Ordinary Hopes

Yes, I know they were found back in the early 1990s but WE have not been able to visit. They have remained lost to us.

Late this afternoon I came home to this awesome response to my question on the Facebook page of The Lost Gardens of Heligan. I had posted my blog post “Can I be a 1st class citizen too?” with a question asking if they wanted to enable disabled people to visit.

The response as overwhelmingly positive!

“Hi Rachel, great timing! We were just scrolling back to find your original message to get in touch with you and Tony Clough.

Following on from your original post, we have been looking through your blog and researching the Changing Places campaign. Your blog proved to be a really eye opener which has helped us a lot.

We been have been in discussions with our senior management team along with the directors who have agreed to install the facilities that are required.

We would like to thank you for bringing this to our attention and would love to hear any more input that you may have on this. Please e-mail us so that we can get the ball rolling.

We’re really hoping to see you in the gardens soon.”

I was UTTERLY THRILLED to read it! I could not contain my excitement!

Then I told Adam.

I told him that there is a wonderful place that I have wanted to take him to for a very long time but that they didn’t have good toilets. So I had contacted them, told them that we needed toilets with a  bench and hoist, and they had said that they will sort it out so that they have proper toilets for us to go too.

Adam has no idea what he has been missing as he has not been there but his face lit up with joy because these people cared and were going to make sure that he can go too.

I hope that they all know how much this means to us and to all who need these facilities.

They told Adam that he matters!

Thank you to all at The Lost Gardens of Heligan!

We are really excited that we will be able to visit. As are many of our friends.

 

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Tony Clough MBE has been campaigning for better facilities for a very long time and has done much to inform businesses across the country. Parents like me have a lot to thank him for. Many of the Changing Places toilets which are in existence today are there due to the persistent hard work of Tony and his mother.

Thank you Tony and Margaret for leading the way and for encouraging me to keep going.

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Please see 20p to pee? – Bargain! to see a simple plan of the facilities we need, but for anyone who does not already know, many disabled people need a toilet facility which also has a ceiling hoist and a changing bench. Two simple additions make a place accessible. Without these things, the wide doorways and accessible pathways are no use to us.