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dogs make a difference thanks to the Yorkshire Young achievers foundation

16/9/2014

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PictureCohen with Azerley
​Two special dogs are helping two Yorkshire youngsters to tackle the challenges in their lives, thanks to grants from the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation.

Ten-year-old Logan Robinson, of Pollington near Goole, and six-year-old Cohen Hadfield of Rotherham both have autism and have both been given grants towards Support Dogs which will help with their day-to-day lives.

The Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation distributes funds raised by the annual Yorkshire Young Achievers Awards, sponsored by McCormicks Solicitors.

The Foundation was formed in 2010 to support young people in the region to achieve their potential and makes grants to individuals and projects. Vice-chairman Richard Stroud said: “We were impressed by the efforts both families have made to raise money for the Support Dogs and by how much difference having a support dog could make to their lives.”

Both boys have been matched up with dogs by the Sheffield-based Support Dogs charity to help them to deal with difficult situations and to stay safe. Logan’s brown Labrador, Rollo, will join the family next month, while Cohen has a Golden Retriever/Labrador cross, Azerley, who is already making a huge difference to the family.

As well as autism, Logan has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, developmental delay and severe anxiety disorder, as well as other health issues. Due to his disabilities, he has no sensory comprehension, a lack of danger awareness and finds social situations extremely hard to manage.

His family has been fund-raising for their new dog, with dad Tony completing the Three Peaks, and they hope to be able to involve Logan in future fund-raising efforts, together with his dog, Rollo. Logan has already met Rollo and the family are working with Support Dogs on training before Rollo arrives in October.

Logan’s mum, Amanda, said Logan and the whole family were very excited about Rollo’s imminent arrival and she felt that the dog would make a big difference to their lives, keeping Logan safe from dangers that he does not perceive.

Cohen Hadfield also has developmental delay, along with hearing impairment and complex epilepsy. He, too, has no sense of danger and will run on to roads to avoid social situations. At the moment he has to sit in a special needs pushchair for his safety when he is outdoors but the family has already made some short shopping trips with Azerley and have found a huge difference in Cohen who has remained calm and walked with the dog. His mum, Sarah, said: “Being able to see Cohen do that is just fantastic! He would have run into the road but instead he just walked with Azerley and stayed on the pavement.”

She hopes having Azerley means that the family will be able to do things as a whole family, for example going to the park, which has not been possible before.

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JOSH AIMS FOR SPORTING GLORY THANKS TO THE YORKSHIRE YOUNG ACHIEVERS FOUNDATION

15/9/2014

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PictureJosh Gardner receives his grant from Gary McAlister and Eddie Gray
​​A young disabled sportsman has upgraded his wheelchair, thanks to a grant from the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation.

Joshua Gardner, 18, plays wheelchair basketball and rugby and needed a stronger, lighter and more reliable chair to progress.
Josh, who lives in Halton, Leeds, has seen great success in both sports, and heads to the Wheelchair Rugby Four Nations Cup next weekend (13 & 14 September) as first reserve.

He plays for the Leeds Rhinos WRL team, scoring around 20 points last season, and was also part of the Irish World Cup rugby team last year.

His Four Nations role comes hot on the heels as player/coach for England North at basketball in the UK School Games, where he helped the team win Silver last weekend.

He said: “My new chair is brilliant and arrived at the right time as I played in the National Basketball Championships just after it came. I wish I had had it in time for the Four Nations trials as it has also helped a lot with my rugby!”

Josh had little interest in sport as an able-bodied youngster but at the age of nine he contracted transverse myelitis, a neurological disorder caused by inflammation of the spinal cord, and began to use a wheelchair. His interest in sport grew, as did his success, and he hopes to make even greater progress with his new chair, aiming at making the team for the European Rugby Championships next year.
​
Away from sport, Josh has just begun an apprenticeship as a Broadcast Assistant with BBC Radio Leeds.

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