A guide to assessable adventure across Wales.
Speakers:
Ben Clifford, Surfability UK
Anneli Jeynes, Mount Pleasant
Zoe Smith, Customer Service Co-ordinator
Bethan Drinkall, Ski4All Wales
Transcript:
We’re so fortunate in Wales to be surrounded by all this incredible green and blue space.
What really makes a difference in people’s lives is to be able to access it.
It just improves everybody’s mental health, it makes everybody feel happier.
Wales is renowned as an activity holiday for everybody enjoying the outdoors.
Anybody who wants a bit of adventure is able to partake in that here.
Just being outside in the fresh air is just a complete tonic that we can’t bottle.
Our ponies are appropriately trained. We’ve got a specialist mounting block. We have
especially adapted tack as well for riders that only ride with one hand. We train the ponies so
that they will go from your voice. If you are unable to ride but you want to spend time with
the ponies you can do that by grooming, handling. It’s a lovely quiet situation/setting to be in
and to do that. Riders develop not only in their riding skills but in their confidence as well.
I’m really enjoying today.
We just want to make sure whether everybody has equal access to the park,
whether they are able-bodied or disabled, there’s somebody here that can be able to help you.
That’s why I cycle here down at Pembrey.
We’re continually striving to make sure that we’re gold standard service.
We’ve got skiers that are non-verbal whose parents say they come from the gates and they start getting excited
and when they leave they’re relaxed, they sleep better, so it’s a win-win situation.
The doctor told me that I’d never walk again.
I heard about Ski4All and I started off in one of the sit skis.
Bit by bit, I made progress…
Until one Wednesday, I went from the top and I broke down in tears…
… as I came down, because I never thought I’d do it.
They’re very special people.
It’s really important to make sports accessible and especially adventurous and extreme sports.
You know, we see huge changes in our participants. We’ve had people say the first ever sentences,
we’ve had people move in ways they weren’t ever expected to move and it’s almost like a daily occurrence for us.
It’s great fun to be in the sea and I love the people who run it.
The biggest joy is seeing the smiles on the slopes and the smiles that maybe mums and dads as well,
they never thought maybe their child could achieve.
No matter who you are and what extra needs you might have you can come here
and you can feel this fresh air and enjoy this beautiful scenery.
Enjoy this amazing place with us, enjoy this beautiful country.
1 Comment
Brilliant stuff. Access should be for all.