Our chairs and hoist are provided for use, free of charge, by volunteers.

Using our chairs

Volunteers cannot assist with pushing individuals in the wheelchair, either on or off the sand. Our volunteers are not trained or qualified in moving and handling, and they are not insured to provide this type of physical support. Responsibility for moving and manoeuvring the wheelchair rests entirely with the user’s carer, companion, or appointed support person. 

Our beach wheelchairs are designed to enable access onto sand, but they may still be challenging to manoeuvre, especially on soft or uneven surfaces. Pushing the chair requires a physically fit and capable individual. Beach Ability, Ingoldmells does not accept any responsibility or liability for assisting in moving the wheelchair onto or off the beach, or for the safety of the person pushing or using the chair during its use.

Types of chair

We have five different types of chair and a beach walker available. These are displayed on our “Our Chairs” page which gives the basic manufacturers specifications of the chairs. If you need to know anything else about a chair, please contact us and we will do our best to help. However, please note that as volunteers, we are not medically or professionally qualified to assess an individual’s physical needs or to determine whether a beach wheelchair is suitable for them. It is the responsibility of the user or their carer to decide whether the equipment meets their needs and can be used safely. Volunteers can provide information about the wheelchair’s features and assist with its use, but they cannot make suitability judgments.

Transfer to our chairs

Please note that our volunteers are not trained, qualified, or insured to assist with moving and handling tasks, including physical transfers of users into or out of wheelchairs, or the operation of hoisting equipment. Responsibility for any such transfers lies entirely with the user and/or their carer.

. If you require the use of our hoist, please ensure that you have fully read all of the information on "Our Hoist" page, including the hoist manual. If you have any problems viewing this information, please let us know at the time of booking.  

Location

Our chairs are for use only at our location and must be taken straight on to the beach at the nearest appropriate ramp to our hut. They must stay on the sand and are not to be taken away from the beach. 

Booking

As a fully volunteer-run service, all beach wheelchairs must be booked in advance. Once a booking request is received, we will contact our volunteer team to arrange availability for your chosen date and time. Booking requests are welcome seven days a week from March to October, and wheelchairs are available for use between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM. 

You can make a booking request here . We aim to reply to all requests received before 5pm on the same day. Please try to book at least a few days in advance, where possible. 

Booking deposit

A £10 deposit is required to secure the booking of your chair. This is refunded to you after you have used the chair unless;

• You cancel your booking with less than 24 hours notice.
• You do not come at all on the day of your booking.
• You are more than half an hour late collecting your chair at the agreed time, or returning your chair at the agreed time. Please note that if you are more than half an hour late when arriving to collect your chair, our volunteers may not be able to wait for you. Your booking will therefore be cancelled.

You will be asked to complete a form with your bank details after use of the chair, so we can return this deposit to you.

 Identification

For security purposes, we require proof of identification before we can confirm your booking. If we are able to accommodate your request, you will be asked to upload your ID as part of the booking confirmation form. Ideally, this will be a photocard driving licence, as it includes both a photograph and your address. If you do not have one, a passport or other photo ID is acceptable, but it must be accompanied by proof of address (such as a council tax bill, utility bill, or bank statement). This information is used solely for verification and will be deleted upon the safe return of the chair. We do not store or retain your identification beyond this point. Please also bring this ID along with you on the day.

Whilst you are using the beach wheelchair

When you collect the chair, you will be asked to agree a time to return it. This must be no later than 4pm. It may not always be possible for our volunteers to remain at the beach hut whilst you are on the beach. If this is the case, you will be provided with a telephone number to contact them in any situation where you need to return the chair earlier than you have arranged. Please note that it may take the volunteer a little while to be able return to you. If you think that this would be a problem, please let us know at the time of booking. We always do everything we can to ensure that everyone can use our service.  

 Your wheelchair

You may store your own wheelchair/mobility scooter/or other equipment in the Beach Ability Hut, where necessary. However this is at your own risk (our insurance does not cover your chairs, equipment or property.) The hut will be securely locked, if there is no volunteer on duty there.

Your responsibility for the chair

The hirer (person whom has given their identification) will be liable for any repairs to, or any cleaning of a chair that is required due to the hirers negligence, misuse of the chair, or where these terms of use have not been followed. You will be invoiced for any such costs and asked to pay the amount within 7 days, so that we can continue to let others make use of the chair as soon as possible.

Thank you!

Thank you for taking the time to read this information.

Information last updated on 20/07/2025