Bournemouth family hotel set to become first in the UK to install a Changing Places toilet
The family-owned Marsham Court in Bournemouth is to become the first UK hotel to install a Changing Places toilet after securing a £70,000 county council grant.
Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council’s post-COVID Bounce Back Fund will match fund to create a raft of accessible facilities.
Rosie Radwell’s family have owned the Marsham Court Hotel for over 30 years. The business targets a wide leisure demographic, including both families and the older generation.
A large proportion of business is also generated from conferencing, banqueting and group travel including special interest holidays.
Rosie says that a Changing Places toilet is important both for her customers and the future success of her business.
She said: “Accessibility and the way in which we cater for all our guests – including those who need carers for their personal needs – is vital and even more so now, post-Covid, as more people look to holiday in the UK.
“My mother battled cancer before her death and her ever-increasing needs, as well as those of my god daughter who has cerebral palsy, have shown us as a family just how much people with disabilities struggle without the proper facilities. Many disabled people simply do not go on holiday.”
Rosie added: “If ours and other hotels are to survive, we need to adapt and offer the best service we can to everyone.
“The Changing Places toilet and other accessible facilities we are installing, such as a new wheelchair lift, a pool hoist and a sensory room, will help us do that.”
Karen Hoe, Changing Places Manager for Muscular Dystrophy UK, which co-chairs the Changing Places Consortium, said: “We’re delighted that the Marsham Court has announced plans to install a Changing Places toilet, particularly because it’s the first hotel in the UK to be doing so.
“Changing Places toilets make a world of difference to the 250,000 people across the UK with severe disabilities, who rely on them to go to the toilet safely and with dignity.
“Being able to use the toilet as and when you need is a right, not a privilege, and we encourage more hotels to install a Changing Places toilet to help take away the exclusion that so many disabled people face on a daily basis.
“This would help those living with severe disabilities, including muscle-wasting conditions, to be able to enjoy trips away with their family and friends, something that so many of us take for granted.”
Councillor Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economy at BCP Council, said: “We are very pleased to award this grant to The Marsham Court.
“Their plans, which focus on providing top notch facilities for profoundly disabled people, including the provision of Changing Places toilets, are a great way to help enhance the lives of the most vulnerable and severely disabled members of our community, and make the lives of their carers much easier and less stressful.
“I applaud the Marsham Court for its continuing efforts to promote inclusivity, which in turn contribute towards Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive location.”
Work will commence in the Autumn with completion planned by Spring 2022.
According to the national Changing Places Consortium, an estimated 250,000 people, children and adults in the UK would benefit from Changing Place toilets, which include a hoist, an adult size changing bench and generous space for a disabled person and up to two carers.
The national code of practice for architects, builders and planners also now formally recommends a Changing Place for all larger buildings and complexes.
As of 2020 the Changing Places Consortium found that there were just 1,500 Changing Places toilets in the UK.
The organisation recently called on local authorities in England to apply for a share of a £30 million fund to install life-enhancing Changing Places toilets in public places and tourist attractions, providing a significant increase in areas where users want them most.
