05 Nov Local bikes to wheelchairs Project making a difference.
The Rotary Club of Gladstone Sunrise have a pop up display at Stockland Gladstone for the past few days finishing Saturday afternoon. They are asking for you to drop in and find out how you can help with this special up-cycle project: Bikes to Wheelchairs Project.
You will be able to see how they make a wheelchair out of materials collected and donated. From the start of collecting bikes to beautifully designed wheelchairs that can be used in third world counties by people in need.
Building on the good work done by the Rotary Club of Surfers Sunrise, they are building basic robust wheelchairs, some parts of which are sourced from discarded bikes. Each wheelchair is delivered with at least a basic paint job but some have been customised with other personalised artwork. Toolooa State High School Arts students have value added to several of the wheel chairs by giving them individual painted designs. Other schools in the region have also shown some initial interest in being involved.
Harmony called in at the BIKES TO WHEELCHAIRS display at Kin Kora Mall. Harmony helped to paint and decorate the wheelchair in front of her. YOU ARE AWESOME HARMONY!
Value of a wheelchair like this will completely change the life of a disabled person and also their family, as it allows both the disabled person and their carer to be more independent and productive. Basic wheelchairs like this can be produced for about $100.00. Cost to make it is a sobering to think that the life of a whole family can be drastically changed for ever by the gift of a $100.00 wheelchair.
Surfers Sunrise Rotary have refined a design and construction model to efficiently make these wheelchairs. They have manufactured over 8000 wheelchairs during the last 20 years, and have delivered them to 31 countries where they have provided basic mobility for people with a range of disabilities. There is an ongoing need for more of these wheelchairs.
Gladstone Sunrise are doing the same work locally, and have adopted a similar model to that used by Surfers Sunrise with involvement from other community groups and business’. We are also supported by other Rotary Clubs in our district Sourcing Bikes Our first priority was to secure an ongoing source of bikes. They are
pleased to be able to report that the Gladstone Regional Council has agreed to collect all bikes that were previously dumped and now supply them for this project.
They have the use of a workshop to use at present and into the medium term until they can secure somewhere more permanent. A long term solution to this is critical to the project going forward.
It is also important to understand that all donated money goes directly to building wheelchairs, with 0{7a2eb471754f58cbf59baa93ee81dc7b74d186cb2e306188f39c85ba863dbab8} going to admin or labour. All Rotarians and Friends of Rotary are unpaid volunteers.
Interested in volunteering with Bikes to Wheelchairs Project? Contact YVETTE LUCKOCK 0417 074 675
See more on this in the video here: Shane Mcleod and Yvette Lucklock
https://www.facebook.com/gladstonenewsweekly/videos/10154666000981081/
(FUN FACT: Yvette used to be Shane’s teacher and Principal many moons ago)
Rotary Club of Gladstone would like to thank Stockland for offering the space for the pop up display in kind. Big pat on the back from Gladstone News too for helping them find more volunteers.
