Snow-Mobility - Why Four Wheels are Better Than Two Legs

Soup, Thermals, Cat Litter - Now Wheelchairs Have Joined the List of 'In Demand' Items During the Big Freeze

LONDON, January 6 - Although the roads are gritted the pavements are not, and if you're
already a little unsteady on your feet, or using crutches to get around, then
icy pavements are the last straw. However for many the answer seems to be to
take to a wheelchair - you may slide along in the snow a little but at least
you are safely seated.

According to national wheelchair hire company, Wheelfreedom, it may be
freezing outside, but the phones are red hot with enquiries from all over the
UK. Said Henry Cheape, "Demand is unprecedented - up 60% on last year with no
sign of it tailing off. We've got 200 wheelchairs here ready to go out -
enough to meet demand for at least two weeks - and have drafted in extra
staff, friends and family to help."

Wheelfreedom was founded by Giles Donald and Henry Cheape three years ago
to provide high quality short and medium term wheelchair hire for people
unable to get a chair through their health service, or who needed a chair
quickly.

Explained Giles Donald, "Business at this time of year is usually quiet
with mainly families who have elderly relatives staying and want to hire a
wheelchair, but nearly all of our enquiries now are from people who are
struggling to get about on the ice. Added to this, the seasonal increase in
falls and broken bones has been exacerbated by the snow and charities and
hospitals are struggling to meet the demand for short term wheelchairs."

Concludes Henry, "We say we can supply next day anywhere on the UK
mainland and have managed to keep our delivery service moving in spite of the
transport problems. We can't offer sledges and huskies, but our wheelchairs
could be the next best thing!"

Call on freephone 0800-0258005 or order from the website
www.wheelfreedom.co.uk

Contact: +44-(0)7717-435978 (Giles Donald) or +44-(0)7973-373056 (Henry Cheape). PR contact: +44-(0)7734-101024 (Lyn Wallace) lyn at wallacehcl.com