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The Story

“Your wheels are your legs”: The charity changing children’s lives

The Story

The Times

Politics, Uk News, News, Long-form Audio, Global News, In-depth Journalism, Daily News, Exclusive Interviews, Audio Storytelling, News Analysis, Current Affairs, Investigative Reporting, Daily News Podcast

3.91.6K Ratings

🗓️ 22 December 2023

⏱️ 26 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Not all wheelchairs are created equal… whether it’s colour, size, weight or power, wheelchairs can be built to fit the user’s needs. Which is where Whizz Kidz, one of this year’s Times and Sunday Times Christmas Appeal charities, comes in. On today’s episode - we meet two children who’ve been provided with wheelchairs by the charity to hear about the change it’s made to their lives.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes

Host: Luke Jones.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our Apple bonus series: 'Inside the Newsroom'

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:15.0

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For details, visit R.OH.org. UK forward slash offer.

0:23.0

One pound for the first month after 14 free days,

0:26.0

and nine 99 a month thereafter,

0:28.0

cancel any time, tease and sees apply.

0:30.0

May I have your attention please you can now book your train tickets on Uber and get

0:38.0

10% back in credits to spend on your next Uber ride so you don't have to walk home in the rain again.

0:45.0

Trains, now on Uber.

0:48.0

Tees and sees apply. Check the Uber app. I don't know about you but I'd assumed I know wrongly that all wheelchairs are created equal but they're really not.

1:05.3

Our CEO Sarah Pugh says we're a little bit like the saddle row of wheelchair provision

1:11.8

is that we tailor each wheelchair to suit that

1:15.0

child best. Whiz kids are the answer for many young wheelchair users struggling to

1:20.1

get what they need. There's black, candy red, copper, bright orange, bubble gum pink, candy purple.

1:30.0

It's also about the shape. We can also change the activeness of the chair.

1:34.5

So if you want a chair to be really stable, then you make it more passive.

1:37.5

You want a chair to be more a bit less stable, which makes it more activities

1:41.0

as get around, we can do that. The right chair can mean

1:43.9

comfort, confidence, even just the freedom to move about without the help of an

1:48.4

adult. You're listening to stories of our times from The Times and the Sunday Times.

1:55.0

I'm Luke Jones. Today, whiz kids, freedom on wheels. I went earliest month to a clinic run by the charity Whiz Kids, one of the three charities

...

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