Welcome Break Changing Places

Our official campaign sponsors Aveso have installed Changing Places toilets at four Welcome Break motorway service stations with more on the way. We would like to thank all at Welcome Break for making sure that Changing Places are available for those who need additional support when travelling around the UK. Welcome Break press release below:

WELCOME BREAK INSTALLS CHANGING PLACES TOILETS TO ENHANCE FACILITIES FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

State-of-the-art assisted accessible toilets have been installed at a number of Welcome Break service stations. Welcome Break, the UK’s leading independent motorway services operator, has installed Changing Places toilets to ensure that anyone who would need the help of a carer to go to the toilet now has suitable facilities.

The Changing Places toilets have currently been installed by Changing Places at Membury, South Mimms, Hopwood and Gordano and will be installed at Welcome Break’s Corley site in the near future as well as Fleet, Sarn and Gretna ensuring that these key facilities are available on as much of the motorway network as possible.

Changing Places toilets are a special facility for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities and others who need additional support. They include a height-adjustable changing bench and ceiling tracking hoist, as well as additional space and a peninsular toilet with space for carers on either side. Standard accessible toilets (or "disabled toilets") do not provide changing benches or hoists and most are too small to accommodate more than one person.

Rod McKie, CEO of Welcome Break, commented: “As a company we feel that our facilities should be accessible for everyone. We want to be able to make life easier for carers and people who have severe disabilities.

“These toilets make such a huge difference to people, and will help our customers go to the toilet comfortably and with dignity, which are small privileges that everyone deserves.”

Rossanna Trudgian, co-chair of the Changing Places Consortium, said; “It is fantastic to see Welcome Break installing Changing Places toilets. This shows growing recognition of the additional needs of visitors and everyone’s right to travel. However, there are still many large public places across the UK that lack Changing Places toilets and therefore deny people’s rights. With the help of our fantastic campaigners, Aveso and companies such as Welcome Break we will continue to fight to make sure every single one of the ¼ million people in the UK who require a Changing Places toilet, can access one.”