Urgently required transport for holiday.

lisaw

Hi.  I am desperately trying to find transport to take a friend who has had a stroke and is wheelchair bound ok holiday to Center Parcs. Ideally we would like a vehicle with driver  big enough for a medium sized wheelchair.  We live in Blackheath and are going to Elveden Forest.  I have tried numerous mini bus companies, with no luck and many companies have not bothered to reply. My friend has not had a holiday since his stroke 10 years ago and would be extremely disappointed if the holiday would have to be cancelled. Can anybody help please. Thank you.   

Geoark

Hello @lisaw and welcome to the community.

Have spoken to National Coaches? If you talk to their assisted travel team they may be able to assist you. If your friend's wheel chair is over 20KG they will need someone to travel with them to help. If they are able to help it would probably make the travel cheaper.

Finding travel to Victoria Station and at the other end will be a lot easier. For example Wheelchair Cabs http://www.wheelchaircabs.co.uk

lisaw

Hi . Thank you for your reply.  We cannot take him on public transport as we will have lots of luggage etc. What we're looking for is a mini bus with wheelchair access to basically take us from A to B.  Did not think it would be so difficult to get something. ?

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @lisaw and a warm welcome to the community! I hope you're able to find something suitable! If there is anything else that we can do then please do not hesitate to ask!

Geoark

Hi @lisaw

Check out http://www.londoncoachhire.org/accessible_coaches_and_minibuses_  I would suggest contacting them directly on 020 8509 9145 so you can discuss your needs. While it mentions the minibus can hold 8 wheelchairs depending on how many are going it should not be difficult to adapt the seating arrangements to match your needs.

newborn

Are you the Greenwich side of the line dividing Blackheath? If so, you can access info. From GAD at the Forum.  Greenwich Association of Disabled .   They will have various knowledge areas of interest to you.. 

 Lewisham once had 3 organisations, possibly now inactive/ineffective, but Greenwich GAD is good.( Southwark and East End even better.) Greenwich even had Phil Ashworth (Ashford?) in the council, who may  have been the one to pioneer the Greenwich disabled housing standards, upgrading Habinteg. 

  Last heard, Greenwich was simply laying down the planning approval standards that, for instance,, doorways should be slightly wider than Part M,  because they were sick of retrospectively adapting, time after time, because these days many people  use  bariatric EPIOCS which cannot fit through the purportedly accessible doorframe widths.

newborn

Pĺease will you come back and post, if you solve the transport problem? 

 Over the border in the other direction, Bromley, it was/is virtually impossible to find anyone who has apparently even heard the word 'disability'