The family of three-year-old William Pattinson from Ashbourne in Derbyshire are celebrating a good start to the New Year.

They needed a specialist car seat to keep William – who has Cerebral Palsy – safe and comfortable for regular journeys to hospital appointments. However, the equipment costs £1,280 so the Pattinsons turned to leading children’s disability charity Newlife Foundation for help.

Thanks to Newlife’s current charity partnership with Midlands Co-operative Society, fabulous fundraisers across Derbyshire have raised the money to provide the car seat and the Pattinson family were delighted to get the good news just a couple of weeks after applying.

Mum Nicola said: “William is three-and-a-half now and getting quite tall. He has splints on both legs, which makes them particularly stiff. This has meant getting him in and out of the car can be quite a struggle. The new car seat will have a swivel base to make transfers much easier.”

Not only that, but the equipment will offer improved levels of comfort and appropriate padding to prevent William from leaning to one side, affecting his posture. Nicola said: “When he is sitting his whole upper body slips to one side; this car seat will stop that. We already know it will be ideal for William because he was given the opportunity to trial this particular seat model. He didn’t want the man to take it away, it was so comfortable!”

The car seat will not only help the family during regular trips to hospital but in many other aspects of daily life. Nicola said: “We live in a very rural area, on a farm, so I use the car for most journeys. William has two older brothers, aged eight and 11, so I am frequently ferrying them around and – of course – William has to come along too.”

Since the charity partnership with Newlife Foundation was launched in May 2012, Midlands Co-operative Society colleagues and customers have raised an amazing £397,707; to date this has provided equipment for 166 children in their Midlands trading area (including 19 in Derbyshire) – and allocation is ongoing.

Andy Ball, manager of the Midlands Co-operative Society supermarket in Dig Street, Ashbourne, said: “As a regional retailer we always ensure that our staff-elected charity supports people in need in our trading area. We are delighted to have been able to help William and his family in this way.”

Pictured: Three-year-old William Pattinson.

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