Woman in wheelchair ‘thrilled’ to be in Southsea waters for first time in 25 years

The 59-year-old, who uses a wheelchair, was ‘thrilled’ to enjoy her first outing into the water by South Parade Pier since 1995.

Members of the Accessible Beach Campaign for Pompey group worked to clear away shingle that had covered a concrete base next to food and drink kiosks on the promenade, allowing Laura to reach a mat which they rolled to the sea.

She was then able to sit on a paddleboard and swim.

Eastney resident Laura started using a wheelchair at the age of 33 after she was in a bus crash in India.

‘Getting into the water for the first time in that long was so special,’ she said.

'The water is very therapeutic for me. I have PTSD and some pain in my body so when I am in the water my pain goes and my stress levels drop. And I know other people with disabilities feel the same about the water.’

Now Laura and the campaign group are calling on Portsmouth City Council to restore access to the sea in Southsea for disabled people. Currently there are access mats in Eastney.

Laura added: ‘The thing is at Eastney is you are away from everything and there are no lifeguard huts.

‘At Southsea you are close to the lifeguards, the toilets and parking spaces. We think it's the best site.

‘It would be great if this was something the council could do for the summer months - clear the area of shingle when they set up the lifeguard huts. They could also look at the condition of the concrete underneath to see if it needs repairing.’

A recent petition from the campaign group to improve access at Southsea won more than 1,000 signatures.

As reported, the new £130m sea defences at Southsea will be designed to include access to the shore and the water for people with disabilities.

Deputy council leader, Councillor Steve Pitt, said: ‘The problem with access at Southsea is the shingle moves a lot.

‘Look at what happened recently when the landing craft tank was brought to shore - within 24 hours it was affected by the moving shingle.

‘We want to find a fix but at all times safety is paramount. We would never attempt something that could have risks.

‘We are very happy to work with Laura and the group and it is important they are involved in any improvements that will come as part of the new defences.

‘We are also looking at whether we can have a couple of days in the summer where access to the sea is provided for everyone safely.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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