News and Events

21/11/2011

South West Scorpions

Urgent appeal for sports wheelchairs.......

South West Scorpions, is a wheelchair basketball club for children of between 6 - 18 years old from Bristol and the surrounding region, with a wide range of disabilities including spina bifida, cerebral palsy, congenital deformity/amputation. The club was set up in 2010 with sports wheelchairs borrowed from a national organisation, but was coming to the end of the agreement to borrow the wheelchairs. The club urgently needed to raise funds to purchase their own equipment. Most of the children rely on this equipment to participate--some even take wheelchairs home with them during the week to use in their PE lessons or to practice their skills at home with friends. Lifeline 4 Kids had no hesitation in funding 5 sports wheelchairs for children with disabilities to use to play wheelchair basketball so the club can continue to run weekly training every Sunday.

The first picure shows Katherine, 14, who was born with cerebral palsy and joined the South West Scorpions several months ago. Although she finds it difficult to push a wheelchair, she worked hard to improve her basketball skills and eventually decided to take on the bigger challenge of attending the National Junior Championships in October. For Katherine, this was the first time she had ever been away from home without her parents and was a major milestone in her life, showing her that she can be independent with practice and hard work. She used one of the club's new sports wheelchairs during the weekend--and played the whole 20 minutes during an incredible seven matches over the weekend! She is now a very vocal and confident club member and has great potential as a future club leader and coach. Good luck Katherine and good luck to all the children of South West Scorpions!

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