Laura Anne Jones, Senedd Member for Southeast Wales has attended the 'Welcome to Off-Road Wheeling' event, held in the Wye Valley Woods near Chepstow. The event, organised by the Wye Valley National Landscape Team with support from Natural Resources Wales (NRW), showcased efforts to make the countryside more accessible for wheelchair users and people with disabilities.

The event brought together wheelchair users, suppliers of off-road mobility equipment, and accessibility groups, all united by the shared goal of making it easier for everyone to enjoy the Welsh countryside.

Attendees had the opportunity to try different models of off-road wheelchairs, including mountain trikes, trampers, and terrain hoppers, with guidance from Experience Community CIC, Terrain Hoppers, and the Disabled Ramblers of Ross-on-Wye.

Laura commended NRW for their work in creating barrier-free footpaths but emphasised that more needs to be done. “Access to nature should not be a luxury; it’s a right,” she said. "The health benefits of being outdoors are immense, and everyone should be able to experience them, regardless of physical ability."

The latest Annual Scrutiny Report on NRW stresses the importance of keeping visitor centres open to ensure these sites remain accessible. Laura Anne Jones believes that NRW should prioritise public accessibility, especially for those with disabilities, to ensure everyone can fully benefit from the countryside.

Laura is now pushing for more cross-border cooperation along the Wye, so that those with disabilities on either side of the England-Wales border can more easily access the countryside. She aims to make the Wye Valley a destination for wheelchair users.

With NRW managing 94 sites across Wales, Laura called on the Welsh Government to streamline bureaucratic processes that hinder accessibility improvements. “Simple solutions, like replacing kissing gates with two-way bridleway gates, could make a big difference. Additionally, the NRW website must be maintained to provide wheelchair users with full information about accessible routes.”

“I want to thank the Wye Valley National Landscape Team, Experience Community CIC, Terrain Hoppers, and the Disabled Ramblers for their dedication to improving accessibility,” Laura said. "Seeing the joy and freedom this experience brought to wheelchair users was inspiring, and I am determined to ensure these opportunities are expanded across Wales."