Great Scot - The Scotch Family Magazine - Issue 150 April 2017 GS150-ONLINE Version_FA | Page 68

OSCA
OSCA

Wheels in in Motion:: changing community perspectives

Old boys Will Allen, Nick Inge, Will Kitchen, Hugh McKenzie and Matt Pierri( all of the Class of’ 08) see disability as diversity. In 2016, the school friends founded‘ Wheels in Motion Australia’ – a registered Australian charity that aims to improve the quality of life for Australians living with spinal cord injuries( SCIs).
Wheels in Motion seeks to financially assist young Australians living with SCIs to access rehabilitation services and equipment, and to change the existing— and often negative— community perceptions of life with a spinal cord injury.
Wheels in Motion hosts a range of initiatives throughout the year, from sporting events to fundraising parties, designed to break down the invisible barriers to social inclusion faced by wheelchair users.
Each year the boys host a summer fundraising event open to friends and family. Last year the‘ Laneway Launch’ raised more than $ 47,000 through a generous combination of individual donations and corporate sponsorship, and built on a further $ 18,000 raised in 2015.
All funds raised have been used to provide individuals in financial need with the opportunity to undertake an activity-based therapy program for SCIs at the NeuroMoves facility in Footscray.
NeuroMoves is the exercise services branch of Spinal Cord Injuries Australia.
Last year, two individuals received funding for about 80 hours of therapy that they otherwise would not have been able to afford. One beneficiary was an eight-year-old boy who became a paraplegic following a motor vehicle accident in 2010. He started at NeuroMoves, but when funds were not available he was unable to continue. New funding has allowed him to recommence therapy and, most importantly, to keep improving his physical and mental health.
The second beneficiary is a 25-year-old male who became a quadriplegic after a diving accident. Similarly, this funding has allowed him to attend NeuroMoves regularly, overcoming the prohibitive costs of travel from his rural home. The Wheels in Motion team looks forward to supporting more young Australians living with SCIs in the years ahead.
Wheels in Motion focuses on changing the way people living with SCIs are perceived and treated in society. The boys believe that this can be achieved through a combination of community education and fundraising activities. By encouraging open minds and healthy discussions around disability and diversity, the boys are putting the wheels in motion for positive change within their own community and, hopefully, among the leaders of tomorrow.
If you are interested in supporting or otherwise being involved with Wheels in Motion, please see the website: wheelsinmotion. org. au, email info @ wheelsinmotion. org. au, or ring Will Allen on 0437 367 282. Follow us on Instagram(@ wheels _ inmotion). Donations can be made online.
66 Great Scot Number 150 – April 2017