Helping disabled people access all areas of the countryside

Craig Grimes from Experience Community CIC who are a Mountain Trike distributor and experience centre – Craig is also fanatical about all things outdoors and was recently interviewed with CPRE – The Countryside Charity, who published the article online and in their magazine Countryside Voices.

“Growing up, Craig Grimes loved camping, walking, climbing, kayaking, caving and the outdoor life – then an accident left him paralysed from the chest down. Today, he runs Experience Community, an organisation helping disabled people access countryside adventures.”

“I studied Geography and Environmental Science at university and was planning to do an MSc in National Park Management. But on 1 May in my final year, I fell from a tree, breaking my back in three places. Instead of sitting my finals, I was in hospital for three months. At just 20 years old, my life had changed completely.

On 1 August I discharged myself from hospital, jumped straight into a friend’s car, and we went youth hosteling in the Netherlands for a fortnight. It was a valuable learning experience, seeking out accessible rooms and discovering the realities of travelling with a wheelchair.”

Click the link below to read the full article which details Craig’s journey to date:

Craig Grimes: helping disabled people access all areas of the countryside

“Until now, disabled people have been told which routes are accessible, but we’re flipping that on its head.”

Experience Community organise group rambles
Experience Community events are helping disabled people and their families to get outdoors

“I’ve always had a passion for getting out into the countryside. Now it’s a passion for getting other people out there too. It’s been a long, hard struggle but I’m in a privileged place.”

Craig Grimes, Experience Community CIC