Who is Freddie Farmer?
Freddie Farmer was born at just 28 weeks with cerebral palsy, weighing only 2Ibs 12oz. His family began taking him three times a year to a centre 100 miles away for intensive physiotherapy involving specialist equipment. Freddie made great progress, though it became clear that a centre nearer home, in Bromley, would not only be better for him, but also help many other youngsters with similar conditions.
Work began in 2011 with a campaign that raised £400,000 to set up the specialist Freddie Farmer Physiotherapy Centre for children and young people with cerebral palsy and mobility problems. It is one of only a handful of independent (i.e. non-NHS funded) UK therapy centres offering specialist equipment and therapeutic exercises for less-abled 3 to 16 year olds from across the south-east.
Today, two physiotherapists and two therapy assistants deliver subsidised intensive physiotherapy programmes.
Pandemic Impact
The charity requires £150,000 each year to maintain the facility and retain the services of its professional staff, but the Covid pandemic meant that they had to cancel two of their flagship fundraising events in 2020, which combined raise approximately £30,000.
They were closed during lockdown 2020 for three months and again this year, January to March. They also ran a shortfall of £1,200 per fortnight due to the centre having to operate a reduced physiotherapy service with five days a week of two sessions per physio per day (down from the usual three sessions per physio per day) to ensure a safe environment for their staff and the children they care for. They also had the additional expense of essential PPE.
The Freddie Farmer Foundation are delighted to be working at full capacity again now, five days a week of three sessions per physio per day and we hope that at this time of giving you could find a way to help Freddie and his friends.
It’s easy to make a donation on the Freddie Farmer Foundation website: Freddie Farmer Foundation | Support
Thank you. 