A disabled group in Norwich has thanked a Norfolk charity for making the beauty of the city more accessible.

Inclusive Norwich has worked with Norfolk Wildlife Trust and Aviva to ensure everyone can enjoy nature and the latest project at Sweet Briar Marshes on Hellesdon Road has been met with success.

Wider, hard roads, lightweight gates and raised roadsides have been installed to improve accessibility, and further improvements are planned in the future.

The group’s Dave Shraga described the reserve’s accessibility, which has been open since May, as the “gold standard.”

“They gave us everything we wanted and said, ‘What else do you want?’ “They said, ‘It was so mind-blowing,'” he said.

“Working so hard to do this is part of that culture shift. Part of the ‘gold standard’ is making sure people feel validated and included and like they’re owned.”

Sweet Briar Marshes in the Wensum Valley consists of 90 acres (36 ha) and a mix of habitats, including mature woodland and wet and dry grasslands.

It is home to rare bird species, amphibians, insects and flowers.

Matt Wickens, urban nature reserves manager at Norfolk Wildlife Trust, said he asked the community what they wanted from the reserve after purchasing the land in 2022.

“Since these consultations, one of the themes that has come from them has been accessibility and inclusivity.

“So we focused our efforts on that.”

Insurer Aviva, based in Norwich, has provided Norfolk Wildlife Trust with £300,000 in matching finance to purchase the land.

Mr Shraga said more could be done elsewhere in the county to make areas accessible.

“Going out in nature and having a physical disability don’t always go together. The ground can be a little rough and bumpy, there can be steps, there can be issues with toilets – there are a lot of things that make it really difficult.

“The beaches in Norfolk are absolutely stunning. Personally, I would love to be able to get out more onto the beach or even out to sea. But right now it’s almost impossible.”