TRECCO BAY Holiday Park, in Porthcawl, has received a brand-new beach wheelchair thanks to the fundraising efforts of the family and friends of a terminal cancer patient, following an official handover ceremony on Sunday 2nd July.
The holiday park, which is owned by Parkdean Resorts, the UK’s leading holiday park operator, will be responsible for the upkeep of the wheelchair, after funds were raised by the family and friends of Gareth Anthony, who sadly passed away last year. Having endured a battle with terminal cancer, Gareth’s final wish was to visit Porthcawl and to go onto the beach, only for his family to find that unfortunately, the only beach wheelchair for the area was already booked out when they visited. Gareth, who passed away two days later, expressed his wish for other terminally ill or disabled individuals to enjoy the coast with the aid of a beach wheelchair, and his loved ones resolved to raise the money to fund it. The handover has now taken place after and his friends and family raised over £7,000 to fund the wheelchair, with the remainder of the money going to Welsh Ambulance charity, Wish.
The brand-new beach wheelchair has been designed to allow those with limited mobility to enjoy the beach without the constraints of a standard wheelchair, and is highly portable. Available for all those in need to use at Trecco Bay beach, the beach wheelchair will be available for hire free of charge, but the holiday park will be asking for donations to help with maintenance and upkeep costs.
Margaret Anthony, mother of Gareth, said: “It was heartbreaking for us to see Gareth looking at the beautiful beach and sea and being unable to get down onto the sands. Gareth said that he so much wanted to change the situation and have a beach wheelchair available for the beach along that coast. His brother immediately promised him that he would run a marathon and we would fundraise to make that wish come true. The whole family are so grateful to everyone at Trecco Bay for this provision, and we know that Gareth would have been so pleased to know that his final wish has been granted.”
Tim Howell, General Manager at Trecco Bay Holiday Park, said: “We were contacted by Margaret several months ago about housing the beach wheelchair at Trecco Bay, and we’re absolutely delighted to play a part in this mission to help others in Gareth’s memory. His story is both incredible and heartbreaking, and we know it will resonate with our guests and Holiday Home Owners. We’re thrilled that Margaret and her family have chosen Trecco Bay to maintain the wheelchair, and we can’t wait to welcome even more visitors to enjoy the beach over the summer.”
Trecco Bay is one of 66 award-winning holiday parks owned by Parkdean Resorts. The company is committed to caring for its parks, people and planet to create a positive community impact, and acting responsibly for the long-term sustainability of its business.
