PARTNERS, supporters and volunteers gathered at Carew Castle recently to celebrate 20 years of making the National Park more accessible to people with restricted mobility.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority staff join Chair Dr Madeleine Havard and Chief Executive Tegryn Jones for the cake cutting at Carew Castle
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority staff join Chair Dr Madeleine Havard and Chief Executive Tegryn Jones for the cake cutting at Carew Castle (PCNPA)

Through Get Outdoors, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority provides specialist equipment to help people with restricted mobility explore beaches and other outdoor locations that might otherwise be difficult to reach.

The scheme offers free beach wheelchairs and all-terrain mobility equipment at locations across Pembrokeshire, with local businesses and community organisations helping to make the equipment available. In 2025 alone, it was used more than 900 times.

Park Authority chair Dr Madeleine Havard addressed guests at the anniversary event on Wednesday, October 21, recognising the contribution of the many individuals, businesses and organisations who have supported the scheme since its inception.

A regular user of the equipment described how the scheme had given her back a life she thought had ended. Access to the sea and green spaces gave her a reason to get up in the morning, while being able to enjoy days out with family and friends helped her regain an independence she thought was no longer available to her.

Angela Robinson, Health and Wellbeing Officer at the Authority, said: “Over the past 20 years, we’ve seen what a difference this equipment has made to people’s lives. It can help children take part in sports days, allow people to attend family funerals and open up experiences that might otherwise be out of reach.”

With demand for the equipment continuing, the Pembrokeshire Coast Charitable Trust is helping to secure the scheme’s future through its Get Outdoors Partnership Programme, which encourages businesses and organisations to contribute towards new equipment, maintenance, transport and the continued provision of accessible outdoor experiences.

For more information about Get Outdoors, including equipment availability and booking arrangements, visit www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales .