New £14,000 Powfoot path aims to make beach more accessible

dailyrecord.co.uk:

An impressive £14,000 coastal pathway making the beach at Powfoot more accessible has been officially launched. It’s all thanks to the hard work of the Powfoot Charity Group volunteers who listened to local calls for easy access for everyone and the benefits of using one dedicated path to reduce the danger of tramping feet damaging the merse elsewhere.

Access to the new path is opposite the charity shop in the pavilion on the front which has a cleaning station where people will be able to clean sand and salt off their buggies or wheelchairs before returning to their homes or cars.

A year in the making, the path has been funded with help from the Dumfries and Galloway Coastal Fund, Cummertrees and Cummertrees West Community Council and the Powfoot Charity Group with support from the community.

It has already won approval from the Solway Coast and Marine Project which stated: “A huge well done to the Powfoot Charity Group for creating an all ability access path onto the beach at Powfoot. “Sensitively created at the narrowest part of the dubs to protect the rest of the saltmarsh from damage due to over access. “The ability for everyone to get to the actual beach and feel the sand and hear and see the wildlife that lives here is transformative.” A ribbon cutting ceremony to launch it was undertaken by the newly-appointed deputy lord lieutenant, Ann Jack, and saw a poem written about it by Dumfries poet, Joe McGurk, who also read it out to the crowds gathered.