Supporters of Newlife can double their donation at no extra cost and change the life of a disabled child this Christmas after the pandemic forced the cancellation of Black Friday, which last year brought in a whopping £118,000 in a single day.

Any donation made to Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children will have twice the impact during the week of the Big Give Christmas Challenge between December 1 and 8.

The charity is heavily reliant on its fleet of shops so it can fund support for children with disabilities, but the second national lockdown forced the charity to shut its stores until the beginning of December.

The fundraising campaign has a target of £6,000 and every penny will be match-funded by The Big Give, meaning if the total is reached Newlife could receive £12,000.

Cannock-based Newlife is hoping people will dig deep to change a child’s life this Christmas, following income losses of more than £3 million caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The campaign will help Newlife deliver loan equipment within just 72 hours when there is urgent need as well as approve “fast-track” equipment grant applications within 24 hours when an emergency situation has been identified.

The initiative will have twice the impact when helping disabled children like 14-year-old twin brothers Jack and Lewis Ward, from Stoke-on-Trent, who Newlife has been supporting since 2007, including earlier this year when it provided them with £3,000 specialist seating.

The charity made sure the brothers, who were born prematurely and live with Cerebral Palsy, received the right equipment at the right time to keep them safe, free them from pain and discomfort and to enable them to fulfil their potential.

Mum Dawn Lewis said: “We are so grateful to Newlife for providing us with the specialist seats that Jack and Lewis needed, I don’t know what we would have done without them. The P-Pod seats have made such a big difference to us all.

“It was such a struggle before for me to care for both boys properly as they would get so upset as they were uncomfortable, but now they can sit supported and we can relax together as a family. Jack and Lewis are so much happier, it has made things better for us as a family.

“The Big Give campaign is such a great opportunity to help other children like Jack and Lewis get the equipment they so desperately need. Donations are worth double the amount you pledge so any contribution to Newlife’s fundraiser will make twice the impact when helping families in need.”

Like many of the families Newlife steps in to help, the Lewis’ healthcare professional told them that as functional seating had already been given to them through the statutory and health services a second seat could not be provided for comfort.

Half of all applications that the charity receives are from families who are in a desperate situation –children may not have appropriate equipment and are left in pain, at risk of significant injury or suffering a rapid deterioration in their condition.

The charity currently needs £68,862 in order provide equipment to 73 disabled children across the West Midlands.

Newlife’s mission is to provide equipment at the right time to not only save lives but change and improve them too.

Mrs Sheila Brown OBE, co-founder and CEO of Newlife, said: “It’s been a really difficult six months for Newlife after the coronavirus forced us to shut all of our shops in March and again in October.

“We lost more than £3 million in income but our promise of supporting disabled children across the UK has not been compromised and we’ve been there for families when they need us most.

“A lot of the disabled children who need our help are at most risk of the effects of Covid-19 and right now they need us more than ever.

“Newlife wants to be there for future families who need specialist equipment so have signed up to The Big Give Christmas Challenge this year.

“It’s a fantastic way to make your donation have double the impact and we’re hoping our wonderful supporters will be able to dig deep this year.

“Regardless of the size of the donation, your generosity will be directly changing the lives of disabled children and their families across the UK who are in urgent need of our support.”

Newlife is the leading charity supplier of specialist equipment for disabled and terminally ill children around the UK.

The charity has been providing grants of equipment including specialist beds, seats, buggies and car seats to keep children safe and improve their quality of life for 30 years.

To make a donation to Newlife’s The Big Give fundraiser and double your donation go to https://newlife.support/thebiggive and make a donation from 12pm on December 1. You can get updates on social media using @newlifethecharity