05 February 2008

MOVE, an innovative charity that helps physically disabled children develop mobility skills, is providing 200 free training places to extend its work into two new regions and benefit up to 1,200 of the country's most disabled children.

The charity is providing 100 free training places in both Hampshire and Hertfordshire to teach local therapists, teachers, teaching assistants and care staff how to use the MOVE Programme to support the physical development of children they work with. Each two-day training place would usually cost £250, saving schools and local authorities a total of £50,000.

The training has been funded by the Hertfordshire-based Childwick Trust and a local supporters group, 'Friends of MOVE Hampshire'.

The MOVE Programme can transform the lives of the most severely physically disabled children by teaching them to sit, stand and walk as independently as possible. All members of the team around the child, including teachers, parents, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and support staff, are trained to use the scheme in a way that is appropriate to the needs of the individual. By enabling staff from a range of professions to work more collaboratively, the needs of children with complex physical disabilities are met more effectively and job satisfaction is increased.

By combining education and therapy, the scheme gives these children the chance to realise their full potential and be, first and foremost, children.
It is already delivered through many local authorities and schools across the UK.

Children restricted to a wheelchair all day can suffer considerable health problems. Their bodies can become literally moulded into a chair shape and their vital organs functioning restricted. By reducing the health problems associated with limited mobility, the scheme can deliver huge benefits for the child. In several cases, for example, surgery for mobility-related problems has been delayed or avoided as a result of the programme. The approach also dramatically improves children's access to the curriculum and enables them to actively engage with the world around them.

Research has shown that 72 per cent of children on the programme increase their mobility within the first 12 months.

Peter Holland, chief executive of MOVE Europe, is excited about the opportunity to extend the charity's work:

"The results we see every day are truly amazing. To these children, improved mobility means the chance to play with their friends and siblings and to explore their environment at their own pace. It is fantastic that we are now able to provide free training in these two additional regions and make the MOVE Programme accessible to more of the children who can benefit from it."

Fourteen year old Ami Al-Khina has been on the MOVE Programme for six years. When she first started on the scheme, Ami had very limited mobility and was unable to interact with others or participate in the world around her.

MOVE has helped Ami to realise her potential, as her mum Karen explains:

"Ami no longer accepts being pushed around in a buggy - she wants to walk everywhere using her frame, or holding onto things. She trusts her care team and knows that they won't ask her to do anything that she can't do, which gives her the confidence to test her boundaries. Ami's goal was to go on a family holiday without equipment. We went to Florida and I took her buggy just in case. In the end, it came in handy for carrying the bags, but Ami didn't use it once!"

Training places will be run over the next six months, but will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. If you are interested in booking a free training place, please call 020 7403 6382 or email www.move-europe.org.uk