Z Energy and Gobabygo get disabled kids moving

Z Energy and Gobabygo get disabled kids moving

Young Jackson Murray is more mobile now thanks to Z Energy and Gobabygo. Jackon has cerebral palsy, which affects his ability to walk, and to keep up with friends and siblings.

So his parents, Mark and Uai, jumped at the chance to get an adapted electric ride-in BMW for their active boy.

Gobabygo adapts the cars, but it relies on donors to pay for them – which is where Z Energy came in.

Keith Murray – no relative – is a retailer operating a cluster of Z Energy sites across central Auckland, with premises between Glen Innes in the East and Mt Albert in the West.

When he heard about Gobabygo he was keen to get involved in his area.

“Z Energy and its retailers are committed to helping communities,” Mr Murray said. “We belive that when you’re part of a community, you naturally look out for it, and our business is committed to a culture that promotes diversity and inclusiveness.”

Mr Murray said that his business works with Geneva Elevator to provide employment opportunities to people with disabilities within his sites, and Gobabyo and its mission to help children with impaired mobility by adapting cars specifically for each child seemed a natural fit.

“We are about solving what matters for a moving world, and helping Jackson to get around – and in a cool car – is just a different way of achieving what we aspire to.”

Jackson has yet to get used to steering and operating the throttle in his new car, but his dad can use a remote control to move it around until he works out what the steering wheel is for. The car also has a ‘buddy switch’ to operate the throttle in place of the foot pedal, and that will be affixed to whichever part of the car Jackson can most easily reach.

Meanwhile Keith Murray and Gobabygo are awaiting other applications in his Z Energy region, “It’s heart-warming to see a child with impaired mobility at last able to get around in a fun way, and able to race around outside with their friends and siblings,” he says.

Gobabygo is a volunteer-run charity that donates the cars to children who can benefit. CEO Gilli Sinclair said the charity is calling for applications in Auckland for a handover in early April, with other dates set later in the year.

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