A POPULAR tourist attraction has been given the thumbs up for its disabled access by a group of students.
Youngsters from Catcote School Business and Enterprise College, in Catcote Road, are visiting a host of leisure sites, restaurants and public buildings over the coming months ahead of producing their own booklet highlighting the access for disabled people.
The group’s first official visit was to RSPB Saltholme, in Tees Road, and the staff and students were impressed with the access, the lifts and ramps in place and also the staff.
Barry Currell, teacher at Catcote School, said: “The school has strong links with RSPB Saltholme and I approached them to see if we could come in and they agreed without hesitation.
“The purpose of the visit was to look at the available access and it was brilliant.
“The whole site was accessible and I also want to praise the staff who were more than happy to speak to myself and the children, some of which have great difficulty expressing themselves.
“But they took the time to speak to us and we really appreciated it.”
School staff say Hartlepool is very good in terms of access for disabled people but they want to pull all the information together in one booklet.
Businesses and organisations in town can also invite the twelve members from the Catcote Futures group in to assess their own facilities, with students able to provide help and advice.
When the booklet is published this summer it will be available from the school, the Tourist Information Centre at Christ Church and the Civic Centre.
Mr Currell said some of the visits will be planned and others will be on an ad-hoc basis before reporting back on the good and bad points.
Staff have also asked if any businesses or firms want to be included for them to get in touch.
The scheme is a joint programme between Mr Currell and fellow teacher Amanda Metcalf.
For more information call the school on (01429) 264036.
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