Support Treloar's Winter Appeal • Round and About • Round & About Magazine

Karen Neville

Alton, Community & Charity, Fleet, Hampshire, Petersfield & Villages, Round and About

Treloar’s Winter Appeal launches on Giving Tuesday, December 3rd. Can you contribute to their fundraising?

This year’s Treloar’s Winter Appeal will focus on raising funds to replace 54 hoists across the school.

Hoists are a life-changing piece of equipment that allow individuals to maintain their independence and dignity, by safely manoeuvring them within their classrooms, learning areas and residential houses.

The Maxi Sky 600 hoists used across Treloar’s are coming to the end of their working lives and will become obsolete by December 2025. The school currently has 154 of these hoists – all of which are in constant daily use. Each new hoist costs £910.

The school is urgently fundraising to replace the remaining 54 hoists. Over the years, the complexity of Treloar’s students’ needs has increased, and today all students are wheelchair-users. The majority have a sensory impairment and over half use assisted speech technology to communicate. For nearly all students, getting out of their wheelchair is impossible without assistance. Having hoists enables students to get out of their wheelchairs in their classrooms, bedrooms, living rooms, swimming pool and leisure areas.

Clare Bradford, Joint Head of Physiotherapy at Treloar’s said: “Given our students’ complexities, hoists are an absolute necessity for safely manoeuvring our students within their classrooms and learning areas and in the residential houses. The hoists also enable students to access a variety of equipment and environments. This includes being able to get onto their trikes or access the trampoline, swimming pool and soft play. Hoists are found in all common rooms, physiotherapy rooms and in students’ bedrooms and bathrooms. Having hoists available in each room plays a huge role in unlocking the potential in our students and enabling them a greater level of independence, choice and comfort. If you are able, please help us provide hoists for all our students by donating to our winter Appeal.”

Treloar’s Student, Leon, said: “It’s nice to be out of my wheelchair. I had never been hoisted before I got to Treloar’s so it’s nice to not be sitting down all day now. I like getting out of my chair – it’s not good to be in it all day so it’s good to do other stuff.”

Another student added: “Having a hoist in class is marvellous, I can now do walking and standing with my friends and not miss out on anything else.”

Can you help?

This winter, help us lift lives at Treloar’s – JustGiving