Spare the rod

Rowena Orejana meets one of the people behind a charity trying to give those confined to wheelchairs some more freedom.
Bill Gruar wheels up to the Seasprite on a chilly, sunny morning. A tsunami warning has just been called off, allowing the boat to cruise out of the harbour.
"I'm a t10 paraplegic," says Bill immediately, almost gruffly, as if to get the inevitable question out of the way. "In a building accident. Roof fall. I've been in the wheelchair for 16 years."
A t10 paraplegic has full head and neck movement with normal muscle strength as well as full use of their arms, wrists and fingers.
Mr Gruar is the author of Spinal Dogs, a book about the experiences of a paraplegic.
He has also written a few other books and has just finished writing a play.
Today, he is an angler and the finance co-ordinator of Reels on Wheels, a 3-year-old trust that helps people in wheelchairs go fishing.
"It's very difficult getting on to a boat, especially for electric wheelchairs. They're pretty heavy, about 200kg," he notes.
Once in the boat, though, he manoeuvres easily. With a little help, he dons his lifejacket and takes a position on one side of the vessel.
The trust contacted Mr Gruar 18 months ago. "They just called up one day and asked if I wanted to go fishing. That's when I offered my services because I know what a good thing it was," he says.
The idea for the trust came from the source of many good ideas: "Over a few beers one night," says manager David Swaffield. "We're a bunch of like-minded people who liked boating and fishing and we thought we'd take people in wheelchairs."
He says Dave Cowan, the trust's chairman, brought it up. From that singular idea, they found themselves drawing logos on a wall and gathering enthusiasm.
In short time, they were taking people in wheelchairs out to sea. Last summer, the trust funded 34 trips that sent more than 150 people fishing.
"There are still a lot of fish out there at the moment but the days are growing shorter. It's a lot easier in the summer. The fish are a lot closer in," he says.
"We have to be a lot more careful in the winter; the people we take out don't fare as well in the cold."
It is all dependent on funding. "The more funding we get, the more people we can take fishing," says Mr Swaffield.
"We just keep ahead of our finances," adds Mr Gruar. "It's a very new charity. It's performing extremely well and that's surprising."
Despite the tough economic climate they've found it not too hard to raise money.
"I think people like the idea of people in wheelchairs connecting to something like fishing," says Mr Swaffield. "It surprises and pleases people. Just come down here when they get home and you can see their faces. They're all going well.
"They have a very happy day, a full bag of fish and smiles on their faces. It's an instant result. You can see the benefit of what you are doing."
Mr Swaffield says all the money from grant agencies and donations pay for the trips. Administration of the trust is voluntary.
The bottom line, he says, is the objective is very simple and the result is very easy to see. "We just want to take people fishing."
Go fish
"The wheelchair is the thing that activates us. We will take someone who is in a wheelchair anywhere in New Zealand," says Bill Gruar. The organisation has links with the Auckland Spinal Unit and other groups that support people in wheelchairs.
Reels on Wheels is holding a fundraising concert featuring Hello Sailor on Sunday, August 7 at Sale St Bar, Freemans Bay.
To buy tickets or to go fishing, see: www.reelsonwheels.co.nz