The Children’s Hospital Charity and the South Yorkshire Ability Counts League team up for new outdoor facilities at the Ryegate Centre
An update on the results of the Christmas 2023/24 successful fundraising campaign by SYACL.
A new outdoor play hut has been installed in the gardens at Sheffield Children’s Hospital – Ryegate Centre – and today, players from the S Yorks ACL visited the site to cut the ribbon on this fantastic new play area complete with learning and play facilities.
For readers who are unaware of the Ryegate Centre it is part of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust which is one of only three dedicated children’s hospital trusts in the UK and provides integrated healthcare for children and young people, including community and mental health care as well as acute and specialist services.
They see children from 0 – 6 in most cases and in some cases up to 18 and provide a full range of services for residents of Sheffield and South Yorkshire as well as specialised services for patients from across the United Kingdom.
Ryegate House provides overnight short breaks for children and young people aged 0-19 with complex neuro-disabilities, multiple and profound physical and learning disabilities and life-limiting conditions. They aim to provide a home from home environment where a personalised approach is taken for the needs of each child or young person.
The South Yorkshire Ability Counts League is a pan-disability football competition, involving around 600 participants ranging in age from Under-12 to adult; players are of any gender, and live with a range of disabilities – physical, educational and emotional. The League was voted League of the Year by Sheffield and Hallamshire County FA in 2023 and runs a Fundraising campaign each Christmas.
The 2023/24 fundraiser raised £3090, specifically for outdoor play enhancements at Ryegate. Many of our players have benefited from the fantastic respite care offered by the team at Ryegate and so the cause was even more heartfelt.
The appeal total included a fantastic donation of £500 from Sheffield Forgemasters.
Welcomed by SCH’s Carly-Ann Whyman, who heads up the Ryegate Centre, and support team member Tanya, Spartans team mates Richard, Jake, Paul and Sam officially opened the hut. The guys were joined by The Hospital Charity Chair John Armstrong and Cheryl Davidson, Head of Community and Events and a Governor at SCH.
Also in attendance were S Yorks ACL Chair Mike Stylianou and League President Colin Muncie.
Mike commented, “ it’s great for our players to see the result of their efforts and for us to recognise the fantastic care Carly-Ann and her team provide. We hope that this is just the start of a team effort involving the Charity, our League and the Ryegate Centre. ”
The Christmas 2024/25 appeal is still open.
You can read more about the hopes and aims of the League at : -www.southyorkshireabilitycountsleague.com.
South Yorkshire Ability Counts League 