BRADFORD PHAB Club, which helps physically handicapped and able bodied children and young people around the district, has thanked the National Lottery for a generous donation.

The National Lottery Community Fund has provided funding of £10,000 so the club can continue to provide additional food and online safe contact activities for its members and families while the coronavirus pandemic has halted face to face contact.

Chairman Akbar Khan said: "This funding is to support our members during these difficult times and will enable us to increase or regular food deliveries to more of our families across the Bradford district and to buy IT equipment such as tablets, smart phones and laptops."

Mr Khan said the funding would also enable them to continue nightly online activities which include quizzes, bingo, games and exercises, while also keeping in touch with our vulnerable members and provide support and assistance where needed.

“As chairman of the club I would like to thank all players of the National Lottery and the community fund on behalf of all our members. There has been a massive impact on people's wellbeing and mental health. There are many issues and problems with people especially the vulnerable in danger of becoming isolated.

"The joy and gratefulness when we arrive at the door is difficult to put into words but means so much to so many and for that moment it is worth all the time and effort from all our dedicated volunteers who I cannot praise enough.

"Families that we support are suffering with no provision of free school meals when in normal circumstances they were already struggling to put food on the table.

"The need to not be able to meet their friends and socialise is having a detrimental effect on the mental wellbeing of some of our more vulnerable members, there is fear and anxiety of the unknown, our families are even more vulnerable to fraud and scams and the effect of not being able to see family and friends for the foreseeable future is affecting our members in many ways.

"We desperately want to provide a service by providing hot and cold food parcels to our most vulnerable families and we want to and have started to provide safe contact through telephone calls, social media apps, video chats and social distancing activities."

The club is always on the look out for more volunteers. For more information of what Bradford PHAB does ring Akbar Khan on 07850 964864 or email aky.khan@hotmail.co.uk or through our website www.bradfordphabclub.org.uk