Campaign Conference Success

Changing Places and official sponsor Aveso host campaigner day success at prestigious Proact Stadium

Following another highly successful year for the Changing Places campaign, there are now over 700 Changing Places registered in the UK, including major airports, Premiership football clubs, supermarkets and hospitals. There have also been a range of Changing Places successes overseas in the USA and Australia.

The success of the Changing Places campaign could not be realised without the hard work and dedication of Changing Places campaigners. To celebrate our campaigners efforts and bring everyone involved together, we held our very first Changing Places Conference on February 21st 2015 at Chesterfield FC’s Proact Stadium.

The event was an informative and collaborative day which included a number of experienced and respected guest speakers including Accessible Derbyshire, The Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour Charity, Visits Unlimited, Euan’s Guide, “Hop, Skip and Jump” and stories from families that need Changing Places. We wanted to bring everyone together to share their stories and experiences of life with and without Changing Places toilets. It was an opportunity to celebrate the work of campaigners and venues who have embraced Changing Places, including our first “People’s Choice Changing Places Award.”

Changing Places and Aveso welcomed all campaigners to the event to find ideas, support and information on how the Changing Places campaign can and will continue to grow and how everyone can get involved to achieve this. After all, Changing Places would be nowhere without the hard work and support of the campaigners and experienced families.

Rossanna Trudgian, from Mencap, and Co-chair of the Changing Places consortium commented; "Since the campaign launched, we have seen hundreds of Changing Places toilets installed across the UK, including at key transport hubs like Heathrow airport and Kings Cross station, stadiums like Wembley and the Emirates, as well as hospitals, concert arenas and city centres. The availability of Changing Places also helped make the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games the most accessible games to date! So much of this success is because of Changing Places campaigners like those who attended the conference. Champions of our cause. The Changing Places Conference is about honouring and celebrating everything they do to help spread awareness and recognition of the true value of and need for Changing Places toilets.

However, whilst progress has been made, more are needed if we are to meet the demand for Changing Places toilets and to see them in all public areas so that nobody ever has to be changed on a toilet floor. We hope that the Changing Places Conference marks the first of many events like this so that we can continue to spread the word about Changing Places far and wide.”

The Proact Stadium venue was chosen as it is fully accessible and has a Changing Places fitted by Aveso. Their commitment to accessibility was recognised when it came 3rd in the People’s Choice Changing Places Award, sadly beaten by Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium - suppose that’s to be expected when Chesterfield FC takes on the Gunners!

The Changing Places consortium comprises Mencap, PAMIS, Centre for Accessible Environments, Nottingham City Council, Dumfries & Galloway Council, and the Scottish Government. The Changing Places campaign supports the rights of people with profound and multiple learning, and/or other physical disabilities, to access their community. Without Changing Places toilets, carers are forced to change their loved ones on toilet floors or have to stay at home. For information and advice on changing places facilities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland email, ChangingPlaces@mencap.org.uk, for Scotland email, pamischangingplaces@dundee.ac.uk

About our Sponsor: Aveso

Aveso is the proud sponsor of the Changing Places campaign, working to make the specification of Changing Places disabled toilets and equipment a simple task. Our aim is to make the provision of a Changing Places toilet seamless and easy, starting with free impartial expert advice through every stage of design, supply, installation and maintenance of all the items needed.

Aveso is a dedicated company which has specialist expertise in Changing Places and specialist equipment, our mission together is to help the Changing Places Campaign achieve its target of 1,000 registered Changing Places Toilets within the next three years - We are committed to Making Changing Places Happen.