A group of disabled young people have been striking their way towards independence at a Wrexham bowling alley.

The crew from Wrexham-based charity Dynamic, which provides out of school activities for children and young people with special needs, have been rolling into Tenpin at Eagles Meadow shopping centre.

It’s part of a scheme called Interact, which helps young people between the ages of 14 and 25 to be more independent through teaching them life skills.

The young people have a range of disabilities from physical, intellectual or sensory impairments, to life limiting illnesses.

Dynamic service user Amy Mai Jones, 18, who has Downs Syndrome, said: “I do lots of different things with my carer Andrea from Dynamic. She is a very good friend.

“I enjoy bowling at Tenpin a lot and I especially enjoy beating Andrea.

“We go bowling, we go to the cinema, we go swimming, and we got for walks in the park.

“I do lots with the Dynamic group and I have made a lot of good friends there.

“At Dynamic they teach me things like how to use money, and how to do my shopping, so I can do them myself.”

Carol Gardner, the manager of Dynamic, explained: “The Interact project is about fostering independence in young people.

“It’s based around one on one support for disabled youngsters for them to access mainstream leisure facilities.

“The idea is to give them the skills they need so that they can access these facilities on their own in the future.

“It’s wonderful to see the transformation in young people. It gives us a big sense of pride and satisfaction.

“We teach them money management, how to deal with people, and confidence building. These young people get a lot out of it.”

“The carers at Dynamic try to encourage the service users to live in an independent way. We help them with banking, how to pay for things like bowling here or cinema tickets, and how to use public transport.

Tenpin is also organising a free bowling afternoon for a different group of disabled adults, who have carers, and come under the remit of the local authority.

The event at 1pm on Thursday, December 11, includes a buffet, with the help of Frankie and Benny’s supplying pizza, Nando’s supplying the chicken and Subway bringing the sandwiches.

Tenpin manager Andy Swan is calling on more local businesses to support the event.

Andy said: “We’re getting a lot of support for the event from the local business community, and we’re trying to encourage other businesses to get involved as well.

“We’re going to be giving out goodie bags so we’re looking for businesses to contribute for to those. The more support the better.

“Because we’re getting closer to Christmas, Santa is also going to be coming down to say hello.

“This event is for adults with disabilities, who live in the community, who have carers. We have a group who come to bowl with us every Thursday, and this is a way of saying thank you, and showing how much we value them.

“It’s a great way to get them integrated into the community.

“There’s a wide spectrum of disabilities out there and what we want to try and do is make sure we cater for them. We cater for a variety of needs.

“There’s a lot of fantastic work going on in the community and sometimes the people doing that work just need a little help. What Dynamic are doing for young people is a great example of that.”

“Bowling is a very inclusive game. It’s not just able-bodied people who can play it. You can play it if you’re in a wheelchair, or if you have learning difficulties.

Eagles Meadow manager Kevin Critchley, said: “I think Tenpin is doing a fantastic job in supporting disabled people in the community.”

For more information ring Tenpin on 01978 291841 or email Wrexham@tenpin.co.uk . To find out more about Dynamic visit www.dynamicwrexham.org.uk, ring  01978 263656, or email at deborahowens@dynamicwrexham.org.uk