“THE beach is for everyone, now nobody will be excluded.”
Those were Sam Taylor’s triumphant words as he celebrated the completion of a new beach access platform in his hometown after more than two years of hard work and campaigning.
He has had quadriplegic cerebral palsy since he was three months old after he stopped breathing, causing swelling on his brain. This means he relies on a wheelchair to travel.
The 31-year-old Seaford resident said: “I have got two young nieces and they love to come down and visit me.
“In the summer we all like to go down to the beach as a family but I couldn’t join them because my wheelchair could not go on to the shingle.
“I was stuck on the promenade while they were on the beach.
“This new platform will allow me and everyone else to be with their friends and families on the beach.”
Sam said he was inspired by other beaches across Europe to start his campaign in 2017.
He said: “I always love going to the beach and when I went on holiday in Europe to places like Menorca and Barcelona I saw they had beach access.
“Seeing that, I thought it was something I wanted to bring home to Seaford.”
After starting the campaign in 2017 Sam found there was slow progress and struggled to build any momentum.
After a year he took a fresh approach and gathered stories and messages from people in Sussex supporting the campaign.
He also used his social media skills to raise awareness of his plight, and soon found people started to take notice.
He said: “I got the support of the community and built up a big folder of comments supporting it, which I presented to Seaford Town Council. It is not just for wheelchair users but also for people who use walking aids or parents with children in buggies.”
The 27 square metre permanent decking extends on to the beach up to the point where the shingle drops away.
An opening ceremony for the event will take place this Saturday, with council members and the mayor of Seaford Nazish Adil attending.
Sam said: “I have had a lot of messages of support from people in other towns saying they would like to see one on their beaches.
“My nieces came down last weekend to see it all finished and they thought it was absolutely fantastic.”
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