With a variety of days celebrating children across the UK and the world this month, it’s a good time to stop and remember that everything we do, both
as parents and as a charity, is with the aim of helping them to live their best lives.

For children with disabilities this is often about providing extra protection to keep them safe, supported, and comfortable. Or it may be about providing them with the right equipment to help improve their quality of life, help them learn through play or achieve as much independence as possible. It can also help them achieve the dreams, big and small, they may have thought were out of reach.

But it’s only with the right equipment at the right time that children can do all of this and really thrive.

Each child is an individual, with their own specific needs and circumstances, which means that one type of equipment isn’t going to be suitable to help them all. It also means they may need more than one piece of equipment – but equipment is key to meeting their needs and giving them the quality of life they deserve.

At Newlife we can provide children with a wide range of equipment, from beds and buggies to wheelchairs and seating through equipment grants which can really improve their quality of life. We also provide equipment on an emergency basis through our Emergency Equipment Loan service because we recognise that some medical needs require urgent help that just can’t wait.

If you aren’t sure what will meet your child’s needs best, then you can talk to our Newlife Nurses, who can give you their expert support.

Specialist toys are also available through Newlife’s Play Therapy Pod loan service which enables children to really discover the joy of play with toys that meet their needs, which often helps them by encouraging them to push their boundaries to make leaps in development – and there are lots of different types of pod s to choose from so you can select those that best suits your child’s needs.

And don’t forget that Newlife isn’t just here to support children on their journey; we’re here to celebrate their successes too, so please do share with us the things that equipment helps them achieve, with words and photos (if possible!). This can be anything from a good night’s sleep for them – and you – to a car journey without pain, those first steps they are able to take with the support of equipment, to a fun day out. Anything you celebrate that your child can do thanks to equipment, we want to celebrate with you too! To share, just email mediateam@newlifecharity.co.uk