Skiggle partner with the Wheelchair Football Association

Skiggle partner with the Wheelchair Football Association

Disability charity, Skiggle, is passionate about sports and activities being inclusive to all. Despite being in a wheelchair and needing round-the-clock care after suffering a catastrophic brain injury at birth, James Singleton, son of Skiggle co-founder, Christine, has done everything from rock-climbing and abseiling to canoeing and treeclimbing. James is the inspiration behind the innovative charity and its ambition to be the safety net disabled families need to live full, happy lives.

Skiggle is the only charity of its kind in the UK that specifically provides emergency access to disability and special needs care products and equipment through a unique SOS emergency alert service and Marketplace. Run on a voluntary basis by Christine

Singleton and Helen Taylor, Skiggle relies on donations from supporters and fundraisers, plus forming partnerships with other charities and organisations to keep its services free to use. In 2021, Skiggle partnered for the first time with the Wheelchair Football Association’s (WFA) National League.

The WFA was created to govern Powerchair Football in England. The sport provides opportunities for people with a high level of impairment to access the game and is currently the only active team participation sport for people who use electric wheelchairs. It’s open to all ages, genders, and abilities, and 24 teams from around the UK compete across two divisions.

Skiggle Charity Development Manager, Helen, said: “Skiggle is a great fit for the Powerchair Football Community. We have very similar values in that life comes before a disability and we’re hugely passionate about people with disabilities being able to enjoy the same quality of life and sporting opportunities as anyone else. That’s what drives us to continue to believe in Skiggle and the vital services it provides to the disability community.

“BT Sport has signed a deal to exclusively air The FA Disability Cup, including the Powerchair Cup Final, for the next three years. This goes to show the progress being made in disability sports, and if we can raise awareness of Skiggle within the WFA’s target audience, we can grow the charity’s services even further.”

Ryan Sipple, WFA National Development Officer, said: “We are delighted to have Skiggle as one of our National League’s Pitchside Sponsors. Skiggle is an incredible charity that strives to provide people with round-the-clock access to disability care products and equipment.”

Skiggle’s connection with sport doesn’t just stop with The WFA. Charity ambassador, Mark Clougherty, is an Invictus Games wheelchair athletics triple gold medallist. Mark proudly took the top podium spot in the 100m, 200m, and 400m races, plus a bronze medal in the 1,500m in the Netherlands this spring.

A British Army veteran, Mark lives in constant pain from several conditions including Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and Rhabdomyolysis affecting his legs and hips. He also suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from a tour of Iraq, and credits sports and physical training as the focus he needs to keep going.

“With sport, you’re showing people that you don’t need to let your injuries or conditions hold you back,” he said. “If you’ve got a focus and you have something you can attach yourself to, there’s no reason for you not to live with the conditions you’ve got. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel. You’ve just got to believe there’s something there to focus on and give yourself a goal to achieve.”

In the run up to the Invictus Games, Mark shared some of his training sessions on Skiggle’s social channels, which included track work in his chair plus strength & conditioning training, weight training, and plyometric training. Invictus Games Team UK captain, Rachel Williamson, told BBC One viewers that Mark has “this power in his arms that no one has in their legs and just flies round the laps.”

After his success at the Games, Mark is hoping to take up a fulltime sports liaison and training role working with veterans and wounded or sick servicemen and women.

“Sport is good for your mental health,” he continued. “I advocate that. I’m 49 and I’ve just achieved stuff I could only have dreamed of in the past and I want to use this to motivate people, whilst still doing it for myself. Ideally, I’d love to go to the Invictus Games next year, then come back and get involved in the hand cycling & wheelchair athletics training camps to help other people move forward and compete at future Games.

“You always want to try to achieve another goal.”

Skiggle’s SOS emergency alert service pretty much doubles as a rescue service. So, if you’re travelling to support the WFA, cheering on a loved one at a sporting event, or just enjoying a weekend away, and realise you’ve forgotten a crucial piece of equipment, you can send a free SOS alert through Skiggle asking for help among its fast-growing UK-wide membership.

For more information or to get involved with the charity, visit https://www.skiggle.co.uk