This new charity provides disabled people access to the sands with new beach wheelchairs in Fleetwood! It’s fabulous for individuals with limited mobility, allowing them to access the beach and shoreline.
Book your beach wheelchair in advance
Chairs can be booked in advance for times between 10am and 4pm from Monday 29th March until further notice.
Just phone 03000 111 003.
Then pick up your chair at ‘The Wheel Base’, on the promenade close to Marine Hall/opposite the Mount Hotel. All hires are free of charge but donations to the registered charity are welcome.
Tourism Awards Winner
At the 2021 Marketing Lancashire Tourism Awards, the Fleetwood Beach Wheelchair Project came out tops. The brainchild of Fleetwood Rotarian Michael Gray, the success of our the facility has been justly recognised for its innovation and service to the community. It’s another welcome boost for Fleetwood.
The dedication and hard work of all the volunteers and supporters was recognised when they came away as winners. The Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award is a boost for the area in what’s been a turbulent time for leisure and tourism. Despite the problems of Covid, Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs improved its facilities at Wheelbase on the promenade, and expanded its wheelchair provision.
As always, the service is totally free. It’s accessed via the dedicated phone line on 03000 111 003. The beach wheelchair base is raring to go, open for bookings and looking forward to improving weather when many more people will enjoy the benefits.
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Make happy memories
Michael Gray is chair of trustees. He says “With the support of our sponsors and funders, Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs has chairs to suit a range of ages and levels of mobility. We also have a robust COVID protocol in place and urge anyone coming to Fleetwood to observe all the guidelines for travel, social-distancing and hygiene.”
“Being able to access the beach and enjoy outdoor activity is a great support to physical and mental health, even more so now.” Michael added “Our volunteers love to welcome visitors and help them to make some wonderful, happy memories.”
Contact Details
Further information is available at www.fleetwoodbeachwheelchairs.co.uk
Can you help? Please contact them if you can offer your time, expertise or financial support. Email fleetwoodbeachwheelchairs@outlook.com
New Beach Wheelchairs Come to Town
Published September 2020
Thanks to the encouragement and support of Fleetwood Rotary, Fleetwood Town Council, Healthier Fleetwood, Wyre Borough Council and the Haldane Trust beach wheelchairs have arrived in Fleetwood!
After over two years of hard work by volunteers and Chairman Mick Gray, new premises are open on Fleetwood seafront. Find it almost on the beach opposite the Mount Hotel.
The facility has a range of latest beach wheelchairs which can be hired for free. Just phone the booking line on 03000 111 003.
The service is for all those with disability, who would find beach access impossible with normal wheelchairs. Manned entirely by volunteers it’s a first for the Fylde Coast.
Would you like to help?
The group are always on the lookout for helpers and all kinds of support. Interested in volunteering? Please contact the group via their website.
Liaison with the coastguard and monitoring of beach and tide conditions takes place. There’s also a Covid 19 policy in place, with strict wheelchair sanitisation after each use. There’s also a state of the art hoist to assist users to access the chairs if required.
Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs Opening Weekend
The opening weekend over 12/13 September 2020 was a success, with the chairs kept busy in use for most of the time. There were many users for them, travelling from all over Lancashire and determined to come and visit again.
Please come over and see us and look for updates on the website.
Fundraising
Quite a lot of investment has gone into making this project a success.
Another challenge was raising the funds to buy a hoist to enable people to transfer from their chair to ours. This bespoke equipment must comply to health and safety standards and be suitable for operation by the user and their carers.
Thanks to your amazing donations enough was raised to purchase a hoist to transfer people from chair to chair. The group will continue to fundraise for the cost of more beach wheelchairs. The more chairs on offer the more lives can be changed!
Unique in the North West
This service is unique to the Fylde Coast and specific to Fleetwood. Staycations for families with disabled members can be made so much better if everyone can be together on the beach. And where better to do it than here in Fleetwood!
Did you know? There aren’t any other beach wheelchair facilities here in the north west of England.
People of any age can find themselves unable to access our beautiful beaches. Physical disability can arise for many reasons – from lifelong health conditions to general infirmity, accidents and many more reasons.
However, the beach wheelchairs themselves aren’t cheap. The team need more of the all-terrain chairs of different sizes/types/designs to meet the needs and wants of users.
Fundraising is likely to be never ending!
How the Beach Wheelchairs Project Began
Long-time Visit Fylde Coast readers might remember that we first ran an article about this a few years ago.
In the autumn of 2018 a demonstration afternoon was held on Fleetwood beach. A few people were given a chance to experience the simple pleasure of being able to go onto the beach. Able bodied people don’t realise what a privilege it is to be able to walk on the sand, along the edge of the sea.
After that, a lot of effort and work went into trying to establish the project. As with anything new, committed volunteers, funding and resources are needed to get things off the ground. We certainly had quite a few enquiries about it, so it’s clear that there’s a demand.
The big step forward came in summer 2019 when a local charitable body pledged the funds to buy a beach wheelchair and cover start up costs.
Now, the team could apply for charitable status and secure a permanent base for the project. At the same time as all of the background work needed to make beach wheelchairs a sustainable long-term service.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 halted progress. With charity status, operating base and beach wheelchair in hand, the trustees were ready to launch.
While you’re here…
What do you think? Why don’t you join in and leave a comment below?
Have a look at the homepage of the Visit Fleetwood website for more of the latest updates.
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Fantastic!! SO excited about this, we walk for hours and hours up and down the coast – with my beautiful little girl flapping her arms and laughing at the wind. We have never been able to get on the sand before, I can’t wait to see what she thinks of it. Thanks so much to these fabulous people and good luck with the fundraising x