Celebrate our Changing Places Update - June 2013
Over the last 6 months the Changing places toilet campaign has tremendous success installing toilets in a range of services visited by people with profound multiple learning disabilities. This has included leisure centres, sports stadiums, shopping malls, Hospitals and Tourist Attractions. Without a doubt the most successful and exciting Changing Places toilet was our 500th toilet which was at the 02 Arena at the Greenwich Peninsula in London.
To celebrate this Mencap had a party with a specially made cake. In addition to eating lots of cake staff from National Centre was treated to a Rapping song by Lloyd Page a Changing places volunteer. There are now 521 Changing places toilets listed on the current map toilets added to the map this month include 2 at Nottingham University Hospital Trust and 1 at Trinity Leeds Shopping Centre in West Yorkshire.
Going forward from June there are currently 26 Changing Places toilets listed on the future map which includes York Hospital.
To conclude I am happy to report that things are going well with this campaign.
Time to Party! Celebrate our 500th Tilet with Lloyd's Rap
On the Wednesday 22nd May the Changing Places team, which I am a part of, celebrated the installing of our 500th Changing places toilet at the 02, Greenwich Peninsula.
Staff Members at National Centre helped to celebrate this occasion with specially made Changing Places cake. In addition to eating lots of cake, staff members were treated to a rap by Lloyd Page Changing Places volunteer! Cake below. Video coming soon!!
Cre8 Lifestyle Centre
On 20th March 2013 I was invited to the launch of a new lifestyle centre in Hackney Wick, London E9.
Cre8 is a new social enterprise centre which draws organisations and community groups together.
I wanted to go along to promote Changing Places and look at space in the building.
After the visit I emailed Susann Jerry to ask her to look at our website to see if it was possible to look at Changing Places. If you would like more information about Cre8 you can go to their website here.
Sevenoaks Leisure Centre
Sencio is a community leisure centre in Sevenoaks, Kent, who wanted to make their facilities easier to access for all people with learning disabilities to use.
When I visited Sencio to launch their Health and Safety Partnership I noticed that they had a Changing Places toilet and I then registered the toilet with Mencap and the Changing Places team to make sure that everyone knows about it.
Now Sencio have a Changing Places toilet, This means that people in the local community with a disability are able to participate and enjoy the same opportunities as everyone else.
This is another step towards inclusion and independence. More information here :
http://www.changing-places.org/find_a_toilet/location_search_results/details/mid/649/lid/833/ctl.aspx
Lloyd Page
March 2013
Moving & Handling Conference 2013
The Moving and Handling conference was held at the Business Design Centre in Islington from the 31st January – 1st February.
I was there to help my colleagues to promote the Changing Places campaign.
Leroy and myself went around the exhibition stands, gave out leaflets and postcards and I spoke to the stallholders about the campaign. I also invited the stallholders to come over and see our stand . We also did some goody bags for people who wanted more information.
It is really important to know about these things and spread the word about Changing Places and I look forward to the next Moving & Handling conference in 2014.
Cadbury World
At the end of 2011 Lloyd and Leroy visited Cadbury World near Birmingham to support the installation of a Changing Places toilet during their refurbishment.
Lloyd said: “I was amazed how big Cadbury World was and what an amazing experience. I enjoyed looking around the world's biggest Cadbury Shop and all full with different kinds of chocolate. After lunch we were given discount vouchers to visit The Bourneville Experience to go and buy some chocolate which was all discounted. The visit was absolutely Choctastic!”
Leroy added: “We went on a tour of Cadbury World and we saw how Cadbury World started in 1905. Then we went to see a lady called Denise about having a Changing Places toilet at Cadbury World.”
Wembley Stadium 25.09.2011
We came by the kind invitation of Centre Access Football Europe to promote Changing Places Toilets for People with profound multiple learning disabilities and their carers to use of when they have a day out somewhere.
We were given a stall with leaflets, tissues, Powerpoint presentation, postcards, stickers and asked people to support the campaign.
The reason why we were there is that we want all football stadiums in all over Europe to install a Changing Places toilet so that everyone can go to a football match and enjoy it. The day was for me was absolutely fantastic meeting people from all walks of life and it was also good for the campaign was to tell people from all over Europe about Changing Places toilets.
Changing Places hopes that people with profound and multiple learning disabilities all over Europe can access fully accessible loos.