Need The Loo? Coventry’s New Signs Are Pointing the Way

Finding a toilet in Coventry city centre just got easier thanks to a partnership between Coventry City Council’s Public Health and City Services teams and the Need The Loo campaign.

The Need The Loo campaign team has been listening to people across Coventry about their experiences of trying to find toilets in the city centre. One message came through loud and clear:

People need clearer signs showing where toilets are.

When you urgently need the loo, wandering around searching for one can be stressful and sometimes means people cut visits to the city short or avoid trips if they don't know where to access public toilets. 

Because of these conversations, Coventry City Council worked alongside the campaign team to improve signage across the city centre.

The Council has now updated 240 way-finder signs across 34 locations, helping residents and visitors quickly locate toilets and other accessibility features.

But the improvements didn’t stop there....

Filling in the Remaining Gaps

While the way-finder updates made a big difference, ongoing conversations showed there were still a few places in the pedestrianised areas where directions weren’t always clear.

To help fill those gaps, new toilet signage has now been added to city centre bins, including one near Central Methodist Hall, who are a partner of the campaign.

These additional signs help guide people to nearby toilets in places the larger fingerpost signs didn’t quite reach.

A Moment of Pride for the Campaign

Members of the Need The Loo team feel really proud to have helped push this forward.

This progress shows what can happen when people share their experiences and local partners listen and work together. 

Even better, we’re already hearing really positive feedback from both locals and visitors, who say the clearer signage is making it much easier to find toilets in the city centre.

For many people — including people with disabilities and health conditions, older residents, families with young children and those managing health conditions — being able to confidently find a toilet can make the difference between going out or staying home.

So while these signs might seem small, they are part of something much bigger: making Coventry a city that works better for everyone. What's more, other places are showing an interest, so we are hoping this can spread across the UK! 

This Is Just One Step

There’s still more work to do to improve toilet provision across Coventry, but changes like this show how community voices can lead to real, visible improvements.

The Need The Loo campaign will keep listening, organising and working with partners to make Coventry a more toilet-friendly city.

Have you spotted the new signs while you’re out in the city centre?

We’d love to hear what you think. Email Melissa mvsmith@grapevinecovandwarks.org

And if you have ideas about how Coventry could make it even easier for everyone to find and use toilets, join the conversation. Your voice helps shape what happens next.