St. Bernadette’s Special School in Letterkenny has gained a new mobility trike through the Variety Ireland’s Recycle Mobility Programme.
The bike was presented by Donegal Minister McConalogue last Friday, who said: “It’s great to be here in Letterkenny to present a new bike to St Bernadette’s School under Variety Ireland’s Recycle Mobility Programme on such a glorious afternoon.
“To date, the Recycle Mobility Programme has helped deliver over 250 special mobility trikes to children with disabilities across the island of Ireland. This programme is making a real difference. I’d like to thank Minister Anne Rabbitte, Minister Eamon Ryan and Minister Jack Chambers for supporting this initiative”.
“I’d also like to thank the charity itself for all the work it is doing, and which is having such a positive impact on schools like St. Bernadette’s. It’s great to be here to deliver the trike and to meet the school’s pupils and staff,” the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine added.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, who presented St. Bernadette’s Special School in Letterkenny with a mobility trike, pictured with students, principal, John Haran, and assistant principal Michelle Shields.
Accepting the trike on behalf of St. Bernadette’s Special School, principal John Haran commented: “We are extremely grateful to Minister McConalogue for taking the time to come to the school and present us with the mobility trike. We also extend our thanks to Kevin O’Brien from Variety Ireland for his work with the scheme.”
“This mobility trike is ideal for those who are not able to use conventional bikes here at the school and our students will get a lot of fun and pleasure from it. Variety Ireland’s Recycle Mobility Programme is an excellent concept, and we are delighted to be part of it,” Mr. Haran added.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, pictured with students from St. Bernadette’s Special School in Letterkenny on Friday afternoon.
The Recycle Mobility Programme, which was set up in 2021, supplies funding towards special mobility trikes so children with mobility issues can be included in cycling activities with their family and friends. The environmental and sustainable benefit of this programme is that when a child outgrows their trike, it is then passed onto another child or school so children with mobility issues can enjoy the same experience of cycling.
Research carried out by the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland shows special mobility trikes can improve the mental and physical well-being of both the child and family members by up to 87.5%.
