Everyone can enjoy a day at the beach

Tuesday 10 March 2020

A scheme to give wheelchair users the chance to get back in touch with an essential part of island life has been launched.

Beach Wheelchairs use ballooned wheels to allow them to cross sand and other rough terrains, and are being provided as part of steps to make Guernsey properly accessible for those with mobility issues.

But before anything can happen, a fundraising campaign needs to raise at least £16,000 - a sum which will be used as a seed to get things going, ideally by this summer. People will also be able to sign up to be a volunteer in the scheme as part of the campaign. 

Pictured: The Guernsey Wooden Spoon will be leading the projected, supported by St John. 

The project is being promoted jointly by the Guernsey Wooden Spoon - the children's charity of rugby - and St John Ambulance Service, who say while the island has a long way to go in fixing its accessibility issues, this should allow all locals and visitors to have the same opportunity to take part in an essential piece of island life - going to the beach.

Pembroke beach is the preferred location for the wheelchairs because of the length and incline of the slipway. 

Pictured: Pembroke has been chosen as the ideal beach, although the slip way will need repairs first. The States has said this will be done in time for summer 2020. 

Who is this scheme aimed at? It's for anyone who finds that, for whatever reason, they have difficulty walking on the beach.

So far, people who have used the beach wheelchairs include: 

• People with long term disability from conditions such as stroke; multiple sclerosis; Parkinson’s; head injury; motor neurone disease; spinal injury and cerebral palsy.
• People with temporary mobility impairment such as those with a leg in plaster.
• People who are weakened by medical conditions such as breathing difficulties or cancers.
• The elderly, who are not disabled but may be frail and find the beach a challenging environment to walk on.
• Those who would like to attend weddings, birthday parties and family gatherings.

The beach wheelchairs will be stored in a locked unit at the beach. There are various styles of chair that can be used, but each has large, ballooned, rubber wheels that move easily on the sand. They are even suitable for paddling in shallow water. They are free of charge to use, but donations are being welcomed.

Pictured: There are multiple types of wheelchairs for people with different needs. 

If you want to book one of the chairs, you will be able to do so either online or on the phone. This will go live when the initial money has been raised to get everything off the ground. 

But to achieve that, the initial campaign will need to raise £16,000. After that, fund-raising will continue to cover the costs of maintenance and replacement.

To donate to the project, click here.

How will it work?