The last time Alistair Bonham had hit a golf ball was in January 2025.

Having been paralysed after a skiing accident, Bonham was unable to return to the sport he played recreationally.

That is until Lytham Green Drive Golf Club, the club at which he is a member, told him there could be a chance to rekindle his love of the game.

The club gained access to a Paragolfer – an all-terrain mobility vehicle which allows users with lower limb disabilities to adopt a standing position in order to freely swing a golf club.

“The first time I stood, at the Southport Spinal Unit, that was a wooden frame – I cried in there so I’ve done my crying,” Bonham told BBC Radio Lancashire.

“I assumed I may well burst into tears as I stood [in the Paragolfer] but no, I’ve done my bit. It was very strange but I’d broken the ice as far as my tears were concerned.”

The impact the aid can have on users is potentially life-changing.

Yet it is not a cheap bit of kit, retailing at around £28,000.

Other similar options – including the Vertacat and Paramotion Golf Wheelchair – are on the market for prices in the same ballpark.

Bonham’s use of the equipment came as Lytham Green Drive held a demonstration day, as part of a fundraising campaign by the club in order to finance it.

With help from Sport England and the Bobby Ball Foundation, the club has surpassed more than half of its target, and should they eventually raise the necessary funds, it will bring the usage of a Paragolfer to Lancashire.

No mean feat given the club say the nearest one currently is in Derby.