Strongbones is a nationally registered charity celebrating 25 years of supporting children and young people who are full‑time wheelchair users and live with conditions affecting the bones and muscles including Spina Bifida, Scoliosis, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Cerebral Palsy, and Muscular Dystrophy. Our mission is to reduce social isolation and increase independence by providing essential disability and educational equipment, fully accessible respite and residential opportunities, and practical and emotional support for families.

Why Your Support Matters

The funding landscape has become increasingly challenging. Grant rounds have reduced, competition has intensified, and fewer resources are available across the sector. As a smaller charity, these pressures have directly impacted our income for year‑end 2026. Without renewed support, our ability to deliver life‑changing equipment and services will be severely limited. Your help is crucial.

The Families We Support

Many of the families we work with are among the most vulnerable in society. Parents often provide 24‑hour complex care to their children on the palliative pathway, relying on carers allowance of just £86.45 per week while managing suction, medication, catheters, personal care and night‑time support. Rising living costs and gaps in statutory provision push families to breaking point. Strongbones exists to stand beside them — turning isolation into inclusion and giving children the chance to participate in everyday life.

Led by Lived Experience

Our charity is guided by people with lived experience of disability and caring, ensuring every grant we provide is safe, practical and genuinely transformative.

What we do

Below is an extensive list of the work Strongbones carries out, but the trustees are always open-minded to innovative projects exclusive to children under our criteria.

  • We provide specialist all-terrain wheelchair buggies, adapted trikes and sporting wheelchairs
  • We provide supportive seating (If refused by statutory funding at panel)
  • We provide advice to families in accessing welfare benefits. This includes disability benefits and disabled facilities grants that they may be entitled to receive
  • We provide disability aids and portable hoists to enable children to have an enhanced quality of life
  • We provide an online support network to over 1,000 families
  • We organise family days to enable parents and children to network
  • Educational resource packs and equipment
  • Sensory equipment
  • Personal care equipment
  • We organise accessible inclusive group residential breaks
  • We have two fully adapted and accessible caravan’s at Shorefield Country Park, New Forest that can provide families with much needed respite opportunities

“Our time at Bendrigg Trust means more than we could ever put into words. It gives us the chance to experience things we honestly never believed would be possible for us.

For disabled people and their families, it can sometimes feel like the world is full of barriers and things that simply aren’t accessible. Bendrigg changes that. They create an environment where you are encouraged to try, supported when things feel difficult, and celebrated for every achievement — no matter how big or small.

Seeing what was possible, watching confidence grow, and sharing those moments together was incredibly emotional. There were moments when we looked on and thought, “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this.”

Standing back and watching the parent’s reactions will stay with me. Seeing the look of trepidation turn to one of pride and amazement as their young person achieves things they never dreamed they could. It honestly brings a happy tear to my eye every time.

Strongbones and Bendrigg didn’t just give us an amazing experience; they gave us belief. They showed us that disability doesn’t have to define what you can achieve, and that sometimes the things you think are impossible are just waiting for someone to give you the opportunity to try.

They bring families together. Strangers become friends. It’s so lovely to watch everyone’s confidence grow. At the start of the week everyone is quietly, politely meeting and chatting with each other. By the end of the week we’re hugging and swapping phone numbers.

We came away with memories we will treasure forever, but more importantly, we came away believing in what is possible. For that, we will always be incredibly grateful to Bendrigg Trust and Strongbones.”

Mags Hall