A Berwickshire run charity has received a £50,000 boost from the Department for International Development to help provide care for children with Cerebral Palsy in Ghana.
Cerebral Palsy Africa, which has been going since 2005, was set up by Archie Hinchcliffe, who lived and worked in Africa as a paediatric physiotherapist and is now based in Duns.
The charity provides therapists and other professionals with the skills to support children in Africa with cerebral palsy. Children with the condition, which is the result of damage to the part of the brain that controls movement, can be helped to move purposefully but only if they receive therapy from a very early age.
The grant has been awarded from the Small Charities Challenge Fund (SCCF), which provides funding for two year projects of up to a maximum of £50,000 to charities with an annual income of £250,000 or less.
Cerebral Palsy Africa will use the grant to support children with the condition to attend school, by training teachers and support the production of assistive devices such as chairs and standing frames. A Cerebral Palsy module will also be developed and added to the Special Education Department at Winneba University of Education.
John Lamont MP said: “This fund from the UK Government is hugely competitive and it is a remarkable achievement for Archie and her team to have secured the maximum grant available.
“Cerebral Palsy Africa are doing some incredible work in some of the world’s most impoverished areas. They are already supporting teachers and health professionals in countries including Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. This extra funding will make a huge difference and allow them to expand their work providing early therapy and support for children with Cerebral Palsy in Ghana.
“The Department for International Development do some great work supporting charities in the UK and I am pleased that a Borders Charity has been successful in securing this funding.”
More about Cerebral Palsy Africa here:
http://www.cerebralpalsyafrica.org/about-us/index.html
More about the Small Charities Challenge Fund here:
