Our Story
A moment on the promenade became the Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs charity, run by volunteers.
Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs charity
We’re often asked how the charity started, so briefly, let our story unfold. For me, it began on Thursday 28th September 2017. The day started fine and sunny with the tide in, but as the tide ebbed and the sand dried, it became one of those “Indian Summer” days that draws people to the beach for a stroll, or just to sit and watch the sea.
Low tide was just before noon that day, and I watched as a family – parents, a little girl of about ten and a younger boy in a wheelchair – sat on the bench in front of my house on the promenade. The wheelchair was pulled up close to the bench and a picnic was produced. Amongst the walkers, the joggers, the cyclists, the skaters, the scooters and the dogs, this family tried to enjoy their picnic amidst the chaos of the busy promenade.
It occurred to me how unjust it was that this family could not get onto the beach, stake a few yards, put up a windbreak and have a bit of peace away from the “madding crowd”. Why couldn’t they? Because they had a wheelchair.
It got me thinking. There must be a way for people to enjoy the beach, even if they are disabled or infirm, without incurring a lot of cost and fuss. And so the grounds for Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs were laid: the creation of a charity to provide not just a beach wheelchair, but a service to get disabled people onto the beach in safety and comfort, at no cost to them – staffed by trained volunteers and funded by public and private donation.
A lot of preparation went into founding the charity, and it continues to this day – always improving our equipment and our service.
- A full service, not just a wheelchair
- Completely free to every client
- Safe and comfortable, with trained volunteers
Run entirely by volunteers
The service is run solely by volunteers. It’s rewarding, sociable work — and there’s no manual handling or pushing of chairs. Full training is given, and there are always at least two volunteers on duty.
- Open up the Wheel Base, and meet and greet the service users
- Issue the chairs and make sure booking forms are filled out correctly
- Clean, sanitise and put away the chairs and equipment after use
- Check and report any faults or issues with the chairs