Donation to The Ryegate Children’s Centre

A Sheffield rehabilitation centre that provides support and therapy to children who have suffered brain injury were delighted this week to receive a Nintendo Wii from leading law firm Irwin Mitchell.

The donation, made to The Ryegate Children’s Centre in Sheffield, marks the end of the Child Brain Injury Trust’s national “Be Bovvered About Your Brain” Week (9^th-13^th February); a week dedicated to raising awareness of childhood acquired brain injury across the UK.

Kate Petchey, a solicitor who specialises in representing children with brain injuries at Irwin Mitchell Solicitors delivered the games console to the children at The Ryegate Centre. The massively popular Nintendo console has taken the home entertainment world by storm and is now being used to assist with rehabilitation following injury.

Dr Sarah Longley, Clinical Psychologist at the centre said: "People who have suffered an injury and have neurological problems find lots of previously intuitive things very challenging. Introducing a wide range of stimulating activities to the brain can help the rehabilitation process.

"We are delighted to have been given the console to introduce alongside our treatment programmes. The Wii can really help to stimulate the brain and is a great way to bring some light hearted fun into what is often a frustrating and difficult time for our young patients.

"The games available for the Wii are great for hand-eye co-ordination, dexterity and memory, all of which are helpful in redeveloping signalling in the brain.  The Wii Fit game and platform is particularly good for balance related exercises and development."

Kate also helps to organise the South Yorkshire Child Brain Injury Trust, a charity dedicated to helping affected children in the South Yorkshire area, who are promoting the "Be Bovvered About Your Brain" week to highlight the effects and consequences of brain injury in children said: “This is a really innovative way to help the children at the Ryegate Centre in their rehabilitation. We are delighted that Irwin Mitchell is able to support the centre in this way to help make the rehabilitation process more interesting and exciting."