Seth has Spina-Bifida and had always wanted to be able to walk and play with his family on the seafront. His regular walker was not suitable for the beach as his wheels would constantly sink in the sand. Banchory Shedder and Remap volunteer John Dunnett had just the solution.
With the help of a local occupational therapist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, John got to work to transform a walking frame into a secure beach walker with much larger wheels allowing Seth to roam freely and… there is no stopping him now.
The Rehabilitation Engineering Movement Advisory Panel (REMAP) charity was the brainchild of army officer and engineer Major Pat Johnson who, in the 1960s, helped his disabled sister (who had contracted polio in infancy) by making some improvements to her home including wheelchair ramps and an electric hoist.
These simple solutions made a huge difference to her life—and gave her the independence she craved—and he resolved to bring similar changes to others’ lives. Remap is now UK-wide and completes 3,500 projects every year.
The charity can help design and custom-make equipment to help disabled people live more independently. This support includes mobility, help in the home, managing personal care, enjoying sports and hobbies and much more. All work is carried out and checked by expert engineers, carpenters, technicians and occupational therapists and provided free of charge.
Engineer, Remap volunteer and Banchory & District Men’s Shed member John Dunnett said: “I have been involved with the Remap charity for just over two years. When I heard about Seth having to sit whilst his sister ran about and played and splashed about in the water, I wanted to make something to give him freedom on the sand.
“I was able to get a couple of used zimmer frames from different manufacturers—one was a typical frame and the other taller and slimmer. I dismantled both and cut the parts to reduce them to suit Seth. Some of the shaped tubes had to be shortened and I was lucky to find a metal tent pole that was a tight fit in the cut tubes. I machined metal axles for the rear wheels that I was given by a local golf course professional and a local engineering company made up the front castor units to my design free of charge when they heard Seth’s story. The front wheels were also donated by a caddy cart servicing company.
“I volunteer my time and made use of my engineering contacts so that the entire walker was created at no cost including the screws and pop rivets used to assemble it. The frame can be modified as Seth grows; the rear legs can be adjusted using the standard zimmer adjusters and I will remove the pop rivet joints, insert spacers to increase the length of the tubes and then rivet the joints again.
“It was very important that Seth’s beach walker was adjustable so he can continue to enjoy beach walks with his family as he grows.
“There are always learning curves with these projects. If I was asked to make another walker, I would try and find the supplier of similar aluminium tube and obtain a tube bender or make up a bender which would save using pop rivet joints on cut down zimmer parts.
“Once complete, we tested the walker at Aberdeen Beach during the easter holidays when COVID rules were more relaxed. It was a cold windy day however everyone there was just delighted to watch Seth walk on the sand. Being a typical boy he went closer and closer to the waves, the look on his face when he was soaked by a larger wave made it all worthwhile. The walker has seen a lot of use this summer and Seth’s mum has sent me lots of lovely photos of it being used at Cruden Bay beach in more enjoyable weather.
“I can see a lot of potential for Sheds to get involved, and make a huge difference to the lives of people with a range of disabilities, by working in partnership with the Remap charity. A Men’s Shed is the perfect space to carry out the work required for projects like this. All types of skills can be utilised—mechanical, woodworking, electrical and electronics.”
David Reid, Regional Organiser Scotland at Remap, said: “We now have 10 panels across Scotland, from Shetland in the north to the Scottish Borders with some 50 hands-on people with engineering skills.
“Unfortunately, volunteers with woodworking and metalwork skills are becoming scarce and COVID has certainly impacted on our work. At the moment, we could have a project up north being constructed down south. So, we often turn to Men’s Sheds local to the project for help.
“We have been so grateful for the assistance received from Men’s Sheds. We are hoping to get more Sheds across Scotland involved in these project that can often be life-changing for the recipient.”
“Major Pat Johnson MBE died in 2002. Thanks to his vision and effort, we continue to build ramps – and much more. Much like Men’s Sheds, we repurpose what most would consider scrap materials. We still use ingenuity and experience to produce innovative solutions to problems. Pat Johnson’s concept has more than stood the test of time and, thanks to him, the lives of thousands of disabled people have been transformed.”
Would your Shed/Shedders be interested in getting involved with Remap?
Find out more at www.remap.org or contact David Reid at remap-scotland@btconnect.com
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