“We often have problems finding suitable holiday accommodation as we require an electric profile bed with bed rails, hoist, wet room with wheel-in-shower chair and a designated parking spot for our Wheelchair Access Vehicle (i.e. van).
We can’t just say we’re going to Scarborough, Skegness or Great Yarmouth as we first have to find suitable holiday accommodation which has our requirements, then have to work out whether or not we can travel the distance required.
We live in Yorkshire, but often have to travel hundreds of miles to Norfolk, South Wales and Hampshire to find appropriate accommodation which meets our needs. You could say our requirements are like ‘Gold Dust’ to find. We can’t just quickly pack a case, throw it in the boot of a car and drive off into the sunset to go on holiday. We have to meticulously plan and have sheets of paper giving a checklist of items which we need to bring on holiday, otherwise we’d not be having a holiday and have to return home.
At Our Bench’s Bench Cottage, this is a real home from home. The accommodation is very clean and modern and has all the extras and essentials such as a grill, corkscrew, can opener, microwave cooker, hair dryer, washing machine, tumble dryer and rotary washing line that often get forgotten about by some self-catering establishments.
The bungalow is fantastic, all our requirements are catered for, and there is ample turning space for the wheelchair user.
Bench Cottage is a well-designed cosy bungalow which is excellent accommodation for the severely disabled wheelchair user. It is situated in a peaceful quiet location in the New Forest, just a short walk away from the village pub, village chippy and convenience stores.
Initially our first impression was that the accommodation was too far away from Lymington to walk, but it only took 20 minutes to reach the town by electric wheelchair, and we did this on numerous occasions.
The place is ideally situated for visiting New Forest attractions and places further afield like Southampton, Bournemouth and Portsmouth. There are lots to do in such a wonderful area and our week was not enough time to do all we wanted, so we would wholeheartedly recommend Our Bench for further visits in the near future.
As a final note, the proprietors, Helen and Matt, are very friendly and are only a phone call away if needed and do call in to introduce themselves during your stay to ensure all is OK.
Overall we felt the Our Bench family team provide a service second to none and would highly recommend them.”
Shared with permission from Michael and Denise from Yorkshire
Accessible holidays are about much more than a ramp or a wider doorway. We understand that at Our Bench and many of our families, depend on specialist equipment, practical layouts, reliable information and confidence that the space will genuinely work for their needs.
When guests share their experiences, it helps other families feel seen, better informed and more hopeful about what is possible. If you have a story, you would like to share to help others we would love to hear it. Please contact us.