There were smiles all round this week when Variety – the Children’s Charity of Ireland visited St Paul’s School in Montenotte, Cork.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Micheal McGrath took time out of his busy schedule to present a new special mobility trike to student Jai Murphy as well deliver some preloved special trikes to the school on behalf of Variety Ireland.
This is all part of Variety Ireland’s “Recycle Mobility Programme” which is an all-Ireland cycling initiative championed by Variety Ireland’s child ambassador, Saoirse Ruane and Minister of The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Anne Rabbitte and supported by Minister of Transport Eamon Ryan, which gives children with disabilities the opportunity to be included and experience the joys cycling with their family and friends.
As part of Variety Ireland’s “Recycle Mobility Programme” supported by the government, the charity provides co-funding for special trikes to parents with children with disabilities so they can be included in outdoor activities with family and friends. Research carried by Dr. Jolanta Burke of RCSI, University of Medicine and Health Sciences show that using special mobility trikes for children with disabilities improves the mental and physical well-being of both the child and family members by up to 87.5%.
Variety Ireland’s “Recycle Mobility Programme” also has sustainable and environmental benefits, as when a child outgrows their trike, it is then passed onto another child with disabilities so they too can enjoy the same experience of cycling with their family and friends. This saves old trikes being banished to harmful landfill sites across the county.
With government plans already underway to extend the number of greenways across Ireland, Variety Ireland’s “Recycle Mobility Programme” ensures that parents with children with disabilities can gain access to special mobility trikes so their children can get to experience cycling and be included in outdoor cycling activities that most of us take for granted.
Check out this video and see all the smiling and happy faces of the wonderful teachers and children at St Paul’s School in Cork who now have the opportunity to be included in cycling activities as part of the recreational activities outside of the classroom.
Variety Ireland would like to thank Minister McGrath for presenting these special trikes on behalf of Variety Ireland. We are also thankful to Minister Rabbitte and all other members The Houses of the Oireachtas and Leinster House for supporting our “Recycle Mobility Programme” initiative that ensures inclusion and equal opportunity for children with disabilities.
