FOUR-year-old Archie Harding, from Alton, can now get out and about in safety, thanks to the generous BBC?Radio 4 listeners.

TV presenter Jon Bentley was the voice of a BBC Radio 4 charity appeal in December last year on behalf of Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children – and now more than a dozen children across the UK, including Archie, are seeing the benefits.

Newlife is the UK’s largest charity provider of specialist equipment for children with disabilities and terminal illness, and among the 371 Hampshire children they have already helped is Archie, who has an undiagnosed developmental delay that affects his physical and cognitive abilities.

With a limited attention span, no awareness of danger and a tendency to run off at any moment, trips out with mum Shelley Ford can be challenging.

She said: “Archie has now outgrown standard pushchairs, but taking him out without one is difficult. He doesn’t understand standing still or holding hands so I can’t take my eyes off him even for a moment.

“I have been lucky enough to be able to borrow, at weekends, a larger special needs buggy from his pre-school, but this isn’t always available.

“I had been hoping to get this equipment from our local wheelchair services for ages, but there is a long waiting list. That’s why Archie’s occupational therapist recommended I contact Newlife and thanks to the charity we now we have a specialist buggy of our own and it will help so much.

“There are lots of vehicles on the estate where we live and so I am always aware of the dangers when we go out. The new buggy helps on a daily basis, just doing simple things like going to pre-school, the doctors’ surgery, or even shopping. It is a relief knowing Archie is safe.”

Mr Bentley, who presents Channel 5’s innovative The Gadget Show, is a Newlife supporter. He said: “I find it truly exceptional how Newlife offers invaluable free help which transforms the lives of children with disabilities and terminal illness and their families.”

Michael Bolton, Newlife’s national head of fundraising, added: “The weekly Radio 4 charity appeal regularly gets 2.3 million listeners, and we were delighted to be chosen for this opportunity to let more people know what we do and how we do it. Thanks to the generosity of Radio 4 listeners who so kindly responded to our appeal, we are now providing specialist equipment for a number of children with disabilities and terminal illness around the UK.

“So far Newlife, the UK’s leading children’s disability charity, specialising in support to aid children affected by all disabilities and terminal illness has helped provide £576,654 of equipment for 371 children with disabilities and terminal illness in Hampshire and right now, the charity is currently working with another 12 families in the county with equipment needs totalling £8,829.”