Changing Places Facility Introduced

The Club is delighted to announce that a changing places toilet will now be made available for supporters on matchdays.

Changing places toilets are larger accessible toilets for severely disabled people, with equipment such as hoists, curtains, washing facilities, adult-sized changing benches and space for carers.

A changing places toilet will be open for home and away fans beginning with Town’s fixture against Shrewsbury at Portman Road on Saturday, 18 March.

The facility is at Nash House, a special care dental surgery for patients with additional needs ran by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, which is around 100 yards away from the Club’s shop, Planet Blue.

Following the introduction of sensory packs and the announcement that Portman Road is now taking part in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme, this move, which comes during Level Playing Field’s Unite for Access campaign, marks another step towards making Ipswich Town accessible for all.

“The Trust has kindly offered its use and it will make such an incredible difference to our disabled supporters,” Glenn Bate, who will assist with the changing places toilet as part of his Matchday Accessible Ticket Office Assistant role, told the Club website.

“We’re trying to make the Club as accessible as possible and this is a brilliant addition to the Club’s facilities. 

“It really is the difference between coming to a football match and not coming to a football match. 

“A disabled person’s matchday experience should be equal to that of an able-bodied person. This is going to make that happen.”

The agreement came from Fiona Welsh, a Senior Dental Nurse at Nash House, reaching out to the Club to offer the facility in a real show of community spirit.

“We’re just a stone’s throw from Ipswich Town and it makes sense,” she added. “We’re all in the same community. 

“We’ve had feedback from patients saying that, because our sink goes down, it’s the first time that a person has been able to wash their hands at the same level for years. 

“One lady said that it felt like Christmas having it here, so it’s only right that we share it.”

Any supporters who would like to make use of the newly available changing places facility can do so by contacting Lee Smith, the Club’s Disability Liaison officer, on lee.smith@itfc.co.uk.