On Sunday 16th September 2018 we hosted a demonstration event for some of the equipment we hope to offer in the future.
Firstly our thanks to Phil Pugh from Adventure Mobility who brought along two types of equipment for us to try on Fleetwood beach close to Marine Hall. After we learnt how to assemble the equipment and the important aspects of safety and operation we were delighted to give local residents Reece Slater the opportunity to be the first to have a go! Reece was pushed onto the beach by one of our committee members, Sara Ordonez, and both found it surprisingly easy to manoeuvre the chairs. With other committee members, and residents watching it was an emotional moment for all concerned.
"The last time I tried to get onto the beach using my own chair didn't go well, in fact it was a bad experience that had put me off trying again. The feeling of being able to get on the beach using this equipment was wonderful and I want to help others feel the same way by being part of this fantastic project for Fleetwood." Reece Slater, Fleetwood resident.
Other local residents such as Rachel George and Michaela Jones also tried the equipment and were impressed too. Rachel's daughter was able to join her mum on the beach and able to push the adapted chair. Michaela just summed it up by saying "Wow, I was on the beach!"
And it wasn't just residents who enjoyed the chance to get onto the beach. Two visitors Susan Bisson from the Midlands and Maria Freeman from East Anglia had a go too ... Susan said it was the first time she'd been on a beach for years.
During the afternoon we were able to speak to Phil and learn more about the equipment, starting to look ahead to how it might be used in Fleetwood.
At the end of the event everyone agreed it had been a great success and extremely useful in our planning.