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'Accessibility trails changed my life'

Ollie SamuelsNorth West
BBC A woman with grey hair, wearing a yellow hat and stone gilet, sits on a mobility scooter. She's smiling, and behind her are crutches. She is outside, on a path lined with green bushesBBC
Sue Just, riding an all-terrain mobility vehicle known as a tramper

A woman who has been using accessible trails for the last three years said she has had her "life changed" by the "freedom to get in amongst nature and discover things that I forgot existed".

Sue Just, speaking at the launch of a new trail in Silverdale, Lancashire, said "it was like walking into a new world, the peacefulness, tranquility, mind-blowing."

The new six mile (9.7km) route connects three nature reserves and includes free hire of three all-terrain mobility scooters, called trampers, from RSPB Leighton Moss.

Lucy Barron, from Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape, said it allows everyone to "immerse themselves in nature" and see local wildlife.

RSPB/Steve Ripley An osprey flying through the air, carrying a fish in its left footRSPB/Steve Ripley
Visitors to RSPB Leighton Moss might catch a glimpse of an Osprey

Just said she had an accident which over time had reduced her mobility.

"I can't do much at all, I can't walk very far... I can only do a few steps then I have to stop", she explained.

"I discovered I could just hire a tramper, having never been on one before, I ummed and ahhed a bit, but I tried it, and that was it, my life changed," she said.

A woman in a black and blue coat is gesturing towards a large rock formation. Looking on are two people, one of whom is riding a mobility scooter
Lucy Barron (left) giving a talk about the geology of Trowbarrow

The route and mobility vehicles have been funded by a grant from the Coastal Communities Fund, via the Morecambe Bay Partnership.

Lucy Barron said: "The trail starts at RSPB Leighton Moss, which is a fabulous reed bed, where you can see bittens and marsh harriers".

"It then goes up to Trowbarrow nature reserve, which is a nationally important geological site, great for its wildflowers", she explained.

"It then carries on up to Gait Barrows national nature reserve, where there's absolutely stunning limestone pavement which is some of the best and most diverse limestone pavement in the country," she said.

A woman smiling with blonde hair and glasses, wearing a blue shirt. She has a name badge on her left chest
Beccy Speight, CEO of RSPB at the launch of the new trail

The RSPB said the route is "challenging" as it uses a mix of both surfaced and unsurfaced paths, but the trampers allow people with reduced mobility to have a "truly off-road experience".

Beccy Speight, the organisation's CEO said there were "lots of different organisations and individuals who have made it happen".

"It's really important that everyone has access to nature, there's lots of research now that shows it;s good for our physical health and our mental health."

She said the trampers meant "people can get out onto quite rough paths, quite rough tracks, and really get out into nature and experience it."

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