AN AMBITIOUS project is planned to make a Llyn Peninsula beach the most accessible in Wales.

A joint effort by the local community and Plas Heli Sailing Academy is set to make the beach in Pwllheli open to everyone, whatever their physical condition.

Initially the project was to supply a floating wheelchair and mats which would allow wheelchair users to get to the sea and enjoy the world-famous waters surrounding the southern coast of the Llyn.

The campaign was instigated following a request by Lewis Walker, a 13-year-old with cerebral palsy, who wanted to play in the sea with his friends.

However the plan has now “snowballed” and there are ambitious plans in place to introduce a fleet of floating wheelchairs, full access to the shoreline for everyone, a disabilty-friendly sailing club, and for the old sailing academy building to be converted to a respite centre with full facilities.

Heidi Bakewell, who works at Plas Heli and is a driving force behind the exciting proposals, explained how a new community group ‘Access All Areas’ planned to fulfil their ambitions.

“The AAA project is aiming to be a three-year project where we apply to the National Lottery, for coastal community funding and to other various grant sources to make the beaches of the Llyn more accessible to wheelchair users,” she said.

“The project came about when a disability group using Plas Heli was restricted to using just the building due to the lack of accessibility to the beach.

“This coincided with a friend of mine, Claire Kibblewhite-Walker, putting a post on Facebook about being fed up of not being able to take her son Lewis to the beach for exactly the same reason.

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