New Changing Places pods making Sheffield accessible for all

Four new Changing Places pods have been built around the city to help make Sheffield accessible for more residents.

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.

Providing these toilets in public places makes a dramatic difference to the lives of thousands of people who desperately need these facilities. Thousands of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, as well other disabilities that severely limit mobility, cannot use standard accessible toilets.

People may be limited in their own mobility so need equipment to help them or may need support from one or two carers to either get on the toilet or to have their continence pad changed.

The new facilities can be found at Hillsborough Park, Millhouses Park, Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre and Weston Park Museum. Residents can also find more of these accessible toilets across the city and in parks including the Moor Market, Rivelin Valley Park, Cambridge Street Collective, the Town Hall and more.

Cllr 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.”

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.”

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 new fully accessible toilets to the city.