FAMILY
Setting the Tobias with the cheque for children with cerebral palsy
Raising expectations and achievements beyond what anyone believed was possible. That has been the ethos of Paces for the last 25 years, during which it’s become a lifeline of support for families living with cerebral palsy and other motor or neu- rological disorders.
But over this past year, the Paces family has surpassed anything they ever anticipated thanks to their truly inspirational pupils and their gargantuan fundraising efforts. The Paces name has been propelled into the limelight thanks to some shining superstars such as ‘Captain’ Tobias Weller, Lennie Street and Jack Mitchell. They are all exceptionally determined young people who face lots of challenges in life. Yet, they have all defied the odds and found strength in hard times to raise vast amounts of money for their school, as well as raise the profile of its services. Paces was established in 1997 by a small group of parents of children with cerebral palsy. Parents who had been told by medical professionals their child would likely never achieve many things in life, but who shared a view that their children deserved the chance to unlock their potential as any other non-disabled child would. At the heart of Paces is a specialist school for children and young people aged three to 19 who have cerebral palsy or motor disorders. Their key principles to learning are built on the foundations of conductive education – a unique and effective holistic approach that combines education with movement. Cerebral palsy (CP) is the collective name for conditions caused by a brain injury before, during or shortly after birth. It most commonly affects movement
and muscle control and, while greatly varied, mobility limitations are common. Standard NHS physiotherapy and occupational therapy only goes so far; to lead truly independent and fulfilled lives, more hands-on assistance is needed. With a focus on ability not
disability, conductive education is a Hungarian concept that works on the connection between the body and the mind. The theory uses the body optimally to solve problems or overcome challenges using functional techniques and strategies. But the results are astonishing.
Paces promotes first and foremost independence. Pupils learn basic functional skills, such as sitting or standing, to improve their physical ability. The older children are encouraged to actively move around their classrooms as best they can without the use of wheelchairs or mobility aids when possible. It’s not unusual to see children army crawling into a room or rolling across the floor to get what they need. This positive can-do attitude improves a child’s ability and readiness to learn all other aspects of the curriculum, as well as develop their social, cognitive, sensory and language skills. Without that self-belief, Paces’
pupil Tobias Weller may never have raised £150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children’s Hospital last year, preceding him winning the inaugural Young Unsung Hero Award
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at Sports Personality of the Year. Tobias was inspired by the late Captain Sir Tom Moore to complete his own marathon challenge. The nine-year-old has cerebral palsy which leaves him unable to walk or stand unaided. But, during the various lockdowns in 2020, he completed not one, but two marathons as well as a virtual 480- mile bike ride on a purpose-built trike donated by Sheffield-based mobility aid company, Jiraffe.
He originally set a target of raising £500 which would be split between Paces – the school he’s attended since age three – and Sheffield Children’s Hospital. But word of his lockdown challenge soon spread and before long donations were coming in from across the country.
“All monies raised by
Tobias, Lennie and Jack will go towards going towards their appeal to move into a new and improved facility.
”
After appearing on daytime TV, his Just Giving page jumped up £40,000 in 20 minutes.
The fundraising doesn’t
stop there. Fellow classmate, nine-year- old Lennie Street from Leeds, has raised almost £20,000 after his piano playing went viral. Lennie has CP and hydrocephalus (excess fluid on the brain) and cannot read, write, or hold a pen. Yet he’s taught himself to play the piano by ear. His musical challenge saw him set a goal of learning to play 100 songs to raise £750, but his quest was picked up by Missy Elliott, Jools Holland and Marcus Rashford which boosted donations. He’s taught himself to play everything from Beethoven to the Beatles and Justin Bieber.
Lennie
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