A Padiham man with cerebral palsy is fundraising for a new £25,000 off-road wheelchair.

Joe Skinner says his current chair is breaking down and needs replacing, but the charity that funded it has discontinued, and few others accommodate disabled adults.

Some charities require you to raise part of the money first, he adds, which is why he has set up a GoFundMe page.

The 26-year-old, who works in disability sport and inclusion, hopes to purchase a Freedom One Life chair. It has been designed by someone with cerebral palsy to allow users to remain on the go outside in various weather conditions, which Joe says will allow him to continue to live life to the full.

Padiham man Joe Skinner, who has cerebral palsy, is fundraising to replace his old wheelchair.

placeholder image — Padiham man Joe Skinner, who has cerebral palsy, is fundraising to replace his old wheelchair.

“Even though this current wheelchair has changed my life, I would say I’ve spent around £4,000 on repairs, and it has broken down around 12 to 15 times in just a three-year period,” said Joe.

"Sadly, the everyday NHS electric wheelchair does not allow disabled people to live their lives to the best of their abilities in comparison to this other equipment.”

At 18 and feeling isolated, Joe decided to take steps to challenge himself, stay active, and become more independent. His current off-road wheelchair opened more doors for him, allowing him to holiday abroad and attend sporting and music events around the UK.

Joe hopes the new wheelchair will allow him to continue to challenge perceptions of disability and help reduce the stigma faced by disabled people, as he does in his social media channel Wheeltalklife. So far, he has raised nearly £12,000 in his fundraising journey.

“The support of everyone involved has massively blown me away,” he said.

"Those who know me know that I hate asking for help, and it really cringed me out to put the page up, and it was something I thought long and hard about for over 12 months.

“I did not expect to receive this amount of donations and support from the whole community in such a short space of time. It is truly amazing and overwhelming. I’m acutely aware of the social and economic times we are living in at the moment, which is perhaps the most poignant part of all of this. It is appreciated beyond words.”

To donate, visit https://gofund.me/85a4785c1