The wheels of life

06 Oct 2015

From hospitals in Papua New Guinea to relief organisations in Africa and beyond, the Wheelchair Restoration Project has been repairing and sending off wheelchairs to people all over the world for almost 30 years.

An initiative of the Rotary Club of Largs Bay in Adelaide, the ‘Wheelies’ (as they’re affectionately known) have fixed 3000 wheelchairs since they first began in 1989. Local hospitals and nursing homes donate damaged wheelchairs to the team, who then work on the wheelchairs to give them another life.

The men then send the devices off to another Rotary initiative called Donations in Kind, which sends commodities to countries in need, such as the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Tuvalu. After the Bali bombings, seven wheelchairs were rushed to catch the last Garuda flight from Adelaide.

On each of the wheelchairs that the Wheelies repair, a letter is attached to it, encouraging the receiver to send a note to let the team know where the chair has ended up.

“It’s quite rewarding to get that slip of paper and even a letter to say thanks very much. We had one from the Philippines recently that praised God for our services. You get some real tear-jerking letters, but it does the guys some good and gives us a bit of a kick along the way,” reflects Errol Chinner, President of the Rotary Club of Largs Bay and Project Co-ordinator of the Wheelies.

To join the project, no experience is necessary, just an interest in lending a hand, says Errol. In fact, one of the team is blind and uses steel wool to clean the wheels and has been taught to pop in rivets using an electric drill. The team also repairs and distributes toilet risers, walking frames, walkers and shower chairs to those in need.

“Collectively, we solve a lot of wheechair problems. We have a laser, a welding apparatus, some grinders, and we got a grant from the South Australian Government for $2500 to buy a few tools. Equipment-wise, we’re set up. We just need willing bodies to help out.”