A CHARITY helping children with cerebral palsy to develop their independence has reached a special milestone.

Children, staff and supporters of cerebral palsy charity Stick 'n' Step - which has centres in Runcorn and Wirral - had cause to celebrating the news that 100 children now attend its conductive education classes, allowing them to gain the skills need to live independent lives. .

A spokesperson for the charity told Runcorn & Widnes World this afternoon that the increase in number of children it now supports is down to huge fundraising efforts by Stick'n'Step supporters and the generosity of the Steve Morgan Foundation.

The Foundation enabled Stick 'n' Step, which was founded in 2002, to expand in 2017 by purchasing and funding refurbishment of the charity's centre in Runcorn.

Chief executive of Stick'n'Step, Amy Couture, said: "With one in four hundred children born in the UK having some form of cerebral palsy, there is a huge need for support for them and their families.

"Since opening our second centre nearly 18 months ago, we are well on our way to doubling our capacity and supporting nearly twice the number of children and their families that we could from our Wallasey centre alone.

"We are absolutely delighted with this achievement.

"It costs £5,500 to cover the cost of one child accessing our services for a year and we need to raise £660,000 annually to keep our doors open.

"We are very grateful to all our supporters, in particular the Steve Morgan Foundation, whose efforts and generosity have enabled us to reach this milestone."

Six conductive education specialists now work with the children across the two Stick 'n' Step centres, supported by an early years specialist and eight classroom assistants, while two further fundraisers have also been recently appointed to the fundraising team.

Steve Morgan, chairman of the Steve Morgan Foundation and founder of housebuilder Redrow, added: "When we first discovered the excellent work that Stick ‘n’ Step were involved with at their Wallasey centre, trustees were very keen to fund the purchase and refurbishment of their second centre, now open in Runcorn."

"Myself and my wife Sally have visited the Runcorn centre to see these conductive education classes for ourselves, and the way the children interact with the specialists, and the impact this has on their overall development, is truly fantastic.

"The Steve Morgan Foundation is very proud to have played a part in the growth of this important charity, and delighted that they have now reached this impressive landmark, with many more children to be helped in the coming years."