Families are at the heart & centre of everything we do at Charlie House and improving children's lives so they can live life to their fullest is a shared mission with our friends at the Gathimba Edwards Foundation (GEF).
Families are at the heart & centre of everything we do at Charlie House and improving children's lives so they can live life to their fullest is a shared mission with our friends at the Gathimba Edwards Foundation (GEF).
Through their Neil Jaffrey Initiative, which was set up to help local children with disabilities, the team at GEF are making a difference to families' lives right here in the North-east of Scotland. We have been working alongside the GEF team to help the families we support access small grants which make a big difference. These grants are available to fund equipment and services to make life a little easier.
Children & Family Services Manager, Leigh Ryrie comments: "Sometimes it is the simplest things that can have the biggest impact on day to day life. For example, a grant from the Neil Jaffrey Initiative enabled a family to buy two adaptable lightweight buggies that can easily be joined together so both children could go out for some fresh air together. The buggies are much easier to handle than two wheelchairs.
"For the families we work with, navigating life can be tricky enough without the stress of knowing who to turn to for help. It's vital for us to work alongside other local charities to help families access the resources they need to thrive."
GEF Co-Founder, Myles Edwards added: “I am a big believer in the power of team work and collaboration. It has been fantastic to work together with Charlie House to make a difference to more families.
“Neil Jaffrey was a close friend of mine and many others. He was someone who always went out of his way to help people and so it is important to us to not only keep his memory alive but to also keep the positive impact he had on others going too. A keen runner, I know Neil would have enjoyed running about Hazlehead Park with Charlie Dog and Mel the Meerkat!”
Life is better with friends.
We captured Charlie Dog and Mel the Meerkat having the best time during their playdate at Hazlehead Park.
Mel Meerkat showed Charlie Dog his family of meerkats, they played hide & seek and enjoyed playing on the new accessible play equipment. Watch the video here.
