[C]umbrian Cottages has partnered with the charity, Freedom Wizard, to give wheelchair users and those of limited mobility, the opportunity to enjoy holidays across the UK.
Working with the charity, which has a fleet of terrain wheelchairs offering experience days in forests and moorlands throughout the country, Cumbrian Cottages is hoping to make breaks accessible to all.
Freedom Wizard was formed over a year ago by Allie Pennington, a keen snowboarder who was left wheelchair bound. Frustrated by the lack of options for wheelchair users to enjoy the great outdoors, especially for active individuals such as herself, Allie developed the idea of creating terrain chairs, which is where Freedom Wizard was born.
Having noticed the charity online, Cumbrian Cottages approached Freedom Wizard to offer its expert advice on holiday lets that catered for those with mobility issues.
Allie stated: “Freedom Wizard and our terrain wheelchairs give people the chance to visit some of the remotest areas of the country, which would have been previously unreachable for them.
“Whilst our wheelchairs allowed people to access the great outdoors, we really struggled when it came to finding holiday properties that catered for people with limited mobility. This often meant that we could only offer days out and not overnight stays.
“Now, through the partnership with Cumbrian Cottages, we have been able to offer them the full package; a chance to explore the great outdoors and a break in a lovely cottage that caters to their needs.”
As well as sponsoring the buses that transport the fleet of wheelchairs on days out and experiences, Cumbrian Cottages is also offering its knowledge and expertise to create a series of guidebooks for those with mobility issues.
Newly recruited published author, fell wanderer and life explorer, Jeanette Moore at Freedom Wizard is creating maps for wheelchair users to discover the outdoors whilst, Cumbrian Cottages is providing recommendations on where to stay.
Allie continues: “The support we have received from Cumbrian Cottages has been fantastic. The company has proved invaluable in offering its expertise so that we can continue to get people out and about. We very much look forward to working with them in the future and seeing the guidebooks come to life over the coming months.”
Colin Eccles, Business Development Manager in Coniston and the Central Lakes for Cumbrian Cottages, said: “Freedom Wizard is a fantastic charity and one that we were very keen to support. We want our holidays to be accessible to all whether you have mobility issues or not. The support that Freedom Wizard provides is a lifeline for wheelchair users and we have seen first-hand the difference the charity makes.
“We are seeing more and more holiday lets coming on board that cater for people with limited mobility and this is something that should not be overlooked by property owners.”
One such property is Lealholme (property reference UK1138) a two bedroom bungalow in the centre of Bassenthwaite village near Keswick in Cumbria. The owners, Simon and Diana Parums, signed with Cumbrian Cottages as a result of the partnership with Freedom Wizard. They have recently completed a full refurbishment on the property to ensure that the cottage is accessible to as many people as possible.
The cottage, which is over a hundred years old, provides spacious and comfortable, single-storey accommodation and has the added benefit of level access, wide doors and a walk-in shower.
Simon adds: “We were made aware that Freedom Wizard was working with Cumbrian Cottages and as a result were keen to sign up our property to the holiday let company as it is ideal for those with mobility issues. It is great that Cumbrian Cottages is supporting Freedom Wizard and the fantastic work that they do.”
Anyone considering starting a holiday let in 2018, or reviewing how to make a better return on investment out of a current holiday let, is invited to get in touch with Cumbrian Cottages. For more information simply visit www.cottages.com/let-your-property.
