Community members are looking to improve the wheelchair access for disabled people in a Llanfyllin church.
Friends of St Myllin’s Church have launched a campaign to improve the access to the church, adding a ramp and a hand rail to the church’s entrance as well as improving the indoor layout for wheelchair users.
The group is hoping it will help residents like 90-year-old Crystal Evans, who used to run the post office at Lake Vyrnwy with her husband Mick.
Even with the help of her daughter Cerys, it takes up to 10 minutes for her to navigate the steps and entrance to the church, according to Friends of St Myllin’s.
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Chairman of the group, Keith Blacker, said: “At the moment, anyone in a wheelchair who arrives either has to get out or be lifted to enter the church, while people who have any kind of mobility issue or difficulty walking also face a challenge.
“We also want to change the internal layout of the church, because as it is, wheelchair users have to remain at the back of the church as there’s not enough room for them to move forward, deeper into the seating aisles.
“What we would really like is to rearrange some pews to accommodate wheelchairs and pushchairs in the centre of the nave adjacent to seats for friends and family.
“It’s not just getting in, we want people to feel welcome while they stay in.”
The proposal has been in development for at least 18 months, with Friends of St Myllin’s seeking quotations and acquiring permission to build a new ramp with handrails for the church entrance.
Mr Blacker added: “As the church sits in the centre of the community, it’s not just communion and services that you feel this need for accessibility.
“Multiple community events are held there, it’s a wonderful venue for all sorts of things, from concerts to coffee mornings, and it would be really excellent if we could truly welcome everyone into it.”
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