After a successful launch of the ‘beach friendly’ wheelchairs for Tenby, a local councillor has emphasised the focus on making the resort more accessible for the disabled an elderly.

The wheelchairs launched last month in Tenby and available at the Dennis Cafe, situated alongside Castle Beach and the North Beach’s Joe’s Cafe, have been funded and insured by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (PCNPA) costing £4,000 each.

Clr. Sam Skyrme-Blackhall who has been working with Pembrokeshire County Council access officer Alan Hunt, and PCNPA to make arrangements for the wheelchairs to be available in the seaside town told her colleagues at Tuesday night’s meeting of the town council that the scheme had been a great success so far.

She read out a message from a holidaymaker that had spent a week in the resort, and how the beach wheelchairs had benefited her 80 year old dad who could no longer walk unaided - ’It was so easy to push and he even paddled in the sea. It was amazing to be able to include him in a couple of family days on the beach. Our thanks go to the people who made this happen. It meant the world to us as a family and I’m sure will be of great benefit to others’

“We’re in talks to extend this scheme further in Tenby, and I’m grateful to all those that have been involved with funding so far,” said Clr. Mrs. Skyrme-Blackhall.

“This is part of an overall drive to improve access in Tenby on the whole.

“It would be great to purchase suitable clearer signage to promote the wheelchairs and work with PCC and PCNPA to find appropriate areas to put the signs, as some people aren’t necessarily aware that they’re available.

It would also be good if we could produce some small leaflets or flyers for the shops, hotels and Tourist Information Centre to advertise the wheelchairs,” she added.

A meeting of the ‘Plastic Free Tenby’ group will take place in September to look at further planning for the future.

The group was set up with the aim to achieve Plastic Free status for the resort, with the initiative supported by Tenby town council.

Speaking at Tuesday night’s meeting of the town council, Clr. Laurence Blackhall said he’d be handing over the reigns of the ‘Plastic Free’ group at a meeting scheduled for September 11 (with a venue to be decided) and he’d hope that a fellow councillor might come forward to take his place and lead on the project.

“Despite there being no reports to this town council, there have been activities across the town from organisations such as Tenby Sailing Club taking on beach cleans, and businesses ditching single use plastics,” he commented.

“The meeting after the summer will celebrate what we’ve achieved so far, and look at planning for the future,” added Clr. Blackhall.

The Mayor, Clr. Tony Brown said: “Very well done - the scheme has come on leaps and bounds from what it was last year.”

LETTER FROM SUE COX:

’We have just got home after a weeks holiday in Tenby.

Our family has been visiting Tenby for our holidays over the years and this year was a very special one as my dad, David Currie, celebrated his 80th birthday in June.

He’s not been well over the last year and can no longer walk unaided.

We spotted the beach wheelchair when on the beach and made enquires.

We weren’t sure we could get dad down but thought we’d give it a try.

Anyway he came down on his scooter and managed to get onto the beach wheelchair.

It was so easy to push and he even paddled in the sea.

It was amazing to be able to include him in a couple of family days on the beach.

Our thanks go to the people who made this happen.

It meant the world to us as a family and I’m sure will be of great benefit to others.’