Beneficiaries

It’s the wheel deal as we help the kids

South Tyneside Football Trust was given a £31,000 grant from the Chronicle’s Sunshine Fund for the new chairs and special balls.

Toon legend Malcolm MacDonald was on hand as a football club was kitted out with 10 wheelchairs to help start a disabled league, and he enjoyed a challenging game!

Wheelchair football is much like the 11-a-side version, but without offsides, and tackling is limited to buffers on the front of each chair touching. Teams are usually five-a-side, with one player used as a goalkeeper.

The South Tyneside Trust, based at Monkton Stadium, Jarrow, applied for the chairs so that it could establish a North East football league, in conjunction with the Percy Hedley Foundation.

Sunshine Fund manager Jo Harris said: “Every youngster, no matter what their situation, should have the opportunity to keep active through sport.

“The Sunshine Fund is proud to help good causes like the South Tyneside Football Trust and hopes the chairs can be enjoyed by as many children as possible.”

ON THE BALL: Malcolm MacDonald joins in a game of football (Pictures: Tony Hall)


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