Aveso CEO Nick Kent was thrilled to be invited to speak about Changing Places Toilets at the European Football for Development Network Conference in Liverpool last week.

The high-profile event gave him a fantastic opportunity to show representatives from some of the biggest football clubs in the world what a difference Changing Places Toilets can make.

The last decade has seen a lot of changes within UK football clubs, and sport generally – with much more focus on accessibility and inclusion. The very successful Changing Places campaign, led by the Changing Places consortium and sponsored by Aveso for more than 8 years, has been instrumental in bringing the importance of Changing Places Toilets for visitors and supporters to the fore, and as a result, many UK Premiership football clubs now have at least one of these fully accessible facilities. There has also been progress within other sports – with Changing Places Toilets being installed at high profile sporting venues such as Lords Cricket Ground and Wimbledon.

There is obviously more to do. Now the focus is on expanding Changing Places Toilet provision, for example by providing them for both Home and Away fans within grounds. Also, working with Championship and International clubs will be key moving forward, to make sure that the installation of Changing Places Toilets is a priority for them.

Outside of the world of accessibility, Nick learned about some of the things that football clubs have been doing in their communities during the pandemic, a lot of which have been truly awe-inspiring – from donating food and meals, buying PPE and providing educational material for children to making stadium facilities available to the NHS and paying for hotel rooms for essential workers.

Talking about his experience at the conference, Nick said:

‘Personally, I was blown away by learning what the clubs have done during Covid (cooking, caring, using their resources imaginatively) and indeed what they continue to do for their respective communities. Some great actions were agreed around installation of Changing Places Toilets, and we look forward to making true accessibility a reality for football European-wide in the very near future.’

Contact us if you would like help planning your Changing Places Toilet project.

MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT AVESO

The team at Aveso are passionate about Changing Places toilets. We have supported the official Changing Places campaign since 2013, and can provide free, expert advice on all aspects of the Changing Places planning and design process.

ABOUT ASTOR BANNERMAN

Astor Bannerman offer the full range of products specified by Changing Places regulations, including fixed and mobile changing tables, hoists, height adjustable washbasins, toilets and accessories. They are always developing new products, and are proud to have developed the Astor Invincible, the first changing table designed specifically for Changing Places toilets.