James is now 21 and has been playing Powerchair Football for over 5 years. He started playing for Middlesbrough PFC, using a second hand chair which is now so old that the spare parts for it are obsolete.
He started Darlington Powerchair FC in 2013; he is the Team Manager and a Coach. He has played for them for 2 seasons and was top scorer in the league last year with 31 goals in 8 games.
James loves being part of a team and playing competitive sport; it is one of the very few times where he can do something as an equal and ‘disability’ does not impact on his ability to be successful.
James is now playing in the National League Championship with Electric Eels and in order to help him play at this level, we are fundraising for a Specialist Powerchair.
This Powerchair will allow James to develop his skills and play competitively against other teams. The chair will be bespoke to James’ needs, even allowing him to play as his condition progresses.
Any donation, no matter how small, would be fantastic and help James become a better player and fulfill his ambition of becoming the top scorer in a National League.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
CLINK HERE TO SUPPORT JAMES ======== https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/george-radcliffe1
Boccia player Reshad Saraj receives £900 ‘A Smile for a Child’ grant
A national boccia player has been given a boost towards realising his dream of going to the Paralympics after receiving a charitable grant.
Harrow’s Reshad Saraj, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, took up the sport – a precision game similar to bowls – seven years ago on the advice of a teacher.
He has since risen through the ranks and was named ‘Boccia England Player of the Year 2017’. This followed success at his first international tournament in Poznan, Poland, a year earlier.
To continue his development, Reshad was awarded a £900 grant on behalf of ‘A Smile for a Child’.
He will use this money to purchase new equipment, as his original set of balls had begun to deteriorate after years of intensive training and competing.
Chris Read, who presented the England international with a cheque at Waitrose South Harrow, said: “It’s always satisfying to see the money we collect being used to support the local causes in the area in which we have collected.
“Reshad is a great example of a worthy beneficiary from his neighbourhood’s generosity.”
His words were echoed by store manager Gary Hawkins who wished Reshad all the best in his quest to represent Great Britain at future Paralympic Games.
http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/15600674.Grant_moves_boccia_player_one_step_closer_to_Paralympic_dream/
A Smile for A Child, a charity who has supported pupils in Clare Mount in the past, has once again made a kind donation to the school. The £1000 donation was raised by Mick Hoban who completed a triathlon in memory of a friend. Mick himself was delighted to visit the school in person to hand over the cheque to pupils at Clare Mount. “The aims of the school in using sport as a vehicle to improve the personal and social skills of young people with learning challenges and autism are very much close to my heart as I have a daughter who is also on the autism spectrum. I hope the donation – which will be used to purchase some new boxing and fitness equipment – helps the school to continue with the outstanding work you are doing and inspires other youngsters to choose sport”
Beatrice is a fantastic seven year old, full of the joy of life. She has SMA, which could prevent her from living a full life if she was deprived of essential equipment.
This is where A Smile for a Child comes in – they have recently fully funded a new powered chair for her at a cost of £24,000! This has helped her keep her independence, keep up with her peers and enjoy everything life has to offer.
We will never, ever be able to thank them enough xx
Beatrice’s Parents
We have many other examples:
A hundred Years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the car I drove… but the world may be different because i was important in the life of a child
Forest E. Witcraft Teacher, Scholar