Vital cerebral palsy charity finds a new home in Chesterfield

Ellie Simpson and her friend Lucy Martin who will act as an ambassador for CP Teens

CP Teens UK was founded in 2013 by then 18-year-old Ellie Simpson, who has quadriplegic athetoid cerebral palsy, during her gap year.

For the first few years, Ellie, now 22, of Walton, ran the charity out of her own bedroom, but it is now located at the Community Hub at Chesterfield Football Club.

Ellie said: “As I went through secondary school, I became increasingly socially isolated by able-bodied ‘peers’ as I struggled to physically keep up and physically fend for myself. Even though I left school with good GCSEs and A Levels, I could not find any opportunities anywhere, either paid or unpaid, to take up as a young person with a physical disability.”

Ellie Simpson founder of CP Teens at their new offices in the East Stand at Chesterfield FC

Ellie posted about the charity on Twitter and was contacted by hundreds of young people with cerebral palsy who also said they felt ‘alone’.

The youngster continued to develop the charity during her gap year between 2013 and 2014, and while studying for her sport development with coaching degree at Sheffield Hallam University.

Inspirational Ellie organised a number of high-profile events which led to CP Teens UK gaining full charitable status and receiving a special award from the Prime Minister Theresa May.

Ellie is now aiming to offer work experience to local physically disabled young people.

“Not only will the new base provide a new workspace for the charity to run from, it will also offer a safe ‘hub’ for CP Teens to meet and socialise,” Ellie added.