Lostock: Birthday boy swaps party to help others

For Daniel Devlin has asked to take part in a charity run instead of having a traditional birthday party.

So family have organised the charity fundraising for Thursday (August 25) at Regents Park Golf Club in Lostock.

Daniel has autism and spent three months out of school this year after his placement in a mainstream school broke down.

Whilst he was at home and before his new placement started, Daniel took part in activities with charity Breaking Barriers.

And now he wants to raise money for two charities who helped him and his family.

At the event on Daniel and his nine friends will run the full length of Regents Park Golf Course starting at 3.30pm.

Once the event is finished, all the money will be collected and split between two charities.

Daniel Devlin

Daniel's mum Liz Devlin, 39, said they chose to support Breaking Barriers and Independant Provider of Special Education Advice because they hold a special place in their hearts.

Liz, who lives in Lostock with her family, said: "My son, Daniel, has organised a charity run and he has roped some of his friends in as well to do it and he is basically doing it for his tenth birthday.

"Daniel spent a time out of school this year, he is autistic and his mainstream school placement broke down so he spent a bit of time out of school.

"He is in a new school now and he has got a special school placement but in the period of time that he was out of school.

"We were doing alternative things in relation to his education and he accessed a local charity called Breaking Barriers, which puts on weekly events for children with special educational needs and disabilities as a way of building friendships for those children and their parents. He made some new friends from going there and both of us just really benefitted from being part of that.

"And also the other charity that we are raising money for Independant Provider of Special Education Advice.

"I work for the charity, I'm on their legal team but the reason why its an important charity is because by law children with SEND are entitled to educational support that meets their needs but families up and down the country very often face a battle to secure the right education for their child.

Daniel Devlin at a Breaking Barriers activity at the Hive in Moss Bank Park

"So IPSEA provides free legally based advice, case work support and online resources to help parents and carers navigate the system.

"Earlier this year the government published the SEND Review Green Paper, following a review of the SEND system in England.

"If the changes proposed in the Green Paper are made law, this is likely to very negatively affect the rights of children and Young People with SEND.

"Part of IPSEA's hugely important work is speaking up about this and trying to ensure the educational rights of children and young people with SEND are not diluted.

"So we thought both charities were equally important.

"Daniel wanted to arrange a fun run and we talked about doing it to raise money for charity and he really grasped onto that idea and he decided he wanted to raise money for IPSEA and for Breaking Barriers because we have really benefitted from being involved with that local charity as well."

Liz said Daniel has been through so much over the course of the last year and she is so proud of him.

She said: "I am so proud, Daniel has had one heck of a year and one thing I wouldn't want to do is paint any school in a negative light because it is very common for disabled children to struggle in mainstream schools, some manage, others don't.

Daniel with his parents Liz and James

"Ultimately, Daniel's old school, myself and Bolton Council were able to work together to get him back in school and in a setting that can meet his needs.

"Daniel's nine, well ten next Sunday and to go through a school placement breakdown and have to start a new school with all new people, it's massive and he has been so brave and the fact he wants to do something like this to give back to charities that he has benefitted from is amazing.

"People can donate directly to the charities, perhaps in the comments section they could put Daniel's fun run so the charities know that that's why the money has come in."

If you would like to donate to IPSEA, go to www.ipsea.org.uk/donate or if you would like to donate to Breaking Barriers’s work, you can do so via their website https://breakingbarriersnw.enthuse.com/profile