MORE wounded, injured and sick veterans and service personnel will now be able to take up sports – thanks to a £7,000 donation of 12 multi-sport wheelchairs.

The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights, a charitable body dedicated to helping people with mobility issues, gave the chairs to the Help for Heroes Phoenix House Recovery Centre at Catterick Garrison.

Members have now visited the centre to see the chairs in action and to understand the impact of their support – and also enjoyed a game of wheelchair basketball with veterans and serving military personnel.

For veteran Paul Nichol the impact of the donation has been huge after his career as an Army medic was cut short when he was struck down with a debilitating back syndrome.

During a training course in 2010, he collapsed, paralysed from the waist down. Despite an emergency operation he was told his chances of walking were slim to none – but he spent three years being treated at Headley Court, the defence rehab unit in Surrey, to try and get back on his feet.

After several operations, he can now walk, often using a stick but still uses a wheelchair at times. He was medically discharged in 2013 and has been supported by Help for Heroes and Phoenix House throughout the recovery process.

He said: “A normal wheelchair tips back and doesn’t have enough manoeuvrability or speed to use for sport.

“The multisport ones donated by the Wheelwrights have angled wheels so that you can turn corners suddenly and quickly, and also move fast across the court. They also come in different heights and with various widths to accommodate different size players.”

He added: “Wheelchair basketball is a good introduction to sport for those who thought their injuries prevented them from taking part in such activities. It has really helped my physical and mental health. It gives you self-confidence and belief that you can do it and something to aim for in wanting to improve your skills.”

Until Phoenix House received the donated chairs, the beneficiaries could only play wheelchair basketball when coaches from the Newcastle Falcons could come down with their own equipment to run a session.

Ian Armfield, Master of the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights, said the group was delighted to see the multisport wheelchairs in action.

“The good thing about providing the wheelchairs to a recovery centre is that many, many people will have the opportunity to use them while they are here and, if it is a sport that appeals to them, take it further.”