Diverse Abilities, Dorset’s disability charity, is delighted to have received a grant of £18,178 from the Talbot Village Trust for new hoists at the charity’s special school Langside, for children aged two to 19 with disabilities.
The grant of £18,178 will purchase 14 new hoists for the children to use when at school, which helps when moving from one place to another – for example to the floor, a changing bed, resting mat, into chairs, into the hydro pool, sensory room or into their wheelchairs.
For children with disabilities it is vital they can move out of their wheelchairs to give their bodies a stretch and have a change of position to stop their joints and muscles from tightening up. All this helps to maintain some mobility and enhances the children’s well-being and quality of life.
Jon Seaward, principal at Langside School, said: “We are delighted with the grant received from the Talbot Village Trust and are ever so grateful. Many of our hoists are quite old, are hard to manoeuvre and require more preparation time. We use them every day, at least 50 times, so the new hoists will make such a difference.
“Without hoists our children wouldn’t be able to access the hydro pool, the floor for physio, rest time, stretches or have an acceptable level of personal care. They are essential for the children’s continued care, so this grant is fantastic for the children that attend.”
Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury and Talbot Village Trustee, said: “We were delighted to award a grant of more than £18,000 to Diverse Abilities. It’s brilliant to see the funds being used at Langside special school, where new hoists can truly make a difference to children in their day to day life.”
