Walking aids company making a difference in Gaza, one crutch at a time

Over 10,000 people in Gaza have had limbs amputated and are in need of walking aids. Cool Crutches is on a mission to donate as many walking aids as possible, with 362 being donated so far.

Walking aids company has partnered with UK charity to donate over 350 unwanted mobility aids to those suffering in Gaza.

The humanitarian crisis is escalating in Gaza, with it being estimated that over 10,000 people have had either one or both limbs amputated, including 5,000 children.

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To help those affected, Amelia Peckham, co-founder of walking aids company, Cool Crutches and Walking Sticks, joined PhysioNet’s mission to collect unwanted mobility aids, refurbish them, and donate them directly to the Anglo-Jordanian Society for delivery to Gaza.

Amelia and her family with the PhysioNet teamAmelia and her family with the PhysioNet team
Amelia and her family with the PhysioNet team

Amelia Peckham shared “We are delighted to confirm we have shipped 362 walking aids in total - 203 walking sticks, 152 crutches, and 7 walkers, which thanks to your incredible donations, will go directly to helping those affected by the war in Gaza.”

During Amelia and her family’s work with PhysioNet over the last year, she learned the shocking number of walking aids handed out by the NHS that end up collecting dust or at landfill.

It is estimated that the NHS spends a staggering £14m a year on mobility aids that are labelled as ‘unused’. This means they're given to patients in hospitals but not returned, reused, or recycled.

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Gaza isn’t the first country to have benefitted from Cool Crutches and PhysioNet’s partnership. Since 2023, Cool Crutches has collected over 1,200 walking aids, all of which have been refurbished, recycled and distributed all over the world. A total of 60,000 donations to 31 countries have now been shipped by PhysioNet.

Amelia continued: “Every time we pack a container with the PhysioNet team we are blown away by the dedication and hard work that goes into making this happen. From collecting donations from local hospitals, care homes and communities to carefully checking each and every walking aid, wheelchair and all donations, PhysioNet are the very best at what they do. They go above and beyond to recycle any broken bits, refurbish any mendable bits and pack them all nearly into their enormous 40-foot containers. It has been the biggest privilege to work with them.”

If you’d love to help and donate any walking aids, you can find out how to do so here: https://www.coolcrutches.com/pages/positive-impact-how-you-can-help

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