9:12 am, November 21, 2014
Molly, in green top, celebrates the completion of the project with the volunteers
THE mother of a girl with profound disabilities has paid tribute to children’s charity, WellChild, and volunteers from CCR Mitsubishi and Ardent Office Solutions who joined forces this week to transform the family’s garden.
Through one of its renowned Helping Hands projects, WellChild was joined by 13 members of staff from CCR Mitsubishi dealerships in Swindon, Melksham and Cheltenham and staff from Ardent Office Solutions, based in Gloucester, to help 14-year-old Molly Begley have a safe, accessible garden to enjoy.
Molly, from Swindon, has epilepsy, autism, profound learning difficulties, global development delay and scoliosis. She is in remission from a Wilms tumour, a particularly aggressive form of cancer, but treatment has left her with a number of complex health care needs. It takes two adults to support her on trips out, so leaving the family home is difficult.
Work under way on the garden
Molly loves the outdoors and using a swing but, while mum Claire Cook has had their house in Pinehurst Road adapted to meet Molly’s needs, the garden has proved too big a challenge.
Claire contacted the Helping Hands team at WellChild, the Cheltenham-based national charity for seriously ill children and young people, after hearing about them from Molly’s occupational therapist. The team has spent the last two days transforming the garden to meet Molly’s needs.
Claire, 36, said: ‘The garden looks amazing and this will make a massive difference to us. It will change Molly’s life.
‘It looks great and Molly is really excited, her face lit up. I’m really grateful to everyone at WellChild, CCR Mitsubishi and Ardent for their support.’
Lyndsey Smith, group marketing co-ordinator for CCR Mitsubishi, which has 11 dealerships across the south, said: ‘It was hard work but the look on Molly’s face when she saw her new garden made it well worth it.’
Some of the volunteers in the garden before work got under way
The work included breaking up existing concrete, levelling the garden, putting down artificial grass and a sensory area, installing new fencing and putting in a swing.
Lee Trunks, programme manager for WellChild’s Helping Hands project, said: ‘WellChild is only able to complete projects like this thanks to volunteers. Without them we wouldn’t be able to help children like Molly. It’s great that the team from CCR Mitsubishi and Ardent have helped us make such a difference.’
MORE: West Way expands into London with Nissan
MORE: Mazda’s small off-roader, CX-3, unveiled in Los Angeles
