Accessibility takes centre stage at Center Parcs with new Changing Places facilities
Center Parcs, an organisation offering short-break holidays to people, has recently completed the installation of Changing Places units at its villages across the UK in a bid to make all guests’ experiences accessible and enjoyable.
According to the organisation, the substantial investment at its Sherwood, Elveden, Longleat and Whinfell Forest villages is the latest step in ensuring every guest can enjoy their stay.
KingKraft, a manufacturer and installer of assisted bathing solutions, supplied Center Parcs with the equipment. As part of its contract, the company installed a changing table and hoist to help improve an existing changing room at Whinfell Forest and also upgraded a changing table within the pool area.
Clare Winsor, Center Parcs Project Manager commented: “We believe that every guest should be able to relax and enjoy their break and make a conscious effort to ensure that our facilities meet the needs of all families.”
Each Changing Places unit consists of a KingKraft mobile changing table, Guldmann GH3 room cover hoist, a Ropox basin lifter with ideal standard basin and Ropox drop down arms.
Sales and Marketing Director of KingKraft Dale Spademan said: “We only supply the best quality equipment and from our experience of installing Changing Places we know this combination works well for both the user and their family or carer.”
The KingKraft mobile changing table in each unit is height adjustable and is designed with weight bearing sides which allows the changing area to be made wider, ensuring hassle-free turning and rolling and all sides of the table can be easily accessed.
Allowing the table to be set at the correct height, the height adjustment feature eliminates the risk of carers straining their back when helping with changing and if a user is mobile enough to transfer themselves to the table it can be sufficiently lowered, eliminating the need for hoisting.
The Guldmann GH3 hoist has a maximum lift capacity of 250KG and incorporates profiled aluminium rails for smooth movement and transfer.
Each unit also features a Ropox height adjustable wash basin which means all users mobile enough to wash their hands can do so, with the option for some users to be able to lean on the basin for extra support.
In addition to the installation of the Changing Places, Center Parcs has also invested in extensive signage throughout each village and the company is looking to further invest in making several of the Changing Places dual purpose.
“The feedback we have received from our guests regarding the Changing Place units has been extremely positive, highlighting how much it improves the overall experience and ease of their break,” Clare concluded.
According to the Changing Places Consortium, over 250,000 people in the UK need Changing Places toilets to enable them to get out and about and enjoy day-to-day activities. The Consortium is a group of organisations working to support the rights of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities and/or other physical disabilities.
Established in 2005, the Consortium campaigns for Changing Places to be installed in all large public spaces so people can access their community.