The annual Mersea Island Festival has seen people try out a range of adventurous activities.

East Anglian Daily Times: Festival goers learn archery at Mersea Island Festival, an adventure break for children, young people and adults with or without a physical or learning disability, at Essex Outdoors in Mersea.Festival goers learn archery at Mersea Island Festival, an adventure break for children, young people and adults with or without a physical or learning disability, at Essex Outdoors in Mersea.

Run by the Mersea Island Festival Trust the event, in its 35th year, sees friendship groups, clubs and families with disabled young people take part in challenges designed to be fun and build self-confidence.

The programme includes climbing, zip wire, archery, water sports and creative workshops including circus skills.

Many of the activities during the festival, which began on Sunday August 23 runs until Monday August 31, are designed to be accessible to disabled people or those with learning difficulties.

East Anglian Daily Times: Festival goers learn archery at Mersea Island Festival, an adventure break for children, young people and adults with or without a physical or learning disability, at Essex Outdoors in Mersea.Festival goers learn archery at Mersea Island Festival, an adventure break for children, young people and adults with or without a physical or learning disability, at Essex Outdoors in Mersea.

Tom Brennan, chairman of the Mersea Island Festival Trust, said: “The festival has become a must-do event for so many people over the years.

“There’s not many places a wheelchair user can go up a climbing wall and then down a zipwire, and it’s often mentioned that visitors get the chance to do things they would never otherwise do if they had not come to the festival.”

ECL, formerly Essex Cares, is sponsoring a radio truck at this year’s festival.

Debbie Edgell, north regional manager at ECL, said: “We are so excited to be involved. We are firm believers in promoting community wellbeing which the organisers have been enforcing since their first festival in 1981.

“The events have been crafted to allow attendees to get stuck into all activities, focusing on ability and not disability.”