FAQ

We welcome donations in whatever manner suits the donor:

Cheques should be made payable to the Wetwheels Foundation and sent to The Victory, Gunwharf Quays House, Portsmouth, PO1 3TZ.  You are also welcome to visit our office at this address to make donations in person.  If you choose to donate in this way, please consider completing a Gift Aid form which will allow us to increase your donation by at least 25% by claiming tax back from the government.  If you include your contact details with your donation, we will get in touch with you to explain how to do this.

You can donate via bank transfer to the Wetwheels Foundation's charity bank account.  Our Natwest account sort code is 52-41-32 and the account number is 54924618.  Please use your name as the reference number.  If you choose to donate in this way, please contact us so we can send you a Gift Aid form.  This will allow us to increase your donation by at least 25% by claiming tax back from the government.

You can donate through the 'donate' button on our website, which takes you to our Just Giving page.  This is best suited for smaller amounts and it is easy for you to add Gift Aid.

If you wish to support us in a different way, perhaps through business in kind support, please get in touch with us via the Contact page on this website.

Access to each Wetwheels boat is via a side-opening door and shallow ramp onto a large open deck. Each vessel is MCA coded (category 3) to take up to 10 passengers up to 20 miles from a safe haven. We have designed wheelchair tie-down positions on the deck for maximum safety. Our boats are equipped with the latest safety equipment including 12 person liferafts, lifejackets and flares. Our skippers are all commercially endorsed and we are fully insured. We have a detailed safety policy and a full set of risk-assessments available on request.

Each of our local teams will have slightly different joining instructions, depending on the facilities where they are based.  Please contact the Wetwheels Operator you have booked with, as they will be able to tell you everything you may need to know about getting on board.  You can find their contact details via the Locations page on this website.

We are funded by a combination of donations from individuals, businesses, charitable trusts and foundations.  Participants are also encouraged to contribute towards the cost of their trips. Where this isn't possible, we seek to raise funds from third parties to cover the cost of participation as we want to ensure financial accessibility as well as physical accessibility.

Just Giving is easy for donors to use and saves administrative effort for us due to its convenience and ease of use.  Though Just Giving does charge us a fee to use their services, we consider this to be good value for money given that we believe we are able to raise more money as a result of using this service.

If you wish to make a large donation, or are concerned about Just Giving's fees, please feel free to donate via cheque or bank transfer, or contact the office on 023 9281 9366 or enquiries@wetwheelsfoundation.org to discuss the options.

Yes, many donors like their donations to support a particular area of our work and we are very happy to accommodate this where possible.  This could be for a particular age group, people from a particular area, or people with a particular disability.  Please contact us on 023 9281 9366 to let us know of your wishes. 

However, we also welcome general donations which will be used where support is most needed at the time.

However you like - provided it isn't illegal or too dangerous!  You can either join us for one of our regular fundraising events - such as abseils, runs or golf days - or organise your own event.  Please contact us on 023 9281 9366 to discuss your ideas.

We raise funds to help cover the costs of building new boats and offering Wetwheels experiences.  In the 2020-21 financial year, less than 15% of the Wetwheels Foundation's expenditure was spent on fundraising costs, including salaries. This information is available in our accounts, which are published after the end of each financial year and available to download here at the Charity Commission website.

Businesses can support us with a monetary donation, or by making gifts in kind of goods and services.  We like to make sure that all our supporters feel appreciated and part of the Wetwheels family, so are always keen to talk to businesses to see how we can work together.  Please contact us on 023 9281 9366.

Leaving a gift in your will is one of the most wonderful ways you can choose to support Wetwheels as you will be helping to ensure that the open water is accessible to disabled people for generations to come. It is also very simple to do. Just contact your solicitor and let them know you would like to leave a gift to the Wetwheels Foundation (charity number 1148600). The solicitor will know what needs to be done next.  You can leave a fixed monetary amount (known as a pecuniary gift), or a percentage of your estate (known as a residuary gift).

Leaving a residuary gift means you don't need to worry about how much money is left for your family and loved ones, as the amount donated to Wetwheels is just a percentage rather than a fixed amount. It could be as small as 1%, but that would make a significant difference to disabled children and adults who might otherwise be unable to access the open water.

Our published accounts can be viewed on the Charity Commission website.

The Wetwheels Foundation is the registered charity that oversees and supports the Wetwheels network.  It is responsible for Wetwheels' development and determines the manner in which each of our boats must operate.  It is governed by a board of trustees.

Each of our boats is operated by a Wetwheels Operator.  These are Community Interest Companies (or the local equivalent), which are not-for-profit and run by a board of directors.  They are responsible for providing Wetwheels experiences to the local communities they serve.

All parts of the network - though they may be separate legal entities - are part of the Wetwheels family, work closely together, and share the same commitment to improving the quality of life for all disabled people.