Charity's fundraising hope from Sheffield's Music in the Gardens festival

The annual Music in the Gardens festival could be a revelation for scores of the region's disabled people.
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The Accessible Derbyshire charity is hoping the series of concerts by bands such as James, UB40 and The Feeling at Sheffield’s Botanical Gardens could help to open up some of the region’s most inaccessible beauty spots to people with mobility problems.

Money raised at the festival will help to fund a revolutionary, all-terrain wheelchair capable of reaching some of the region’s hilliest peaks – places previously thought totally out of bounds for disabled people.

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Accessible Derbyshire was set up by Gillian Scotford and Jane Carver in 2014.

The mothers – both with disabled children – decided to campaign for more to be done to make the region accessible for people with mobility problems.

They hope to purchase a £9,000 state-of-the-art Boma 7 wheelchair, which they could then hire out to disabled people to use in the Peak District.

Gillian said: “This incredible piece of machinery would mean the world to disabled people in our region.

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“It would open up parts of the area once thought totally out of bounds.

“Although we can’t make our children better we know we can give them, and people like them, a better life.

“Music in the Gardens is a brilliant event that helps so many local charities and it’s fantastic they’ve picked us as beneficiary this year.”

Music in the Gardens is organised by rotary clubs from across South Yorkshire and north east Derbyshire.

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Every penny raised goes to charity and the event has raised a staggering £250,000 over the years.

This year’s charities are:- Accessible Derbyshire, Cruse Bereavement Care Sheffield, Alzheimer’s Society Sheffield, Sheffield Futures, Motor Neurone Disease Association South Yorkshire, Macmillan Cancer Care Chesterfield, Fable and Whirlow Hall Farm Trust.

Held between Thursday, June 30, and Sunday, July 3, it includes a bill packed with a mixture of famous acts and local bands.

Festival spokesperson Alex Richie said: “It has been an honour to have been able to raise so much for so many worthy causes over the years.

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“Accessible Derbyshire does some amazing work – that’s why they were selected as one of our benefitting charities this year.”

Tickets are available from www.sivtickets.com

For more details visit www.musicinthegardens.co.uk