Severely disabled people will benefit from better facilities and greater accessibility in their local areas as councils across England today (4 Feb) receive their share of over £7m government funding to build Changing Places toilets.
Designed for those who struggle to use standard accessible toilets, these new state-of-the-art facilities come with additional equipment such as hoists, adult sized changing benches and space for carers. They are targeted at areas where they are most needed such as parks, shopping centres and train stations with little to no access facilities.
Today's announcement brings the amount of funding awarded under the government's Changing Places scheme to £30.5 million. The scheme is providing more than 600 new facilities, bringing the total of Changing Places toilets across England to 1,900.
Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison, said:
"Everyone deserves to have the freedom to enjoy their local communities - without the fear of whether or not they're going to be able to access the facilities they need.
"Today's funding will see 120 new Changing Places toilets in places where they are most needed, helping ensure disabled people and their carers can go about their lives with dignity."
Robert Burley, Director of Director of Care, Campaigns, and Support at Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK) said:
"We're very pleased that the remaining balance from this fund has been allocated. This is a wonderful outcome and will see increased provision of Changing Places toilets in the areas most in need.
"MDUK is extremely proud to be supporting this vital programme, and we look forward to providing our continued specialist support to both the Department and to Local Authorities through to its conclusion; and to the increased inclusion this funding will facilitate across England."
Shelley Simmonds is a campaigner and advocate for MDUK as her son, Fraser, 9, lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a condition which causes muscles to weaken over time.
Shelley said:
"I am a delighted to hear the announcement today and I know I speak for many families like mine when I say that Changing Places really do change lives. The freedom of being able to visit different places and have days out that we can thoroughly enjoy, without the worry of toilet uncertainty or having to cut our trips shorts, is a wonderful feeling!
"Not being able to access a suitable toilet dictates our everyday life and prevents us from even accessing our most local community. With more Changing Places popping up, families can explore places that were once off limits."
In a study by the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers in 2021, Commissioned by Muscular Dystrophy UK and DLUHC, families and carers said the top locations where these facilities should be made available were country parks, open spaces, tourist attractions and transport networks, as the journey to the destination is a key factor in planning a day out. The top venues were beaches and the seaside, motorway services and parks or gardens.
New facilities will now be built in the following venues:
- Public parks and open spaces
- Tourist attractions including historic properties, seaside resorts and zoos
- Cathedrals
- Museums, theatres, and galleries
- Shopping malls
- Libraries and public buildings
Changing Places Fund Round 2 Allocations
Barnet London Borough
Bath and North East Somerset Council
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Breckland District Council
Brent London Borough
Bromley London Borough
Central Bedfordshire UA
Copeland Borough Council
Coventry City Council
Darlington Borough Council
Dorset Council (UA)
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Durham County UA
East Cambridgeshire District Council
Eden District Council
Folkestone and Hythe District Council
Gedling Borough Council
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
Greenwich London Borough
Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough
Harborough District Council
Havant Borough Council
Havering London Borough
Herefordshire Council
High Peak Borough Council
Huntingdonshire District Council
King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council
Kirklees Council
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Maidstone Borough Council
Malvern Hills District Council
Mansfield District Council
Mid Devon District Council
Mole Valley District Council
North Tyneside Council
North West Leicestershire District Council
Northumberland County UA
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
Peterborough City Council
Plymouth City Council
Portsmouth City Council
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
Redditch Borough Council
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
Ribble Valley Borough Council
Rother District Council
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Rushcliffe Borough Council
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Sheffield City Council
South Holland District Council
South Oxfordshire District Council
South Tyneside Council
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Stratford-on-Avon District Council
Test Valley Borough Council
Tewkesbury Borough Council
Waltham Forest London Borough
Wealden District Council
West Lancashire Borough Council
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
Wirral Borough Council
