Amber Law Supports Wheelchair Treadmill Marathon - over £3,000 raised for Little Smiles Charity

Benji Borastero is a force of good to be recognised! He is a young, compassionate Gibraltarian wheelchair user who initiated the idea of creating a wheelchair marathon to raise funds for Little Smiles charity. This, whilst juggling University!

Little Smiles was set up by the parents and carers of children attending St.Martins School to raise funds for the benefit of the students with physical and learning difficulties, as well for the benefit of disabled children attending the Early Birds Nursery.

Benji spoke of the importance of raising awareness not only about the more obvious issue of physical obstacles to accessibility for wheelchair users, such as buildings with no ramps or lifts, but also addressing what is still lacking in what he calls ‘social accessibility’. What is a ‘given’ for ‘able’ bodied people is not so much for the disabled community. Chair Debbie Borastero of The Disability Society reports that there are still no sports and leisure facilities for people with physical disabilities. The very few spaces in Gibraltar where there is playground equipment for disabled people, this has sadly been left in disrepair and therefore cannot be used.

The three other wheelchair users who took part in the marathon were Bianca Martinez, Stuart Cerisola and Eric Rowbottom MBE who has been a champion of disability awareness/ rights since the 1990s when he co-founded the Gibraltar Disability Awareness and Information Group (GDAIG). Aside from members of the general public, members of the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Gibraltar Fire and Rescue team also participated, trying to keep up with wheelchair users, with great determination and positivity!

The Disability Society (est. 1966) supported the event by helping with the fundraising and being an official channel through which the funds were paid. Their three objectives have evolved into (1) inclusive education, (2) supported living within the community and (3) the introduction of legislation to protect the legal rights of disabled people living in Gibraltar.

With over £3,000 raised in this collaborative effort, I’m sure its Big Smiles all round at Little Smiles!

https://www.facebook.com/LittleSmilesCharity 

http://www.gibraltardisabilitysociety.com

https://www.facebook.com/The-Gibraltar-Disability-Society-392291064220155 

From left to right: Benji Borastero, Eric Rowbottom, Bianca Martinez and trying out the wheelchair treadmill is Nicole Stewart (nee Buckley) from Little Smiles. Debbie Borastero MBE Chair of the Disability Society standing

Liam Byrne from the Gibraltar Fire Brigade trying out the wheelchair treadmill