PALM Beach Rotarians and their partners recently got a look at the Rockingham Cycling Without Age’s new trishaw for wheelchair users. Some even got to sit in it!
The Velo Plus machine is the first of its kind in Western Australia.
Deb Wall, captain of CWA's Rockingham chapter, said the group would not have got the Velo Plus machine without the Rotary Club of Palm Beach.
The purchase was made possible by an $18,000 donation to the club and Rockingham was “the envy of Perth because we have the Velo”.
All of the CWA trishaws are named “and we asked the donor to name it”, she said. As a result, it was named Kady, an Irish word for “first”.
Rockingham was very lucky to get its Velo Plus Machine so early.
Two more trishaws were coming from Copenhagen, thanks to a generous donation from the Bendigo Bank in Rockingham and a Stronger Communities Grant through local federal MP Madeleine King.
That will boost our fleet to four machines — three “taxis” and the Velo.
Rockingham now had 30 trained pilots on its books but only 10 are active.
Two new pilots were announced on Wednesday night – past Palm Beach Rotary presidents Rick and Kerrilee Dawson.
More pilots were always needed, Deb said. “If you are interested, let me know.”
Pilots will require more training to operate the Velo (presumably because of the technicalities of loading wheelchair uses) and six people have already put up their hands.
Husband Neil Wall said many of the people he had ferried on a trishaw had suffered brain injuries. “They have been just like you or me.”
The joy they felt on these rides — being outside and feeling the wind on their faces and in their hair – was magical.
Club president John Simmons thanked Deb and Neil for their work. “How lucky is the community of Rockingham to have these two — their enthusiasm and commitment to this project,” he said.