Smiling, stillness, joy, laughter, contemplation, delight, recollection, family time, fun; there is something special about being near the sea, and this is why everyone should be able to Reach the Beach.
Thank you to everyone for what you have achieved. We used to have to separate our children, one on the Quay in his wheelchair and one playing on the beach. It was too far to carry him, so Kit couldn't ever join us. Now, two years in a row he's enjoyed going in the sea, lying on the beach and just doing what a child should. Thanks once again for allowing us to have this time with him xx
I cannot express the absolute joy and delight at being able to access the beach!
This is the first time I have been onto a beach in several years, as opposed to just wheeling along the path beside it, and I cannot express the utter JOY of it! While you are still limited with where you can go, the matting allowed me to access the beach without extra assistance, organisation and planning. It was amazing to be able to just turn up and access the beach straight away and for that reason it gets a solid 10/10 from me!! I also got the chance to try out the Sandcruiser beach wheelchair. It is very substantial and required a strong companion to push it along the pebble beach.... but oh boy did this thing go across the beach!!!
I got to approach the sea, sit and read my book right up against the shore, and travel the length on the beach!! I cannot express how INCREDIBLE this experience was Overall, I can't praise this scheme enough, and I hope to see it continue! Everyone deserves to have access to the beach
I would like to thank Elaine and her team for a fantastic experience using the Beach and water Wheelchair experience.
​
My son Justin who is 37 has multiple disabilities. He has Friedreich's Ataxia Multiple Sclerosis and Lebers Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Justin is a full time Wheelchair user and is hoisted every day. Justin is totally blind.
​
This experience for Justin was totally amazing, he felt the cold water on his body he laughed constantly. He felt that he was normal for once as he has not been in the sea for 20 years. He absolutely loved it. We hope to be able to have this experience once again in the summer. This scheme is such a wonderful experience. Many thanks for giving my son the opportunity to laugh and smile.
​
I just wanted to let you know how much the beach wheelchair scheme meant to our family.
Our son Kit was born healthy, but had a seizure at 18 months old. He is in a wheelchair full time, but unable to go on the beach (due to his wheelchair not working on sand or pebbles) or in the sea (we can't carry him from the promenade safely).
This summer we were determined to get him onto the beach with us, and so we planned our whole summer holiday around the most accessible beach we could find. West Bay was that beach. The beach wheelchair trolley meant he could be safely transported right down to the waters edge, he went into the sea and was laughing. He enjoyed it so much he promptly fell asleep afterwards! This was the first time he'd been on a beach since his seizure (he's now five).
The beach wheelchair scheme, as well as the safety matting and proximity to car parking and the town meant we were able to enjoy our day as a family. Kit's little brother even 'helped' push him, with daddy, down to the water.
This scheme gave us a holiday, and memories we will treasure forever.
​​
.jpg)
My family & I have just had a week's holiday near West Bay and were delighted to discover how accessible it is. One of our young children is learning disabled and also a wheelchair user.
We made good use of the beach wheelchair service.... high praise to the volunteers that run it, they were so lovely and helpful.
And to be able to use a changing places toilet made a huge difference to our stay. In fact, although we weren't staying in West Bay itself, we returned on multiple days purely because the accessibility made our holiday so easy (and therefore more relaxing).
Anyway, I wanted to write to let you know what a positive experience we had. Please don't underestimate what a difference these facilities make to disabled people and their families. Keep up the good work!
