Inclusive Eastbourne ice-rinks plays host to former Winter Olympic champion Robin Cousins

ITV News Meridian's Andy Dickenson stayed behind the side boards as he visited inclusive ice-skating in Eastbourne.


The sport of ice skating has not always been accessible for people in wheelchairs - with narrow entrances to the ice and a slippery service.

More rinks have been renovating their sites to allow wheelchair users to experience the sport they love, including Eastbourne's Lightning Fibre Ice Rink which opened to the public on 7 December.

Based in the Enterprise Shopping Centre car park, the rink has aimed to be inclusive, with a wider entrance and sessions for people with disabilities.


  • Robin Cousins MBE spoke to ITV News Meridian on supporting inclusivity in figure skating.


The charity Forward Facing - brought along some of the people it helps to take to the ice, alongside an icon of the sport.

Former Dancing on Ice judge and Olympic figure skating champion Robin Cousins MBE was in attendance at the event, celebrating inclusivity in ice skating.

He won the 1980 Winter Olympic title in figure skating, however, he believes pop-ups should not just be a pipeline for new Olympians.

He said: "It's hugely important. Here you see wheelchairs on the ice and now there are a lot of ice-skating rinks about that have wheelchair accessible sessions.

"If there is an ice rink that is a pop-up like this one, you will find that the barrier space to enter and exit will be big enough, and they will host specific sessions [for wheelchair users].

"Diversity is important, inclusivity is important, not only from a recreational point of view, but also at a Paralympics and Special Olympics point of view."

The rink is open until 31 December 2024.


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