Story of the Month April  2019

Below is an overview of the main campaign news and new Changing Places toilet registrations from April 2019!

 

Tesco

We registered the last few Changing Places toilets at Tesco stores which meant we could reveal the full-list of 38 stores that now provide these vital facilities. We’d like to thank Tesco, Kerry Thompson and OpeMed for the key role they have played in making this project possible. We hope this results in many more retailers recognising the importance of Changing Places toilets and meeting more customers’ needs.

Remember, if you visit a Tesco store that has a Changing Places toilet please do take a photo and share it with us online- it all helps to raise awareness!

 

Motorway services project

Alongside the Department for Transport, we launched the application process for motorway service stations in England to apply for money to install Changing Places toilets. Make sure you encourage service stations to apply! We hope that this funding will help transform the road network in England and help make journeys easier for thousands of families by removing the worry of when they will be able to access a toilet again.

 

NHS Hospital Funding  

On Christmas Eve 2018 it was announced that funding was going to be made available for NHS hospitals to install Changing Places toilets via the Department for Health and Social Care. We have been told that the application process should be launched soon. In the meantime, if you have questions about the funding then you can email Changing.Places@dhsc.gov.uk

 

Awareness Day July 19th

We have been busy working away on our plans for the 2019 Changing Places Awareness day and have set up a webpage which will be dedicated to plans and activities to mark the day. We will be putting together a toolkit of resources for help everyone to get involved in some capacity if they want to. We know some of our campaigners already have events planned too so we will make sure you know if there is something going in near to you too. If you have something planned then please do email us on changingplaces@musculardystrophyuk.org

 

Government consultation

We have been told that the Government is getting ready to launch its consultation soon. This could see Changing Places toilets become a mandatory requirement in all large, public new-builds. As soon as the consultation is open we will let you know as we strongly encourage everyone to take part and share their views.  

 

Registrations this month

We have had 18 new registrations in April, including the final few from Tesco (for the moment). You can now find all the below venues on our official map. Do take a photo if you visit them soon!

1.       Royal Airforce Museum, London

2.       Allsorts Toy Library, Stroud,

3.       Tesco Cambridge Bar Hill

4.       Tesco Thornbury

5.       Tesco Oxford

6.       Tesco Llandrindod Wells

7.       Tesco Diss

8.       Tesco Ammanford

9.       Doncaster Royal Infirmary

10.   Swan Walk Shopping Centre, Horsham

11.   Derby & Burton University Hospital, Burton-on-Trent

12.   Wicksteed Park, Kettering

13.   Leicester Royal infirmary (second at the hospital)

14.   East Surrey Hospital, Redhill

15.   Milton Keynes Gallery (the 1,300th Changing Places toilet!) 

16.   Caernarforn Station

17.   McArtherGlen Designer Outlet, Bridgend

18.   Papworth Hospital, Cambridge

Thank you, as always, to everyone who campaigns so hard for Changing Places toilets- you are all incredible!