Institution news
Professor Fred Maillardet BSc PhD CEng FIMechE FIMA MISPO FRSA is Remap’s chair of trustees and presented the annual Remap awards at an inspiring meeting in London on 30 June.
In the charity’s projects, life-changing equipment is made by volunteers, then presented free of charge to those disabled people for whom it was personally designed. The high quality of the year’s output by Remap’s 900 volunteers led to a challenging judging session, but finally seven exceptional projects were selected.
One of these was for first-time mum, Jenny, who has only one functional arm. The challenge Jenny faced was to change her baby’s nappy safely, and carry the baby securely.
Remap Derby took on the challenge. Allan Sutton CEng FIMechE MRAeS is chair of the Derby, Burton and District group. He went to meet Jenny and looked for some means of holding baby’s feet up, while Jenny changed the nappy.
He made a ‘goalpost’ frame mounted on two long wooden feet that spanned the changing mat. A small sling could then be looped around baby’s feet and hooked onto the frame to hold the legs up in the correct position. The frame height is adjustable as the baby grows.
Allan also made a harness for the baby, similar to those used in “reins” for small children, but this one had an attachment ring at the front. Jenny wears a lanyard round her neck which she clips onto the attachment ring when she picks up her baby, keeping her safe from falling if she wriggles or kicks out of Jenny’s good arm.
Allan said: "I have always designed and made things. I was chief mechanical engineer for a UK train manufacturer until I retired. I was recruited to Remap by my neighbour, also an engineer, and became the chairman of my local group three years ago.
“What Remap generally needs are people who can identify and fabricate a simple device or modification. My harness and frame were not technically difficult, and I want to encourage others who can make things on this scale, in their own garage or shed, to join Remap and share their skills in this worthwhile endeavour.
“I love volunteering with Remap because it enables me to continue to apply my lifetime skills in a very worthwhile way. Seeing the pleasure on the face of a person, especially a child, when I have done something that has made a task possible or easier, or provided a new means of enjoyment, is a tremendous reward.”
Amy Wilkins is the occupational therapist who referred the case. She said: "Alan did an amazing job with this invention. A simple piece of equipment has completely changed a person's life and hopefully made motherhood a much more pleasurable experience.”
Read about the other award winners at the Remap annual awards:
Find out how to become a Remap volunteer.
Read a news article about how Remap and Jaguar Land Rover apprentices developed bespoke steps for young disabled horse rider.