The Forest of Marston Vale Trust is delighted to have secured funding through Central Bedfordshire Council to build a Changing Places Toilet at The Forest Centre and Millennium Country Park by the end of 2023.

Changing Places toilets help thousands of people whose needs go beyond traditional adapted facilities. Standard accessible toilets (or "disabled toilets") do not provide changing benches or hoists, and most are too small to accommodate more than one person. Central Bedfordshire Council applied for funding on our behalf from The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) which has contributed towards the placement of the new toilet block.

Grant Sorrell, Commercial Director for The Forest of Marston Vale Trust says “We were delighted to be awarded funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) via Central Bedfordshire Council to facilitate the development of a Changing Places Toilet at The Forest Centre. Providing these toilets in public places makes a dramatic difference to the lives of thousands of people who desperately need these facilities and will enable more people to explore our beautiful park more accessibly.”

We announce this exciting news on ‘Changing Places Awareness Day’, now in its 17^th year, a day celebrating the great work achieved by the consortium as well as raising awareness of the campaign’s life changing facilities to new audiences.

Local resident Kath Pierce has been spearheading the Changing Places campaign in Bedfordshire “The installation of the Changing Places toilet will give Sam (my grandson) and everyone else, with a disability who needs help to use a toilet, equality, and dignity. The Forest Centre and Millennium Country Park will be able to make their events more inclusive, and disabled people will be able to consider the location for their own parties and weddings.”

Subject to planning consent, The Trust will install a modular Changing Places Toilet adjacent to the existing toilet block. It is hoped the work will be completed by the end of the year.

---

There's so much to see and do at the Forest Centre and Millennium Country Park

Come along to our summer events, enjoy some live music with our next tribute night or join us for a tea or coffee on our balcony and terrace!

Find out more