Disabled Access to Frampton Marsh

Aim

To provide an all-terrain mobility scooter to enable visitors with mobility issues to access the nature reserve.

We need to ensure that the widest possible range of people have access to our site at Frampton Marsh so they can experience what can be achieved and gain an understanding of the importance of wetland habitats for carbon storage, flood mitigation and increasing biodiversity.  We also want to ensure that people have access to RSPB volunteering opportunities so they can support our work, and provision of a mobility scooter would allow more people to join us in that. According to the Motability Foundation over 1.3 million people in the UK use wheelchairs or mobility scooters.  We want to ensure that everyone can be a part of the Greater Frampton Vision while also helping them to enjoy the benefits of nature for their own wellbeing.

Having a scooter available will reduce car journeys around the reserve and surrounding area. The scooter will be charged using existing solar panels on the Visitor Centre, which will not only be environmentally friendly, but also a way of promoting green energy.  A study by the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers suggests that lack of accessibility prevents disabled people from reducing impact on the environment (see: https://www.ridc.org.uk/news/lack-accessibility-prevents-disabled-people-reducing-impact-environment), this project will help address this for disabled visitors to Frampton Marsh.

This purchase will help with achieving the aims of the Greater Frampton Project which; provides an exciting opportunity to create and restore >2,800ha of internationally important coastal wetlands, hand in hand with boosting access and rewarding sustainable nature friendly farming. Greater Frampton could be a species rich exemplar, storing carbon, and creating a community hub for access and wellbeing, helping to contribute to the Government’s 25 Year Environment commitments and net zero emissions target. Located close to Boston, Lincolnshire RSPB’s Frampton reserve would form the heart of a vibrant wetland landscape. For this to succeed, we need the support and involvement of the community. 

This project successfully funded on 19th December 2023