Target reached!
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Blossoming Birds & Mae Murray Mulberry Prize draw
Portstewart, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Aim
To help Mae Murray foundation create an inclusive beach at Portstewart strand for everyone to enjoy.
*Prize draw has now closed.*
We’ve been working behind the scenes with the amazing team at the Mae Murray Foundation over the last number of months to put this initiative together. It’s a fantastic charity and provides vital assistance to users across Northern Ireland.
As a family, we love a trip to the beach. It’s revitalising, good for the soul and one of life’s best tonics. Some of our favourite memories have been made at the beach and we believe that every family deserves to experience this with no one left out. Mae Murray foundation needs £10,000 raised to equip Portstewart beach to help make this an accessible beach for all. It’s in everyone’s best interests to have our beaches inclusive for our children, the elderly, everyone.
The Mae Murray Foundation has provided the below information on its services and some of the many benefits of Inclusive Beaches
'Do you know the sea is salty?'. These are the words of a 17 year old wheelchair user who enjoyed her first dip in the ocean since infancy. Enjoying a day at the beach is something we all take for granted but shouldn't EVERYONE have this opportunity?! Northern Ireland has stunning beaches, but most are currently not accessible to wheelchair users as chairs are so difficult to push on the sand!
What is an Inclusive Beach?
Informed by our members with their lived experience, we have pioneered the creation of 3 inclusive beaches so far in NI with equipment, available to hire, free of charge, enabling a family to enjoy their beach day out. Examples of the equipment include:
- Floating chairs, which enable wheelchair users or those who are unsteady on their feet to enjoy a swim in the sea.
- All-terrain wheelchairs (land-based chairs), which enable those with disabilities to enjoy a walk or run on the beach and join in community activities and events.
- Beach crutches and beach walker for those who need support to walk on the beach.
- Dignified toileting for all including a changing bench and hoist. The National Trust have recently installed a Changing Places toilet and this can be used by members, who have borrowed beach equipment.
- Textured beach walkways with contrast markings for those who are blind or have vision impairments. These are also used by groups of more than 5 wheelchair users, or those who cannot transfer out, so that they can have an accessible base on which to enjoy the beach.
To book a piece of equipment, members simply book via the Mae Murray website, free of charge. We have created procedures for beach operators who, in partnership, support us to deliver this project by facilitating equipment handovers, making it sustainable and affordable for all.
What benefit will this Inclusive Beach have?
- Disabled people, of all ages, and their family will be able to enjoy a swim in the sea or a walk on the beach - something they currently cannot do at Portstewart Strand.
- Improved physical wellbeing for disabled people and their family across Northern Ireland. Often physical activity is only suited to the member of the family who has a disability OR the non-disabled members; at Inclusive Beaches everyone can take part together, enabling them to get active more often.
- Improved mental wellbeing for members and their family due to getting active more often.
- Improved societal attitudes as disabled people will be visible at the beach environment.
- Increased Tourism. Once Portstewart Strand is inclusive, it can be enjoyed by disabled people all over the country and beyond!
T&Cs
Donate £5 per entry -more we will add your name against more entries.
Comment https://instagram.com/blossomingbirds?utm_medium=copy_link once you have entered
Please join us in sharing this to help raise enough to enter the new season ensuring more families can enjoy our beaches together! What a Christmas gift that keeps on giving!
Also free entry by sending your name and address to MMF quoting Blossoming Birds- address A6 Willowbank business park, Larne, Bt402sf.
The National Emergencies Trust has provided £6,611 of match funding
This project successfully funded on 25th December 2021