With
over 100 friends, 29 machines and 16 dogs, Roy Taylor successfully completed
his 215-mile Coast to Coast wheelchair challenge and raised over £23,000 for
the RSPB.
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| Finish line - Hornsea |
Roy
- who works for the RSPB in northern England - and his wife Anna, set out from
Southport along the Trans Pennine Trail, to reach Hornsea in just ten days. The
aim of the challenge was to highlight the problems of inaccessibility in the
countryside and raise funds to improve accessibility on the RSPB’s 20 northern
nature reserves.
Over 100 friends, family and colleagues gave up their
time to take part in the walk and provide support on the way. And helping to
make the journey inclusive for all, participants used a variety of methods to
get them from A to B, including two wheelchairs, two trampers, two trikes, 17
bikes, one electric bike, four scooters and a buggy.
Roy said: “The friendship, support, energy,
humour and kindness of everyone who supported us made the journey an incredibly
humbling and emotional experience for Anna and me. It was an experience
which will leave a deep impression on our lives. We can't thank everyone
enough.”
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| Obstacle course |
The
journey wasn’t without obstacles, which helped to highlight the numerous issues
people with mobility issues, and families with pushchairs, face on a daily
basis. Challenges included kissing gates, A-frames, steps, chicanes and wooden
sleepers. On a number of occasions, Roy’s FourX – a four-wheel drive wheelchair
– had to be dismantled to allow it to fit through the various obstacles.
 |
| Workmen save the day |
Roy said: “On one occasion we were close to
giving up, as my wheelchair just couldn’t get through a gate which had double
wooden sleepers. Luckily a group of workmen nearby came to the rescue and
lifted the FourX over the obstacle. We’re so grateful for their help.”
However,
they came across a number of innovations which made the going much easier,
including different designs of A-frames and gates operated by Radar keys, which
allow disabled people (who hold a Radar key) to open gates where needed.
Roy's
job now is to complete accessibility audits of the RSPB’s northern nature
reserves, produce a report for the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) Executive
Committee on how accessibility on the trail can be improved, and ensure that
all the money raised is spent on implementing the changes identified on RSPB
reserves over the next year.
Roy added: “It is my pledge that the
Coast to Coast Challenge will immeasurably improve accessibility - be it for
wheelchairs, families or those with other mobility issues - and that RSPB
nature reserves in northern England will be exemplars of accessibility in the
countryside.”
To
date, the challenge has raised £23,890.53 (inc. Gift Aid) including donations
from hotels and B&B’s used along the route, a £2.5k donation from United
Utilities, who the RSPB works with at their Dove Stone site, and £1000 each
from John Laing, who Anna used to work with, and Naturetrek, who Roy has led
tours for.
For
a daily account of how the challenge went, visit Roy’s blog roy215miles.blogspot.co.uk, or to
donate money, visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/roy215miles.
