Help us raise money to fund disabled swing in Burgess Hill

The swing is for disabled children at Finches in Folders Lane – a short breaks facility.

As a paper, we were inspired by Izzy Ellis, a regular visitor at Finches, who has kickstarted the fundraising by doing an abseil.

Here is her story:

Izzy Ellis

Young Izzy is a regular visitor at Finches in Burgess Hill. The facility in Folders Lane, which is part of the Chailey Clincal Services, has looked after her for six years and as a way of saying thank you the eight-year-old has launched an appeal to buy a wheelchair swing for the garden.

Izzy, who suffers from Glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1), a rare but serious inherited condition which means she can’t process certain amino acids, has already raised more than £800 after doing a sponsored abseil at Lodge Hill Centre near Pulborough.

Her mum Natalie Ellis, 33, of Condor Way, Burgess Hill, said of her fundraising efforts: “It is absolutely amazing, I was so proud of her when she did it – it made me cry.

“She is only little – this was a big life experience for her. I could see she was really nervous, but she was excited too.

“When she was coming down she had the biggest smile on her face. She was really happy.”

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Izzy, a pupil at Woodlands Meed school in Burgess Hill, spends three nights a week at Finches.

The facility already has a wheelchair roundabout but Izzy and the other children would love for there to be a swing there too.

“She loves being on a swing,” said mum Natalie.