British Toilet Association : Director's Review

Director’s Report - AGM 21st September 2011

1. Introduction
   1. This is the British Toilet Association’s (BTA’s) twelfth AGM.
   2. Since the last AGM the focus has been on containing the decline in membership resulting from budget cuts, introducing efficiencies and making cost reductions wherever possible, providing an effective information and support service on all publicly accessible toilet issues and providing value to members.
2. Membership
   1. There has been a net decrease of 24 members since the last AGM to a total of 129.
      Local Authorities remain the largest membership sector although at 37 (54 in 2010). There were no new local authority members joining in the past 12 months. All of the LAs that ceased membership in the past year gave financial reasons, except Portsmouth. We are extremely appreciative of their past support.
   2. The level of Commercial Company membership is 4 below September 2010 at 29. We welcome new members Ashgrove Specialist Products, Bonasystem, Cadbury World, Sage Sanitising Systems and West Facility Ltd. Company members ceasing membership ceased for financial reasons.
   3. Every opportunity has been taken to retain and increase membership, particularly new commercial company members. The current economic conditions are affecting all organisations budgets and discretionary expenditure, including memberships and sponsorship, have been hit severely.
3. Sponsorship
   1. We are very appreciative of Corporate Champions – Danfo, Healthmatic, Initial Washroom Solutions, and Interpublic Urban Systems continued loyal support. Airdri ceased to be a Corporate Champion Member at the end of 2010 but remain as a member, and also sponsor Loo of the Year awards
   2. There has been ongoing communication between BTA and all of the Corporate Champions and I have been working with them in different ways to maximise the benefit they can gain from their financial and personal support to BTA. Despite the recession, the high profile established by BTA provides continuous brand association and other marketing benefits in a more cost effective way than any form of advertising.
4. Political Campaign
   1. The current economic climate severely impacts the opportunity to engage national government in the BTA campaign. The Government have not been prepared to consider legislation that would oblige Local Authorities to provide public toilets.
   2. BTA has therefore been focusing on local authority and commercial provider publicly accessible toilet provision.
   3. The BTA ‘Where can I go?’ Campaign, launched at the 2009 BTA Conference continues to be a reference for individuals and small groups in planning local campaigns. Many residents of towns where LAs have declared their intentions to close public toilets have used then Campaign’s material and guidance to launch their own ‘Save our toilets’ campaigns.
   4. BTA has joined with a number of other organisations and individuals in launching an e-petition submitted as part of Downing Street’s e-petition plan to give the public the right to force parliamentary debate on burning issues. A minimum of 100,000 signatures are needed within the next 12 months. Access to the e-petition can be found by searching for public toilets on the government’s e-petition web site, or by using this link - http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/15258.
   5. The BTA Website www.britloos.co.uk is updated daily with news of ‘away from home’ toilet matters of a political, commercial and sometimes personal nature.
5. Activities and Meetings
   1. Advice and assistance to members included:

   Cranleigh Parish Council – local cleaners
   New European products – 2 the loo and misswizz
   New Oxford Street toilets
   Warrington toilets – Stockton Heath Parish
   Weymouth museum toilets
   Isle of Wight public toilets
   Weymouth council toilets
   Opportunities in Derbyshire
   Toilet blocks in Cornwall – Cornwall Gardens
   Public Convenience review:
   Melton Borough Council
   Supplier:
   Perranporth Gardens – management of toilets
   Mossford Construction – children’s toilet signs
   Vanquish Group – waterless urinals
   Adam Fiennes – portable toilet suppliers
   Cleaning:
   Clarity
   Denise Ham – opposite sex cleaners
   Bridgend CBC – toilet cleaning frequencies
   Gavin Smith
   Manchester CC Libraries Dept – how to keep toilets clean when they are abused
   Colin Bailey – companies in Leicestershire
   Gordon Keen - standards of cleaning
   Closures/Campaigns:
   Linda Dobraszczyk – Woodley Reading Parish
   Laura Harris – South West Trains
   Dover Town – Local toilet closures and community toilet scheme
   Martin Tapsell – Southern railways & Deal
   Mrs Wood – train stations
   Liz Humhpreys – Southern railways
   Dick Croydon – Shoreham Kent
   John Pittman – Weymouth
   Aurelia Borenius – Salisbury Market Square
   Huntingdon & Godmanchester Civic Society – local toilets
   Gill Rogers – Isle of Wight
   RCN Continence Forum – closures affecting bladder & bowel suffers
   Aldringham DC – Aldringham toilets closing
   Dorset Primary Care Trust – report on closures to RCN continence forum
   David Holt – suggestion on how to keep toilets open 2011
   Stockton Heath Parish Council – Warrington toilets
   Lucy Metcalf – use for closed toilets Tansley Payne – Kegworth toilets
   Carol Flynn – nationwide toilets
   David Carter – Dufton toilets
   Cystitus & Overactive Bladder Foundation – creating a petition
   Liz Johnson – closure of toilets on trunk roads
   Philip Webb – Manchester
   Wilf Beaumont – Flintshire
   Robert Norley – Exeter toilets
   Requests for Funding:
   Ruth Horsley – for replacing cinema toilets
   Charlotte Kempner (art student) – for art project on a toilet guide –
   Revd Chris Engelsen – for church toilets Cathy Ward – for urinal art project
   Peter Moynihan – for disabled toilets in churches
   Kirby Lonsdale Town Council – to help with running costs
   Advice when taking over PCs:
   Patterdale Village Store
   Ide Hill Parish Council
   Norman Heap - Charlwood
   Mario Preite
   Robin Davies
   Legislation:
   Emily Senior – use of staff toilets
   Mick Gardiner - Embankment toilets being chargeable
   Stephen Parkin – blue lights in PCs
   Sandra Harris – parking ticket issued when rushing child into Sainsburys toilets
   Stephen Smith – designing an office building
   Jeyashri Dheevya – private housing toilets
   Kelty Peat – CCTV fitted in bar toilets
   Toilet openings:
   Rhiannon – opened in Polesworth
   Complaints:
   Future Years – questionnaire by Kimberley Clarke
   Emma McLean – Lloyds Pharmacy not allowing 2yr old to use toilets
   Keith Dewhurst – Asda Pentwyn toilets
   Toilet timings:
   Christine Caddick – toilet ratios
   Dereham Town Council
   Miscellaneous:
   Chris Cronin – membership details
   Bob Kerry – thank you Hampshire CC – Who is main contact at BTA –Mr & Mrs Molerro – Kimberly Clarke trying to influence what toilet paper they buy
   Wheelchair Charlie – Accessible toilets not being DDA compliant but still winning 5 star in LOYA
   Website links:
   Jen Froggatt – Counselling service
   Compliments:
   Sue Jenkinson (Evesham Hotel) – Wychavon toilets
   Assistance with research:
   Ioannis
   Nick Edgar

   2. Regular Meetings

   ABCD Meetings
   BCC Meetings
   BS6465 Meetings
   LOCOG Meetings
   Partners For England Forum
   Problem Reduction Guide Meetings
   TACT 3 Meetings

   3. Other Meetings

   Changing Places
   BTA Management Committee Meeting
   Jack Sim Founder WTO
   Bill Chapman Australian Toilet Association
   JuKo Design

   4. Events & Presentations

   Represented at BICSc Dinner
   Exhibited at BCC Conference
   Exhibited at ProClean Dublin
   Presented at World Toilet Summit Philadelphia
   Represented at Loo of the Year Awards 3rd December
   Represented at CSSA Lunch 16th June

   5. Promotion & Publicity

   Radio and TV interviews including BBC Breakfast and the One Show
   Exhibited at BCC Conference
   Exhibited at ProClean Dublin
   BTA Summer 2011 Newsletter July

   6. BTA continues to receive an excellent media profile and TV, Radio and the press routinely contact BTA for comment and to provide general information on all toilet related matters.
6. Consultancy
   1. BTA has completed four consultations: Belfast City Council, Cadbury World, LDA and Network Rail in the past year. These have been to provide independent advice and reports, with conclusions and recommendations for improvements in toilet provision.
   2. BTA have a wealth of experience and expertise and greater ability to respond to toilet providers various requirements for assistance on a professional and economic basis compared with other consultancy providers.
   3. The BTA can offer specific or general consultancy advice to LAs considering a Community Toilet Scheme. This can include research, planning, communication; PR, implementation and post roll out service level monitoring.
7. The future
   1. Repeating my comments in 2010, the current economic climate, and indicators/predictions for future years, dictate that all expenditure on items or services that do not immediately add value or reduce cost are under intense scrutiny. Local authorities and many commercial companies face extreme budget cuts. The UK’s public toilets will continue to decline despite any actions that BTA can take.
   2. BTA activities are now directed to informing and advising members on how best to provide ‘publicly accessible toilets’. It also offers this service to non-members on a consultation basis. This will continue.
   3. We need new Corporate Champion members in addition to new members. Many Local Authorities will continue to be prevented by internal expenditure restraints from paying subscriptions necessary to become new BTA members. We will therefore target commercial companies for new memberships.
   4. BTA will contact all Charity and Associated Organisations that currently do not pay any annual subscriptions with a request that they consider a subscription of £40 in future.
   5. I intend to explore and exploit every opportunity available to ensure that BTA continues to be the respected and independent authority on ‘away from home’ toilet provision.
8. General
   1. In order to save paper, and be environmentally friendly, these notes will only be available on request via email (enquiries@britloos.co.uk) or via the BTA website www.britloos.co.uk.
      

Mike Bone
Director
BTA

21st September 2011