Sheffield’s accessibility boosted with addition of new Changing Places pods in the city
Four new Changing Places pods have been built around Sheffield to help make the city accessible for more residents.
Between 2022 and 2023, Sheffield City Council applied for two rounds of funding from the Changing Places Fund at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
The council were successful in both applications, which covered the four sites. Two of these sites for projects which were managed by the council’s Parks and Countryside Teams including Hillsborough Park and Millhouses Park.
Sheffield City Council also confirmed funding for two projects managed externally by Sheffield Museums Trust for Weston Park Museum and by Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre.
The council are now pleased to announce that all four Changing Places toilets are built and open to the public at all four sites, improving the accessibility of all four of these locations and adding four
People with limited mobility may need equipment to help them, or need support from one or two carers.
The new facilities can be found at Hillsborough Park, Millhouses Park, Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre and Weston Park Museum,the Moor Market, Rivelin Valley Park, Cambridge Street Collective, the Town Hall and more.
Councillor Kurtis Crossland, Chair of the Community, Parks and Leisure Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “The addition of these Changing Places toilets are a vital part of making Sheffield a city that is accessible to all residents.
“We want to make sure everyone has good access to nature and services with any support or facilities they require across our city.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you to our partners at Weston Park Museum, Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre and colleagues in the Parks and Countryside Team, as well as Disability Sheffield who had a vital role in supporting our applications for these facilities.”
Changing Places pods include an adjustable adult-sized changing bench, an electric hoist system, electric adjustable sink, a privacy screen and a non-slip floor.
Thousands of residents with profound and multiple learning disabilities, as well other disabilities that severely limit mobility, cannot use standard accessible toilets. Providing these toilets in public places makes an improvement to the daily lives of people in the city that need the facilities.
The Burton Street Foundation is a vibrant hub of community activity and a cornerstone of support for Sheffield’s disabled community.
A spokesperson from The Burton Street Foundation said: “A changing place in Hillsborough Park is a huge benefit to our clients. As we use the park on an almost daily basis, we plan to stay longer and get so much more use from the facilities, without having to go back to Burton Street just to use the bathroom.”
