CHILDREN with disabilities will benefit from swimming lessons and hydrotherapy following a donation from a supermarket foundation.
Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity was awarded £5,040 from the Morrisons Foundation to provide swimming lessons and hydrotherapies for 80 youngsters from Haywards Heath.
Over 40 weeks, they will receive specialist swimming lessons and water play opportunities, designed specifically to help with their disabilities, including cerebral palsy and other mobility impairments.
Rowan Cranston is one of the children involved with the charity and his mother Meredith said he loves taking part in the swimming lessons.
She said: “When Rowan gets in the water for his swimming lesson his face lights up and he does not stop smiling and laughing throughout the whole class.
“It brings him so much joy, and us to see this.
“His swimming skills are also going from strength to strength and he has just been awarded his Level 1 swimming badge.
“Even though he is unable to verbalise it to us, we know his swimming class is the highlight of his week.”
Erin Fuller, Morrisons Foundation specialist, said: “I’m delighted that Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity are able to provide such amazing support to disabled children from all across the region.
“Seeing the difference their vital work does for the children and their families really does make me very proud that the Morrisons Foundation has been able to make this donation.”
Dame Vera Lynn, who lived in Ditchling until her death in 2020 at the age of 103, founded the charity to give children with cerebral palsy and other motor learning difficulties a place where they could learn and thrive in a warm, supportive setting.
Through its early intervention service and support network, the charity works alongside families to give their children the best possible start so they can realise their full potential.
The Morrisons Foundation was set up by Morrisons supermarket in 2015 and awards grants for charity projects which help improve lives.
Since launching, over £35 million has been donated to hundreds of charities across England, Scotland and Wales.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here