Huge celebrations as first official Positive Bones grants have been provided to two incredible applicants

The 27th of October marked the moment that two individuals were informed their applications for Positive Bones grants were successful. The organisation which began in August 2020 approved their first ever grant donations as an official charity, sparking hope and determination to be able to provide more for future applicants to come. 

Billy Gregson:

Applications for the first round of grants took place earlier this year and the team were delighted to be able to approve funding for Billy Gregson and Louise McOvens. Billy is 9 years old and was born with a partial right hand. With the support of his mum Donna, they have been fundraising for money to purchase a Hero Arm, which is a bionic arm available through Open Bionics. It’s “advanced, intuitive, robust” and “the world’s most affordable multi-grip prosthetic arm, with multi-grip functionality and empowering aesthetics. Engineered and manufactured in the UK, the Hero Arm is a lightweight and affordable myoelectric prosthesis.” The Open Bionics foundation had already provided Billy with a grant towards his Hero Arm after receiving a donation from philanthropist, Tej Kohli but the family needed further funding to meet the full cost and Positive Bones were so happy to be able to help.

Billy and Donna were given the good news by Positive Bones founder, Josephine Bridges, who spoke to Billy about his ambitions once he received his Hero Arm. Billy commented that he wanted a hero arm so that he could tie his shoelaces and go fishing and clay pigeon shooting with his dad. When asked what Billy wanted to do first once he got his new myoelectric arm he commented “use a knife and fork for the first time”.

Louise McOvens:

Louise, who was also successful in her grant application, is a keen kite surfer and recent amputee after a long battle with infection as a result of 3rd degree burns following a car accident. She will be using the approved grant money to purchase an Aria Speciale Wheelchair by Cyclone Technologies, which will allow her greater freedom and independence on the days where she is unable to use her prosthetic. With her current wheelchair Louise struggles to get round the house and relies on family and friends a lot for outdoor mobility but this grant will allow her to mobilise independently and get back to her passions of travel and kite surfing!

“It’s really nice to know that not only will this grant make my day-to-day life easier but that I can go on holiday with confidence. It also means I can do more of the things I love...I can’t thank everybody enough who agreed to fund it and who donated to Positive Bones”

- Louise McOvens, December 2021

Josephine Bridges - Positive Bones Founder said:

“As a small charity we are always hugely grateful to those who reach out to us and join our limb difference community. We are dependent on the donations we receive and make decisions based on our rigorous application process which has been developed over many months through consultation with other charities, charity experts, members of the limb difference community and our trustees to ensure it is as fair and unbiased as possible for all applicants. 

“At Positive Bones we believe in providing empowerment to those with limb difference through community, support and opportunity. Often, when we can try something new, start something we love or get back to something we know; it can help motivate us and support positive mental health which is at the heart of Positive Bones. We also know that, when you have a limb difference, sometimes you might need something extra to support you in those endeavours; from physio to orthotics, walking sticks to prosthetics.

“We would love to be able to support every applicant who requests funding, however this isn’t always possible for us but we are really glad to be able to support Billy and Louise in their new adventures and ambitions.”

Want to apply for funding?

We provide funding for equipment, prosthetics and services that empower amputees & people with limb disabilities to live a life without limits.

Donna, Billy’s mum, commented that the application process was “straightforward, quick and Positive Bones were always on hand to answer any queries I had”. Louise said “She couldn’t believe how simple it was or how quickly she received a response” so if you are interested in applying, then please see the button below.