Fred Bell needs a mobility vehicle

Hi, my name is Jane Bell and I am fundraising for a mobility vehicle to enable Fred, my husband of 40 years, to get out of the house & improve his mental health. As many of you know he had a major stroke last year.

Fred has now been home now for 9 months after spending 8 months in hospital after suffering a devastating stroke in January 2023. He has made good progress & is regaining his core strengthen as well as opening the pathways to strengthen movement in his left arm & leg. Fred finds the progress frustratingly slow as he is desperate to get back out into the community to continue to advise his athletes, & continue to encourage the Parkrunners every weekend as he loved doing. We managed to get Fred to Woking Parkrun at the end of June with the help of a friend who had used of a mobility van. This made us both realise that this is what Fred needs so that he can get out of the house & change his environment. At the moment he is hoisted out of bed into a chair & back into bed again and rarely leaves the room. Although he has frequent visitors it is not the same as him visiting them. He desperately needs to involve himself in the community once more. This will not only enable him to do what he most loves but will also boost his mental health.

As an ex international athlete he has always strived to better himself & achieve the best he can & now has a massive challenge in front of him. He is a fighter, & wants to continue to volunteer at his weekly Parkrun as well as continue to give back, using his vast knowledge helping athletes achieve the best they can. A mobility van will give him the freedom to continue to give to others, despite his own hardships.

Fred wants to be able to visit his roots in Wales. He is so proud that he represented his country, held Welsh records & was a Welsh Champion both at Junior & Senior level. His youngest daughter is getting married in Pembrokeshire in 2025 & it is Fred’s absolute goal to be by her side as she goes down the aisle.

To travel to Pembrokeshire will be a mammoth task; without a mobility van it will be impossible.

We have explored every avenue regarding mobility grants & allowances but Fred is not eligible for help, so we are asking you to please help Fred however you can so we can purchase a suitable mode of transport. I will be selling my car but extra is needed to purchase a mobility van.

Thank you in anticipation of helping a worthy man give back to the community he loves & wants to continue to support ☺️‍♂️