Slimbridge wins gold and silver awards in Bristol, Bath & Somerset Tourism Awards 2021
Slimbridge is delighted to have won gold in the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award and silver in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category at the Bristol, Bath & Somerset Tourism Awards for 2021.
Slimbridge is delighted to have won gold in the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award and silver in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category at the Bristol, Bath & Somerset Tourism Awards for 2021.
We applied for the awards back in 2021 and in January 2022 we were announced as finalists in both categories. On 17 February more than a hundred businesses took part in an online awards ceremony. Slimbridge were crowned winners in the Accessible and Inclusive category by sponsors Visit South Somerset and given a silver award for Largest Visitor Attraction of the Year by sponsors Love to Visit, with gold being awarded to Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm.
This was the first time Slimbridge had applied for the Bristol, Bath & Somerset Awards and we're absolutely delighted to have been successful in both the categories we'd applied for. We were particularly excited to have won these awards during 2021, the year of Slimbridge's 75th anniversary and completion of our Slimbridge 75 project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Fully accessible Estuary Tower at Slimbridge, looking over the Severn Estuary
Winning gold in the Accessible and Inclusive category was a massive achievement for us as all of WWT’s wetland centres exist to fulfil our founder Sir Peter Scott’s vision of connecting people with nature, and aim for wetlands and wildlife to be accessible to everyone. The award recognises that we provide a truly memorable visitor experience for everyone - particularly those with accessibility requirements, and demonstrate excellence across every aspect of our business.
Slimbridge provides enhanced facilities for everyone, with accessibility highlights including our wheelchair-friendly Wild Safaris for wider access to the reserve, the fully-accessible Estuary Tower Hide and the Summer Walkway and viewing platform, with access to the banks of the Severn Estuary.
Wheelchair friendly Wild Safari at Slimbridge, providing access to the wider reserve during the summer months
Fran Penny, Slimbridge Visitor Experience Manager explained:
We are thrilled to have won both a gold and a silver award in the Bristol, Bath & Somerset Awards especially after such a milestone year for the centre. We wouldn’t have been able to achieve these awards without the amazing support of our staff, volunteers and all our members and visitors.
As winners of the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Awards, we'll also have the opportunity to be nominated for the national Visit England awards later in the year – so wish us luck!
Wide open spaces at Slimbridge
