Swindon Town install Stoma Friendly toilets in 'major step forward'
'A lack of suitable facilities can be a huge barrier to doing many of the things most of us take for granted'
In what the club are calling a 'major step forward' in making football more accessible, Swindon Town say they've installed five Stoma Friendly toilets at the Nigel Eady County Ground.
This important initiative is promised to help ensure that fans living with a stoma feel welcomed and supported when attending matches and events at the stadium.
It comes as latest stats show around 200,000 people across the UK are currently living with a stoma, including an estimated 750 in Swindon and 1,500 throughout Wiltshire.
A stoma is a surgically created opening on the surface of the abdomen that diverts the flow of faeces or urine, often necessary due to conditions such as bowel or bladder cancer, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, or abdominal trauma.
Research from Colostomy UK reveals that many people with a stoma feel socially excluded due to a lack of suitable toilet facilities.
More than 6 in 10 respondents to the charity’s Stoma Aware survey said this lack limits their ability to enjoy everyday activities such as shopping, meeting friends, or attending events.
This is significantly higher than the 20% of the general population who report similar concerns, according to the Royal Society for Public Health.
One in four respondents also expressed fear about using accessible toilets, citing previous experiences of verbal or physical abuse due to the hidden nature of their condition.
Giovanni Cinque, Marketing & Campaigns Manager at Colostomy UK, welcomed the club’s involvement, saying: “It’s great to hear that Swindon Town have joined our Stoma Friendly Toilets campaign.
"A lack of suitable facilities can be a huge barrier to doing many of the things most of us take for granted, like attending a football match.
"While making the simple additions of a hook, shelf, bin, and full-length mirror may seem small, they will do so much to encourage people living with a stoma in Wiltshire and beyond to attend a game at the County Ground.”