DISABILITY: Newcastle sets up centre for mobility

Disability charity Whizz-Kidz has received a grant of 100,000 from the Department of Health to create four mobility centres. Three more will be opened over the next year in the West Midlands, the south of England and the west of England.

Gillian Wigham, project manager at Whizz-Kidz, said: "We did a study with young disabled people and an overwhelming need was for a single source of information on equipment. Young people need more information to help with lifestyle requirements."

She continued: "Just as we have different shoes for different activities, young disabled people want and need different types of powered wheelchairs, for example, or adapted bikes to take part in sports activities."

www.whizz-kidz.org.uk

- See Analysis, p7.