Campaigning for better public toilets for all

'Where Can I Go': Campaign

The new BTA ‘Where can I go?’ Campaign was launched to BTA members at the BTA Conference held at the Stratford Hotel, Stratford upon Avon on 16th September 2009.

The Campaign recognises the need for BTA to change focus from a ‘top down’ approach -directed primarily at Central Government, to a ‘bottom up’ approach’ – directed primarily at local government – (and commercial providers) the actual source, and we believe, the authority responsible for provision of publicly accessible toilets. (Read more about the Campaign Background ...)

There has been a realisation that a ‘call to action’ is needed with the support of other associations and organisations that will add more than the sum of the constituent parts to the force of a new campaign. (Read more about the Campaign Supporters ...)

The result is a campaign that we believe will change attitudes to meeting a basic human need – provision of clean, hygienic and safe publicly accessible toilets that are available where and when needed for all types of users.

This is a campaign that considers the needs of all types of toilet users who all need somewhere to go: the old, those with special needs, babies and children, women, visitors to the UK and those with anxieties about using public toilets.

The campaign targets will be:

  • All local authorities who fail to provide adequate public toilet facilities
  • All local authorities without a Public Toilet Provision Strategy
  • Commercial publicly accessible toilet providers who fail to provide adequate facilities for their customers and other users
  • The Media

The benefits will include:

  • Better environments in towns and cities that participate
  • Reduced health risks resulting for improved provision of clean hygienic facilities
  • Facilities that meet the needs of all types of users – male, female, young children and babies, the aged, those that need accessible facilities and the severely physically or mentally handicapped
  • Providers benefit from total cost savings versus the costs of inactivity - vandalism, deterioration of buildings and fittings due to neglect, higher maintenance costs, loss of trade and poor reputations

The Campaign strategy is to involve all associations and organisations who have an interest in the provision of publicly accessible toilets and other groups who have particular interest in the well being of their members or followers (e.g. residents associations, Woman's Institutes, Old Peoples Associations, Parents Associations, Tourist Organisations, and Consumer Associations etc). We will also involve workers in the night time economy (e.g. police, drivers, taxi drivers, road workers, NHS mobile staff etc) who have particular difficulties in locating ‘out of hours’ toilet facilities. All of these groups become the Campaigners.

The Campaign tactics include:

  • This ‘WHERE CAN I GO?’ section on BTA website
  • Press releases
  • Issue of Campaign Toolkit to Campaigners  
  • Encouragement to campaigners with ideas and support
  • Providing guidance and advice to BTA Member toilet providers
  • Publicity for supporters of the Campaign
  • Monitoring and publicising provider success (and failure!)

A BTA ‘Where can I go? Campaign Toolkit is available to support campaigners including:

The Campaign will be led and coordinated by BTA who will monitor progress.


START YOUR ‘WHERE CAN I GO? CAMPAIGN NOW