Ford MAGIC Ambassador Completes One-Mile Charity Walk

Ford MAGIC ambassador Paul Moore - confined to a wheelchair for the last 24 years - has given new hope to victims of paralysis by walking one mile and raising £5,000 so far.

In only three hours and seven minutes (and 53 minutes ahead of schedule) Paul completed the walk around the Peterborough Embankment Athletics Track using a new piece of equipment from Poland.

The Dynamic Parapodium is a portable walking frame - intended for getting around the home or other indoor environments - but on 30 October Paul proved that victims of spinal injuries and other wheelchair users can go the extra mile.

Ford MAGIC (Mobility and General Information Centre) was on hand to support the event, and wished Paul success. Local Ford dealer TC Harrison provided a display of the current Ford vehicle range and donated a £500 holiday as a prize to the fundraising raffle.

"The day was a lot of fun for those who turned up to cheer for Paul; he showed that losing the ability to walk needn't be the end of being mobile," said Andy Dougherty, manager of Ford Mobility. "This is just the message that our MAGIC representatives championed when explaining how disabled and mature drivers can get themselves into vehicles and on the road again," he added.

MAGIC call centre manager Christine Bryant said "Colleagues in MAGIC and Ford rallied around to support Paul's efforts. We made and sold cakes and cards, paid for a dress-down day and sold raffle tickets. All in all we contributed £700 to the cause." The raffle was drawn on 26 November and 20 different people won prizes that had been donated by local companies, which included short breaks, shop vouchers, gym memberships and beauty treatments as well as the T.C. Harrison donated holiday.

Paul, aged 41, hopes his brave attempt to walk a mile in the £2,500 device has helped raise awareness for The Spinal Injuries Association and The Back-Up Trust charities, as well as MAGIC. Money collected will go towards buying Parapodiums for Britain's 11 Spinal Injury Units, which help rebuild lives shattered by paralysis.