Accessibility

A festival accessible to everyone!

Welcome, we are thrilled that you are coming to Big Church Festival and look forward to meeting you! We are working hard to make our festival accessible and enjoyable for everyone, but we need your help to do that. Please make sure you read the information below carefully, and contact us if you need additional support or have any questions that we can assist with.

BCF happens at Wiston Estate, a beautiful greenfield location in the rolling hills of West Sussex. We recognise that the large size of the festival site, combined with uneven surfaces and British weather can create challenges. We work closely with Event Mobility Who provide a range of scooters and electric wheelchairs suitable for navigating BCF. We highly recommend contacting them as soon as possible if mobility or fatigue can be a challenge for you

BCF welcomes all attendees and believes that all should be able to experience the beauty of coming together and worshipping with live music. You’ll find more details below about what to expect and the support we can provide, which will be updated as we get closer to the event.

You can email Mary on [email protected]

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Event Mobility

We work closely with Event Mobility Who provide a range of scooters and electric wheelchairs suitable for navigating BCF. We highly recommend contacting them as soon as possible if mobility or fatigue can be a challenge for you.

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Accessible Campsite

We have designed our Accessible Campsite as a friendly and helpful space. Easy to get to, with parking nearby, it is located especially close to the entrance to the main arena and is set up for both tents and campervans/caravans. Making it as easy as possible to get to from your vehicle and to see as many artists as possibe with less transition time. The campsite contains:

  • Accessible toilets, including a Mobiloo Changing Places unit
  • Accessible shower
  • Charging tent for electric scooters/wheelchairs/medical equipment Event Mobility – our provider of hireable electric scooters and wheelchairs
  • Access Team volunteers If you have access requirements you are welcome to stay in the Accessible Campsite, along with your family, personal assistant, and close friends.

In order to make sure that there is space for everyone who needs it, we would ask that there are no more than 10 people accompanying you. Accessible Campsite – booking your space: If you have already booked your ticket, and need to let us know you would like to be in the Accessible Campsite please email [email protected] If you are about to book your tickets, please make sure you tick the checkbox for Accessible Campsite when buying your camping tickets to make the process smoother.

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Assistance Dogs

We warmly welcome assistance dogs to Big Church Festival. If you will be bringing an Assistance Dog we recommend you email [email protected] who can provide you with all details of toileting areas and other useful information. The only dogs allowed on site are fully-trained Assistance Dogs. Therefore, we do ask that your dog wears a harness or lead that identifies it as an assistance dog and bring proof with you that your dog has been provided by a member of Assistance Dogs UK.

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Deaf & Hard of Hearing

If you are deaf or hard of hearing then we would encourage you to contact us directly, so we are able to give you the best possible support. We have a dedicated team of professional interpreters and would love to hear your personal feedback on how you would prefer to engage with them, as we work on our future plans. Please email [email protected]com.

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First Aid & Medications

If you have a medical emergency then the First Aid team is on hand and happy to help. However, In order to reduce the chances of being unwell, please ensure you bring all your regular medications to the site with you, along with an assistant or family member trained in administering them if needed. Regrettably, it is not yet possible for BCF to safely and securely store medications for you. Should you need to refrigerate your medication, we recommend that you seek advice from your G.P.

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Getting Around

We have special access routes to all main venues and essential services, but most of the site is grass. If it rains then the grass can become slippery or muddy. We would recommend that if you have mobility issues you consider either renting an electric scooter/wheelchair from our provider Event Mobility or bringing your own with you.

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Parking

To make things as easy as possible for both Big Church campers and day visitors, we have two locations for Disabled Parking. If you are camping, Disabled Parking is next to the Accessible Campsite. If you are just visiting for the day, Disabled Parking is located by the TicketGate. If you have a Blue Badge you do not need to pre-book your parking. If you do not have a Blue Badge please contact [email protected] for help.

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Personal Assistants

If you have a personal assistant attending to support you with your disability then you can purchase a Carer ticket for them in advance through our website ticketing page. When in the booking process, you will need to select your Carer ticket along with your own full-price ticket. After you have paid for your order, you have 14 days to send your supporting documentation to [email protected] Once your documentation has been checked a carer e-ticket will be emailed to you, then you are both good to go. Supporting documentation that we accept includes Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Blue Badge, or relevant medical documentation to support an injury such as a doctor’s note.

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Priority Lane

We understand that queuing can be difficult. To make your arrival on-site easier, we have a priority lane for Access users, which can be used by you and your Personal Assistant/Carer.

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Toilets

We have accessible toilets at every toilet block around the site, which will be clearly marked.

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Viewing Platform

We have a raised Viewing Platform in the Main Stage arena, right in front of the sound desk. It can be accessed via a pathway and has charging points for wheelchairs. Please note that as these charging points are outdoors, they can be impacted by damp conditions.

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If you would like to be added to our Access mailing list, and receive updates on our Access provision, including a site map closer to the event, please click here and we will be in contact. If you have any questions that aren’t answered here, please feel free to email [email protected]