CUSTOMERS and staff at the Cashino gaming centre in Hereford have fund-raised to provide a Ledbury boy with a customised powered wheelchair.

Owain Price, aged 11, who lives with his mum Zoe, dad Richard, and younger brother and sister, Llywelyn and Ffifion, suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: a serious condition that causes progressive muscle weakness over time.

The powered wheelchair will help to boost Owain's mobility, and will replace an NHS wheelchair which Owain has had for several years and which he has now outgrown.

Owain’s dad, Richard, said: “I am extremely grateful to Cashino and CHIPS charity for the powered wheelchair. Owain’s current NHS chair is four-years-old and has become unsuitable for his needs.

"He is growing up and he will really appreciate the extra independence that the new chair will provide, it will make a great difference to the quality of his life and to the lives of all the family.”

Cashino is one of the main fundraisers for CHIPS, a charity set up on behalf of the gaming industry, which aims to provide specialised powered wheelchairs for children with severe mobility problems.

Anna-Marie Evans, Cashino venue manager, said: “Owain is a remarkable young boy and is so deserving of this wheelchair. It is incredible to see how much happiness it has brought to him and his family, making such a big impact in their lives. This makes all the fundraising effort from all of our staff and customers throughout our estate certainly worth it.”

Co-founder of the CHIPS charity, Linda Lindsay said: “It is so important for CHIPS that our donors see the results of their hard work and we try to ensure that all the recipients are local to where the funds have been raised. Cashino have been amazing and to date have donated over £500,000 allowing CHIPS to provide more than 100 powered wheelchairs up and down the country.”

To date CHIPS has raised over £1,500,000 and presented over 400 wheelchairs to children throughout the UK.