Beach wheelchair storage facility hope
Beach Access North EastA charity which enables wheelchair users to access the beach is seeking a storage facility.
Beach Access North East (BANE) was formed in 2017 and operates from 11 locations across the region.
However, for the past year it has been unable to do so from Whitley Bay - its most popular beach - as there is no longer anywhere suitable to store equipment.
It is now hoping that a planning application to North Tyneside for a container on the lower promenade close to Spanish City will be successful.
The charity described the space previously used, near Rendezvous Cafe, as great because there were a lot of ad hoc loans from people just trying out the promenade but who were delighted when they saw the chairs.
Unfortunately it turned out to be damp, which was damaging to the equipment, and despite improvement work by the council they were forced to move out in June 2024.
Beach Access North EastHelen Wood, from BANE, said: "All we want to do is help a few more people access the beach that otherwise wouldn't be able to.
"We've had families who had never been on the beach all together because one sibling or parent couldn't walk on the sand, children who would have had to miss a school trip just because they use a wheelchair.
"Too often the most disabling factor for people is environment, not a medical condition, we just want to improve access to something most people take for granted.
"We've had some lovely support so far so I'm hoping this continues."