CARD players are celebrating reaching the top deck again thanks to the gift of vital new accessibility equipment.

Some members of Fort Matilda Bridge Club had been forced to stay away from it after the upper stair lift became broken.

House convener Pat McLaughlin appealed to the Telegraph for help to fix it. Within a day of our article being published the club had two offers of replacements.

He said: “We were overwhelmed by the response. We accepted an offer from Kevin Duddy and we are very grateful to him and also to the paper. We can’t thank the Telegraph enough.”

Pat helped John MacLeod, who is married to club secretary Ann MacLeod, to install the new lift, which can carry players the final nine steps to the club room. Mr MacLeod said: “It means members can come back and join in the fun.”

The club first appealed to the paper for help around two years ago and were gifted two stair lifts to allowed elderly and infirm members access to the premises, which is located up two flights of stairs.

Mrs MacLeod said: “This is the second time we have asked for the Telegraph’s help, and as ever the coverage come up trumps. The power of the Telegraph is unprecedented.”

She says that the bridge club is very active with over 80 members and remains popular because it’s such a fabulous game.

Mrs MacLeod said: “It’s fascinating and it helps to keep the brain working.”
The club meets several evenings a week and holds a social session for beginners on Wednesdays between 10am and noon which includes 20 minutes of tuition.