Forestry England choose Breeze X to make Wendover Woods accessible for all
Forestry England is big on accessibility. They want everyone to be able to enjoy their woodlands even if visitors struggle to walk. Partnering with TGA has meant many forests under their management now offer mobility scooters for hire – there to enable and enjoy. Whether alone or with friends and family, people with limited mobility can connect with nature for better mental health. Wendover Woods is the latest site to introduce these scooters.
As the highest point in the English Chiltern Hills, Wendover Woods covers around 370 hectares and include many picturesque trails to explore. The forest is managed by a team of eight staff that includes Luke Buhagiar, Active Forest Coordinator. “We decided to reach out to three companies about getting mobility scooters to help our disabled visitors,” begins Luke. “TGA came out with Breeze X scooters for us to try and I got to test one of them. We all decided these were best overall as they gave the most comfortable ride by far.”
Wendover Woods is an uneven forest, so the scooters had to be capable on all sorts of slopes. Luke continues: “We needed these scooters to be able to access our trails and not just the flat ones. We want visitors to branch out onto our hill fort trail which is our heritage route but is not accessible if you find walking distances hard. I tested a Breeze on this trail which is quite challenging and far into the woods – the scooter handled it absolutely fine. This was a big thing for us as we needed to check that they could get over gnarly roots and flint whilst still remaining stable for the rider.”
The TGA Breeze X is a mobility scooter designed to excel off-road. It has all round suspension, all-terrain tyres, high ground clearance and a large battery range for an assured ride on countryside and coastal trails. It is one of the only scooters to come with plentiful and watertight storage, important to carry sandwiches and extra clothing if needed. Two of these scooters are now available to hire for free at Wendover Woods. They can be booked via the Forestry England Wendover Woods website and collected from the Information Point. Guidance on safe driving is provided by trained woodland staff.
Enablement and inclusion are important mission statements for Forestry England; as they are for TGA. That’s why they work together. Luke is also on the same page as he adds: “We feel everyone should be able to enjoy the woods, no matter what their mobility is like. The team understand how important nature is for everyone’s well-being. Personally, I’m a firm believer in the importance of being outside and spending time surrounded by nature and wildlife. Spending time amongst nature benefits everyone. We are really pleased with our scooters and think they are going to open up the forest to lots more people.”
So all-in-all the Forestry England team at Wendover Woods could not be happy with their Breeze X scooters. To sum up Luke says: “I’m so passionate about nature, that’s why I do this job. Everyone should be able to get outside and just enjoy the fresh air, wildlife, walking around, whether that’s on your own or with others; it all has amazing benefits. I know it’s hard for some people who aren’t as mobile to get out or might struggle with the idea of visiting a forest. Having these Breeze scooters completely changes that and gives people confidence; they empower everyone to enjoy what we can offer. That’s why I think these scooters are brilliant.”
Special Event in 2026
Luke organises many activities from running events and walks to forest yoga and local craft fairs. Next year, he and the team at Wendover are planning a walking event for people with Parkinson’s and those who help them. Supported by Gladiator events and Parkinson’s UK, they are hoping to welcome around 400 people, in September, to enjoy a 2 or 6-mile walk in aid of the charity. TGA have partnered with Parkinson’s UK for many years so will also be involved in making the event a success. TGA is the charity’s only approved supplier of mobility scooters. It provides a discount to all people with the condition, and every sale generates a donation back to Parkinson’s UK from TGA.
