my community channel

Mobility Advice Line (MAL for short) started life in 1993 at the home of Andy Whyment. Andy was an ex policeman. He became a wheelchair user and found it quite difficult to gather information on all aspects of motoring, access, adaptations etc, so he decided to set up MAL.

Andy sadly passed away in 1996, and his wife carried MAL on for a short while. Mrs Whyment found it difficult to keep the charity going so at the end of 1996 MAL was brought into its present home at West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre. Bringing MAL here meant that we had the resources at hand thanks to the Information Service on Disability.

At the beginning of 1998 a full time worker (also a wheelchair user) started working here, however he found it very difficult in travelling to Selly Oak, particularly in winter months, so unfortunately he had to leave us. We were then taken on board by another wheelchair user, who was already running another charity, and MAL survived again for a while until recently when it was found to be too much work running two charities.

In August 2005 Mobility Advice Line survived again when Brynn Tudor accepted the offer to take over. Brynn has been involved in charity work for many years and wishes to see Mobility Advice Line growing stronger, and for us all to see MAL celebrate its next milestone of 20 years. (June 2006 being our thirteenth Anniversary).

Mobility Advice Line is committed to providing help to Disabled people, their families, carers and friends. This can be advice,signposting or just simply someone to chat to. Whatever the question is, Mobility Advice Line will try and help you, and if we can't, we'll find someone who can.

We receive calls on all range of questions from: Welfare Benefits, Blue Badge Scheme, Motability Allowance, Wheelchair and Electric Scooter hire, home adaptations, driving schools for the Disabled. We also sell RADAR Keys (Keys for Disabled Public Toilets),

The area we cover is West Midlands but we do take calls from other areas such as The South of England (Bournemouth), London (Surrey), Wales, Scotland and others due to Mobility Advice Line being the nearest organisation and the only organisation that offers this type of free service.

We are in need of volunteers badly! We need volunteers to help with fundraising and publicity etc.  If you feel you can help in any way please call our office on 0121 486 2155 and speak to Duncan White.