Belong Macclesfield donates refurbished wheelchairs to South Africa

Staff and residents at Belong Macclesfield have celebrated a successful fundraising campaign that has allowed them to donate refurbished wheelchairs to villages in South Africa.
The campaign was launched after exercise instructor Barbara Tait returned from a visit to the country and said she had been stunned by the lack of provision for the disabled, and those who struggled to walk.
And after successfully raising £530, the village recently purchased five wheelchairs in South Africa, which have been delivered to villages in Kwazulu, Natal.
Residents, staff and volunteers have also been busy restoring 12 more wheelchairs, nine aluminium walking frames and seven four-wheeled walkers.
This equipment will be delivered to South Africa later this year by Wales based charity Clynfy Care Farm, which picked up the refurbished chairs and walkers from the Macclesfield village at the end of April, and will transport them as part of its “Wheelie Good Idea’ project.
Barbara said she was overwhelmed by the support she had received from Belong, its residents and customers when she first raised the idea of the project.
“The residents, customers and staff have been so amazing and really embraced this project. Everybody chipped in to help clean, mend and restore these chairs and it was such a thrill to see them loaded up to be sent to South Africa where they’ll make such a difference to someone’s life,” she said.
“Our residents were keen to be involved in projects like this and offer something positive to other communities less fortunate than their own.”
Freda Dean, 91, an apartment tenant at the Macclesfield village, added: “Apart from the many benefits of living at Belong I most enjoy being given the opportunity to be involved in projects like this one. It really makes you feel like you’re part of something worthwhile.”