Need The Loo: Nominate Coventry’s Best Toilets

Need The Loo
Oct 24
2 min read

Finding a toilet when you need one shouldn’t be a stressful experience. But for many people in Coventry, the lack of accessible, clean, and welcoming toilets means avoiding trips altogether.

That’s why the Need The Loo campaign is launching Coventry’s first Toilet Champion Award to recognise businesses that are already doing the right thing.

“A clean, welcoming toilet says ‘you belong here’.”

What makes a Toilet Champion?

The Need The Loo campaign team wants to recognise businesses that:

Provide clean and well-maintained toilets
Have clear signage — including online
Offer accessible toilets that truly work
Support stoma-friendly features (shelves, hooks, clean surfaces, full-length mirror)
Include sanitary bins in men’s toilets where needed
Make customers feel safe, welcome, and able to stay longer

These small upgrades transform confidence, dignity, and independence, especially for:

Disabled people
People with bowel/bladder conditions
Older residents
Parents with young children
Carers

“We all need the loo. But some of us need it more urgently, more often, or with more care.”

Why it matters

Need The Loo survey data from Coventry shows:

55.3% of men said a sanitary bin in men’s toilets would improve their experience
44.7% of men were dissatisfied and 26.3% very dissatisfied with the accessibility of public toilets in Coventry

Nationally, the picture is just as stark:

A 40% decrease in public toilet facilities since 2000 (British Toilet Association)
14 million people in the UK experience incontinence
16 million people live with disabilities
One in five people avoid going out due to toilet access concerns
Only 17% of toilets meet hygiene standards (Great British Toilet Map & BTA)

Coventry is stepping up. And your nominations will help us celebrate the businesses leading the way.

“Coventry can lead the way by treating toilets as community infrastructure — like benches or buses.”

Nominate a Toilet Champion

If you’ve used a toilet in Coventry that made you feel:

Safe
Welcome
Included

…then we want to hear about it! Nominate here

Celebrate with us

Winners will be recognised at Coventry’s first World Toilet Day Gathering at Central Hall on Wednesday, 19 November from 2 pm–4 pm. We’ll be bringing together local people, partners, and businesses to share stories, celebrate progress, and take the next big steps for better toilets in Coventry. RSVP here

Because we all Need The Loo. But some people need it more often, more urgently, or with more support and when toilets improve, everyone benefits.