THE British Red Cross will be able to buy 10 ‘lifeline’ wheelchairs after receiving a grant from the Lancashire Telegraph’s parent company.

The charity was awarded £1,500 by the Gannett Foundation shortly before Christmas and the cheque was handed over yesterday.

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Alison Whittaker-Stewart, senior community fundraiser for Lancashire and Cumbria, said the charity was aiming to raise £15,000 to replace 100 ageing wheelchairs.

The chairs are constantly loaned out to people with mobility problems for days out, for example, or after being discharged from hospital.

She said: “Just before Christmas we had a waiting list as we didn’t have enough stock.

“We had no wheelchairs in the building because the demand was so great.

“When people have falls and things, that’s when our services are used more so it’s definitely busier in the colder weather.

“Vulnerable people will be given crutches when they leave hospital but they can’t use them so they’re housebound unless someone pushes them in a wheelchair.

“When it comes down to it, it’s a really valuable service. The wheelchairs really are a lifeline to people.”

The wheelchairs are given out for days or weeks at a time, free of charge or in return for a small donation but some have travelled many hundreds of miles over the past decade.

Around 765 people were helped in Lancashire in 2013.

Alison said £13,206 had been raised towards the Lancashire Wheelchair Appeal over the past 12 months, thanks to the Lancashire Telegraph and other generous benefactors.

And the charity, which covers the whole of East Lancashire from a Preston base, is now making its final push towards the total.

She said: “The money means that we can help more people in need, and continue to provide the service for many more years to come. We’d like to thank the Gannett Foundation for this generous donation.”

The Foundation is the charitable arm of Gannett Co Inc., the parent company of Newsquest Media Group, owners of the Lancashire Telegraph.

Telegraph editor Kevin Young said: “The Gannett Foundation has helped many good causes in East Lancashire over the years, and once again we see it providing vital assistance to a brilliant organisation.”

To donate to the Lancashire Wheelchair Appeal, go online at redcross.org.uk/en/Donate-Now/Give-to-a-special-project/Lancashire.

If you would like to loan a wheelchair, contact the Red Cross on 01772 707300.