All Sporting Chances

The Helen and Douglas House Siblings Residential Weekend in August was a fantastic success. Through Give Them a Sporting Chance, 18 siblings of children with life-limiting illnesses to had fun, made friends, and tried new activities. Above is a photo of some of them at the campfire, all ready to toast marshmallows and share stories.

Two weeks after Tony’s first COVID vaccination, he suffered a life changing and threatening stroke. Before Tony was given his Sporting Chance, he was already in training to walk the Humber Bridge to raise funds for the Goole Neuro Rehabilitation Unit where Tony was cared for, for 6 months. Tony’s Sporting Chance was to visit Euro Disney with his family.

Raised funds for Goole Neuro Rehabilitation Unit

Give Them a Sporting Chance agreed to support a family with a visit to London, with tickets to the Lion King. The visit was to celebrate the 18th birthday of the son who suffers from intractable epilepsy, has a sight impairment, has sensory processing disorder, uses button for external feeding and is wheelchair bound. The daughter also has multiple disabilities. Unfortunately, a short time before their visit the family had to cancel due to the son being admitted to hospital.

Instead of London, Give Them a Sporting Chance supported the family with a stay in a quiet, beautiful country lakeside hotel, which the family could drive to relatively easily.

As the family were no longer going to London, this meant that Give Them a Sporting Chance had four tickets for the Lion King (two for disabled children) on a specific date. These tickets were offered to a children’s hospice within easy travelling distance to London. The family who went were ‘over the moon’ to have such a treat for their young son, who had very limited life, and his disabled sister.

On 14 June 2017, the Rivertime Boat Trust together with Give Them a Sporting Chance (GTaSC) staged the first Rivertime Accessible Regatta (RAR) in the Thames Valley for children and young people with disabilities, offering a unique chance to get out on the water in a safe and controlled environment and try a new sport or activity they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to do.

Based on the North East coast of Scotland, SurfABLE Scotland is proudly delivering Scotland's first inclusive and fully adaptive surf therapy programme.

Glyn Morris, Chief Executive of Friendly Access said, "We are hugely grateful to Give Them a Sporting Chance for their kind support, which allowed us to bring surf adventure to the largest group meeting of wheelchair athletes seen in Scotland to date. Surf therapy and access along our stunning coastline should be available to everyone, and we feel very privileged to be able to offer this."

The Baylis family were nominated for a Sporting Chance. The family is made up of Ian, Sarah and their three children.

Ian is a charge nurse in a hospital A & E. Prior to that he was a paramedic. Sarah is a radiographer so between them, they have helped numerous people and are a big contributor to NHS.

Ian was diagnosed with poly cystic kidney disease and needs a transplant. The Baylis family’s Sporting Chance was at the West Midland Safari Park.

Raised funds for Polycystic Kidney disease charity

James G’s Sporting Chance; nominated by the Community Liaison Ambassador at Tesco, Elgin, who works with James’ mother . James, aged 2, has incurable Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Give Them a Sporting Chance arranged for James and his family to create memories by visiting Disneyland Paris in July 2022.

53 Ukrainian scouts received a fantastic chance to learn dinghy sailing at Wembley Sailing club. Most of them have achieved stage 1&2 qualifications and will continue sailing.

Two girls with Down's Syndrome and Hypermobility difficutlies experienced the Festival of Light at Christmas with their family

Five children with special needs (supported by six Carers) stayed at Benrigg Lodge and took part in sporting activities.

A group of over 90 from the Moray and Nairn Riding for the Disabled Group, including carers, helpers, recipients and friends enjoyed a  journey from Broomhill to Aviemore and back to Broomhill.

Raised funds for Riding for the disabled

A young man with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 enjoyed a a visit to Inverness Dalcross Airport and a flight in a PDG helicopter, a visit to the Airport Fire Station followed by a tour and lunch given by the airport.

Raised funds for In the process of raising funds for a charity of his choice.

Give Them a Sporting Chance liaised with Elgin Rotary and RAF Lossiemouth, to give Jimmy McLean the opportunity to spend some flying in a Tornado Simulator. Jimmy suffers from epilepsy and learning difficulties, but you can see his smile beaming pretty much throughout his experience.

Raised funds for The Laich of Moray Trust, providing transport for disabled and older people

Disabled children's playgroup

Raised funds for Local charities

Forty six young carers

Raised funds for Local cancer charities

A group of disabled students

Raised funds for Hospice South West

A partially sighted man

Raised funds for Local charities

Young boy with cerebral palsy

Raised funds for Local school

A young man suffering from a brain tumour

Raised funds for RNLI

A young woman suffering from a brain tumour

Raised funds for Local charities

A young boy with eye cancer

Raised funds for Local charities

Disabled / able bodied charity group

Raised funds for Macmillan Cancer Trust

Two young siblings who cared for terminally ill parents

Raised funds for London Fire Service Benevolent Fund

Disabled young woman

Raised funds for -

Two injured soldiers

Raised funds for Army Benevolent Fund

Young man with cerebral palsy

Raised funds for Local cancer charity

Young Romanian woman amputee

Raised funds for Local charities

Young boy with xeroderma pigmentosum

Raised funds for XP Support group

Group of young carers

Raised funds for Local cancer charity

A young boy suffering from an allergy to UV light

Raised funds for Local charities

A disabled ex-rugby player

Raised funds for Stem cell research

A group of eighty five carers from Lincolnshire

Raised funds for Lincolnshire Air Ambulance

A group of eight veterans suffering from PTSD

Raised funds for Veterans International Aid

A young woman with Prader Willi syndrome and scoliosis

Raised funds for Local charities

A young boy with cerebral palsy and epilepsy

Raised funds for A local school

A man with cerebral palsy

Raised funds for A cerebral palsy charity

A wheelchair bound man and his team of wheelchair curlers

Raised funds for Marie Curie Hospice

A group of college students with special needs

Raised funds for NSPCC

A wheel chair bound young man from Romania

Raised funds for Local charities

A young man with cancer

Raised funds for CLIC Sargent

A young man with multiple injuries

Raised funds for Army Benevolent Fund

A young man with severe burns

Raised funds for Army Benevolent Fund

A teenager with cerebral palsy

Raised funds for A cerebral palsy charity

A young boy with cerebral palsy

Raised funds for The Ellen MacArthur Trust

A developmental playgroup

Raised funds for Local charities

A young boy with cerebral palsy

Raised funds for Riding for the Disabled

A young man recovering from cancer

Raised funds for A hospital cancer unit

A young girl with juvenile arthritis

Raised funds for Barnardos

A group of college students with learning difficulties

Raised funds for NSPCC & Macmillan Cancer Support

A young boy with brittle bone disease

Raised funds for A charity for those with brittle bones

A young girl with TAR syndrome

Raised funds for TAR Syndrome Society

Two carers

Raised funds for Requirement waived

A young man with cerebral palsy and Asperger's syndrome

Raised funds for A theatre group for disabled students

A family with varied problems

Raised funds for A local school

A wheelchair-bound man with epilepsy

Raised funds for Various causes

A person with Cerebral Palsy and two carers

Raised funds for A hospital scanner appeal

A person with multiple sclerosis and carer

Raised funds for The MS Therapy Centre (South Wales)

A group of severely physically disabled Romanian young people

Raised funds for The St Mary's Day Centre in Cluj, Romania" "A Visit to Slimbridge Bird Sanctuary, The Eden Project and The New Forest

A group of disabled and able-bodied actors and carers

Raised funds for The Lhanbryde Young Parents Group

A young person with cerebral palsy

Raised funds for Riding for the Disabled

A person with cerebral palsy and carers

Raised funds for Riding for the Disabled

A young person with a brain tumour

Raised funds for Fund-raising requirement waived

A quadriplegic person and three carers

Raised funds for The Teenage Cancer Trust

A group of young carers from East Anglia Childrens Hospice

Raised funds for East Anglia Childrens Hospice

A family with disabilities and their carers from East Anglia Childrens Hospice

Raised funds for East Anglia Childrens Hospice

A group of Glasgow carers

Raised funds for -

Two young people one with muscular dystrophy and one from East Anglia Children's Hospice

Raised funds for Friends of Special Needs Children

A group of Moray young carers

Raised funds for Princess Royal Trust for Carers

A man with multiple sclerosis

Raised funds for The Forres and National branches of Multiple Sclerosis

A group of fifty young carers

Raised funds for The Leonard Cheshire Foundation

GTASC was delighted to be able to arrange a special ‘Sporting Chance’ to allow six young men from Helen and Douglas Home the chance to visit the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July 2018. Helen and Douglas Home is a hospice for terminally ill children and young people. The six recipients are all sufferers of Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy and are wheelchair users.  It was a totally unique experience for them all, the crowds, the noise and environment not something they could normally encounter. They had trackside seats to watch Lewis Hamilton come second to Sebastian Vettel on a scorching day.

A group of people from all over Brazil

Raised funds for The Leonard Cheshire Foundation

A group of disabled men from San Paulo

Raised funds for The Leonard Cheshire Foundation

A blind person with cerebral palsy

Raised funds for Red Cross House

An amputee with head injuries

Raised funds for Crossroads (Moray) Care Attendant Scheme

A visit to Edinburgh visitng The Palace of Holyroodhouse, Dynamic Earth, The Zoo, Edinburgh Castle, The Museum of Discovery, Ten Pin Bowling, The Witchery Tour of Old Edinburgh, and McDonalds!

All for a family of four with a child suffering from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

Raised funds for The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and the Moray Carers project.

A young person from Cardiff with Cerebral Palsy

Raised funds for A Cardiff Youth Club for disabled young people.

A family of five facing Down's Syndrome, severe hearing and visual challenges, as well as eczema and chest complaints.

Raised funds for The Ladybird Development Group and Autism in Moray

A young person with learning disabilities and partial hearing and asthma, another young person with multiple sclerosis and co-ordination problems with their carer who has neurological problems which have caused her to become a wheelchair user.

Raised funds for The Moray Carers project

Students with special needs from the Cantray Bridge Agricultural College

Raised funds for The Scottish Downs Syndrome Association (Highlands and Islands Branch)

A partially sighted teenager with brain damage

Raised funds for The Grampian Society for the Blind; The Scottish Head Injuries Trust

A partially sighted person and a partially sighted epileptic person

Raised funds for The Grampian Society for the Blind

Thirty children with special needs and thirty carers from Drummond Parents Support Group, Inverness

Raised funds for The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and numerous other charities

A young person with cerebral palsy

Raised funds for A cerebral palsy charity

An elderly person who has had a stroke and is partially paralysed and a person with multiple sclerosis who is wheel-chair bound

Raised funds for The Chest Heart and Stroke Association; Cancer Research

A young person from Surrey with severe arthritis in both his hips

Raised funds for Rascals

A family of five. Mother and two children suffering from myotonic dystrophy

Raised funds for Rotary International

A young teenager with cerebellar ataxia, epilepsy and asthma

Raised funds for St John's School for The Disabled, Loughton, Essex

A child with cystic fibrosis; Wilm's tumour

Raised funds for The Malcolm Sargent Cancer Fund

Physically disabled sportsmen and women; people with learning difficulties

Raised funds for The 1997 World Championships for people with disabilities

A woman with lumbar disc paralysis and osteo-arthritis

Raised funds for The Shealin Trust of Scotland

A boy with autism

Raised funds for Trellis House, Bristol

A teenager with cerebral palsy

Raised funds for Red Cross House in Glasgow

A teenager with spina bifida

Raised funds for The RAF Benevolent Fund

A man with learning disabilities

Raised funds for A residential home for people with disabilities

Two children one with spina bifida and one with brittle bone disease

Raised funds for Riding for the Disabled, The Elgin Community Centre

A woman with arthritis

Raised funds for The Heart and Stroke Foundation

A woman with asthma

Raised funds for The patient was too ill to travel from Orkney

Three young children one with spina bifida one with meningitis, one with muscular dystrophy and one with cerebral palsy

Raised funds for FACES, a group of disabled children