SCOOTER GRANNIES AIM TO RAISE £4,800 FOR A DISABLED TEN YEAR OLD FROM IRLAM

Eight men dressed as grannies travelled from Anfield to Old Trafford on June 26th dressed as grannies to raise £4,800 for specialised physiotherapy for ten-year-old Freya Bailey from Irlam, Manchester.

Freya was born with two holes in her heart and has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Her physiotherapy, which is not available on the NHS, costs around £1,000 per month.

Dad Darren, 49, came up with the Scooter Grannies idea in 2016 to help raise funds for an operation which helped ease Freya’s pain. He now has to continue to raise money for ongoing physio which helps to keep her mobile and means she can continue to ride her adapted bike and go swimming.

Darren said:

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‘Originally I was thinking of some kind of event with us dressed as superheroes but my friend Olive, who is 80, said: ‘Everyone does that, why not dress as grannies? So I took myself to the charity shop, bought some outfits and Scooter Grannies was born.’

In previous years, Darren and his colleagues have scooted from Irlam to Blackpool, Irlam to Chester and Huddersfield to Irlam. They are sponsored by 20 local businesses who sponsor the race to continue to pay for Freya’s physiotherapy – the money raised by this event will cover physio for around the next five to six months. Darren’s next Scooter Grannies event is planned for September.

Darren said:

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‘The Scootergrannies completed a gruelling 32 miles along the East Lancs A580 from Anfield to UTD Old Trafford. A few bumps, bruises and blurry moments but spirits never faltered and all in support of #freyaslittlelegs. Even getting the local workmen to join in the fun along the way. The funds raised continue to provide physiotherapy and essential equipment for Freya to make life as comfortable and pain free as possible. 

‘They were given a boost throughout the day with the honking of horns, waves and requests for pics from strangers and even the odd 'we've seen you grannies on BBC last week, you were great, keep up the good work'

‘Thank you to everyone involved, family, friends, Scootergrannies, support team, local business sponsors and the local community for still keeping Freya in your thoughts.  

‘There is no cure for cerebral palsy, no magic wand just a family’s resilience against the odds to raise the funds trying to give Freya the best they can. This has been made easier and more pleasurable with the friends and family I have around me.’ 

Darren and his supporters are also keen to raise funds for other local families with children with disabilities, so this year the £120 collected along the route will support Michelle Vincent and her son Kaiden, 16, who has Angelman Syndrome. Michelle set up a group for local carers @m44 and Darren is also a member.

Gill Gibb, CEO of Tree of Hope said:

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‘We’re delighted to be helping with Freya’s fundraising and Scooter Grannies is certainly an innovative event! We wish Darren all the best with it.’

To donate to Freya’s fund, visit https://www.treeofhope.org.uk/freyaslittlelegs/