Zoo’s all inclusive

Paignton Zoo’s commitment to being modern, inspiring and inclusive is reaching all areas- even the toilets- to enable everyone to enjoy one of Europe’s top 10 zoos.

Wild Planet Trust has opened a Changing Places assisted accessible toilet at Paignton Zoo, by the Island restaurant- the Zoo’s main catering outlet. The state-of-the-art toilet facility is part of a larger refurbishment programme at the Zoo, intended to reflect the Trust’s “modern, inspiring and inclusive outlook”.

Supplied and installed by Closomat, the Changing Places toilet features all the space and key equipment to enable anyone who needs help to deal with their intimate care to do so in an appropriate environment. Without Changing Places, many disabled people cannot visit a venue, as they are unable to use standard wheelchair-accessible toilets(*).

The Changing Places toilet compliments a further facility already in situ at the Trust’s sister venue, Newquay Zoo, also undertaken by Closomat, and Paignton Zoo’s other five conventional accessible WCs.

“We aim to give our guests a good day out,” explained Adi Board, Paignton Zoo facilities manager. “The Zoo has, throughout almost 100 years, been at the forefront of innovation and committed to operating at the best levels we can. The refurbishment of the areas adjacent to the restaurant gave us an opportunity to upgrade and include a Changing Places toilet, so our accessibility provision is also to the highest standard possible. TripAdvisor has rated us as one of the top ten zoos in Europe: Changing Places will help enable even more people to enjoy and learn about the zoological and botanical diversity we offer.”

Under British Standards (BS8300:2018), it is best practice to provide a Changing Places toilet in addition to conventional accessible facilities in buildings where the public spend time. The facility should be 12m2, and include at least a peninsular WC, washbasin (preferably height adjustable), adultsized height adjustable changing bench, full room cover ceiling track hoist and privacy screen. Since the concept was first developed over a decade ago, more than 1500 Changing Places have been opened across the country. Campaigners are lobbying Parliament to make such facilities a compulsory requirement in all major new pubic buildings.

Closomat has become the acknowledged leader in the design, supply, installation and subsequent maintenance of Changing Places; its website www.closomat.co.uk is now the ‘go to’ location for support information for all involved in the specification and build process, with NBS specifications, CAD blocks, white papers and guidance notes all available for free download.

Washroom Washroom achieves highest ever turnover in 2019

Last year, leading washroom designer and manufacturer, Washroom Washroom, enjoyed its eighteenth consecutive year of growth, achieving its biggest single year-on-year increase in turnover - up 30.5 percent on 2018’s previous record.

It was a hugely successful year for the whole Washroom Group, which comprises bespoke joinery company, Cre8 Joinery Solutions and its all-new turnkey division, WeIntegr8, as well as Washroom Washroom. For the first time, turnover from 2019 was split almost equally between both the washroom and joinery divisions, with the team carrying out more projects involving both joinery and washroom requirements in the last 12 months. As well as completing more projects than ever before, last year the company also undertook an extensive refurbishment programme to extend its factory and increase its in-house manufacturing capability by around 20 per cent. The new factory space is fully functional and the final touches are being put to the new office space, which once complete, will provide plenty of workspace to house 65 designers, project managers, and support staff with room to grow in the future.

Trevor Bowers, director at Washroom Washroom said: “We’re really proud of our inhouse manufacturing facility – it’s something which I believe sets us apart and allows us to provide a truly responsive and bespoke service to our clients. We’ve continually invested in our staff, factory equipment as well as our range over the years and it’s this approach, I believe, that has driven our growth at the rate we’ve seen.

“Last year we worked more closely than ever with our joinery company, Cre8, and we completed some stunning projects together. We’re aiming for an even bigger year this year and with new stateof-the-art machinery and a larger production facility, along with our newly launched turnkey solutions division, WeIntegr8, we’re well placed to take on even the most complex projects this year.”

To find out more about the range of products and services offered by Washroom Washroom, please visit www.washroom. co.uk, call 0800 999 8888 or email info@washroom.co.uk.