Longdown Activity Farm - Changing Places

The ribbon is cut during
the grand opening ceremony

In order to further facilitate the valuable work that Longdown Activity Farm carry out with students and visitors who have a registered disability, owner Bryan Pass leapt at the opportunity presented by local mum Sarah Brisdion when she explained about her Hadley's Heroes campaign to get Changing Room facilities installed in as many outlets as possible around the Hampshire area.

Sarah's young son Hadley, who has cerebral palsy, is often faced with the undignified and unsanitary situation of being changed on urine-soaked toilet floors because standard toilets simply don't meet his needs. As a result, Sarah is campaigning for better disabled toilet and changing facilities in public places on behalf of Hadley and 10 million others in the UK who have additional needs.

Working closely with Bryan and Dawn Pass, Sarah organised some fund raising events which raised an impressive £4,000 through the efforts of local sponsors and friends, along with a generous donation of a further £2,500 from the Barker-Mill Foundation. These funds enabled Longdown Activity Farm to build their own Changing Room facility complete with adult-sized changing bench and lifting hoist, and an adapted toilet.

The facility now gives dignity to countless numbers of visitors and workers that have the need for the special equipment; it allows access and freedom to enjoy a wonderful day out that might otherwise have been denied to them. Indeed, so impressive is this facility that in early 2018 the farm was nominated for a Sudocrem Changing Room Award.

Longdown Dairy Farm - the
Changing Places toilet and changing facility

One parent who nominated the venue said: "They raised to the challenge and turned a shipping container into an accessible changing facility. This is amazing as with a special school 10 minutes drive away and another two within the city as well as respite centres, it is a lovely farm to visit and to be able to spend a reasonable amount of time there without having to plan toiletting needs is amazing."

Five years after launching the first Baby Changing Room Awards and sponsoring the National Childbirth Trust Baby Change App, Britain's leading nappy cream brand Sudocrem is once again pioneering the way with a new category to recognise the importance of Changing Places toilets for disabled children. There are 800,000 disabled children in the UK but only 1058 Changing Places toilets to meet their needs. This means that parents like Laura Rutherford, whose son Brody, 5, suffers from GDD, epilepsy, hypermobility and hypotonia, is forced to change her son on a toilet floor.

"Life beyond a baby changing table when your child is doubly incontinent means constant exclusions when you go out as a family. It's heart breaking for us as parents and this is an issue that will sadly become harder and harder as he grows up. He is different not less. Time for change."

Jenny Miller CEO of PAMIS explains, "We are thrilled that Sudocrem have recognized the needs of children with complex needs as they grow too large for baby changing facilities. Children and young people who require these facilities are often prevented from taking part in their communities by the simple things that we take for granted. In 2007 we cofounded the Changing Places Consortium and campaign to develop accessible facilities for the most disabled people in the UK. The Sudocrem award scheme is a great idea and we're confident it's going to make a big difference!"