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ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION PLAN

Beat the Tide CIC — Pendine Sands, Wales

A not-for-profit dance music event — Saturday 1 May 2027, Bank Holiday weekend

Document

Accessibility & Inclusion Plan

Organisation

Beat the Tide CIC (Community Interest Company)

Event

Beat the Tide — Pendine Sands, Wales

Event date

Saturday 1 May 2027 (Bank Holiday weekend)

Planned capacity

4,000 attendees

Accessible provision

10% of capacity (400 paid tickets, with free companion tickets)

Version / status

Draft for review

Contact

info@beatthetide.co.uk | www.beatthetide.co.uk

1. Overview

Event background and description

Beat the Tide is a Community Interest Company (CIC) set up to tackle high suicide rates and poor mental health directly, through year-round 24/7/365 outreach programmes and an annual celebratory music festival.

The festival is a not-for-profit dance music event staged on Pendine Sands in West Wales. It is the public-facing celebration of the CIC's wider mission: bringing people together, reducing isolation, and making it easier to talk openly about mental health.

Our aim is to prevent suicides in West Wales by tackling head-on the many issues that lead to such devastating events — events that leave families and communities paralysed.

Purpose of this plan

The purpose of this document is to set out a range of accessibility measures, developed by listening to the needs of attendees, that remove physical, sensory, communication and social barriers wherever possible.

We want to create an environment at the event where everyone feels welcome, valued and able to take part fully, regardless of disability or individual access needs.

Our accessibility aims

  • Accessible by design, not accessible by request — access is built into the event from the outset, not added on after the fact.
  • Accessibility treated as standard, not as a luxury or an optional extra.
  • Disabled people involved in the design of the festival, not simply consulted once plans are fixed.
  • Inclusion rather than segregation — accessible routes and facilities reach all areas of the event, not a separate corner of it.
  • Recognition that disability can be invisible, and that not every access need is visible or disclosed.
  • Removing barriers to live music for the widest possible audience.

2. Access and inclusion provision

The measures below are planned based on a 4,000 capacity with 10% accessible provision: 400 paid tickets, with free companion tickets for personal assistants and care workers. This list is indicative and not exhaustive; it will be developed with disabled attendees and access partners as planning progresses.

Important: disability can be invisible. Use of the NIMBUS card helps us identify needs quickly and direct people to the right provision without repeated explanation.

Staffing, training and welcome

  • Trained stewards for accessible areas, briefed to ensure compassion and respect is always maintained, especially where personal care needs may be present.
  • A staffed contact point where attendees can ask questions, report a problem or request assistance during the event.

Ticketing, arrival and entry

  • Free companion tickets for personal assistants and care workers accompanying a disabled ticket holder.
  • A separate queue and access entrance to avoid prolonged standing.
  • A separate bag check area, staffed by people who understand that medicines and medical equipment will be brought into the event.
  • An earlier arrival window for attendees with access needs, to allow a calmer entry (to be confirmed).
  • Wristbands or ID to identify eligibility for accessible facilities and to monitor appropriate use.
  • Designated accessible parking, close to the accessible entrance.

Toilets and facilities

  • Accessible toilets in sufficient number, kept clean and monitored throughout the event to prevent misuse.
  • Battery charging for mobility equipment, medical devices and phones.

Viewing, seating and rest

  • Accessible seating and raised viewing platforms with a clear sightline to the stage.
  • Seating provided for rest, for non-wheelchair users and for personal assistants and support workers.

Movement, terrain and site access

  • Ramps and temporary access matting or trackway where needed.
  • Weather and terrain — in particular sand — assessed for wheelchair and mobility aid access, so that all areas of the event remain reachable and provision is inclusive rather than segregated.

Information and signage

  • Clear, large-print signage and printed information throughout the site.
  • Information packs emailed to attendees before the event, including a site map and an explanation of the terrain.
  • Clear website information setting out everything available and how to apply for it.
  • Beach flags and high-visibility landmarks to aid orientation on an open beach site.

Accessible festival signage in Wales requires clear high-contrast text, tactile elements, bilingual Welsh and English information, and low placement so that wheelchair users can read it. The Arts Council of Wales requires inclusive planning that removes physical and communication barriers for disabled attendees.

Sensory provision

  • Quiet, sensory and chill-out space — working name "The Access Lounge".
  • Attendees invited to bring their own noise-cancelling headphones, as many people with sensory needs already own a pair; providing a supply on site will be explored subject to budget.
  • Advance warning of where strobe lighting will be used, with a reduced-strobe or strobe-free viewing area.

Communication support

  • BSL interpreters where the programme includes spoken or sung content — singers, live bands and the guest speaker sessions, as well as DJ sets where relevant.
  • Bilingual Welsh and English information across signage and printed material.

Bars and concessions

  • A lower access point at the bar so that wheelchair users can be served directly.

Medical and first aid

  • First aid provision across the site. This is a general event requirement rather than an accessibility measure, but is noted here for reference and to confirm that accessible routes reach all first aid points.

Awareness and representation

  • Performers and DJs willing to represent their own neurodivergence — for example T-shirts reading "I have ADHD, rave with me" — with acknowledgement in the programme and on stage.
  • Awareness raised as loudly as possible to reduce shame and embarrassment, build people up, and address the poor mental health and low self-esteem that can lead to someone feeling so alone that suicide seems like the only way out.