It’s parkrun’s 8th anniversary this Saturday 25th, and they want you to come along and help them celebrate. They could also do with another marshal or two.
We’ll be there with our plant stall. Sandy Parks (our Changing Place mascot) will also be there encouraging you to spend – raising money for our Changing Place.
See you there?
Changing Places are specialist toilets designed to be used by people with complex disabilities, their families, and carers. Larger than a standard accessible loo, they feature an adult-sized changing bed and a hoist.
A CP Places toilet is a dignified and sanitary solution for people with severe disabilities or complex care needs. They are bathroom facilities for people whose needs aren’t met by a common, or even standard access toilet. In many cases, these people rely on at least one, sometimes two care givers to assist them.
A CP will mean everyone will be able to access and enjoy Doncaster’s largest park! The absence of appropriate facilities for people who are severely disabled means that they are very limited in the activities the can participate in or locations they’re able to visit, which can obviously impact on a person’s quality of life. People with disabilities shouldn’t have to compromise their health and dignity either.
With only 8 Changing Places toilets in Doncaster, we are calling on local businesses and communities to help us raise enough money to install a facility in this well-used and popular park. Our aim is to improve Doncaster’s largest park for everyone, including the most vulnerable visitors. Our Patron, Ben Parkinson MBE is totally supportive of the campaign.
The benefit to people with disabilities and additional needs who visit the park will be immense with a Changing Place. We hope you can help us make this a reality. You can make a difference by donating today.
Please share far and wide, and beyond! We need to get all the community involved, especially local businesses who will not only reap the benefit of additional custom from all the extra visitors who will come to the area, but will show their community how supportive they are.
Ahoy, me hearties A great day in the park – and we finally have the litter picking champions 2021. Well done Cooper in a time of 34 seconds.
FREE! to enter litter hunt starts 11am and winners draw at 1pm.
Championship U16 and over 16 U16 with a carer Over 16 with carer and mixed ability relay. Entry to all races £1.
Tombola, name the bear and other attractions.
Trophies for winners of all races.
Press release issued today – World Changing Places Awareness Day
19th July 2021
Friends of Sandall Park Campaign for Changing Places Loo
Friends of Sandall Park are teaming up with Doncaster disability adaptions firm RISE to raise money and install a new Changing Places toilet in the park.
Changing Places are specialist toilets designed to be used by people with complex disabilities, their families, and carers. Larger than a standard accessible loo, Changing Places feature an adult-sized changing bed and a ceiling hoist.
Over a quarter of a million people in the UK could benefit from an increased number of Changing Places toilets, enabling them to get out and about and enjoy the day-to-day activities many of us take for granted.
The Changing Places Consortium and individual groups have campaigned for more of the toilets since 2006. Although the overall number of Changing Places toilets has increased there is still huge demand for more.
With only eight Changing Places toilets in Doncaster, Friends of Sandall Park are calling on local businesses to help them raise enough money to install a facility in the well-used and popular park.
Friends of Sandall Park is a charitable group of volunteers, set up to improve Doncaster’s largest park for everyone, including their most vulnerable visitors set to benefit from a Changing Places toilet situated in the park.
“We’ve received plenty of feedback over the past few years on the need for a Changing Places facility,” says Sandra Crabtree, Chair of Friends of Sandall Park. “We know there are many more people that would be able to come and enjoy the park if they had access to a suitable toilet – particularly visitors with more severe disabilities.”
To raise funds, the group have teamed up with RISE Adaptations – a specialist Changing Places contractor from Doncaster. Together, they aim to gather support and funding from local businesses, as well as increase the visibility of the Changing Places campaign.
The team from RISE and volunteers from the park are kicking off the campaign by walking the distance between each of the eight Changing Places toilets in Doncaster to highlight just how few facilities there are.
“The nearest facility is at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, which is too far for anybody wanting to enjoy a day at Sandall Park,” says RISE Director Louise Ogg. “If the park had its own Changing Places, families would be able to come and spend the entire day without worrying about the lack of safe, hygienic toilets.”
“With it being World Changing Places Awareness Day today [July 19th], now seemed like a great time to highlight the need for more facilities in our hometown,” adds Louise. “We’re going to install the new toilet at cost, but we’re now calling on other local businesses to chip in and help Sandra and the team with funding.”
RISE and Friends of Sandall Park hope to have raised enough to install the new toilet before the new year.
“We hope other businesses can help out too,” says Sandra. “A Changing Places toilet would make such a big difference to the local community, as well as attract more people to the beautiful surroundings at Sandall Park.”
For further information about campaign fundraising, contact louise@riseadapt.co.uk.
