Borrowing a wheelchair: how British Red Cross volunteers can help you
In fact, information on borrowing a wheelchair is now one of the most popular search topics on the Red Cross website.
When someone is recovering from an accident or has reduced mobility due to an illness, having a wheelchair can help them complete daily tasks around the house and get out and about. It can make the difference between being stuck at home and getting out there living life.
The Mobility Aids service relies on volunteers who provide advice and support to people who come looking for a wheelchair, making sure they get the right kind of chair for their needs and showing them how to use it safely. Volunteers are responsible for cleaning and maintaining the wheelchairs and delivering them to people’s homes.
One of the Red Cross volunteers, Mamadou, is originally from Senegal in West Africa and left his home as a refugee in 2013, eventually claiming asylum in Northern Ireland.
Although he’s got a degree in physics and has a special interest in solar energy, Mamadou’s immigration status means that he isn’t currently permitted to take up paid work. However, that hasn’t stopped him putting his considerable skills and warm personality to good use.
“I eventually hope to return to my studies. I’d like to complete a postgraduate degree, or perhaps find work in a relevant area, but in the meantime I enjoy my volunteering with the Red Cross. I heard about the volunteering opportunity when I approached the Red Cross for some support and advice. I always liked volunteering when I was young; in Senegal, when I was a young child in primary school, we all volunteered for a local community group.”
Mamadou now volunteers three or four days a week with the Red Cross in Belfast, helping provide members of the public with short-term wheelchair loans.
“I like doing something to help the community. I’d recommend volunteering for the Red Cross; it’s a great opportunity and actually feels like a kind of gift to me.
“I feel at peace here.”
If you would like to find out more about volunteering for the Red Cross mobility aids service, you’ll find all the current opportunities at www.redcross.org.uk/wheelchairvolunteers