Have you been watching the developments at Lauderdale Park take shape? The new park is now open! With more inclusive and accessible play equipment, and a large part of the play area now suitable for wheels. We are glad that East Lothian Council engaged with us over the choice of some of the equipment – thanks to everyone who contributed to our survey about what meets your needs best.
The council have also provided a pathway through the trees and shrubs at the western side of Lauderdale, which we are developing as a sensory trail. You should see a few items to look at, listen to, touch or smell appearing over the next few weeks as we get into spring.
Reuse Scotland SCIO have provided some small musical instruments, ribbons, baubles and so on, and I’m planning to plant some herbs for scent, and to keep adding to the rest.
Our vision for the sensory trail is that everyone in the community feels it belongs to them. So please feel free to contribute any safe (no mirrors or glass items, please!) sensory items, and please enjoy using it!
However, we know that Lauderdale does not meet everyone’s needs, as the play area is not securely fenced and there is no toilet – the nearest accessible toilet is across Bayswell Road by the leisure pool, and the nearest Changing Places toilet is down at the Bleachingfield Centre. For these reasons, we are also working to redevelop the smaller play area at the Bleachingfield. This has the advantage that it is fenced, with nearby disabled parking and a 24-hour Changing Places toilet (accessible with a radar key – but please do be aware that currently the alarm is not monitored when the library is closed). It’s also close to the Cove who use it regularly. While we’re not looking to redevelop the whole park, we hope to be able to fundraise to put in a ground-level roundabout, communication and sensory boards, and a wheelchair swing –which would be the first of its kind in East Lothian! We are working with Play As One Scotland to coordinate with suppliers and help us fundraise (we’ll need to raise about £60,000), and East Lothian Council will support with installation and provide ongoing maintenance of the equipment.
Out of town, we are continuing to work with Dunbar Community Council, Inclusive Surfing Scotland and the Countryside Ranger Service to work on better access to our beaches for everyone whether on feet, wheels or paws! If your family currently struggles to access the beach for any reason, or you can describe how beneficial it would be for you to have better access, do get in touch as every bit of testimony helps.
In general, we want to work with the community council and others to make Dunbar and East Lothian more welcoming, inclusive and accessible, bit by bit. If you have any suggestions – from a location that really needs a dropped kerb or a wider pavement, to ideas for more useful signage or lighting, or anything else, do drop me a line and we’ll do what we can to make that happen.
