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Buckden Roundabout
May 2019
Molly and Frieda
Molly’s on the move!
28 year old Molly has lived in Buckden all her life and is an ac-
tive member of the community when her health allows – vol-
unteering at the school and library, babysitting and attending
social groups.
Molly is very grateful to all at The Vine, St. Mary’s Church,
Buckfest and community members who helped her raise mon-
ey for her £16,000 Q700m motorised wheel chair, aka Frieda.
This is a single handed, self-drive wheelchair which Molly
drives using a joystick on a pad which can be rotated for a
companion to use if needed as she has intermittent paralysis,
often triggered by fatigue.
The wheelchair is battery powered with a 15-20 miles range. It
has 6 wheels, with mid wheel drive to minimise the turning
circle. It is very
stable although it
has taken some
getting used to.
The chair has pre-
set positions but
will move from
upright seated (for
bus use, occupying
the least space) to
fully reclining. The
seat will also move
up so that Molly is
positioned at her
own standing
height, making
conversation with
standing people
easier. She can
choose heights in
between to talk to
shopkeepers or to
reach high shelves.
Frieda is very heavy so ramps at the front door and a special
vehicle to transport Frieda and Molly are essential.
Frieda has changed Molly’s life. She is able to move around the
rooms at home and eat meals with her family instead of being
confined to an upstairs bedroom. Molly is able to go out alone
to socialise, even on dark afternoons as the chair has head-
lights, rear lights and indicators.
As well as being able to go out in Buckden, Molly can also go
further afield. Molly has been shopping independently to Hun-
tingdon on the bus and has also been to St Neots, Brampton,
St Ives and Rushden Lakes Shopping Centre which, being a new
build, is easy for her to access. The Madingley Park and Ride
buses, with their drop down ramps, mean that Molly can get
into Cambridge.
Molly’s biggest expedition so far has been to London to see
Joanna Lumley’s one woman show, where she and her mum
met Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Staff at St. Neots
station and the theatre were very helpful and they had a great
time.
Molly says her eyes are bigger than her energy levels but the
fully reclining position on her wheelchair means that she can
rest on the way back from a day out.
In addition to gaining her wheelchair, the family home has
been adapted with the aid of a Home Improvement Agency
grant. This has provided Molly with a suitable room and bath-
room of her own, with doors to the back and front of the
house. Her plans for the next year include the installation of
permanent ramps to the back garden and at the front door,
with a front door system so she can let herself in and out as
well as letting her own visitors in.
Molly’s planning more expeditions, making the most of her
improved health, with a trip to MK Theatre to see Les Misera-
bles and Pink at Wembley. A trip to Disneyland Paris will be her
birthday treat and, as her last holiday was in 2009, she’s really
looking forward to it.
__________________________________________________
attribute this to the divisive effect of the Brexit issue.
The majority of grumbles relate to roads – congestion, pot-
holes, road works, traffic controls, misleading road signs,
worn-out markings, road capacity where there are new hous-
ing developments, inadequate cycle paths. The A1 rounda-
bout, the Offords rail crossing, Stirtloe Road are regularly
mentioned,
Combined Authority
The introduction of a Combined Authority makes it unneces-
sary to have both County and District Councils as well and
perhaps one of the layers of local government could be
pruned to save costs. A motion to CCC calling for this idea to
be investigated was remitted to the Mayor and has been ig-
nored.
The future for local government services and the implication
for communities
We are approaching a cliff edge in relation to local govern-
ment. There is simply not enough money in the system to
enable the Council to provide the services that people have
come to expect. Perhaps we have allowed a ‘dependency’
culture to develop. Changing that culture is a major challenge,
not only in Cambridgeshire but more widely. The expectation
appears to be that services will be ‘transformed’ and local
groups - parish councils, voluntary groups – will provide great-
er day-to-day support for those in the greatest need.
peter.downes@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
Peter Downes
(Continued from page 5)
FROM YOUR COUNTY COUNCILLOR (contd.)