Freddie is 9 years old and lives in Northwich, Cheshire with his parents Faye and Stephen, and his buddy dog called Mills. He goes to Hebden Green school in Winsford. Freddie has cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, epilepsy, global development delay and he lost his vision in 2022 and is registered blind. His complex needs impact everyday life from being at home and school to spending time with friends and getting out and about. He is a full-time wheelchair user and Mills has become a great companion for him, helping Freddie to increase his physical activity, grow in confidence, build relationships and develop a sense of fun and trust.
We received an application from Freddie’s parents in 2023 for an Enable grant to provide funding for an all-terrain wheelchair. This followed a previous award that we made to Freddie in 2018 for a specialist car seat. The ‘Trekinetic’ all-terrain wheelchair would allow Freddie to access many more outdoor areas including woodland, beaches and off-road places, which his NHS wheelchair does not. Freddie’s parents had already secured £2,000 of funding from the Boparan Charitable Trust, to be paid directly to the supplier, and we provided the remaining £14,600 to enable the purchase of the wheelchair to be completed.
Using the all-terrain wheelchair has transformed Freddie’s life – he has been able to visit many new places, especially with Mills, including forests and beaches, all without getting stuck! And he has been able to participate more freely in offsite educational visits with his school, who also received a minibus from us in 2021.