Crawley Band of Brothers makes hazardous garden into boy's playground
A Band of Brothers Crawley (ABOB) help young men turn away from crime by giving back to the community.
Their latest project was with the Ingold family in West Green where they have made an unsafe back garden into a playground for 10-year-old Logan, who uses a wheelchair due to having Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdRecruits to ABOB go through a 13-week programme part of which included this practical project.
Mum Lynsey said: “Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a life limiting condition where the muscles waste away. Some boys don’t get past 20 and by 11 or 12 most cannot walk. Logan is 11 this year. He is able to walk, but he uses his wheelchair a lot.”
“When we first moved here, there was decking, but it was held up with house bricks.
“He couldn’t go out. It was dangerous. When you walked out, you would go through the decking. I tried to do it myself, but it was to big a job.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“I just wanted some help with removing the decking, but (ABOB) said they would be able to do it all for him.
“Now he can go out and play football and have friends round. He has a paddling pool out there. It’s safe now. It’s made a big difference.”
With donations of materials from Wickes and Buildbase and grants organisations including the Crawley Lions, and KPMG the team were able to install new decking with a raised vegetable patch and an Astroturf area where Logan and his friends can play football. They did not even leave out his sister Madison.
Lynsey said: “They cleared the shed away and put a kick boxing area there. She goes to the Crawley Black Belt Academy and it was her birthday while the work was being done, so they turned the shed into a punch bag area and gave her gloves.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe next cohort of young men is set to start with ABOB next month and they are looking for a similarly challenging and inspiring project to work on.
Darren MacDonald from ABOB said: “We work with them for 13 weeks to get them to the next stage in their lives, getting them working in the community. Some of these guys have really tough upbringings. One of the young lads who went through out project and was sent to us through probation. He finished it and will be helping the next set and will show them the way.
“Anyone who can do with a bit of support; we don’t have a lot of money, but we do have the manpower.”
To suggest a project email [email protected], find them on Facebook or on Twitter @ABOB_Crawley