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Loo Tour de Britain stops off to praise Fife’s support

Grant Speed and fellow cyclists, from left, Sharon Elliott, Julie Taylor, Jerry Donaldson, Bruce McCallum, Tim Brett, Pierre Bernard, Candy Preater and Lois Laird arrive at Lochore Meadows.
Grant Speed and fellow cyclists, from left, Sharon Elliott, Julie Taylor, Jerry Donaldson, Bruce McCallum, Tim Brett, Pierre Bernard, Candy Preater and Lois Laird arrive at Lochore Meadows.

A Loo Tour of Britain undertaken by an Arbroath man took a comfort break in Fife.

Grant Speed is on a gruelling, five-day 370-mile cycle from Leeds to Arbroath to raise funds for a Changing Places toilet for people with complex disabilities in his home town.

Mr Speed has seen the difficulties his sister Lois faces finding suitable toilet and changing facilities when she takes her son and daughter, Kein and Kelsey, out for the day.

The family have become involved with PAMIS, a Scottish charity which supports people with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their carers and has been campaigning for Changing Places toilets.

They are not only needed for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities but also people with physical disabilities, such as muscular dystrophy or spinal injuries as well as the elderly who need help.

The start of the challenge was chosen as Mr Speed is a fan of Le Tour De France, which started in Leeds this year. He should arrive home today.

The Loo Tour de Britain stopped on its way through Fife at Lochore Meadows Country Park, where there is a Changing Places toilet, to highlight the success of Fife Council’s policy of providing these facilities in a number of their public buildings.

Fife Council has worked in partnership with PAMIS to provide 15 Changing Places toilets, with a number more planned to open in the next few years.

Mr Speed said: “The tour stopped here is to recognise and celebrate the achievements of Fife Council for such excellent provision.

“I have seen the constant battle that Lois and my niece and nephew have been trying to access a suitable changing facility when they are out and about for the day.

“Having seen the work done by PAMIS and the Changing Places campaign, I want to raise money to build a Changing Places Toilet in Arbroath.

“Lois believes this would not only benefit her son and daughter but many other individuals, families and carers who face similar difficulties and who would also benefit from this type of toilet facility.

“This is a basic need that should be met to help ensure that people can get out and about more easily without having to plan trips around distance of a local sports centre where toilet and changing areas are not always suitable or available.”

The toilets are large enough to accommodate a wheelchair and up to two carers, with standard fixtures of an overhead hoist, peninsular toilet, basin and height adjustable changing bench.

PAMIS and MENCAP are leading the Changing Places campaign.

They have been lobbying councils to ensure at least one public toilet built to Changing Places standards is provided in the centre of each town with a population of more than 15,000 and within each new larger publicly accessible building and complex.

The campaign has been working for several years to get these standards included in the building regulations.

Mr Speed and his supporters have already raised more than £4,000 towards the target of £10,000.

Anyone is welcome to join the fundraiser and do all or part of the route with him or to sponsor him at www.everydayhero.co.uk/event/LooTourDeBritainforChangingPlaces.