children and their families.
Why is mobility important for disabled children early on?
Most of us enjoy our own independence and the freedom to get around and more often than not we take both for granted. All children, especially in their early years, need to experience the stimuli of movement as it is crucial to their overall growth and development. Disabled children are no different.
Research has also conclusively proven that without independent mobility many disabled children develop a documented condition called ‘learned helplessness’. This is when a child gives up on being in control of their world and as a result becomes passive and reliant on others. This is not only detrimental to their growth and development in childhood, but also in adult life they may lack the necessary social skills to enjoy mainstream society.
Doesn’t the NHS provide this type of equipment?
Disabled children have virtually no chance of receiving a powered wheelchair on the NHS.
The NHS is focused on meeting clinical need in line with its statutory duty and only provides a basic range of equipment. However, a ‘post code lottery’ of services across the country means that many children are not getting the right equipment at the right time. Whizz-Kidz is focused on addressing the unmet need, particularly for powered mobility equipment which is not usually available on the NHS. Whizz-Kidz provides for a child’s social and developmental needs and is calling on the Government to ensure all disabled children’s needs are met.
The NHS does not provide any form of recreational equipment such as tricycles or tandem bikes nor does it provide wheelchair training.
How many children has Whizz-Kidz helped so far?
To date Whizz-Kidz has helped over 11,000 children and young people. They have benefited from equipment, advice and support, as well as through wheelchair training and by getting involved with our growing Ambassador Network.
How do you assess a child for a wheelchair?
Whizz-Kidz has a team of qualified Mobility Therapists (physiotherapists/ occupational therapists) who assess each child to ensure the charity meets their complete needs – clinical, educational and recreational. Children are prioritised in terms of need and identified as fast track, high priority or medium priority cases. Their immediate environment, how the family gets around, how often and where the equipment will be used are all taken into consideration during the assessment.
Why is there a waiting list?
Whizz-Kidz receives a large number of applications from parents particularly for powered mobility equipment which is not readily available on the NHS and therefore demand for our service is high. Whizz-Kidz relies almost entirely on voluntary support to sustain our service and does not open a child’s case until it has the money available.
Whizz-Kidz has changed the lives of over 11,000 disabled children and young people since 1990, but there are still over 70,000 children in the UK who need our support.
How long does it take for a child to get their mobility equipment?
Whizz-Kidz is dedicated to delivering an effective service and aims to meet children’s needs within a 13 week time frame from the time the funds are guaranteed to the time we order their new mobility equipment. We are also implementing new ways of working that mean more and more children assessed by our therapists are able to take away the equipment they need on the day they are assessed.
The time can also vary depending on the priority of the case and funds available.
How many children are there currently on the waiting list?
There are currently over 400 children and young people on our waiting list.
How much does it cost to help a child?
It costs on average £5,900 to give a child the right wheelchair (including a therapist assessment), £350 per day to run one of our mobility centres and £2,500 to run a wheelchair training programme for ten children. It is worth noting that the mobility equipment we provide can cost as little as £750 for an adapted tricycle, but up to £17,000 for a complex powered wheelchair. As the equipment is customised to each child the cost can vary depending on the equipment needed
Why is the equipment so expensive?
Mobility equipment is expensive. However, Whizz-Kidz works with a key supplier and a number of leading manufacturers to ensure the equipment we buy has been secured at the best price possible, and meets the medical and lifestyle needs of the children and young people we support.
Our success in securing the best value prices for equipment means that every year we are able to support more and more children.
How is Whizz-Kidz funded?
Whizz-Kidz’ income is virtually 100% voluntary and is raised primarily through companies, sponsored events, charitable trusts and foundations, as well as individuals, schools and local groups and associations.
The charity is focused on diversifying its fundraising sources by securing more long-term and cost-effective fundraising through individual donors, legacies, corporates and increased statutory funding.
Are children directly involved in the charity’s work?
The charity has a group called the Kidz Board, twelve young people aged between 13-18 years who have benefited from Whizz-Kidz’ support and are actively involved in the charity’s work. The charity also has a growing network of young Ambassadors who are located across the UK. Both the Board and the network of Ambassadors raise awareness of the issues affecting young people and act as representatives in their local communities.
We also have a young person on our Board of Trustees.
How many pence in the pound go to the cause?
In 2009, for every pound – 67 pence was spent on transforming young people’s lives, 1 pence on running the charity, and 32 pence was invested in fundraising to raise another pound.
Can I fundraise to help a child in my local area?
We prefer it if funds are unrestricted as it means we can help the children in most need irrespective of their location in the UK. We can map local children to a local trust, group or association, but again we like to keep restricted donations to a minimum.
We can always clearly demonstrate the impact of our work and provide local or regional statistics to motivate fundraisers and indicate the number of children who need help in their area. We can also provide case studies of children waiting for support and information about those who have already benefited.
Do you have regional offices or support groups around the country?
Whizz-Kidz has four bases in the UK. Our head office is located in Victoria, London and we have a mobility centre in Newcastle. We also have centres with our NHS partners in Tower Hamlets and Havering.
Our network of mobility therapists and a wider team who work on a case by case basis are located across the UK. We have a growing network of volunteers and regional representatives, including a network of over 500 young Ambassadors.
What is your partnership with Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust all about?
Our partnership represents a new way of delivering services for disabled children living in Tower Hamlets and from across London. This initiative pools the resources and expertise of the voluntary sector and the statutory services with the aim of providing an integrated service for children. This partnership has enabled Whizz-Kidz to make the case to other Primary Care Trusts and Government for an effective and efficient approach to wheelchair provision for children and young people, and to increase access to mobility equipment that is not readily available on the NHS in England.
Are young people happy with the equipment you provide – do you evaluate satisfaction?
Yes, we use QUEST – an externally validated survey – to measure levels of satisfaction with our services. Surveying families we supported in 2009 resulted in average figure of 4.42 out of 5, for our delivery of powered wheelchairs (questions ranging from ease of use, comfort and effectiveness to waiting times and follow up services). For manual wheelchairs, we scored an average of 4.57 out of 5.
Are you working on ways to improve equipment delivery?
Whizz-Kidz works with a key supplier and a number of leading manufacturers to ensure the equipment we buy has been secured at the best price possible, and meets the medical and lifestyle needs of the children and young people we support. Our success in securing the best value prices for equipment means that every year we are able to support more and more children.
As part of this leaner way of procuring equipment, and working hard to improve the ways we can deliver it, we are working steadily towards our aim of what we call “a Child in a Chair in a Day”. Essentially, we hope to work towards 70% of children and young people leaving us with the right equipment for them on the same day as their assessment. This will be in part due to most of their specific requirements being established during the application process.
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