Wetwheels Yorkshire with Club Wilber

At the end of October half term, our Club Wilber families were fortunate to experience the joy of being out on the sea with the wonderful charity, Wetwheels.

Starting the day grateful for some glorious sunshine (unseasonably good weather for October!), the families gathered together at the marina in the centre of Whitby. You could see a mixture of excitement and apprehension on their faces.

‘Wetwheels provides the unique opportunity for all disabled people, including those with profound and complex disabilities, to access the sea in a safe, stimulating and rewarding way on board specially-built, fully-accessible powerboats.’

The Wetwheels trip was around an hour and a half which gives time for the families on board to soak up that salty sea smell, feel the breeze in their hair, and hear the roar of the engine, the sea gulls and the waves crashing against the boat. They even get a go at steering the boat!

At Club Wilber we organise activities for children and young people with a visual impairment so we are always on the look-out for unique sensory experiences we can offer to the families we support. Wetwheels certainly does this and is an opportunity for the families to experience something they wouldn’t necessarily have access to otherwise.

One parent said of the trip, “It was very engaging because it’s a very unusual experience!”. Another said, “My child was lucky to try driving the boat.
She was very excited and very proud of herself.”

We have organised a few trips with Wetwheels, and they have delivered every time! Peter Richardson (chairman) is great through all the planning process. Peter and his team have such a clear passion for what they do, and we always receive praise for them in feedback. One of our parents said of the team, “They were really nice and friendly. They made an effort to remember our names and were really encouraging and patient.”

At the end of the trip, any signs of apprehension on the families’ faces were long gone, there was no other emotion to see than pure joy! When asked how Wetwheels could improve the only answer we were given was “It was perfect”.  A seal was even spotted in the harbour!

Thank you to Peter and the team at Wetwheels Yorkshire! Our families love the trips with you, and we look forward to stepping back on board very soon!

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