Beach wheelchair offered for hire

Northland College student Te Kopa Kopa, 16, tries out the new beach wheelchair at Sandy Bay. Photo / Supplied

Disabled people visiting beaches along the Tutukaka coast will have better access this summer with a specialist beach wheelchair available.

The Halberg Disability Sport Foundation has partnered with Flight Centre Foundation to donate a beach wheelchair for use over summer to help physically disabled people get to the beach and into the water.

The beach wheelchair gives physically disabled people access on to the beach and into the water around the Tutukaka Coast and other Whangarei beaches to ensure they can enjoy the water and activities with their friends and families.

The beach wheelchair will be based with Simon Eggington from the Tutukaka Surf Experience Shop on Marina Rd, Tutukaka, and can be loaned for a small deposit.

Northland Halberg disability sport adviser Maia Lewis, who works with physically disabled people in the region to connect them with sport and recreation opportunities, helped organise the donation of the equipment to the Tutukaka community.

Anybody interested in hiring the beach wheelchair can contact Mr Eggington on 021 2270072, or email simon@tutukakasurf.co.nz.

The Halberg Disability Sport Foundation is a charity that was founded by Sir Murray Halberg in 1963 on the belief that all New Zealanders should have access to sports - with no exceptions.

The foundation has worked tirelessly to make Sir Murray's vision a reality and now employs disability sport advisers around the country who connect physically disabled people to sport and recreation opportunities in schools, clubs and in their communities as well as providing grants for adaptive sports equipment. For further information, visit www.halberg.co.nz.