Selaine Saxby MP welcomed the new Changing Places facility at Parkdean resort in Croyde last week as part of the Government’s Changing Places Fund from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. North Devon received a total of £132,600. Croyde received £44,200 towards this project.
Guy Opperman MP (Minister for the Department for Work & Pensions) was in North Devon at the time of the opening and was keen to see such an innovative and inclusive project in Croyde.
Nicki Palmer first approached Selaine in August 2021 about accessible changing facilities and creating an adaptive surf hub with Nicki’s son, George’s enthusiasm for surfing the driving force behind this project. The Wave Project has done amazing work and it is great to finally see it in Croyde as the first place in the UK to prioritise adaptive surfing.
Changing Places toilet facilities will be opening at Green Lanes, Barnstaple and Arlington Court later this year.
Selaine Saxby MP for North Devon, said:
“It was fantastic to be at the opening of the first adaptive surf hub in the country in Croyde. This is such milestone for the surf community in North Devon. Access For All has overcome numerous challenges to see the fantastic accessible changing facility that is now open.
“I would like to thank Nicki Palmer who was the driving force behind this project, Park Dean Resorts at Ruda, Croyde Area Residents Association (CARA) for their support and all the surf community who have facilitated this project. This opening will allow everyone to enjoy their day at the beach this summer and enable those with mobility issues be able to have so much freedom, today both on land and in the sea.”
