When you are asked to pay five pence for a carrier bag in a store have you ever wondered what happens to the money? Well, in the case of River Island outlets – like the one in the Market Shopping Centre in Crewe – profits from sales of carrier bags are donated to national charity Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children.
Newlife is the UK’s largest charity provider of specialist equipment for children with disabilities and terminal illness.
River Island is doing something fantastic with the plastic profits – funding a range of specialist disability equipment. Local four-year-old Amelia Simpson is one of the children to benefit from this life-changing nationwide initiative.
With Bag Levy funding from River Island, Newlife has given Amelia a specialist car seat, at a cost of £1,314, so she can travel in comfort and safety.
Amelia, from Middlewich in Cheshire has a neurological, life-limiting condition called Rett Syndrome. This affects the development of the brain and causes severe physical and mental disability. As part of this she suffers from epilepsy. Mum Jill Simpson said: “It was really difficult to position Amelia comfortably in her old car seat. As she is approaching five now, and getting bigger all the time, we were looking for a rotating car seat to help us negotiate her in and out of the vehicle. Because of her mobility issues she isn’t able to offer any assistance and relies on us entirely.”
Jill suffered a back injury recently as she struggled to get Amelia into the car. This brought it home to the family how important it was to have the correct equipment so they remain able to care for Amelia as she grows. Jill says of the new car seat: “It’s incredible. Amelia is obviously very comfortable in the seat and getting her in and out is much easier and safer. It’s a long-term solution and makes sure that she is correctly positioned to avoid the early onset of scoliosis.”
“It has been an incredibly difficult time receiving the diagnosis and contemplating Amelia’s future challenges. With so much to consider it is incredible to receive such valuable support. We are genuinely appreciative of this scheme.” She added: “The Newlife nurses who staff the charity’s helpline have been absolutely brilliant. The whole application process was really quick and we were pleased at how soon the equipment arrived.”
Newlife Foundation CEO Sheila Brown added: “As local authority budget cuts continue to bite, more and more families are turning to charities like Newlife for specialist equipment which can help transform young lives. Having the national support of River Island is an enormous boost for us.”
She added: “Anyone struggling to access equipment through their statutory services should call our Newlife Nurse Helpline – 0800 902 0095 (free from UK landlines and mobiles) to discuss their individual situation.”
If you would like to find out more about Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children go to www.newlifecharity.co.uk.
Newlife has funded specialist equipment for 405 children in Cheshire, at a cost of £536,957. If you think you could help a local child, go to www.newlifecharity.co.uk/cheshire for further details.
Pictured: Amelia Simpson
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