Cycling Adventures with Rossa

It’s amazing the difference a special mobility trike can provide to a child with mobility issues. Not only does the trike provide essential daily physiotherapy but it also promotes physical and mental development, independence, and self-esteem in children with mobility issues by helping them master gross motor and functional mobility skills and addressing muscle imbalances.

Meet Rossa from Dublin who has a neurological condition. This young man recently received a special mobility trike as part of our “Recycle Mobility Programme” which is supported by The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, The Department of Transport and The HSE.

Since the introduction of the programme back in 2021, our Recycle Mobility Programme has provided hundreds of children across Ireland with disability issues with equal access to cycling.

This allows them to participate in cycling activities with family and friends thus supporting inclusion within the family unit. One of the many benefits of this programme is that when a child outgrows their trike, it is then passed back to the charity who then pass this onto another group of children with disabilities to ensure they experience the same of enjoy as the trike’s predecessor.

Rossa’s new trike has opened up a new world of opportunities where himself and other family members can enjoy cycling activities together. We at Variety Ireland along with the various government departments that support our Recycle Mobility Programme realise the value and importance of ensuring every child regardless of the mobility issues have equal access to cycling.

Here is a lovely note we received from Rossa’s mother, telling us how his new mobility trike is benefiting her son. On behalf of all of us here at Variety Ireland and government departments supporting our Recycle Mobility Programme, we wish Rossa and his family, many happy years of cycling together.

“Dear Variety Ireland

We would like to thank you so much for the most fantastic introduction to cycling for our son Rossa aged 10.

Rossa has a neurological condition which has caused significant physical difficulty to date. He is still under investigation for an accurate diagnosis.

From the moment I spoke with the team at Variety Ireland, I knew that a new chapter of both physical benefit and fun was about to open for Rossa. 

Within a short period of time we met with the company who supplied our trike who diligently took measurements and made recommendations for a customised set of wheels for our red curly haired boy.

Rossa goes out now as often as he can and cycles along the seafront to the ice-cream shop as fast as his legs can pedal, putting all of us around him under huge pressure to keep up!!

Access to longer family trips, through exercise, have now unfolded and with Rossa beaming from ear to ear, the benefits are limitless. 

We all as a family, now look forward to more adventures together with the developing greenways around the country.

To all at Variety Ireland, The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, The Department of Transport and The HSE  –  you all made this happen for us, willing Rossa to increase the fun factor in his life, not to mention the physical, social and emotional gains. 

You understood, there wasn’t a minute to lose. Life happens today and that was grasped by Variety Ireland and all other stakeholders supporting The Recycle Mobility Programme that delivered a special trike to a very excited little boy.

Everything ran like clockwork from our first phone call with Variety Ireland. I would never have thought that within a few short months, Rossa’s daily routine would be enhanced by this amazing custom made set of wheels in Rossa’s favourite colour metallic green!

To all Variety Ireland and government departments who support this programme, what you provide for children in the here and now is invaluable. We are so grateful that our paths have crossed. 

Thank you for providing our son with the power of mobility which supports opportunity and equal access to cycling for Rossa with his friends and family members.

Kind Regards,”

Edel (Rossa’s Mum)