Little miracles are happening across West Dorset. Engineers are quietly transforming disabled people’s lives, one bespoke invention at a time.

Working for free, they help children mount and ride horses by adapting wheeled ramps.

They make special gloves, so a man with a brain injury can hold a golf club.

Another can play guitar again, after they attached his plectrum to a mouldable plastic prosthetic which he can grip.

These big-hearted engineers are volunteers for REMAP, a national charity that improves the quality of life for people living with conditions and impairments.

The charity dates back to the 1960s and now has over 700 volunteers working across more than 65 local branches.

Dorset is served by two, based in Dorchester and Bournemouth, with the Dorchester branch covering the whole of West Dorset – anywhere with a DT postcode.

Mark Walls, chair of the Dorchester branch, says: “REMAP used to stand for Rehabilitation Engineering Movement Advisory Panels.

“These days, we prefer Resourceful Engineers Make Anything Possible.”

The REMAP engineers build gadgets for people who need a solution that can’t be bought off the shelf.

“They don’t have to be hugely complex or expensive,” adds Mark. “Just the smallest thing can make such a big difference to people.

“We fill the gap where a commercial product doesn’t exist or isn’t quite right for the specific needs of the individual.”

Whilst some work might be small, the impact can be huge.

How REMAP helps disabled people regain independence

By removing practical barriers, disabled people can regain access to the mobility and independence that support their daily lives, wellbeing, and, where relevant, their recovery.

REMAP can even help patients be discharged from hospital sooner.

“A lady in Dorchester was in hospital, and she couldn’t come out from the ward until adaptations had been made to her home,” explains Mark.

“Our work included modifying a kitchen trolley that she used as a walking aid around the house, and also a commode.
“So, actually, we helped free up a hospital bed.”

Malcolm March, vice chair and case officer for REMAP Dorchester, agrees there are countless cases where volunteers have changed people’s lives for the better.

One involved a man in Portland who could no longer use his electric wheelchair because of seizures and was confined indoors.

“We sent an engineer, who moved the controls so that his wife could control the wheelchair for him,” says Malcolm. “So now, for the first time, they can go out the house.”

The team’s ingenuity extends well beyond wheelchairs.

Volunteers installed a pulley system for one Portland woman, so she could lower her shopping into the kitchen and haul her laundry back up again.

Another lady, who needed quick access to her angina spray, was given a 3D-printed holder so she could grab it the moment she needed it.

Malcolm says REMAP has seen a rise recently in the number of young people referred to the service, sometimes as young as 18 months.

“Quite a few of these children have got really severe conditions, and what we can do for them makes a big difference for the parents too,” he says.

“We helped a toddler who couldn’t really move around home on his own, because somebody had to lug his oxygen cylinder around. And it made going outdoors very hard. So, one of our volunteer engineers crafted a bespoke trolley, and he decorated it with animal prints.”

A REMAP panel elsewhere in the UK built crawling tracks for baby Daniel, who has Down’s Syndrome (pictured).

It’s stories like this that show the value of REMAP’s work, even though the price tag behind each solution is modest. The service is provided free of charge to those who need it, with the average cost of delivering a REMAP solution sitting at around £127, simply covering engineers’ travel and the parts used.

Branches raise their own funding, with donations coming from other charities and, often, from those REMAP has helped along the way.

Mark added: “I would like to say ‘thank you’ to those who have generously helped to fund our work this year, especially: The Hall & Woodhouse Community Chest, The Richard Davies Foundation, The Burry Charitable Trust and The Greenhill Fellowship Trust.”

REMAP is always looking for more people, on both sides of the equation. If you know someone who could benefit from their support, or if you have practical, engineering or admin skills to offer as a volunteer, the Dorchester branch would love to hear from you.

Mark said: “You would be amazed at how easy it is for people with these skills to make such a big difference to families in West Dorset.

“The reason for this article is that we just want to reach out to as many people in need as we can and let them know we are here to help.”

Get in touch with REMAP by emailing dorchester@ remapgroups.org.uk, submitting a request through the website, or calling head office on 01732 760209.

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