Making our coast accessible, one beach at a time.

Nicki, the founder of Access For All, is a dedicated advocate for beach accessibility. As a mother of two, her journey into the world of disabilities began in 2007 when her eldest son, George, was born with significant needs. By 2021, as George grew into a young man, the challenges of accessing beaches became more apparent, inspiring Nicki to take action. After speaking with key individuals about her vision for more accessible beaches, Access For All was created.

Through this journey, she quickly discovered the complexities of making physical changes to North Devon’s rugged coastline, such as modifying slipways. Instead, the initiative began by securing funding for beach wheelchairs and developing a website to provide clear, accessible information on North Devon’s beaches and their available facilities.

Her ultimate goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, can enjoy the region’s stunning coastal spaces without barriers or hesitation.

Ian serves as the Adaptive Lead for the charity The Wave Project. Since joining the organisation in 2017, he has become increasingly aware of the accessibility challenges faced by people with disabilities when visiting beaches.

While initially unfamiliar with these barriers, his work has fuelled a deep passion for improving access to the ocean and ensuring everyone can experience its physical and emotional benefits. He finds it incredibly rewarding to collaborate with his team and witness the positive changes they are making toward a more inclusive North Devon.

Suzanne has always had a deep love for surfing, spending her summers in Devon and Cornwall while growing up. In 2011, while working at a surf camp in Morocco, she had an accident that left her paralysed from the waist down and a full-time wheelchair user. This life-changing event quickly revealed the challenges of accessing the beach and surfing, and it took her several years before she was ready to get back in the water. In 2018, she rediscovered surfing as a prone surfer and is now a member of Team England Para Surf.

As the accessibility lead at Airbnb, Suzanne is dedicated to making travel more accessible for people with disabilities—a cause she is incredibly passionate about. After moving to London for work in 2017, she relocated to Braunton in 2020, where she has found true happiness.

Loving outdoor sports such as mountain biking, trekking, and surfing, Issy became an above-knee amputee in 2012.  Issy found the transition to living life as a wheelchair user challenging. Accessing the countryside and beaches was difficult without specialised equipment. When Nicki approached Issy about Access For All she was keen to become involved as she is passionate about disabled people having the same opportunities as others to access their local areas to enjoy the outdoors to the full.

Pru has been involved in this journey from the very beginning, when newly elected as a local councillor, and was approached by Nicki to help to secure government funding for the Changing Places Facility. Nicki invited Pru to watch her son, George, take an adaptive surf lesson, and from that moment, she was hooked. Since then, Pru has been amazed to see the initiative grow and to witness the passion and energy that Nicki pours into making the beaches accessible for everyone.

She is incredibly proud to be a member and to support Nicki in achieving her dreams. For Pru, the messages from people who have experienced the beach and sea for the first time thanks to Nicki’s efforts are a true testament to her impact. She recalls hearing a young wheelchair user on television say, “I am not disabled, it’s the world around me that disables me”—a statement that perfectly captures the importance of this work.

Holly is Head Ranger and Beach Manager at Croyde, and has worked for Parkdean Resorts’ Ruda Holiday Park, which owns Croyde Beach for the past 6 years.

Holly is a passionate naturalist, with a masters degree in Animal Behaviour & Conservation, and spends her life, both in and out of work, advocating for the natural world.