Wheelchair bound people can now enjoy Bennett’s Beach Hawks Nest thanks to the Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Surf Life Saving Club’s new beach wheelchair.

Getting the beach wheelchair worth more than $4000 was an effort between Variety Australia and generous donations from the community.

Georgia Stevenson from Tea Gardens is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and she has put the beach wheelchair to the test.

The new mode of transport passed with flying colours.

Melanie Carter, a friend of Georgia, who saw the wheelchair in action said with the help of the wheelchair, Georgia was able to have a fun day at the beach with her brother and her friends.

“The beach wheelchair certainly made it easier to move her from the beach to the car,” she said.

Melanie said they did need a five point harness on the beach wheelchair for Georgia but the chair was not yet equipped with one.

“We had to place her seat on top of the chair and reposition the belt. It will be helpful to use the chair in the water on another day, but she will need someone holding her in if there isn’t a 5 point harness.  Yet still that will be much easier than holding her in the surf,” she said.

“I hope it will get much use in the future and this will encourage others to join in the beach fun where before they thought may have thought it to be too hard.”

The wheelchair is available for anyone to use. Just approach the surf club for information.