Hundreds of patients at a special clinic in Sierra Leone are set to have their lives transformed by receiving wheelchairs refurbished in UK prisons.

|TOP|At the Mercy Ship’s New Steps Centre in Freetown, Sierra Leone, people suffering from a wide range of medical conditions receive treatment for problems such as polio that result in the loss of limbs or immobility.

Based in Stevenage, Mercy Ships UK, has been given refurbished wheelchairs from two other charities – ‘Wheels for the World’ as well as 'Inside Out Trust’.

Inside Out Trust has set up a system whereby wheelchairs are renovated by prisoners at a number of sites across Britain. Inmates disassemble the old wheelchairs, clean then, paint them and rebuild them.

Mercy Ships tell that “the prisoners work for the good of those in need. This boosts their self esteem and develops practical skills, helping them to 'go straight' on release.”

Working in developing nations, Wheels for the World has also partnered with Mercy Ships for huge numbers of wheelchairs to be distributed.

|AD|The Mercy Ships New Steps Centre recently received 125 of these wheelchairs, and a further 75 are to be delivered later in 2006.

Mercy Ships testify: “One of the first people in Sierra Leone to receive a free refurbished wheelchair was Kadiatu Barrie. The 23 year old polio patient has been crawling on the ground ever since her previous chair broke a year ago. Kadiatu is especially pleased she’ll no longer have to beg the local children to bring her water each day. She’ll now be able to make the one mile round trip to the local well on her own.”

The Procurement Manager for Mercy Ships UK, Justin Watkins said, “This is a great example of charities working together to serve the poor of West Africa. The wheelchairs are all at the end of their life here in the UK but once they have been refurbished, are in excellent working condition and it is a delight to know that they will be put to very good use.

“When visiting the prisoners, they were all very interested in seeing where their chairs ended up and took pride in their work as it was doing something useful.”

However, one of the biggest needs to complete the project is funds for the wheelchair’s transportation. Mercy Ships tell that it costs more than £4,000 to send a truckload of wheelchairs to the prison for repair and to ship a container full of wheelchairs out to Africa.

Mercy Ships is a global hospital ship charity that provides free medical care, relief aid, community development and long-term sustainable development in the poorest countries in the world.

Since its inception in 1978, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 70 countries and impacted more than 5.5million lives through its work on board the ships and through its land-based projects.

Mercy Ships has treated more than 300,000 people in village medical clinics, performing 18,000 surgeries, 110,000 dental treatments and completing close to 350 construction and agriculture projects, including schools, clinics, orphanages and water wells.

The organisation is appealing for donations towards the provision of wheelchairs and other mobility aids for the ‘New Steps Centre’. Anyone interested in donating or finding out more information can do so by phoning 01438 727800 or by emailing info@mercyships.org.uk.