Aylesbury Team GB Paralympic hopefuls named as Children's charity ambassadors

Charlie and Yassine  have been named as young ambassadors for the charity Variety, promoting the valuable work they do to support young disadvantaged and disabled children around the UK.
Charlie and YassineCharlie and Yassine
Charlie and Yassine

Charlie and Yassine both play basketball for Ace Wheelchair Club Junior Team, a club with a prestigious history in producing basketball players for the Paralympics.

Wheelchair basketball is a huge passion for both of them, and Charlie was recently selected to attend the Team GB under 21 selection camp.

Charlie,  Yassine and the Variety teamCharlie,  Yassine and the Variety team
Charlie, Yassine and the Variety team

Both Charlie and Yassine are working hard at their dreams to represent Team GB at the Paralympics in the future.

In May 2018, Variety funded Yassine’s Per4Max basketball wheelchair and in January 2019, Charlie’s Elite Basketball wheelchair.

Speaking to the Herald, Charlie said: "“With this new chair I am faster and it’s easier to manoeuvre my chair, and do the spins. It also, it easier to push and thus my arms do not hurt as before. It helps me to act quicker and guard better. I can definitely feel the difference.”

The sports wheelchairs have been funded through the Variety PROPS events, which have been running for almost 30 years, raising over £10 million, with all proceeds given to Variety to support disabled and disadvantaged children.

The money raised has enabled Variety to provide more than 2,000 custom built wheelchairs and other essential equipment to support disabled and disadvantaged children all over the UK to lead better lives.

Variety’s Chief Executive, Frances Lang, said: “Variety has a proud history of providing sports wheelchairs to talented young people like Yassine and Charlie and we're delighted to welcome them as Young Ambassadors who will inspire more disabled children to take sport seriously. We wish them every success and will be keenly watching their progress.”