Lifelites has received a fantastic donation of £8,000 from the VINCI UK Foundation to help fund assistive and sensory technology at our Yorkshire partners, Forget Me Not children's hospice, Huddersfield.
The VINCI Foundation is the philanthropic body of the global construction company, VINCI, and the UK branch works across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland to support initiatives that promote social cohesion, fights exclusion and isolation by combining the skills of VINCI staff, together with financial assistance, to be a long-term partner of the community.
The charity was nominated for a grant by Mark Ayad, a VINCI Construction Grands Projects Methods Engineer, who explained why he had put Lifelites forward for consideration, saying, “I am proud to have supported Lifelites during their application for the VINCI UK Foundation. Their vision and mission to help children with life-limiting conditions engage and interact with their families using innovative technologies is truly amazing!”
The donation will be used to purchase various assistive technology, including the innovative EyeGaze device that enables children and young people with the most complex disabilities to take control and connect with the world around them.
Complete with specialist software, EyeGaze uses powerful eye-tracking technology to enable children who are non-verbal or live with severe mobility issues to play games, create art and communicate with the people they love through the movement of their eyes.
EyeGaze connects children and young people to the internet, social media and mobile phones so they are able to interact with the modern digital world as their peers do. The specially designed software and apps power learning and education, as well as interactive gaming and activities they can play with siblings and parents, connecting the family in unique, fun and meaningful ways.
VINCI UK Foundation Chairman, Tom Jones, explained how the grants are powering social inclusion projects in communities across the UK and Ireland, saying, “The VINCI Foundation is unique in the way it brings together our sponsors and funding with charities to support something beyond their day jobs, to deliver practical solutions in the communities in which the VINCI companies operate. It’s great to see the donation going to such a worthwhile technology package, which I hope the young people at the hospice will benefit from greatly. It’s an absolute privilege the VINCI UK Foundation has been able to support Lifelites this year.”
Rob Lightfoot, CEO of Lifelites, said, “We are incredibly grateful to the VINCI UK Foundation for their amazing donation towards a technology package for the Forget Me Not hospice. Lifelites works with our palliative care partners to provide the latest assistive and sensory technology that will help empower children and young people with life-limiting conditions to play, create, communicate and explore the world around them. None of our work would be possible where it not for the kindness and generosity of our supporters, so we are incredibly grateful to Mark for nominating us and the VINCI UK Foundation committee for choosing us to receive this wonderful donation.”
