Cheshire’s Lord Lieutenant David Briggs, MBE, is supporting a new initiative to fund more specialist equipment for children with disabilities or terminal illness.

Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children helps dozens of families in Halton and Cheshire.

Mr Briggs, the Queen’s official representative in the county, is backing the charity’s drive to ensure more local babies, children and young people get the equipment support they need, when they really need it.

A Newlife Cheshire Fund is being launched.

Mr Briggs said: “Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children provides a hugely valuable service to disabled children and their families.

"They have an excellent record of helping those most in need in Cheshire and I encourage anybody in a position to do so to help this important charity.”

There are currently 14 children with disabilities or terminal illness in Cheshire who need help to get the specialist equipment that will really change their lives.

The new fund is an opportunity for people to help local disabled children and every penny donated or fundraised in Cheshire is guaranteed to support vulnerable families in the county.

Special disability equipment including wheelchairs, walkers, beds, seating and communication aids can help give children independence, keep them safe, relieve pain and overcome challenges.

Newlife has already helped 309 children in Cheshire like 17-year-old Jenny through equipment grants and loans totalling more than £430,700.

Jenny, who has athetoid cerebral palsy, has received a new lightweight wheelchair.

The Newlife Cheshire Fund will support equipment provision for under-19s facing any significant disability, whether acquired through birth defect, prematurity, accident or illness.

Visit newlifecharity.co.uk/cheshire for more details.