Have you heard of the tramper? Our all terrain, off road mobility scooter, which is available free to hire at Leighton Moss.
The tramper scooter has been funded in partnership by the Arnside and Silverdale AONB Sustainable Development Fund, the RSPB, Lancashire County Council, the Lancashire and District Ramblers Association, the Arnside Ramblers, Yealand Manor and Leighton Hall.
The RSPB working with the Arnside and Sivlerdale AONB and other partners are committed to improving access for all in this beautiful corner of the world. The partnership worked together to introduce the tramper scheme to improve access to the countryside for those with limited mobility.
This free to hire, four wheel drive mobility scooter is perfect for exploring the countryside. It is available for use for anybody over the age of 14 at RSPB Leighton Moss nature reserve in Silverdale.
Booking is essential, please call the visitor centre at Leighton Moss on 01524 701601. We’re open seven days at week from 9.30 am-5 pm.
Angela who lives in the local area, and her family recently took the tramper for a roll around the reserve, here’s how she got on...
“How do you balance the needs of a six and seven year old with boundless energy and their eighty year old infirm granny? I have often visited Leighton Moss with my children and my mum and found the combination quite limiting and frustrating. My Mum expends most of her efforts just using the stair lift to get into the cafe, and once the children have eaten their sunshine beans and completed this months colourings and word-searches it is usually time to go home, having not actually been able to get out on the reserve at all. But now at Leighton Moss they have the perfect solution........the tramper.
Sunny afternoons at Leighton Moss by Angela Welbourne
The tramper is an all terrain mobility scooter available to hire free of charge within Visitor Centre opening hours. After a short induction on how to operate the vehicle we were able to go out together as a family and access areas of the reserve never before seen by Granny and complete the family trail. “Ooh I never knew the reserve was so big, what a lovely place” said Mum “Come on Granny put it into hare mode, pleeeaaase” said Fin which was followed shortly after by “Granny wait for us, granny, granny, we haven’t had a chance to write the answer down yet!” as my mums confidence grew in her driving skills, progressing from tortoise to hare she disappeared round the corner deeper into the reserve.
It was really refreshing, opening up new horizons for my mum and giving us the now rare opportunity for shared new experiences as a family with varying needs. We hared all the way out to Grizedale hide before heading back to the cafe for cake. I’ve no doubt we’ll be back to explore the boardwalk sometime soon.....infact I think I might have become a tramper enthusiast.....searching out other tramper opportunites. Today Leighton Moss tomorrow.......who knows. My brother is keen to go round the world on one and he is able bodied! But for now we will just have to live out our tramper dreams through our mum. “
On a roll by Angela Welbourne