Tuesday 3 March 2015
Harriet Green meets the WhizzKidz transformed by Ride London challenge
Celebrated British businesswoman, Harriet Green OBE, today met disabled children whose lives have been transformed by the money raised from her Ride London 2014 challenge for Whizz-Kidz.
Harriet and her ‘SunnyHearters Team’ of 7 friends and family took on the gruelling Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 mile cycle challenge in hail, rain and thunder last year – and raised an incredible £100,000 for disabled kids charity Whizz-Kidz and the Thomas Cook Children’s Charity.
Today, at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Whizz-Kidz’s award-winning partnership at Mile End Hospital, she met two families whose children Nida and Cira were being assessed for brand new powered wheelchairs that will give them the freedom to fulfil their own ambitions.
Harriet Green OBE said, ‘We are so proud to support the work that Whizz-Kidz does with disabled children and young people. Seeing the difference their work has made to Nida and Cira today is both humbling and inspiring.
‘On behalf of all the Sunny Hearters, I’d like to thank our generous sponsors for helping Whizzz0Kidz change lives in this way.’
Ruth Owen OBE, Chief Executive of Whizz-Kidz, said ‘Harriet and the team’s huge challenge will leave a lasting transformation on the lives of young disabled people. We are delighted to introduce her to two such families - to witness the dramatic difference getting the right wheelchair makes to a young person.
‘Without fantastic supporters like Harriet, Whizz-Kidz would not be able to support the thousands of youngsters we do every year. Together we aim to reach the 70,000 disabled kids still waiting for the opportunities they deserve for a brighter future.’
If you are inspired by Harriet’s story and would like to take up the Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 challenge for Whizz-Kidz then please visit our website or contact our events team on 020 233 9696 or email
Ends
For more information about Whizz-Kidz please visit or contact Katie Evans, PR Officer on 0207 798 6148 or email
Notes to Editor
About Whizz-Kidz
- Whizz-Kidz transforms the lives of disabled children by providing the vital equipment, support and life skills they need, when they need them, giving them the chance to develop their full potential. To learn more about their work visit .
- Whizz-Kidz has given over 25,000 opportunities to disabled children since 1990 – transforming their lives, often, literally overnight. The charity estimates there are still over 70,000 children in the UK waiting for the right equipment to fit their young lives.
- Whizz-Kidz transform the lives of disabled children by providing the vital equipment, support and life skills they need, when they need them, giving them the chance to develop their full potential.
- We have transformed wheelchair services with our Child in a Chair in a Dayinitiative, which gives children their equipment on the day of their assessment. With our innovative ways of working and expert therapists, our target is to deliver Child in a Chair in a Day in 80% of routine cases, meaning that children are able to take their equipment home on the day of assessment.
- Whizz-Kidz is a collaborator with the NHS and we receive the majority of our referrals for wheelchairs from the NHS. Our goal is for the NHS to take on our successful model across wheelchair services. We are continually breaking new ground with innovations like our mobile app, ‘Child in a Chair in a Day’ and ‘Man in a Van’ initiatives and also using online notes.
About RideLondon
- Prudential Ride London Surrey 100 generates over £65k for Whizz-Kidz each year.
- Ride London spans 100 miles across London and Surrey and was created by the Mayor of London and his agencies as part of the legacy from the Olympics held in London in 2012.
About Harriet Green
- Harriet was recently named as the42ndwinner of theprestigiousVeuveClicquotBusiness Woman of the YearAward
- Harriet’s teamraised over £100k at the event in August 2014 which will be split between the Thomas Cook Childrem’s Charity and Whizz-Kidz.