|
|
Greg Mulholland-Working Hard For Leeds North WestMulholland shortlisted for Children’s Charity Champion award
March 30, 2012 12:07 PM
Member of Parliament for Leeds North West and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Paediatric Mobility Reform, Greg Mulholland, has been shortlisted for a Charity Champion award. The Charity Champion Awards recognise the efforts of Parliamentarians on behalf of and in conjunction with charities in Westminster, constituencies and nationally, while Parliamentarians can in turn recognise the work and contributions of particular charities.
Greg took on the Chairmanship of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Paediatric Mobility Reform in 2010, and in the same year became a Whizz-Kidz 'Champion' within Parliament. He has attended wheelchair skills training sessions and visited specialist Paediatric Therapists, as well as meeting with constituents with disabilities, to understand the issues affecting the provision and use of wheelchairs for children.
In Parliament, Greg has hosted dinners and other events to push the agenda for the need for reform to ensure better provisions for young wheelchair users. Moreover, the All Party Parliamentary Group recently published a groundbreaking report "My wheelchair is my shoes" - Making the case for Wheelchair reform'. Greg held evidence hearings in Parliament to hear from experts in the field, raised the report in the House of Commons at Prime Minister's Questions, and even arranged for representatives of the charity to meet with the Prime Minister, since which the Health Secretary and senior civil servants have also met with Whizz-Kidz to discuss wheelchair services reform.
Nominated alongside Greg in the children's category are Dr Julian Lewis MP (Con, New Forest) and Baroness Howarth of Breckland (Crossbench). Voting opens for Parliamentarians on 13th April, ending on 4th May, with the awards being made on 27th June.
Greg commented:
"I am honoured to have been shortlisted for the Charity Champion award. It is fantastic to get recognition of this kind for the work I have done supporting disabled children, both in the constituency and as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Paediatric Mobility Reform.
"I would like to thank Whizz-Kidz, who I work closely with as chair of the Parliamentary Group, for nominating me for this award. They are a fantastic charity, with many dedicated individuals doing important work for the good of so many disabled children.
"I hope that my shortlisting will serve to once again highlight the issues currently faced by children with mobility issues. I certainly hope my Parliamentary colleagues will recognise this and the work I have done and get behind me when the voting opens to parliamentarians on April 13th."
Ruth Owen, CEO of Whizz-Kidz said,
"Greg has been a fantastic advocate, not only for Whizz-Kidz - but for disabled children around the UK that are still in need of the right wheelchair for them. Through his superb chairmanship of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Paediatric Mobility Reform he has helped Whizz-Kidz raise the agenda of disabled young people's independent mobility at the heart of government. We look forward to working with Greg throughout 2012 and in the future."
END