Changing places toilet opens Sat 27 May
Our new Changing Places Toilet (CPT) has opened in time for the half term holidays.
A Changing Places Toilets is larger than standard accessible toilets with extra features and more space. They are generally designed for assisted use, for example with a carer.
Arundel first started looking into the possibility of having a changing places toilet in our visitor centre in 2011 but space limitation held us back. This space was found (and set aside) when the theatre was removed in 2018 to increase the size of the staff and volunteer facilities and the retail stockroom.
Previous Centre Manager Tim McGregor applied for funding for the Changing Places Toilet from Arun District Council who were locating new CPTs in the district using funding from the UK Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Muscular Dystrophy UK . WWT matched the CPT grant received, with donations from “Bassil Shippam and Alsford Trust”, “Chapman Charitable Trust” and “National Lottery Awards for All” which enabled them to facilitate construction work to house the facility. Sue Payne (pictured above) oversaw the project after Tim’s departure, selecting Astor Bannerman to design and install the CPT.
Sue Payne Facilities Manager said: "We chose Astor Bannerman to build our CPT because of their 'Turnkey approach' - they design the equipment, install the CPT and do any building alterations required. They also kept their 2022 prices despite the project stretching over to 2023."
Our CPT contains has a height adjustable changing bench, an X/Y Ceiling track hoist with spreader bar, a height adjustable sink, a peninsular toilet, a colostomy shelf, grabs rails and a retractable privacy screen.
The CPT at Arundel is located near the entrance to the visitor centre and will be accessed by visitors who require it with a RADAR key. You do not have to have an admission ticket to use this facility all though it is only open during our regular hours of 10am-4.30pm. CPT is not for use of visitors who only require a wheelchair-accessible toilets.
