Volunteers at Hollybush Conservation Centre are hoping to be flushed with success after launching an appeal to raise £32,500 for a new accessible toilet block.
The Grade II listed former rhubarb farm, off Broad Lane, is a thriving community centre, cafe and gardens with thousands of volunteers and visitors each year.
But a TCV Hollybush spokesperson said:
“Anyone who has visited Hollybush on a busy afternoon, or been to one of our major events, knows that there is often a queue for the one ground floor toilet.
“We do have temporary portaloos on site, but they are not always happy places to be. Many people who enjoy the site have learning and physical disabilities, use walking frames or wheelchairs or are parents/carers with toddlers and pushchairs, and can experience un-needed anxiety and risk of toileting incidents.”
Hollybush has planning permission to build a new block with three accessible toilets and handwashing facilities. This will be a timber frame building, with a green planted roof, designed to complement the surrounding area. The spokesperson added:
“We very much hope to secure the majority of the costs for the building from the Landfill Communities Fund, which supports environmental and community projects at places like Hollybush. However, we need to raise another £25,000 to finish it off with nice things like a roof and actual toilets. We also need to provide a £7,500 contribution, raised from the public and others, to a Landfill Operator in order to release the £75,000 for our toilet block project. This will help demonstrate that the community is desperate for this to happen!
“We would be so grateful if you could contribute what you can. Hollybush is a special place, and all the people who find it safe and welcoming deserve to feel comfortable there in every way.”
People can donate to the cause here.
