New beach wheelchairs make access to the Redcar Beach possible for everyone

TheRedcar beach has now become accessible to anyone wanting to enjoy the coastline, regardless of their physical abilities, due to the Council’s acquisition of three new beach wheelchairs.

The Beach Wheels Redcar and Cleveland project, launched on Monday, 13 March, was initiated as part of the Covid Recovery Plan, using a small amount from the Government’s Covid Recovery Fund. The impact of the Covid pandemic on people’s mental health and wellbeing has highlighted the benefits of accessing all outdoor spaces, including the beautiful coastline in the area, for exercising and socialising. The opportunity to benefit from this should be available to all, promoting inclusion, independence and the right of choice.

To ensure the success of Beach Wheels Redcar and Cleveland, the Council’s Health Improvement Team, who secured the funding for the project, asked for advice and guidance from the Beach Access North East, the charity leading the way for beach wheelchair access in North East. Local communities have also been invited to share their views, which revealed that beach wheelchairs would not only be valuable to the users, but also to their families, allowing them to enjoy quality time together.

Thus, the Council procured two Hippocampes and one Debug wheelchairs and a hoist to facilitate people’s transfer onto them. They can be hired free of charge from the Northern Renewable Centre in Redcar and used by both children and adults.

The programme will be taken over by Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency (RCVDA), a social action organisation committed to bring positive change and overcome challenges in the communities. Northern Renewable Centre will be hosting the wheelchairs while the Route 1 Coffee House and Bike Maintenance Service will look after their maintenance. There is a future ambition to expand the project to Saltburn and other beaches in Redcar and Cleveland, subject to funding and volunteer availability.

Cabinet member for Health and Welfare, Cllr Steve Kay, said: “Everybody should have the opportunity to enjoy some time spent on the beach