“It was hard for me to stay home all the time – the Fund has helped me to do what I love most”

When Glen’s mother first reached out to the Fund over 20 years ago for his first electric wheelchair, she could never have foreseen the lifelong support available for her son. We spoke to Glen about how the ongoing support has not only helped him with his physical needs but has helped to improve his mental health and quality of life.

Glen Tallett, 55, has autism, cerebral palsy and other medical conditions which affect his mobility. Glen is also deaf and is dependent on his family to support him.

Glen’s father served in the RAF corps 5001 Squadron in 1953. His mother, Violet, first reached out to the Fund for support when Glen was at school, and he soon received his first electric wheelchair aged 17 years old.

Over the years, the Fund has provided six wheelchairs for Glen, replacing both his manual and powered chairs when needed.

In 2023, Glen received two new powered wheelchairs from the Fund enabling him to get outdoors and improving the quality of his everyday life.

Glen said: “I cannot work so I only have benefits; it’s not a lot of money. It’s hard for me to stay home all the time but I needed a good electric wheelchair to get out more.

“I have a Motability specialist wheelchair accessible van, but I couldn’t afford to buy an electric wheelchair, so it was very hard for me to get out.”

He continued: “The support from the Fund has helped my mental health as it has given me freedom and independence. It has also shown me that people care and are willing to help.”

Glen is a keen photographer, and the support has helped him to pursue his passion. He said: “With the powered chair I am more confident travelling to London and other places to do photography. I can adjust the height of the chair for good photos. It is comfortable and has helped me because I get pain in my back and my leg.”

Glen is looking forward to getting outdoors with his next assistance dog. He said: “I had a dual skill assistance dog called Yeti for 10 years. Yeti retired and was rehomed in 2022, but I would walk my dog every day in parks and woodland. The wheelchair will support me on all rough terrain with my next assistance dog.”

Glen added: “It has also helped me to go supermarket shopping as I can adjust the height to reach the top shelf.

“I hope that this chair can go on to support me for ten years!”

You can find out more about the support available from the Fund here.