Worksop miracle baby George Bownes’ mum battles for disabled-access play equipment

Hanna Rose’s miracle baby George Bownes suffered damage to 75 per cent of his cerebellum - the area of the brain that controls movement - after surviving four bouts of meningitis and sepsis following his birth.

Devoted mum Hanna, 26, is fundraising along with partner Daniel Bownes to get George intensive physiotherapy and see him thrive.

However Hanna told how the lack of wheelchair-accessible facilities around the town meant the 23-month-old would be left ‘sitting and watching’ able-bodied children play at parks.

Mum-of-one Hanna described how the nearest disabled-access roundabout was at Retford’s Kings Park - nearly 11 miles from her Gateford home.

After approaching Bassetlaw District Council Hanna was told George could play on bucket swings - which are a kind of large basket suspended by ropes.

Although mum Hanna admitted George - who is deaf and blind in one eye - could be lifted into the basket she fears as he gets older the embarrassment this would cause her son would be hard to bear.

She said: “This would mean myself or friends having to lift George into the bucket swing from his wheelchair.

“It would work for him now but as he gets older he would be embarrassed.

“George has a lot of cousins and I can just imagine him going to the park for a picnic and not being able to join in with them - he would have to just sit there and watch.

“But with the wheelchair-accessible roundabouts disabled children can play independently with able-bodied children.

“It seems like the common sense thing to do in 2020 and the council should be doing it.”

A petition in support of Hanna’s campaign had attracted nearly 2,500 signatures at the time of writing.

However Hanna hopes to reach 10,000 so she can present the petition to Parliament.

She said: “Getting a disabled access equipment in one town would be great but the whole country needs to get behind this so there’s a proper change everywhere.”

Bassetlaw councillor Julie Leigh, member for neighbourhoods, said: “We would like to thank Ms Rose for raising this issue.

“There are currently a number of options for inclusive play equipment that are being considered as part of planned improvements to the Canch in Worksop - including a new Changing Places toilet - all of which will form a public consultation later this year.

“Some of the options we are looking at include interactive and inclusive play equipment that can be used by children of all ages and all abilities - similar to the audio-based equipment that was installed in Harworth last year which has proved to be an extremely popular addition to Snipe Park.

“When we look to create new play equipment in our parks we always consider accessibility and inclusivity.

“We have also previously been successful in working with the community to install specialist equipment such as the all-ability roundabout that was installed at Kings Park in Retford in 2017.”

To sign Hanna’s petition pushing for more disabled-access equipment click HERE.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you

Nancy Fielder, editor