Sandown celebrated ‘Purple Tuesday’ by working with representatives of The Wave Project, and the local lifeguard service, to promote projects to improve accessibility in Sandown, including the development of the Changing Places initiative. Sandown Town Council (STC) has secured a £30,000 grant to install a state-of-the-art amenity at Eastern Gardens, including a changing bench, hoist and grab rails, as well as other accessible features. Town Mayor Alex Lightfoot said:
“Changing Places is a major inclusive project, part of a national campaign and follows our work with the lifeguards to provide beach wheelchairs, with the community association on a guide delivered to every Sandown household, and public information screens in 2024”.
Deputy Mayor Ian Fletcher added:
“We’ve also championed additional dropped kerbs and tactile paving, as well as other initiatives, with our partner agencies, to improve accessibility and increase inclusion, so that groups such as the Wave Project can extend the programme of activity that they offer.”
Sandown Town Council have also invested in additional inclusive equipment in Sandham Grounds, accessible toilets at St John’s, Eastern Gardens and the Broadway Centre, with plans being developed at the Yaverland, as well as other projects within the limited resources of the Council. Cllr Lightfoot concluded:
“We have an ambitious workplan for the coming year, within our limited resources, and this includes the Changing Places initiative which we hope to start work on in December.”
Is it named purple Tuesday for the same reason as Purple Aki?