A TEESSIDE college is putting the wheels in motion to raise funds for a football club which allows those with severe physical disabilities to enjoy sport.
The fundraising initiative is being facilitated by Martin Mulgrew, an auditor at Redcar & Cleveland College who was spurred on to help Middlesbrough Powerchair Football Club in their plight to buy a new wheelchair after seeing how his grandson, Oscar Mulgrew, aged 10, has benefitted from attending the club.
The club is run entirely by volunteers who enable physically disabled adults and children, aged between six and 66, to take part in the game. Playing across the region, the club currently has four teams of various abilities, ranging from beginners’ level to their first team who play in the national championship division.
Martin, from Stockton-on-Tees, said: “Oscar, who has cerebral palsy, attended the club for three years and it was fantastic to see not only how much it helped him develop but how much fun he had with his friends.
“The club do a fantastic job in supporting and encouraging young people with disabilities so when I found out the club were struggling to raise funds for a new wheelchair, I wanted to help in any way I could.
“The cost of a new wheelchair is around £6k and over the next couple of months, staff and students from the college will be hosting a number of different fundraising events to help reach that target.
“Every child deserves to enjoy a game of football with their friends and I’m looking forward to bringing everybody from the college together to raise as much money as possible.”
Carolyn Bean, Manager and Head Coach at Middlesbrough Powerchair Football Club, said: “I’m delighted Redcar & Cleveland College is supporting a local sporting club by helping to raise much needed funds for a powerchair which will allow a disabled person to enjoy a game of football and subsequently develop their social skills.”
For further information on Redcar & Cleveland College, please call 01642 473 132 or visit http://www.cleveland.ac.uk.