Football team donates toys for children’s therapy

A generous football team has raised more than £200 to buy toys for a children’s therapies service, based at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital.

Canterbury Old Bags United, an all-female team for players over the age of 35, raised the funds at their annual ‘BagsFest’ presentation evening in September and donated the toys to the children’s therapies team from Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT).

Charlotte Reynolds, from Willow Close in Canterbury, plays for the team and decided to ask the other players to support the therapy service as her son Max, seven, has needed therapy since he was born.

Charlotte said: “Max needs physiotherapy and occupational therapy as he has cerebral palsy, caused by a stroke he had when he was born. For Max, play-based physiotherapy has always been the best option as it gets him stretching, reaching and using both hands, without him even knowing he is getting therapy. The toys are part of the physiotherapy and if we didn’t have that he would lose the use of his right hand. He’s really come on leaps and bounds thanks to the therapy team at KCHFT.”

Jo Norrington, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist with the Children’s Therapies Service, said: “Having a range of toys for children to choose from helps them in all sorts of ways; physically, mentally and emotionally. These toys will help so many of our children to reach their therapy goals and we’re really grateful to the Old Bags for donating them.”

The Children’s Therapies Service is always looking for donations of suitable toys to help its therapists provide care. Toys can be bought via an Amazon wishlist through the KCHFT website at www.kentcht.nhs.uk/icare or email kchft.charity@nhs.net.

Max, Charlotte and the children's therapies team at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital