County Durham charity facing closure after £350,000 shortfall due to Covid-19

A charity that supports children with Cerebral Palsy is facing closure due to a £350,000 shortfall caused by coronavirus.

The Heel and Toe Children’s Charity, in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, supports more than 200 youngsters across the North East with disabilities.

Services include physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and there is also a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy centre in Perkinsville.

But due to coronavirus the centre was forced to close and has also had to cancel its fundraising events, leaving it with a £350,000 deficit.

If the charity can’t raise the necessary funds, it could face permanent closure.

Fundraising manager Amanda Tweedy said: “We have seen a lot of challenges on the fundraising side and a massive shortfall.

“The Great North Run has been cancelled and we normally have about 160 runners.

“Along with that, companies are struggling and a lot chosen us as charity of the year and would have been fundraising throughout the year but that has been put on hold.

“We need to raise about £350,000, it is a very scary time. During lockdown people were doing virtual events for us but as they have got more freedom it has stopped.”

The charity normally needs around £500,000 every year to keep running.

Amanda added: “We are applying for emergency grants and help but finding big sums of money is really hard to do.

“We started the year in the best position and then coronavirus happened.”

Amanda said the closure of the service would have a devastating impact on families.

She said: “We have been going for 12 years and help 200 children every week.

“A lot of parents would have to travel all over to get physiotherapy, speech and language therapy but it is all under one roof here.

“They are able to come in and do physio, speech and language sessions back to back.”

The centre has started to reopen to families after lockdown but restrictions remain in place.

Amanda said: “Parents have said it has been really difficult for them to see their children regress after five months and want to come back.

“We don’t offer group sessions now, it is one-to-one sessions. We are doing video therapy sessions for parents who are nervous about coming in. Therapists run the sessions and the parents do what they are instructed to do.”

Now, the charity has organised a range of fundraising events to try and raise as much cash as possible.

This includes a sponsored skydive, golf tournament and sponsored dog walk. To find out more visit here.