‘It could do amazing things’: Charity nears £51k fundraising target

Izzy Wilshaw, 24, has learning difficulties and cerebral palsy, meaning she can’t walk independently – but that didn’t stop her completing the Gorseinon 10k last month and raising around £3,000.

The money will go towards helping TouchBase, a day care centre for adults with complex disabilities, in its efforts to raise £51,000.

The centre, which Izzy attends, set its “daunting” fundraising target as its New Year’s resolution – and is hoping to reach that goal this summer.

Based on Caerphilly Business Park and run by the charity Sense UK, TouchBase is wants to buy an Innowalk – a machine that helps disabled and paralysed people ‘stand and walk’. It has so far raised £40,000 towards its target.

The gadget allows users with little or no ability to move independently and get into a more upright position, before motorised movement stimulates walking-like motions of the arms and legs.

TouchBase has been trialling an Innowalk at its centre over the last six months, with users reporting reduced pain and a mental health boost after using it.

The charity has pledged, once fundraising is complete, to make the machine available to everyone in the community who needs it.

Fundraising efforts

Psychic medium nights, community donations, successful fundraising applications and numerous raffles and cake sales have all gone towards the fundraising efforts, as has Izzy’s Gorseinon 10k efforts.

Izzy was pushed around the course in her buggy by eight members of Sense’s running team on May 19.

Having used the trial Innowalk in Caerphilly, Izzy has been building her strength and fitness and was able to walk a little of the course with support.

Her mother, Helen Wilshaw, said: “Izzy was buzzing after the 10K fundraising run she took part in on her 24^th birthday and was showing off her medal when she got home.

“She loved being part of Team Sense and being with her gang. She’s a very happy person and puts 100% into anything she does.

“Izzy can’t walk independently, she needs to hold onto a frame for support or hold somebody’s arm, but we’ve worked hard over the years to keep her on her feet.

“To maintain this, it’s vital for her to stay active and keep her limbs moving and her tendons stretched.”

Helen, 56, continued: “Luckily, she loves being active and takes part in activities like adaptive cycling, swimming, trampolining, climbing, surfing, skiing, sailing and tennis through Sense.

“But the Innowalk is fantastic for her because it gives her a rhythm when she’s walking as her gait is normally uneven. The pace of it and the high step gives her a whole-body workout too.”

She added: “Making the fundraising target and having an Innowalk at Sense long-term is going to benefit so many people.”

“It could do amazing things”

Kate Wright, resource manager at TouchBase, said the team first saw the Innowalk at a disability road show and thought “it could do amazing things for the people our charity supports in Caerphilly”.

“We’ve been loaned one to trial for the past six months and have discovered people who can’t stand or walk have a unique feeling in their legs as they’re trying to push their feet up and it’s something they haven’t felt before,” said Kate.

“Some people can move more easily the night afterwards or have less pain in their hips – and the exercise helps their mental health too.

“For me, another benefit is having eye-level contact with an individual who is normally in a wheelchair. It’s a real intensive interaction once they’re in that position.”

Kate added: “If anyone else in Caerphilly thinks they could benefit, we want them to come in and use it, perhaps in return for a small charitable charge to pay for the upkeep of the equipment.

“That might be people with MS or who’ve had a stroke or a spinal injury, who haven’t been able to access the physiotherapy and rehab they need.

“We want to open our doors to more people and don’t want anybody to feel left out in our local area.”

Donations

The charity wants to raise the final £11,000 as soon as possible, so the Innowalk can be ordered in time to have it set up at TouchBase by Christmas.

Visit JustGiving to make a donation towards Sense Cymru’s fundraising.