Theres nothing quite like going outside and enjoying the freedom that being outdoors offers you. When you use a wheelchair some of that freedom comes with natural barriers like kerbs, or cars parked on the pavement...sometimes that freedoms is tempered by sitting in the most uncomfortable of positions. Stephen Woodburn has had the same manual wheelchair for as long as I have known him, and I have known him for almost 15 years! We have walked together to watch Carlisle United for most of those years using a wheelchair that is not only uncomfortable, but that also has bits falling off it, is heavy to use with wheels unable to cope with the simplest of terrain...oh yea...and it has now developed a squeaking noise (while this does not impact on the wheelchairs usefulness...over a 6 mile return journey it does tend to get annoying! - imagine going for a 2 hour walk with a repetative metallic screech in your headphones!). A small group of us want to work with Ste to raise funding towards a new wheelchair. This would be fitted for him, lighter with more appropriate wheels for the challenges of the outside terrain. We have set ourselves a few challenges, walking the Cleveland Way in 4 days (4 marathons in a row); A wheelchair friendly walk from Petteril Bank to Dalston and back; and a coast to coast cycle ride (2 days). We have also had donations from the sales of a Carlisle United single. If you can help or want join in then please get in touch, or donate whatever you can. In the meanwhile we will continue to use scotch tape to keep bits of the chair together, a pillow for comfort...and get the WD40 out.

If we are able to raise enough money Stephen also needs a touch talker board which is a bit of technology that would help him to speak. This is not only essential for him to communicate what he wants, but also the best way for him to tell his story.

If you can support us in any way please feel free to do so.