Young wheelchair users in Exeter celebrate a year of successfully tackling youth loneliness
A group of young wheelchair users from an Exeter-based youth club run by the young disabled people’s charity Whizz-Kidz have celebrated completing a year of activities tackling youth loneliness.
The group marked the occasion by taking part in a lively amateur dramatics workshop about the jungle at St Luke’s Sports and Science College, Exeter, on Saturday 10 November 2018. Over the last year, they have taken part in stop-action filmmaking, inflatable planetarium astronomy, rapping, and beat boxing sessions.
The youth club – which is made possible thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery – allows disabled children and young people to get together to have fun, learn new skills, and further their development.
An average of 12 young wheelchair users attend the monthly club to take part in activities designed to enhance their leadership skills, independence, health and well-being, and to encourage social engagement.
Sally Ellis, Service Delivery Manager at Whizz-Kidz, said: “We know how important it is for young disabled people in Exeter to have the chance to learn new skills, build their confidence, and socialise as a way of addressing loneliness. We can’t thank the players of People’s Postcode Lottery enough for all their support this year in helping achieve this.”
Samuel Williams, aged 18, said: “I love coming to Whizz-Kidz because it helps me to socialise with other people in wheelchairs and gives me the opportunity to try new things – like amateur dramatics’!”
Whizz-Kidz has been supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery since 2013 and, to date, they have generously awarded over £1 million to support the charity’s work. A minimum of 31% goes directly to charities and players have so far raised over £340 million for good causes across the country.
