Apprentice builds wheelchair for Martin's Mountain campaign

Ellis Waring currently studies his level two engineering operative apprenticeship at Warrington and Vale Royal College’s Winsford campus while working for Mountain Trike, a specialist company that manufactures off-road wheelchairs.

Recently, Ellis was given a project to lead on from start to finish, which played a huge part in the ‘Martin’s Mountain’ campaign.

After the devastating tragedy of the 2017 Manchester Bombings, Martin Hibbert and his daughter sustained life-changing injuries.

As heard on Good Morning Britain, Martin wanted to turn this ‘appalling act of terror into a force for good.’

Martin, who is now a trustee for the charity Spinal Injuries Association, decided he would reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro’s summit in a huge campaign to raise both awareness and money.

To do this, he would need a specialised wheelchair, which is where Ellis entered the picture and made the impossible possible.

Martin's specialised wheelchair

Ellis, who has always been interested in engineering, lead on the production of the components, building the frame and engineering the parts together.

He said the specialised wheelchair has lots of mountain bike components, including air suspension and hydraulic brakes – which are the main differences from a traditional wheelchair.

“I really enjoy the manufacturing process and being able to lead on such an amazing project - to give something to somebody who has gone through such a terrible and devastating thing - truly is the best part of it all,” Ellis said.

“At the end of the day, getting to build things like that gives you the satisfaction of helping people get out and about.”

Ellis originally had work experience at Mountain Trike while he was at high school and then progressed to an apprenticeship.

He said: “I learn something new every day, gaining skills on different machinery and tools and grasping a clearer knowledge of the field.

“My college tutor, Russ, is great at supporting me in my development of skills and I feel that the apprenticeship route is a great way to progress into a career in engineering.”