THE BALLOON MAN

Circus stars lighting up young lives in Swansea

 

from:  South Wales Evening Post
Thursday, June 21, 2012
A CITY barber has proved there are fringe benefits to being a trader, after giving another group of youngsters a day to remember.
\Phil Cleveland, the owner of The Barber Shoppe, Morriston, has been donating circus tickets to disabled and disadvantaged youngsters for 25 years.
And this year's beneficiaries, among more than 700 youngsters, had a blast when Circus Starr performed twice in Swansea's Singleton Park.
\Many of the 700-plus children were from special needs schools across Swansea, including Penybryn Special School in Morriston, Ysgol Crug Glas School in central Swansea, Maytree Autistic Unit in Morriston, and Stepping Stones Children Centre in Killay.
Mr Cleveland, 62, said: "I think the circus is brilliant. It brings a lot of colour and life into children's lives who otherwise do not get the chance to see it as much."
\The audience revelled in the clowns and gasped at acrobats last Friday, among them 3-year-old Jack Rigdon from Uplands who suffers from hypermobility, which means every joint in his body is double-jointed.
\Mum Louise, 37, from Uplands, said: "This is the first year Jack has been to the circus as the hypermobility problems mean he wouldn't have been able to sit up straight last year.
"He absolutely loved it. He loves clowns because he loves Mr Tumble (pre-school children's favourite) so going to the circus was a fabulous day out for him.
\"We're so thankful to Circus Starr for bringing this free circus to Swansea. It was a brilliant performance and made for a truly special day out for Jack and me."
continued at:
http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Circus-stars-lighting-young-lives-Swansea/story-16425064-detail/story.html