22/03/23 Banham Zoo to get accessible Changing Places Toilet

Breckland Council has been successful in bidding for £60,000 in national funding to help Banham Zoo develop a new, fully accessible Changing Places Toilet.

As one of the largest visitor attractions in Breckland, Banham Zoological Gardens is working towards being as accessible and inclusive of all communities as possible, including connecting a diverse audience with animals and nature.

Breckland Council has been successful in facilitating the grant of £60,000 from Central Government's Department for Levelling-up, Housing and Communities, in conjunction with Muscular Dystrophy UK.

A Changing Places Toilet is designed to accommodate the needs of people with restricted mobility and features grab rails, a hoist system, a height-adjustable changing bench, more floor space for manoeuvrability and alarm cords.

Cllr Paul Claussen, Breckland Council's Executive Member for Economic Development and Growth, commented: "I'm pleased we've been able to help bring this money into the district as helping to make businesses, attractions and facilities more accessible to a diverse audience improves the quality of life for everyone and makes Breckland a more attractive and inclusive destination for visitors."

Jandre Smuts, Head of Projects, Environment, Accessibility, Capex and Energy at the Zoological Society of East Anglia, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded this Changing Places Toilet grant funding and are very grateful to Breckland Council for their support in helping us achieve this. The grant funding will enable us to enhance our accessibility offering by providing completely accessible and bespoke build toilets and personal care facilities to accommodate our visitors with additional needs at Banham Zoological Gardens."

Cllr Stephen Askew, Breckland Council's member for The Buckenhams and Banham ward, added: "Securing this national funding means we can help further enhance an already-excellent Breckland attraction and make it even more accessible to more people in and around the district, which is great news for everybody."