A 14-year-old boy has been presented with a brand-new powered wheelchair courtesy of CHIPS Charity and Genting UK.

Freddie Rippingale attends Harris Academy Chafford Hundred in Grays, Essex and has Diplegic Cerebral Palsy, ADHD and Epilepsy.

Because of his condition, Freddie needs a specialist seat to support his body and ensure he is positioned correctly and remains in an upright position.

Currently, Freddie uses a manual wheelchair on a daily basis and because of this, he becomes tired easily when getting around during school and as a result, it is affecting his education.

However, the new powered wheelchair will allow Freddie to get around school easier and means he won’t tire as much.

In addition, the chair will provide Freddie with more freedom and allow him to socialise more with his school friends.

Leanne Stevens, Freddie’s mum, said: “Freddie and I would like to say thank you to Genting UK, Chips Charity and the marathon runners Irene, Iwona and Leo for raising funds and presenting Freddie with his first powered wheelchair.

“It truly was magical to see Freddie’s smiling face as he moved around the school in his new wheelchair. The chair will give Freddie much needed freedom and independence and will change both our lives in so many ways. We are so grateful for everyone’s generosity.”

The powered wheelchair was purchased with funds raised by employees at Genting UK who ran the Rock n Roll San Diego Marathon and Half Marathon in June 2018. £50,000 was raised in total by five runners from Genting Casino UK and the money was donated to CHIPS – CHIPS was founded on behalf of the UK Gaming industry, in order to raise funds to purchase specialised powered wheelchairs for youngsters with varying disabilities.

It was Irene Nuqui, Head Cashier at Palm Beach Casino & Assistant to Cash Desk Manager - London High End and a member of the team who ran the Rock n Roll San Diego Marathon and Half Marathon, who selected Freddie as a recipient of the wheelchair. Irene’s son, Leo, attends Harris Academy Chafford Hundred and was also in San Diego for the event where he took part on the half marathon.

Irene and her son then decided that they would nominate a pupil from Harris Academy Chafford Hundred as the recipient to receive a new wheelchair, which is when they discovered Freddie would benefit from receiving one.

Andrew Henderson - Operations Director – High End, said: “It’s wonderful to know that the money raised by Genting staff members at the Rock n Roll San Diego Marathon and Half Marathon last year will help Freddie gain a significant amount of independence and help his education. A special mention must go to Irene Nuqui, who has been so pivotal in the organisation of the fundraising and for selecting Freddie as a recipient herself.”

Linda Lindsay, CHIPS Charity co-founder said, “Once again I would like to say a big thank you to the team at Genting UK for their help in changing the live of a young person. The fundraising the team at the casino have done has been incredible and they have changed many young lives across the UK for the better.”