PDF of the leaflet here - Whizz-Kidz

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The Whizz-Kidz effectWhen Whizz-Kidz helps a child by providing an appropriatewheelchair at the right time, the whole family benefits…and it doesn’t stop there. For every £1 spent by thecharity on the right wheelchair, between £10 and £65is generated for society*.The Whizz-Kidz effect trickles out in lots of important ways:– A young person has greater independenceand more chance of taking up training andemployment opportunities later on– Parents and family members who takeon care for the young person are freedup to work, increasing the family’s income– Schools save on classroom adaptationsand support from teachers– Pressure on the NHS is reduced, and costs savingsare made when a child is correctly seated in anappropriate chair– More money is saved for the economyas families draw on fewer welfare servicesand benefitsThe wheelchair is just the startOur nationwide Kidz Unlimited programmegives disabled children and young people:– Training so they can use theirwheelchairs properly– Improved chances of employment throughour work placement programme– Opportunities to interact with each other,have fun, and campaign on issues that affecttheir lives at our clubs and campsTo find out more about what’s on offer in your area,visit our website at www.whizz-kidz.org.uk*Frontier Economics Social Return on Investment report 201103

In some areas, we are working with your localNHS wheelchair service to deliver the rightequipment, cutting waiting lists and using oursuccessful track record to enhance the service,save costs for the NHS, and bring health benefitsto the local community. And when we work withthe NHS we can often help adults too, improvingtheir prospects and giving them the chance tohave active lives.Ask your GP, Community Therapist orother healthcare professional, or log on towww.whizz-kidz.org.uk for more informationabout Whizz-Kidz and how we work withthe NHS locally.04

Malachi’s StoryHis mum Sam says: “Malachi has a very rare form of muscular dystrophy,which means that his muscles are low toned. He can’t walk and it makes himvery tired – for example, if he has to hold his hand up for a long time at school toanswer a question.Every year, Whizz-Kidz helps thousands ofdisabled children and young people to get outand about, be more independent and makethe most of their lives. It’s amazing the differencethe right wheelchair can make for youngstersand their families – and we wanted to shareone inspiring story with you.He started off with a manual chair from the NHS, but the self-propelling motionwould tire him out, so he wouldn’t get very far and he’d have to relyon adults to push him around.Children of his own age were off toddling about, running around and getting awayquicker than he could, so he couldn’t keep up if he wanted to play tag or chaseabout. As a result he was a bit withdrawn from children his own age unless theywere sitting or not moving around. If they were going out and playing or going onthe trampoline, he’d prefer to sit with the adults.It was heart-breaking not being able to see him do things that other children weredoing. We went to birthday parties and I tried my best to involve him, but eventhough Malachi enjoyed being there, he realised his limitations.We were very keen for Malachi to go to mainstream school. Our NHS MuscularDystrophy Consultant was amazing in responding to Malachi and our wholefamily’s needs and said that the best thing for Malachi would be to have a poweredwheelchair. At another consultation, she told us about Whizz-Kidz.Continued over05

The Whizz-Kidz therapists were really lovely, really good with Malachi and theygave us loads of information. They took time to find out about his character andour family, and understood what he’d want from his wheelchair. He wanted onethat was cool – and straight away they had a chair in mind. Malachi is more thanjust his disability, and I wanted his chair to be a talking point, not something he hadto be ashamed of. Instead of people seeing a child in a chair and thinking “that’s ashame”, they’d see him whizz past and say “wow, have you seen that little boy inthat chair?”His new powered chair was delivered really quickly and Malachi was instantlya happier little boy. One of the best bits is that he can raise his seat to the sameheight as an adult, so people don’t have to bend down to hear him. The chair alsohas tilt-in-space, so if he’s been out for a long day he can lie back, which is reallygood for his posture because it means he’s not in the same position all the time.This means fewer visits to the GP, and overall he’s much healthier. He can also getinto much smaller spaces as his chair pivots around in the same spot – space isn’talways great in places like home, school and shopping centres, so that’s made it alot easier for him to get around. Having a powered wheelchair has brought Malachion loads. He can race off when he wants to – just like other children – and he cankeep up with other children and adults. It’s really boosted his confidence.”06

You can find out more about what we do andhow you can apply for mobility equipment atwhizz-kidz.org.uk or by calling us on020 7233 6600Rate and Review your chair onlineIf you’ve been given a chair by Whizz-Kidz, we want to know what you thinkabout it. Do you like the way it looks, for example? Is it easy to transport?We want children and young people to have lots of choice and gold standardequipment and services, so visit whizz-kidz.org.uk and tell us what you think.We will give the manufacturers your feedback so they can make changes.So you’ll be helping us deliver even better equipment and service in the future.07Whizz-Kidz is the working name for The Movement for Non-Mobile Children.Registered charity no. 802872. Charity registered in Scotland (No.SC042607)