PRAMS can now be taken over sandy beaches and other difficult terrain with minimum fuss thanks to a tennis coach-come-inventor from Worcestershire.
Lee Cowan, who has been head coach at Droitwich Spa Lawn Tennis Club since 2011, has now launched Sandsliders, a pram attachment to safely steer children over sand.
The idea for the product came when Mr Cowan, who studied Sport, Physical Education and Community Studies at the University of Birmingham, was on holiday in Gran Canaria two years ago.
“I saw all these families arrive at the beach and then attempt to get their prams over the sand,” he said.
“Some pushed, some pulled, some gave up and some lifted the pram off the ground, but in all cases, it woke the baby up and made for a really frustrating start to their holiday.”
In between his tennis commitments, Mr Cowan started to dabble with different prototypes that could attach to a pram and allow it to be safely steered over the sand with the minimum of fuss.
The result is the Sandslider, made from polypropylene and assembled in the UK by workers with disabilities.
It attaches to the pram via two simple hooks, with an adjustable webbing strap, meaning it can be used on all prams, buggies and strollers up to 50cm in width.
The product also folds in half to fit in hand luggage, can be washed clean, is recyclable and fully safety compliant.
It has been tested on snow, over pebble beaches, pea gravel, muddy grass, campsites and any environment where a normal pram struggles to go.
Mr Cowan, who lives in Bromsgrove, said although his hometown “may be one of the furthest points in the country from the sea” – the “reaction to the product has been nothing short of amazing”.
“Parents and grandparents all recognise the problem and the hassle caused by not being able to push your pram through sand,” he said.
“This is a completely new venture for me, and totally different from teaching topspin backhands, but seeing happy parents using it gives me a real sense of pride.”
Prior to taking over at Droitwich, Mr Cowan coached for four years at Saddlebrook International Tennis Academy in Florida.
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