Ashlie's delight as he receives £5,000 wheelchair after Cadbury World fundraising
A young man from Dudley who suffers from a severe form of cerebral palsy is now the proud owner of a new £5,000 wheelchair after a huge fundraising push from Cadbury World.
It took 12 months – but employees at the chocolate factory raised the impressive total to buy 24-year-old Ashlie Coyne the new, fully-customised wheelchair he so badly needed.
Born in December 1995, Ashlie, who lives in Kingswinford, was subjected to abuse and neglect and as a result was diagnosed with Spastic Quadriplegia Microcephaly – the most severe form of cerebral palsy.
At nine months old, his life turned around when he was brought into the care of Barnardo’s longest serving foster carers, Pat and Pete Coyne.
And when Ashlie was just 18 months old, Pat and Pete Coyne were approved as his long term carers, and at age 11, he was officially adopted into the Coyne family.
Ashlie’s previous wheelchair not only caused him discomfort, but stopped him travelling to see loved ones due to its dismantling challenges.
His new chair will not only make him much more comfortable, it will also enable him to visit family and friends who live in the UK and abroad, as well as explore new places, due to its lightweight design.
Pat Coyne, Ashlie’s adopted mother, said: "We would like to thank all of the Cadbury World staff and the wider team for their incredible donation and ongoing support for Ashlie.
"We’re committed to continuing creating a fantastic life for him, and his brand-new wheelchair will allow us to travel so much more, something which he absolutely loves to do."
The money was raised after Cadbury World employees hosted a disco and karaoke night, organised cake sales in the staff canteen, and had their legs waxed.
One staff member also raised £1,000 by completing a 250m sky jump off the top of the Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas.
Despite Covid putting a stop to a number of fundraising efforts, the team got creative and came up with events they could still do to help them reach their goal.
Three workers jumped out of their comfort zone with a 15,000ft sky dive, which raised £2,400 towards their £5,000 goal.
Sue Fieldhouse, a front of house team member at Cadbury World, who completed the 15,000ft sky dive and organised many of the staff fundraising activities, said: "We are incredibly proud to have raised such a significant amount for Ashlie’s new wheelchair.
"It will give such a special young man a better quality of life, and we’re pleased to be able to play our part in raising money for Ashlie."
