A Harrogate youngster who relies on a buggy to get out and about with her family can now go to the beach, thanks to a grant from the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation.
Isla Lakin, seven, has autism and has difficulty walking for long periods. Her family has used a buggy since her diagnosis aged three, not only to get to school and back but also for family outings. She is terrified by loud sounds and traffic noises so the buggy also helps to keep her safe so that she does not bolt in to the road.
Her mother, Fiona, said:
We recently purchased an amazing custom-built all-terrain special needs buggy for Isla as she had become too big for her previous buggy, which means we can get out and about again as a family.
“Her previous buggy had an integrated ‘bug net’ which we used in the seasons that wasps, flies and bees were around as Isla becomes very distressed by them and we cannot get her out and about without using it. She also loves being on the beach, especially remote beaches away from the hustle and bustle of lots of people and the sensory problems associated with crowds. But her buggy needed special wheels to cope with the sand, so we applied for a grant for these and for a ‘bug net’.
Thanks to the help of the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation, we have already been able to make a trip to Saltburn to test out her new equipment and she had a fantastic time.
The Chairman of the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation, Peter McCormick OBE, said:
Our grants are designed to make a difference for young people across Yorkshire and we are delighted that a set of wheels and an insect net have opened up new opportunities for Isla.
Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation grants are made to young people aged under 35 across the whole of Yorkshire and anyone who would like to apply can find details at http://www.yorkshireyoungachievers.co.uk/how-to-apply.html
The main fundraiser for the grants is the annual Yorkshire Young Achievers Awards. The 27th Awards take place on Thursday 7 November 2019.