Fundraising appeal to make 'dangerous' garden in Hinckley safe for disabled child

Tom Moore and Katy Simmonds are trying to raise £5,000 to make their garden accessible for their 3-year-old daughter Shayla, who has cerebral palsy.

The couple moved into their Hinckley council home this year, after being on a waiting list for a house suitable for a disabled child.

While they loved their new home, their garden was less pleasing.

"We love being outside as a family, especially in the summer, Katy said.

"But the backyard was in a state when we arrived...one of our boys found a packet of Lorazepam tablets in the bottom of the garden."

The garden also lacks part of its fencing one side, which has meant the dog has repeatedly escaped into next door's garden.

However the issue which most upsets Tom and Katy is that their 3 year old daughter Shayla, cannot get easy or safe access to the garden.

Showing us around, Tom said, "First thing is that there isn't a ramp to get out into the garden.

"Shayla gets around using a wheelchair or a walker as she can't walk, and neither of these are easy to get down the steps.

"Getting into the garden, the ground and paving slabs are so uneven that anyone might roll their ankle walking round.

"Imagine how hard it is for a wheelchair to move around."

The family said that because they cannot take Shayla outside, themselves and their other 6 children stay indoors.

"It would be fair on Shayla," Katy said. 

"If we were having fun but she couldn't get around.

"The garden's not in a fit state for any of them but especially not for Shayla.

"We just want it to be nice for her to cheer her up, bless her."

As they live in a council property, the couple said they approached Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council but were told they cannot do anything with gardens.

As a result, they have looked to raise the money and get a private contractor in to pave over the garden.

"We've been quoted £6,000 to pave just half of the garden and so we're trying to raise £5,000 whilst saving ourselves for the remaining £1,000."

At the time of writing their Just Giving page had received £1405.

"You can't thank people enough, it makes us speechless," Katy said of people's generosity. 

When asked for comment, a spokesperson for Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council told Fosse107, 

“Generally speaking when work is undertaken by the council preparing an empty property for re-letting, it is not known who the property will be allocated to.

"The council works to a set standard for all properties but is committed to going above this standard in certain circumstances, such as this.

"The usual process in for a family’s Occupational Therapist from Leicestershire County Council’s Children’s Services to assess the property and make recommendations for any further remedial works which we then carry out.  

"We are sorry for any delays or miscommunication around this matter but are committed to getting the best outcome for this family, so we will progress this matter, with our partners, accordingly.”

You can find Shayla's fundraising page here.