Complete the National Beach Access Project Survey

Launched in June, the Beach Access Survey is designed to gather evidence from people with medical/mental health conditions and disabilities regards their experiences of accessing the beach environment and blue space.

Become a Beach Access Champion and complete the beach access survey before 30 September 2025:

COMPLETE THE BEACH ACCESS SURVEY

For more information about the project/survey: www.beachaccessproject.co.uk or email [email protected]

Vision

“Enhance and improve beach access to enable people with medical/mental health conditions and disabilities to play a meaningful and active role in beach life and blue space.”

 

Mission

The beach access project and survey are designed to gather evidence from people with medical/mental health conditions and disabilities regards their experiences of accessing the beach environment and blue space. This information will be used to:
• Visualise and raise awareness of the current situation regards beach access
• Inform, on how people with medical/mental health conditions and disabilities think and feel about the beach and how it can be improved
• showcase projects already promoting beach/blue space access,
• develop innovative solutions for beaches/blue space access projects and
• bring together a consortium of passionate individuals, groups and organisations to drive the beach/blue space access agenda.

 

Anything you can do to promote and support people with medical/mental health conditions and disabilities to complete the survey is greatly appreciated.

COMPLETE THE BEACH ACCESS SURVEY

 

Why is the beach access survey needed?

The Family Resources Survey indicates that “16.1 million people in the UK had a disability in the 2022/23 financial year. This represents 24% of the total population.” Department for Work and Pensions.

 

Almost half of the UK population (45.7% of men and 50.1% of women) reported having a long-standing health problem; more women (22.3%) reported being limited (but not severely) in activities because of a health problem in the last six months than men (18.5%). Census 2021 UK health indicators: 2019 to 2020.

 

In January 2024 the Environment Agency produced a report from the Blue Space Forum: Health and Inequalities project. This project identified that “There is also little provision for people with physical or sensory disabilities to access safe outdoor blue space.” (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-wellbeing-benefits-of-blue-space-lived-experience)

 

“There is growing evidence that living close to and spending time in and around green or blue spaces (GBS; e.g., parks, gardens, rivers, beaches) is associated with fewer mental health problems. People in deprived areas, those from minority ethnic communities, older adults, and those with longstanding health conditions or functional limitations often have less physical access to good-quality GBS.” Ambient greenness, access to local green spaces, and subsequent mental health: Lancet Planet Health 2023; 7: e809–18

 

These four pieces of evidence and the research papers associated with them, highlight the benefits of accessing blue space but clearly demonstrate that people with medical/mental health conditions and disabilities (PMHCD) who make up between 24-50% of the population, have little or no access to blue space. Everyone has a right to access blue space and currently we have no guidelines or strategies in place, to better understand and improve the situation.

 

There is also a significant lack of provision of activities on and in blue spaces. This is primarily because PMHCD cannot get to the blue space. Over the last 25 years significant resources have been put into creating guidance for accessing green space. The sensory trust launched its Outdoor Accessibility Guidance; Supporting inclusive outdoor access in the UK in April 2023. “The guide is designed as a practical reference” however the 203pg document allocate 2 pages to access to the water, under the heading “boats and water based activities pg. 151-153.”

 

The new Accessible and inclusive sports facilities document launched in 2024 by Sport England dedicates 1 page to Access to the countryside and signposts to the Sensory Trust document above.

 

Organisations such as such Sustrans, the Forestry Commission, the National Trust, and National Parks organisations are able to use these green space guidelines to make their environments accessible. Without any guidance for blue space we will not change the current situation.

 

The evidence that blue space has benefits for individuals, groups and organisations and public health at a national level is well established. The evidence above demonstrates that blue space providers want and need guidance and support to enhance their offer.

 

 

Beach Access Project and Survey media

• BBC South News (article)
• BBC Radio Cornwall (interview)
• BBC AccessAll (podcast)
• Bournemouth Echo (article)

 

Background: Will, the project and the survey

Will Behenna, Founder of the Beach Access Project, grew up in Cornwall spending school holidays on the beach until a cycling accident at 16 left him with a spinal injury and a full-time wheelchair user. Having spent a career in sports development and training and education his passion has always been out on the water; whether sailing, scuba-diving or kayaking and helping others to do the same. However, the introduction of paddleboards opened up the possibility of being able to go out paddling independently. In 2023 he achieved this, having made a foam seat which attaches on to the paddleboard. Using a range of adapted and modified equipment he was able to get out on his local river without any support.

 

He set up inclusive paddleboarding in the same year and acquired funding to build a range of equipment to support people with a range of medical/mental health conditions and disabilities (who have difficulty standing) to go paddleboarding. He has found it increasingly frustrating that so many blue spaces including beaches, rivers, lakes and canals are inaccessible for so many people with medical/mental health conditions and disabilities.

 

Finding places with accessible parking, pathways, toilet and changing facilities and safe and easy access onto the water is consistently limited. The beach access project and the survey are the start of a journey to “enhance and improve beach access to enable people with medical/mental health conditions and disabilities to play a meaningful and active role in beach life and blue space.”

 

Become a Beach Access Champion and complete the beach access survey before 30 September 2025: 

COMPLETE THE BEACH ACCESS SURVEY

For more info at www.beachaccessproject.co.uk or email [email protected]