Now Kineton girl Tammy can play outdoors

KIND-hearted churchgoers and a charity have teamed up to give a little disabled girl from Kineton the gift of outdoor play.

Five-year-old Tammy O’Sullivan, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, had never before been able to play in a park because she is unable to support herself – but now volunteers from St Peter’s church in the village have built a play space in her back garden adapted speciallly for her needs.

The project, which involved laying out soft flooring, building a decking area with a ramp and fitting a disabled-friendly swing, was made possible through the charity WellChild’s Helping Hands scheme.

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Tammy’s mum Rebecca Prentice said: “It’s absolutely fantastic - we are very pleased.

“When you go to a normal park, there is not anything a disabled person can do. Tammy cannot sit up and support herself, so she has never been able to make use of a park.

“Now she can do everything else another child can do.”

Ms Prentice and her partner Michael O’Sullivan, who live in Park Piece, found out about the scheme through another charity, Scope – but even after they were successful in their application, it was not certain whether there would be any forthcoming volunteers who could carry out the work.

But a team of seven from the village church stepped up and managed to complete the project in two days of hard graft last weekend.

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Lee Trunks, Helping Hands project manager, said: “Normally we get teams of coorporate volunteers to carry out work, but we were struggling to find one this time, so it was really nice of the church members to step forward.”

He added: “The materials alone cost around £1,500 and the cost to the charity is in excess of that.

“Paying these kinds of amounts would just not be possible for many families. Gardens are such a big undertaking and a costly venture.

“But a back garden is also such an important thing for any child.”

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WellChild’s Helping Hands scheme renovates bedrooms and gardens for seriously ill children and those who are disabled or have complex care needs.

The charity, which is dependent on donations, funds the scheme. To find out more, visit www.wellchild.org.uk

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