Local charity ‘touched’ by generous donation

24th March 2011

 

Newport-based Gwent Hospitals Contributory Fund (GHCF) has donated musical instruments and dance equipment to pioneering charity Touch Trust which will benefit its visitors with profound physical and learning disabilities.

 

Based at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, Touch Trust is an innovative charity which offers creative, touch-based movement education and dance programmes for the benefit of individuals, known as visitors or guests, with autism, multiple disabilities and challenging behaviour.

 

Health cash plan provider, GHCF, has donated musical instruments and colourful materials which will be used for the dance programmes. The holistic charity received the funding to help develop the creative techniques used to enhance the lives of those with profound physical and learning disabilities.

 

Director of Touch Trust, Dilys Price, said: "The new equipment will be used to help our visitors interact with each other and their carers. This part of the programme is used to boost self-esteem, confidence and is a great way for them to bond with their carers.

 

"We also use a series of touch-based and breathing techniques to help our guests focus and relax. These have seen real health benefits, especially for those with cerebral palsy.

 

"We are so grateful to GHCF for the donation of the equipment for our visitors. Without the donation we would have had to rely on our own fundraising for new equipment."

 

Touch Trust was founded by keen skydiver, Dilys Price OBE, in 1996 because she wanted to create a ‘happiness centre’ for people with severe disabilities and give them the opportunity to experience exhilaration.

 

Chief executive of GHCF, Andy Wilkins, said: "Touch Trust is a truly remarkable charity and what started out as providing a bit of fun to people with serious development and relaxation problems has transformed into the organisation today which offers real health benefits to its visitors.

 

"Being a health-related, not-for-profit organisation ourselves, we like to be able to give donations to charities like Touch Trust that are making a difference to peoples’ lives."

 

Touch Trust has to raise £10,000 a year in order to provide bursaries for guests to enable them to access the programme.. For more information or to give a donation visit www.touchtrust.co.uk

GHCF offers an affordable alternative to private healthcare. Members can claim cash back for routine medical procedures including dental and optical treatments.

 

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For more information contact Leanne Bayston at Working Word on 02920 646 840 or

leanne.bayston@workingword.co.uk

Notes to editor

 

Gwent Hospitals Contributory Fund is a not-for-profit organisation that is regulated by the Financial Services Authority. The health cash plan provider works with individuals and employers by providing cash back benefits for a variety of routine medical treatments. They also offer an exclusive bespoke package for South Wales Chamber of Commerce members.

 

 

For more information visit

www.ghcf.co.uk or call free on 0800 479 8003