Southern View: May 16, 2017

SOUTHERN VIEW Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
Tuesday May 16 2017 7
News
Toy car charity puts a smile
on Woolston boy’s face
CAR FUN: Izack Lidget loves the engine noises of his new toy
car and is learning to control it using a remote control.
PHOTO: DOLCE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
VOLUNTEER-RUN charity
Gobabygo has adapted a ride-in
electric toy BMW for 18-monthold
Izack Lidget.
The Garden City and
Riccarton Rotary branches
paid for the car and supplied
volunteers at the handover,
which took place at
Christchurch BMW.
Gobabygo board member
Bruce Jackson said three toy cars
were handed over to children.
Mr Jackson said Izack, who
lives in Woolston, warmed his
heart.
“He may be profoundly disabled,
but he was aware he was in
the car and loved the sounds –
his face was a picture.”
Also in the driver’s seat was
six-year-old Laszlo Walker, who
has cerebral palsy.
He can’t walk by himself,
which makes it harder to play
with his mates at lunchtime.
Mr Jackson said Laszlo, of
Phillipstown, was immediately
keen.
“He . . . will be driving himself
the moment he’s more confident,
though he doesn’t like reverse at
this stage.”
Mr Jackson thanked the Rotary
members who turned out to
help, including car builder and
fitter, John Harrington, as well
as Len Holland and Russell Pen.
He also thanked the staff of
Christchurch BMW.
Gobabygo is a national charity,
which adapts and donates toy
cars throughout New Zealand.
Chief executive Gilli Sinclair
said: “Thanks to generous supporters
and donors, and to the
wonderful work Rotary is doing
raising funds for us, we’ve been
able to import another container
of cars, ready to adapt. All we
need now is the kids.”
•If you know a child with a
disability who might benefit
from the charity’s help, get
in touch via the website
gobabygo.org.nz
UPGRADE NEEDED: Waltham Park’s playground equipment is
one of the four in the area that could have funding allocated for
some much-needed improvements. PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
Call for playground
equipment upgrades
• By Noah Graham
EQUIPMENT IN Waltham,
Woolston, Bromley and Linwood
parks is in need of an upgrade.
The Linwood-Central-
Heathcote Community Board
submitted in support of funding
to be allocated for much-needed
equipment that children, young
people and adults can use on the
parks.
Community board member
Alexandra Davids said the equipment
in the parks was out of date
and needed updating.
“When you look at parks in our
area they seem to be quite old.”
She said the parks did not
encourage families to go to them
because there was not much that
appealed to families.
Ms Davids said they needed an
overhaul as they were not providing
the community with the
services they should be.
“Some of the equipment is
not appropriate. They’re not fit
for purpose – they’re a waste of
space,” Ms Davids said.
She said city council parks staff
will be at the next community
board meeting tomorrow and
hoped an outline of the future
would be decided on.
They would give an update on
what the options were going forward
and the board can approach
the projects, she said.
Ms Davids said once an
expected timeline was sorted it
meant they could start thinking
about plans.
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