P3 Team Tackle Wheelchair Marathon to Raise Disability Awareness

P3 Charity’s team in Cambridgeshire braved the rain at the end of January to take on a ‘wheelchair marathon’ through Rothwell, completing a challenging 3.5-mile route to highlight the everyday barriers faced by wheelchair users. Setting off from Rothwell Market Square, our team navigated Desborough Hill, before looping back through the town all in relentless rain that made an already demanding route even tougher.  

In 2025, a report by Iceni – a national organisation specialising in property and townscape development – found that an estimated 1,250 households across Cambridgeshire have wheelchair users. Something that is expected to rise to 1,760 in 2045, emphasising the need for accessible spaces within the community. This is not an exception. Across the UK many older cities are faced with physical constraints that make accessibility difficult. Historic design, protected buildings and narrow layouts make upgrades much harder compared with newer planned urban areas; yet while 88 per cent of disabled people report experiencing accessibility barriers at least once a week, it is time to consider accessible alternatives such as step-free routes, upgraded services and public transport access. 

What began as a fundraising challenge quickly became an eye-opening experience of what wheelchair users face daily. Everyday features such as drop kerbs, cobblestones, water meter covers and uneven paths turned into major obstacles, forcing participants into the road at times and even causing several falls from wheelchairs. The experience offered a powerful insight into how “simple” journeys can become exhausting, unsafe and unpredictable for wheelchair users; reinforcing the importance of accessibility, awareness and inclusive design in local communities. 

As a national organisation that supports people to make positive change in their lives, P3 passionately support more than 81,000 people every year (including 57,000 in partnership with the NHS), delivering services across 57 local authorities in homelessness prevention, supported housing, mental health recovery and family support. Many of the people we work alongside experience physical disabilities or mobility challenges, often alongside other barriers linked to their housing situation. 

Established in Cambridgeshire since 2018, we’re well known in the local area, supporting people to live independently and providing homelessness services in partnership with residents, community organisations and local councils. 

Alongside raising awareness, the local team were able to fundraise £150 to go towards an ‘extras pot’ which is a savings pot for additional expenses – from events, household goods, or in this case, accessible equipment and adjustments – all funds going directly towards things that will make support more comfortable for the people we work with. Most of all, the experience brought the local community together, turning a challenging day into a shared moment of awareness, support and understanding.  

Local resident, Russ, involved in the campaign, highlighted, “The wheelchair awareness event was genuinely the most fun I’ve had in a while. Constant laughs and banter, coupled with a genuinely eye-opening experience.” 

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