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Slimbridge wins Silver in South West Tourism Awards in Accessible and Inclusive Category
Slimbridge are delighted to have won Silver in the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award category at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards 21/22.
Slimbridge are delighted to have won Silver in the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award category at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards 21/22.
Slimbridge applied for the Bristol Bath & Somerset Awards back in 2021 and won Gold in the Accessibility category in February 2022, this meant we then went through to the South West Tourism Awards, where we claimed our Silver trophy!
From left: Awards Sponsor Sound View's Managing Director, Gareth Allen, Slimbridge's Visitor Experience Manager, Fran Penny & Marketing Executive, Amy Alsop
The 2021/2022 South West Tourism Awards Ceremony took place on Thursday 7 April at Sandy Park in Exeter. The awards included a three course black tie dinner followed by the awards presentation, networking and dancing! In the Accessible and Inclusive category, we were finalists alongside South West attractions - Leafy Fields Glamping, Mylor Sailing and Powerboat School and Stonehenge.
This was the first time we'd applied for the Bristol, Bath & Somerset Awards which led us through to the South West Tourism Awards and we were absolutely delighted to have reached the finals. We were particularly excited to have won Silver at this time, as 2021 was an important year for us as it marked our 75th anniversary and saw the completion of our Slimbridge 75 project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Slimbridge's Silver Accessible & Inclusive Award
Winning Silver in the Accessible and Inclusive category was a massive achievement for 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 their 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.
We provide enhanced facilities for everyone, with accessibility highlights including our wheelchair-friendly Wild Safaris for wider access to the 800 acre reserve, the accessible Estuary Tower Hide and the Summer Walkway and viewing platform, with access to the banks of the Severn Estuary.
Wildlife on the Severn estuary - credit Roger Byng
Fran Penny, Visitor Experience Manager for Slimbridge explained:
We are thrilled to have won Silver in the South West Tourism Awards, especially after such a milestone year for the centre. We wouldn’t have been able to achieve this award without the amazing support of our staff, volunteers and all our members and visitors. We want to give everyone the opportunity to get closer to nature.
Alongside winning this award, other exciting news has been announced; Stroud District Council have been successful in receiving funding for one Changing Places facility, which will be located at Slimbridge Wetland Centre. Changing Places are designed so that they are completely accessible and provide space and equipment for people who are not able to use a toilet independently. We look forward to working with Stroud District Council in the coming months and having this new facility available for our visitors.
