DISABLED Sarah Mitchell can now use and store a mobility scooter at her home in The Weald thanks to the intervention of Cllr Paul Johnson and a team of willing volunteers, builders and fundraisers.

The 36-year-old, who suffers from a progressive terminal illness, has had her flat adapted for wheelchair use.

But despite inheriting a mobility scooter from her late grandmother two years ago, Sarah has been housebound because she had nowhere to store it, and no way of getting it on to the nearby pavement.

But after hearing of her plight Cllr Paul Johnson organised a willing team to come to her rescue.

Stuart Clark, trading as MTM (Made To Measure) Carpentry, volunteered to lay a concrete base in Sarah’s garden and made a shed to house the scooter, having received a generous discount from Mid Sussex Timber for the materials he used: and Peter Tolhurst of Tolhurst Electrical Services Limited provided an electrical connection for recharging the scooter’s batteries.

Sarah has also been given a portable ramp which allows her to access the nearby pavement on her scooter.

The money to pay for the project came from the ladies of St Luke's church who raised more than £130, the East Grinstead Lions Club who contributed another £400, and Martin and Barbara Groat who helped councillors including Bob and Christine Mainstone, Ginnie Waddingham and Margaret Collins to raise a further £420 with a bbq at Chequer Mead last summer.

“I am very, very grateful, and indeed feel quite overwhelmed by everyone’s kindness,” said Sarah. “This has changed my life but it is something I could never have afforded to do on my own - Paul is a wonderful man.”

Among the well wishers who celebrated the ending of the project was Cllr Bob Mainstone who took pictures to commemorate the event.

“It was particularly nice to see him there,” said Sarah, “as he used to be my headmaster at Imberhorne school.”

Top