A new wheelchair-friendly wildlife viewing platform has been unveiled at the Chesil Beach Centre.

Dorset Wildlife Trust's new platform overlooks the Fleet Lagoon, one of the UK’s most important Marine Protected Areas and has

been designed to allow visitors a new viewpoint to observe the wonderful wildlife of the Fleet, which is next to the centre.

For the first time it also allows access for wheelchair users to get an unrestricted view of the Lagoon.

The new viewing platform has been created with thanks to a donation made by DWT corporate partners, Dorset Coastal Cottages, who gave Dorset’s largest wildlife charity £3,500 towards the project.

Dorset Coastal Cottages has supported DWT for more than 10 years, and kindly donated towards other projects at DWT’s Fine Foundation Marine Wildlife Centre at Kimmeridge.

Jeremy Smith from Dorset Coastal Cottages said: “We are delighted to support Dorset Wildlife Trust to help look after the local environment. Through funding the new viewing platform at the Chesil Centre we have helped provide something tangible, that our guests can come and visit. We hope that witnessing wildlife in its natural coastal habitat will help inspire both local people and visitors to help look after wildlife through supporting Dorset Wildlife Trust.”

DWT’s Weymouth and Portland visitor experience officer, Emily Brown, added: “Migrating birds on the Fleet Lagoon is one of the best wildlife spectacles of the year, so we want everyone to have an opportunity to experience watching it. Binoculars can be rented from the Chesil Beach Centre for those who don’t own a pair but still want to get a glimpse of all the action. Last week, there were reports of thousands of brent geese flocking, so this is a great time of year to visit the Centre and Fleet Lagoon and we’re very pleased it is now accessible for all.”

The Chesil Beach Centre also has a disabled access toilet and disabled car parking spaces in the pay and display car park. It is located halfway along the causeway between Weymouth and Portland.

Find out more here at dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/chesilbeach or phone 01305 206191.