Grown men channel their 'inner granny' to raise funds for 11-year-old disabled girl

A fundraiser, which will see seven men racing on children's scooters dressed as grannies, will take place tomorrow from Preston Football Club.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

In it's fifth year, the 8am event will finish in Blackpool Town Centre, is to raise funds for specialised physiotherapy for organiser Darren Bailey's disabled 11-year-old daughter Freya.

Freya Bailey from Irlam, Manchester was born with two holes in her heart and has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. She has went through five major operations and relies on a wheelchair every day but still has an infectious smile.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Her physiotherapy, which is not available on the NHS, costs around £1,000 per month.

Who let the grannies out?Who let the grannies out?
Who let the grannies out?

Dad Darren, 50, a water engineer, came up with the Scooter Grannies idea in 2016 to help raise funds for an operation to ease Freya’s pain.

He said: "Originally I was thinking of some kind of event with us dressed as superheroes but my friend Olive who is 80 said: ‘Everyone does that, why not dress as grannies?' So I took myself to the charity shop, bought some outfits and Scooter Grannies was born."

In previous years Darren and his colleagues have scooted from Irlam to Blackpool, Irlam to Chester, Huddersfield to Irlam and Anfield to Old Trafford. They are sponsored by 20 local businesses who sponsor the race to continue to pay for Freya’s physiotherapy – the money raised by this event will cover physio for around the next five to six months.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He now has to continue to raise money for ongoing physio which helps keep her mobile meaning she can continue to ride her adapted bike and go swimming.

The 'Scooter Grannies' will travel from Preston Football Club to Blackpool City Centre to raise funds for Freya Bailey who was born with cerebral palsyThe 'Scooter Grannies' will travel from Preston Football Club to Blackpool City Centre to raise funds for Freya Bailey who was born with cerebral palsy
The 'Scooter Grannies' will travel from Preston Football Club to Blackpool City Centre to raise funds for Freya Bailey who was born with cerebral palsy

Darren added: "As ever, I’m grateful to all my loyal mates who take part in Scooter Grannies every year, as well as the local businesses and individuals who donate money to help Freya.

"The funds raised continue to provide physiotherapy and essential equipment for her to make life as comfortable and pain free as possible."

As well as her ongoing physiotherapy, which costs £240 each week, Darren has to buy or upgrade equipment as she grows and her needs change, recently paying £3,000 on a off-road buggy so they can go for walks in the woods.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"She’s nearly 12 now and will be wanting more independence, so I’m keen to get her an electric wheelchair but that can be anything from £12,000 to £20,000."This year we are hoping to be granted a street collection licence so that we can raise even more money along the way.

Darren with his daughter FreyaDarren with his daughter Freya
Darren with his daughter Freya

"There is no cure for cerebral palsy, no magic wand, just a family’s resilience against the odds to raise the funds trying to give Freya the best they can.

"Thank you to everyone involved. This has been made easier and more pleasurable with the friends and family I have around me."

Gill Gibb, CEO of Children's charity Tree of Hope which helps children and young people with a disability or illness by supporting their families to raise the funds, said: ‘We’re delighted to be helping with Freya’s fundraising and Scooter Grannies is certainly an innovative event! We wish Darren all the best with it."

To donate to Freya’s fund CLICK HERE:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.