CA bought two transit wheelchairs two years ago - part of our 'age friendly neighbourhood status.
Our idea.
To provide wheelchairs for short-term loan to people in our community; e.g. for a visiting relative; for a particular outing or appointment; for a short term mobility issue.
Our experience.
Local church agreed to store.
Existing local newsletter promoted.
On-going promotion on Parish website and in local community information files.
The simplest paperwork or simple text messages were all that was needed for borrowers to agree that the wheelchair was borrowed at their own risk.
Two or three members of the church / community acted as contact people and kept in touch to keep track of the wheelchairs.
Borrowers either collected the wheelchairs themselves or we delivered to them.
In three years there have been 20 loans sometimes for a few days, sometimes for a number of weeks.
Ranged from enabling a few days away, to having a wheelchair available whilst elderly parent from India was visiting for two months.
Three or four families have used the experience of using one of our wheelchairs to gain the confidence to purchase their own.
Problems
None - except that occasionally we have needed another wheelchair.
Cost
I-Lite transit wheelchair currently on sale at Ableworld for £202.80
https://www.ableworld.co.uk/i-lite-travel-wheelchair.aspx
Future
Word is spreading.
We can promote more. e.g have on display when some of our groups meet.
Would like to share our experience.
We've avoided too much red tape - which has caused some 'official' schemes to wind down.
We want to maintain wheelchairs which are in excellent condition.