After two major operations on her back in the last 12 months, Claire Marshall-Reddy thought she wouldn’t be able to go to the Green Man Festival this year.

Claire and her family - husband Simon and two young adult children, Dylan and Edith - have been regular attendees at the past 11 festivals.

But this year, having had surgery that’s left her with mobility problems and a walking stick, plus a need to use accessible toilets, Claire felt it was impossible.

“My husband understood, but I could tell that he was broken-hearted as one of his absolute favourite bands, the Beta Band, was due to be playing,” said teacher Claire, 55, who lives near Magor in Monmouthshire.

“Last year I had Acute Cauda Equina, affecting the nerves at the base of my spinal cord, and two operations which left me with foot drop and bowel problems. I couldn’t walk or drive. When tickets for Green Man went on sale I thought, there’s no way I can do that.

“But recently I started to get movement back in my foot, so we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to buy tickets. My husband wrote to the Green Man organisers to ask about accessibility facilities.”

He was surprised and delighted to be issued with a companion ticket, and the family was given access to the accessibility camping area, with Claire having a key for the accessible toilets.

Green Man Festival was recently given a Platinum award for its accessible provisions by the charity ‘Attitude Is Everything’, which connects disabled people with live music. This year, 470 people booked accessibility provisions (car park passes, viewing platform passes, companion tickets), and many more benefited from accessibility provisions including accessible toilets, BSL interpreters and mobility scooter hire. Festival organisers say demand is growing as awareness of these provisions increases.

Green Man Festival’s accessible viewing platform helped make the event more accessible for disabled festivalgoers
Green Man Festival’s accessible viewing platform helped make the event more accessible for disabled festivalgoers (.)

Claire and her family were amazed at being able to drive up to the accessible camping area when normally there’s a long walk from the car park to the campsite.

“We were right in the heart of the festival, so it wasn’t too far for me to walk, and it was close to the ‘Nature Nurture’ area, so I was able to do morning meditations which helped enormously with the pain,” she said.

“I had a key to the accessible bathroom. There was a proper flushing loo and a sink that moves up and down, which was great as I can’t bend much. I could use my medical equipment without worrying or being embarrassed.”

Claire says having such a positive experience has given her confidence to come again next year.

“It has cemented it in my mind - of course I’ll go again. Camping is difficult with a disability, but this really worked. I used to think I’d never be able to go anywhere in a crowd again, but everyone was so polite when they saw my stick. My disability really didn’t bother me at all and I definitely had a sense of ‘cynefin’, or belonging.”