Update:

At the end of August, the children started their challenge of collectively covering the distance of a marathon (26.2 miles) in a month. All of the children have taken part in various physical activities including swimming, cycling and bouncing, along with walking with the aid of their newly funded Innowalk Pro, which is a dynamic standing aid that supports children with motor impairments to sit or stand safely while experiencing the movement of their arms and legs.

Staff at Craighalbert Centre thought this was going to be a tough challenge for the children, however they knew they would work as a team and give it their all. The children have amazed everyone, as they have smashed their target distance of 26.2 miles in just 2 weeks. So have now set a new target of 52.4 miles (2 marathons).

On Monday 21st August 2023 the children from the Craighalbert Centre will begin their fundraising challenge of jointly covering the distance of a marathon (26.2 miles) in a month.

The children at the Craighalbert Centre have multiple and complex additional support needs which affect their movement. Thanks to a donation from HSBC, the Craighalbert Centre was able to purchase an Innowalk Pro - a motorised dynamic standing aid that allows children with motor impairments to be supported safely in a sitting or standing position, while experiencing movement of their arms and legs. The Innowalk will now be used in the children’s quest to walk, cycle, swim and bounce the equivalent distance of a marathon.

Lizzie Barke, Physiotherapy Lead at the Craighalbert Centre said “The Innowalk donated by HSBC has had a huge impact on the health and wellbeing of the children attending the Centre and this challenge is the perfect opportunity to highlight the children’s achievements! We also hope it will help us to fundraise towards the purchase of a race runner and pacer to offer even more choice and opportunity for the children to participate in physical activities.”

Parent Anne Kelly said “My daughter gets a really good stretch in the innowalk and you can really see the difference in her mood. Using the innowalk improves her quality of life in so many ways and she sleeps and eats brilliantly afterwards! It’s nice to see her physically active – it makes a big difference to her.”

One of the children used their communication aid to share her thoughts about the innowalk and said “Lets go for a walk.... this is hard”

CEO, Bob Fraser commented “Our children are well used to overcoming challenges and I am sure they will do amazingly on their marathon challenge. They don’t let anything stand in their way and we are very proud of them.”

“We would like to thank HSBC for their very generous donation of an Innowalk Pro, which has inspired us to fundraise for additional equipment offering a choice of activities suitable to the children in the school and those that we support across Scotland through our therapeutic programmes.”

Every pound counts and your donation will help make a difference in the lives of children with neurological conditions and motor impairments across Scotland.

How to get involved

Donate: Our young marathoners are determined to give their all to complete this challenge. You can support them by making a donation – every penny counts! Your donation will go directly towards providing specialist equipment that will offer a chance to explore, learn, and play freely, while participating in a variety of physical activities.

Spread the Word: Share our campaign far and wide! Tell your friends, family, and colleagues about the marathon and the inspiring journey these children are embarking on. Through social media, emails, or word of mouth, your advocacy can spark a ripple effect of kindness and compassion.

Follow us online: Follow us on social media to keep up to date with our marathon challenge, find out more about who we are and other ways to support us.

Thank you for your support!