Newcastle North MP, Catherine McKinnell, joined Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft MBE in the House of Commons yesterday to pledge her support for a manifesto launched by the charity Whizz-Kidz.

The ‘Generation Inspired?’ manifesto is based on a late 2012 survey the charity conducted of its young Ambassadors and their parents – asking them about their hopes for a Paralympic legacy, and their ideas to improve opportunities for young disabled people. A copy of the report and a petition to affect its recommendations were also taken to No.10 Downing Street.

Catherine met with double gold medallist Hannah Cockroft MBE, who received her first sports wheelchair from Whizz-Kidz in 2007, as well as two of the charity’s young Ambassadors – both of whom aspire to compete in the Games in the future.

Whizz-Kidz has provided 4 disabled children from Newcastle with wheelchairs and also runs a kids club at the Percy Hedley Sports Academy, where the charity’s young Ambassadors regularly meet to play games, make friends and take part in life skills workshops.

Catherine said:

‘It was an absolute honour to meet Hannah and the Whizz-Kidz Ambassadors yesterday, and hear about the charity’s vital work providing mobility equipment and opportunities for young disabled people.  They do fantastic work in Newcastle providing disabled children and young people with wheelchairs, and with life skills through their work placements programme and wheelchair skills training.

‘It’s so important that the views of young disabled people shape plans for the Paralympic legacy and I am delighted to back Whizz-Kidz’s Generation Inspired manifesto.’

Hannah Cockroft MBE said:

‘The day I received my wheelchair from Whizz-Kidz changed my life. My hope for the legacy of the Paralympics is that more young disabled people will not just be inspired – but have the opportunities – to go for gold and succeed in whatever they want to do.’