A partnership between the RAF Charitable Trust and the Event Mobility Charitable Trust will help increase the accessibility for disabled visitors to the RAF Cosford Air Show on Sunday 9th June.

The Event Mobility Charitable Trust was founded in 1998 with the sole aim of providing electric scooters and manual wheelchairs for disabled, mobility impaired and elderly people to enjoy a day out at an event or show.

Air Show spokesman Flying Officer Sam Jewell says: “The RAF Cosford Air Show team is extremely pleased to be able to offer our visitors this new service for those that might require it. It important to the organisers that everybody, regardless of ability, is able to enjoy a wonderful day out and we hope that this will help go that little bit further to help.”

The Air Show also offers a special parking area on hard-standing and with accessible toilets nearby, for those displaying the nationally recognised blue wheelchair symbol. However, with all parking being on the showground many disabled visitors prefer to use the standard public car park which is central to all attractions.

The RAF Charitable Trust and the Royal International Air Tattoo have a long-standing record of working with disabled people through the Flying Scholarships for Disabled People, and the historic links with Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader. The Director of the RAF Charitable Trust Air Commodore (retired) Tim Winstanley said: “The Trust’s objectives include the aspiration to ‘Encourage air education and aviation-mindedness’ so that it is hugely important that those who require additional help to gain access to all parts of the RAF Cosford Air Show should be able to do so safely and efficiently.

As such the Trust is delighted to be able to be involved with the provision of mobility scooters at the RAF Cosford Air Show 2013.”

In order for visitors to reserve an electric scooter or manual wheelchair, they must either print out an advance booking form from the website www.eventmobility.org.uk/events-bookings.asp or contact the EMCT office on 01386 725391 to request a form to be posted. Please be aware that advance bookings cannot be made by phone. Alternatively, please browse the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.

For further information as to how the RAF Cosford Air Show ensures that guests with disabilities can enjoy the spectacular flying and ground displays in the same conditions as all our visitors, please visit the accessibility area of our website at http://www.cosfordairshow.co.uk/accessibility.html.

All profits made from the RAF Cosford Air Show are donated to service and local charities.

Air show tickets can be purchased online at www.cosfordairshow.co.uk, by calling the 24-hour ticket line on 0871 230 1083 (10p/min plus network charges), or at various other outlets details of which can be found on the website. Advance adult tickets are priced from £20, representing a 20% discount on tickets bought on the day and FREE admission for children under-16 accompanied by an adult as well as FREE car parking.

Tags: 2013, May, News, RAF Cosford Airshow