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I’m a member of the PHAB youth club in Leeds and as such, I am well-placed to tell you what it is really like.
I find the youth club more interesting now because they have a youth worker who comes and teaches us how to do videos. Make them that is, not watch them. I also like to watch my friends playing football on the playing field outside.
I am also a Junior Leader, which means, I sometimes get to say what I feel needs to be done in the Youth Club, to make it more interesting and fun for the members. One thing I don’t like is the play-scheme, especially when we get taken to Flamingo Land, because I get bored because I can’t join in on any of the rides. I used to enjoy going swimming but they had to stop that.
PHAB has given me much more happiness then can I put into words. I like to hang out with my friends and Friday night makes me feel comfortable because I am around my own kind of people; other people with disabilities that treat me as a normal human being and not someone to be pitied. PHAB club takes my friends and me on holiday. My favourite place to go is Welburn hall my favourite thing to do there is go on wheelchair swings. This is not without its hazards. This is where I fell into a gravel pit. My friend was pushing me and the wheel on my wheelchair got stuck on the curb and my wheelchair tipped over. Two of my mates got me back up; but I still have a scar on my right hand as a reminder.
This year I could not go on the holiday, because it was an adventure holiday that was not suitable for me because of my right hip; plus it turned out that I would not have been able to get my wheelchair around the bedrooms because the rooms were not big enough. A brilliant piece of planning on someone’s part. How can we expect other bodies to improve facilities for wheelchair users when we can’t even get it right ourselves?
Some things we do get right, or nearly right. We organise Discos for members at various times throughout the year. These are usually well attended and generally meet with approval from members. (Though you can’t satisfy everyone!)
Other things we have at the club are Prize Bingo, Table Tennis, Curling (without ice), Pool and a myriad of things you would associate with any normal youth club. In fact that is what PHAB basically is, though it doesn’t just cater for teenagers. All ages are welcome.
The club meets on a Friday night during school term times and anyone is welcome to come along and join in. It’s not us that are prejudiced. We do not mind if you don’t use a wheelchair and have to walk everywhere. We won’t hold that against you. In fact many of our members are “normal” able-bodied people.
One of the essentials of the club is for reliable transport for its members. This is where Friends of PHAB come in. They raise the funds that are needed to keep the vehicles on the road. Currently PHAB have four vehicles for use by the members. Without them the wheelchair bound would find it almost impossible to take a full and active part in the club.
This year enough money was raised to replace one of the minibuses and keep the other three running. With the continuously rising price of fuel this is becoming harder to do each year. Soon another one of the vehicles will need to be replaced. The money for this still has to be found.
PHAB are always looking to ‘recruit’ new members, especially among the able bodied, so if you are between 4 and 104 why not come along and join us and become an ‘Able Bodied – Buddy’? Being a Buddy need not take up a lot of your time or effort. All we ask is that you come along and become a friend to the member; maybe push a wheelchair round occasionally; but come along and join in the chat and the fun and games.
Another way you could help is by sending a donation to the Appeals Secretary: -
Ann Hart
Hon Apperals Secretary
Friends of PHAB
Coopers Croft
1 The Dell
Bardsey
Leeds
LS17 9DL