From wheels to a home: £600K accessible eco retreat in Ballymena set to transform family lives

Sean McLaughlin, Darren & Avah McGinty

What began with a single all-terrain wheelchair is now becoming something far bigger — a £600,000 vision to transform how families living with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus experience rest, recovery and time together in Ballymena.

For many children with complex mobility needs, something as simple as a walk in the park has long come with barriers.

That is beginning to change thanks to Quadrix, a state-of-the-art all-terrain wheelchair project delivered by Ballymena-based charity Love Hope & Faith.

Designed like a sporty, go-anywhere bike, Quadrix allows the rider to sit comfortably, steer and brake independently, all while supported throughout the journey. Parks, fields and countryside once out of reach are now accessible, opening up nature in a way many families had not previously experienced.

But the charity’s ambitions do not stop at the outdoors.

Love Hope & Faith has now reached a major milestone in its long-term vision for an inclusive Eco Retreat in Ballymena, launching the first stage in securing the capital funding required to begin building.

Once completed, the retreat — to be named ‘Mary’s Heaven’ — will make Love Hope & Faith the first charity in the UK to deliver an Eco Retreat at ECOS site in Ballymena dedicated specifically to the needs of children with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus and their families.

“Today is a momentous day for us as a charity,” said founder of Love, Hope and Faith, Darren McGinty.

“With planning permission secured a few months back, we’re now focused on the first stage of securing our Capital Funding that will turn this vision into a place where families can rest, play, recover and belong.”

The planned facility will include expansive outdoor space, a hydrotherapy pool for physical therapy and wellbeing, sensory spaces designed to support engagement and relaxation, accessible bedrooms with wetrooms, kitchen and communal lounge areas, and a custom-designed cinema for everyday entertainment.

For families who have often faced obstacles in everyday experiences — from woodland walks to seaside days — the retreat aims to provide not just accessibility, but belonging.

Sean McLaughlin, Darren & Avah McGinty

Love Hope & Faith was founded by Darren and Emma McGinty after their daughter Avah was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. Confronted with the emotional and practical realities of limited mobility options, Darren was driven to create support not only for his own family, but for others navigating similar challenges.

Now 14, Avah is enjoying the outdoor freedom made possible by Quadrix — a tangible example of how the project is already reshaping family life.

Community backing has also been central to the charity’s journey. Long-standing family friends Sean and Geraldine McLaughlin, owners of The Stone Hound Public House and Kitchen in Antrim, have supported the initiative from the outset, including leasing the Volkswagen ID. Buzz used daily to bring Quadrix to families across Northern Ireland.

Sean McLaughlin said:

“This charity is incredibly close to our hearts. We’ve seen first-hand the challenges families face when access and mobility are limited. Seeing children experience freedom and joy outdoors really brings home the difference this makes. It changes family life.”

With Quadrix already delivering visible change and capital fundraising now under way for the Eco Retreat, Love Hope & Faith is positioning Ballymena at the forefront of inclusive family support in the UK.

As the project moves from vision to funding phase, the message from the charity is clear: children living with lifelong conditions deserve not just care, but joy, freedom and spaces designed with them at the centre.

Love Hope & Faith is a registered charity supporting children with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, working to promote wellbeing for children and their families through practical support, encouragement and access to inclusive projects.

Visit www.lovehopeandfaith.co.uk for more.