Aberdeen, Scotland, got its first wheelchair accessible swing and trampoline, thanks to the Rotary Club of Aberdeen Bon Accord, RID 1010, Scotland.
It all started in the spring of 2024 when a club member mentioned that his wheelchair-dependent granddaughter enjoyed being on a swing, and even though a public wheelchair swing had recently been installed, it was in a town 19 miles away.
We decided to do something about this, so our club began planning how best to raise the funds needed to purchase and install a suitable swing in Aberdeen. It was decided to put swings for both the physically challenged and the able bodies so that the companions, friends or caregivers could also enjoy a swing ride.
This was an important consideration as there may not be many things that a wheelchair dependent person and an able-bodied person can do together.
In the course of our research, we established that the NHS (National Health Service) supports over 9,000 wheelchair users in our area, and, as the equipment is suitable for adults also, this created an extensive local user base, and would also be an asset for visitors to the area.
One of the anecdotes which motivated our efforts came from a 33-year-old wheelchair dependent lady who had never experienced the pleasure of being on a swing until a wheelchair swing had been installed near her home.
Following discussions with the Aberdeen City Council, which was revamping the play area at the Duthie Park, they agreed to include a wheelchair accessible swing, if we could raise the £24,000 needed.
Our fund-raising appeal and awareness campaign titled AllPlay, raised an astonishing £43,000 through public donations, contributions from fellow Rotary clubs, donations from local organisations and companies as well as grants from funding bodies, which included NHS Grampian Charity, The Stafford Trust and the UK Government’s Prosperity Fund.
What helped was our club’s charitable trust status and with the amount raised we not only purchased the much-needed swing but also an accessible trampoline. Both are now fully operational.
At the end of the day, we were bowled over by the generosity shown by all of those who have helped us reach and exceed our target. From considerable grants to school pupils holding a bake sale and a young lad cleaning shoes, our community rose to the challenge and delivered.
Our reward has been seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces as they experience the joy of being on a swing and bouncing in the air.
Rotary is all about working for the good of the community, which this project exemplifies.
Club members were joined by invited guests at a short ceremony in the city’s Duthie Park where the district governor Graham Leith officially handed over the play equipment to Aberdeen City Council’s environmental manager Steven Shaw.
The writer is a past president of the Rotary Club of Aberdeen Bon Accord, RID 1010