Charity funding aim of £100k for assistive technologies that make the outdoors more accessible
A charity race up Snowdon organised by two friends in powered wheelchairs to raise money for assistive technologies that make the outdoors more accessible has hit a huge milestone in their mission to raise £100K for SMA UK.
30-year-old Josh Wintersgill and 19-year-old Maxwell McKnight who both have Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a rare, neuromuscular condition causing muscle weakness and loss of movement, set out to race up the Welsh mountain for their #KnowNoBounds campaign . Since its launch on 17 January 2024, it has raised over £33,000.
The mission of #KnowNoBounds is to raise awareness of the need to make the outdoors more accessible for people with disabilities and to raise enough money to buy new mobility chairs and for people with SMA to safely explore the outdoors.
Joshua Wintersgill, disability entrepreneur and campaigner leading the event, commented: “I’m proud of what the #KnowNoBounds campaign has accomplished so far.
“To raise national awareness about what we’re doing means a huge amount and the money raised so far, makes us more determined to achieve our goal and to highlight the challenges many people face on a daily basis.”
The campaign is supported by SMA UK, Lifestyle and Mobility, Sunrise Medical and JOST Explore.
Darren Macey, Business Development Manager at Lifestyle & Mobility said: “We are delighted to be supporting the inspirational campaign and that our mobility chairs are an important factor in helping them conquer Mount Snowdon.
“To raise crucial awareness that will eventually lead to more accessibility being granted will be transformative for the disabled community.”
The race will take place on the Llanberis Path, involving two teams of 10-15 people who will carry kit including 14KG per paramedic bag and 46KG of batteries for each mobility chair. Between them, Josh and Maxwell will climb 14.5km in total with an ascent of 1085m.
At £25,000, funding could purchase a new all-terrain X8 wheelchair; £50,000 could purchase two all-terrain X8 wheelchairs; £75,000 could purchase two all-terrain X8 wheelchairs and help fund an activity weekend for adults and children with SMA, and £100,000 could purchase two all-terrain X8 wheelchairs and help fund two activity weekends for adults and children with SMA.