A new loo for disabled people will be officially opened with a toilet paper-cutting ceremony at a Farsley church on Saturday.
The loos are at St John’s Church and are the first Changing Places disabled-friendly facilities in a Church of England place of worship in the country.
They follow a local fundraising campaign to raise enough cash to open the new facilities – and local residents are invited to the official opening on Saturday, 24 June, at 11m. Fittingly, the toilets will be opened via a cutting of toilet paper.
The church has set aside a section of their main building on New Street to be used for the toilet, which will be accessible 24/7. The room is available to all those with a RADAR key and contains a special hoist, adult changing table and shower to enable the most severely disabled to be out and about.
Rosie Tudge, Farsley’s local Changing Places fundraiser, said:
“Disabled adults and children often need more than a simple toilet – changing a severely disabled person on the floor of a public toilet is a desperate measure but sometimes the only option for someone who would like to go out and enjoy normal social activities.
“In some areas disabled people simply have to stay at home for lack of an appropriate facility.”
Reverend Paul Tudge, of St John’s, added:
“This is the first Changing Places toilet in a Church of England Church, which will be open to the public and on the national register.
“This means that people planning long journeys or day trips will be able to find us and plan their route – it was really important to us that the facility was open to everyone who needs it 24 hours a day.”
Changing Places is a national organisation which aims to provide disabled friendly toilets for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and the elderly.
As reported last month, the Farsley branch of the Co-Op donated £1,000 to the appeal. Staff activities included cake and bake sales, bucket shakes and a Three Peaks sponsored walk.
