DISABLED children’s charity Whizz-Kidz has been awarded a £5.3 million grant to provide 10,000 new opportunities for young people with disabilities.
The multi-million pound grant comes from the Big Lottery Fund which is responsible for giving out 40 per cent of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
Whizz-Kidz provides disabled children with vital mobility equipment, opportunities to meet and have fun as well as skills needed for the future.
The grant will enable Whizz-Kidz to provide more of its services than ever before through clubs, camps, wheelchair skills training and work placements.
The charity’s new project will tackle issues facing young wheelchair users including social isolation, dependency on family and carers, lack of skills, confidence and experience.
The charity will provide young people with the skills needed to independently operate a wheelchair with confidence, opportunities to form better social networks, fun residential breaks away from parents and support to gain work experience.
A volunteering and young leaders programme will provide opportunities to assist with and deliver these services as well as monitoring and evaluation progress.
Ruth Owen, chief executive of Whizz-Kidz, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this transformative funding from the Big Lottery Fund, which will support our bold and dynamic vision to enhance the life chances of thousands of disabled children, young people, and their families across England.
“Whizz-Kidz is committed to empowering young people with the tools they need to lead active and fulfilling childhoods, contribute to their communities, and reach their future potential.”
