Over the week end we read with great interest about the trip made by Ron Taylor which was completed last week. Ron made his trans-pennine treck on his 4 wheel drive electric wheelchair raising over £20k in the process.

Ron's day job is an RSPB area manager and he lives in Denby Dale in W. Yorkshire. His mission for a long while has been to improve access for wheelchair users of all types to RSPB nature reserves. Roy recognises that electric wheelchair users and powerchairs to access some sites but there isn't always suitable access for manual wheelchairs nor transits.

Ron's trip took him on a 215 mile coast to coast route from Southport and too 10 days to complete. Ron has motor neurone disease and uses his wheelchair constantly. He seems to have taken long days on the trek in his stride commenting 'my legs don't work... and sitting on your bones for 10-12 hours a day is painful'.

Ron is now going to audit 20 RSPB nature reserves and draw up a list of changes to be made for better access. Ron wants access to the reserves to be "just as good as for an able-bodied person".

Mr Taylor said he had been asked to give a report on access to the board of the Trans Pennine Trail, and the National Trust has also asked him to help as a result of his trip.

We think Rons efforts are brilliant and hope that he is able to make the changes that he recommends to make accessibility far batter so all wheelchair users can enjoy both the RSBP sites and the trans Peninne route, whether using manual or electric wheelchairs.