Since Legs4Africa started in 2013, the charity has shipped enough components to build or repair over 4,000 legs for amputees living in Africa. Now, founder, Tom Williams, has joined forces with organisations in Ross-on-Wye to expand the charity and increase its potential.

Tom initially approached Andrew Inkpen at Ross Rotary Club for funding. Having already used their international funds, the Club wanted to find another way of helping the charity.

Andrew introduced Tom to the Ross-on-Wye Men’s Shed, who have taken on the role of dismantling old prosthetic legs so that the components can be used to form new prosthetics which will then be used across Africa. Legs4Africa’s flagship project is in The Gambia, but they regularly ship legs to several other mobility centres across ten countries in Africa.

Tom told the Ross Gazette that the charity used to send the prosthetics as whole legs which would then be adapted, but they soon found that sending out the components, like the knees, feet, and brackets, to make new legs was more efficient and better for the recipients.

Some of the members of Ross Rotary Club have prosthetic legs, which Andrew said gives Club members a deeper insight into what it’s like for those who need them. He was also hopeful that the Club could soon be a collection point for redundant legs.

As well as the community benefit, both locally and internationally, the collaboration between the Men’s Shed and Legs4Africa is having a positive environmental impact too. Tom said: “There is currently no process for recycling legs. Around 5000 end up in landfill every year. The charity recycle about 1000 a year, and this year we are on track to reach 2000.

“This project covers the whole country now, and we are partnered with 32 hospitals which recycle their old prosthetics through us.

“We are every grateful for the collaboration that Ross Rotary Club have developed here with the Men’s Shed, which has allowed us to dismantle more prosthetic legs and get more amputees in Africa on their feet.”See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.