DISABILITY
ACTION GROUP
EAST PRESTON
St. Mary's Church Christmas Tree Festival 2024
We have a tree at this years Christmas tree festival, our tree represents the sand (gold) and the sea (blue) for our Reach the Beach campaign, which is becoming a reality in 2025. Please come along and visit the church between Friday 13 December and Sunday 15 December. Friday and Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11.30am-5pm followed by Christmas Carols at 6pm.
New Chairman
Our new chairman is Marion Mitchell. Marion has many years of experience in disability related issues. She has an adult son who has a very rare chromosome disorder, resulting in severe learning disabilities. She also helps to care for her elderly disabled mother-in-law, who lives with the family here in East Preston. For 27 years she worked in the charity sector as a Family Support Officer, supporting members with information and providing a listening ear. She organised family conferences and events and created a network of local contacts for families all over the UK and beyond. Marion has written over twenty practical information guides for families over the years and is currently in the process of writing an access guide for East Preston.
.jpg)
SAD NEWS
Sadly, we have to report that our Chairman, Alan Hultquist, passed away at the end of April 2024 after a long illness, bravely borne. Alan became involved with the group in September 2019 and was elected Chairman in June 2021. He was committed to making East Preston more accessible to all. We will miss his enthusiasm and positivity.
We would like to encourage new people to join us - please come along to one of our informal meetings and find out more!
REACH THE BEACH
We were delighted when retired engineer, Roy Allen, became involved with the project and offered to draw up new plans for a boardwalk and viewing platform over the stones at the end of Sea Lane to improve access to the beach. Following an open meeting in June 2023, attended by over 70 parishioners supporting the project, it was decided to set up a company - Sea Road Beach Access Ltd. to take this project forward.
We are delighted to announce that sufficient money has been raised to purchase the components for the boardwalk, which were delivered at the beginning of November and are being assembled by a group of willing volunteers.
A local company, Cloud 9, has offered their services to dig out the footings at the end of January 2025. Then the foundations can be laid and the decking boards fixed in place.
Please email: searoadbeachaccess@icloud.com to register your interest and receive the latest updates.