Marwell Wildlife leads the way – First ever ‘Changing Places’ toilet at a Hampshire visitor attraction is now open

Marwell Wildlife is the UK’s first zoological park - and Hampshire’s first ever visitor attraction - to open a ‘Changing Places’ toilet. The charity was also the 250th UK location, a major milestone for the Changing Places consortium.

Changing Places toilets are different to standard disabled toilets, catering for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, as well as other serious impairments such as spinal or brain injuries. They often need extra facilities to allow them to use toilets comfortably, and come equipped with extra features including adjustable changing benches and ceiling hoists plus enough room for at least two carers.

Marwell’s new facility is one of the biggest Changing Places toilets in the UK. Its opening marks a welcome addition to the four disabled toilet facilities already in the park and endorses Marwell’s commitment to being an accessible visitor attraction. In South East England alone there is an estimated 31,355 people who require Changing Places facilities, yet there are only 23 currently available – of which only six are based in Hampshire.

James Cretney, Marwell Wildlife’s Chief Executive said: “At Marwell Wildlife we take inclusion seriously and pride ourselves as being an accessible regional tourist attraction. Our new Changing Places facility will now allow a wider group of guests, who may have been unable to enjoy a visit to Marwell, to now come and enjoy the park. We are especially grateful to The Aiming High team at Hampshire County Council whose capital fund financed this project.”

Hampshire Parent Forum chair Ray Daniel campaigned for a Changing Places toilet to be installed at Marwell Wildlife, in addition to the zoological park’s four standard disabled toilets. Ray, who has a 15-year-old son with cerebral palsy, said: “For us as a family, a Changing Places facility means that we can be out for longer than four hours, and spend a whole day at the zoological park. I found Marwell Wildlife very receptive to the need for a Changing Places toilet and I am very impressed with the speed and enthusiasm that has led to this great facility.”

The Changing Places consortium, of which Mencap is a member, lobbies tourism attractions, shopping centres, public facilities and transport hubs to put in Changing Places toilets to cater for the estimated 250,000 people with a disability in the UK who require the facility.

Beverley Dawkins OBE, Mencap’s national officer for PMLD and co-chair of the Changing Places consortium said: “The impact of a Changing Places toilet on the quality of life for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities is significant. Without access to Changing Places toilets carers are often forced to change family members on a dirty toilet floor with little or no privacy. The alternative is to limit outings to a couple of hours or to not go out at all.

“We have achieved great strides in this campaign since it launched however there are many more facilities still needed. The Changing Places consortium will continue to lobby for more facilities across the UK to cater for the needs of our most vulnerable citizens.”

The Changing Places campaign is sponsored by Total Hygiene. To find out where you can find a Changing Places facility visit http://www.changing-places.org/

4 March 2011