Southampton FC: Mother welcomes disabled facilities

Sarah Brisdion said she was unable to take her twins, Erica and Hadley, to football games because of the issue

A mum campaigning for better disabled changing facilities at public venues has welcomed a football club's move to install specialist toilets.

Sarah Brisdion, whose five-year-old son Hadley has cerebral palsy, said he was too heavy for baby changing facilities at Southampton FC.

She said he faced the indignity of having to lay on the floor.

The club said the toilets at its St Mary's stadium would be added as part of ongoing improvements.

Mrs Brisdion wants more venues to install hoists and changing benches - which is not currently a legal requirement - for those who wear nappies or pads

Her Hadley's Heroes campaign has successfully helped to complete Changing Places toilets at Portsmouth International Port, with further ones planned by New Forest District Council in Lymington and a smaller-scale facility in New Milton.

'Blood, sweat and tears'

Mrs Brisdion, from Brockenhurst, who first approached the Southampton FC last October, said she was disappointed by the length of time it had taken the club to install the facilities, describing it as "a rather long and drawn out fight".

"Publicly taking on a multi-million pound football club was not really what I had hoped to have to do to make them understand the need, but it has worked in the end and lots of people will benefit, so it was worth the blood, sweat and tears," she added.

Southampton FC, which said it began a "full external audit" of its accessibility facilities in March, rejected Mrs Brisdion's claims.

Mrs Brisdion's campaign has already successfully helped to complete Changing Places toilets at Portsmouth International Port

"It is important to ensure that upgrades to our disabled facilities are well thought out, completed to a high standard and take into account the future needs of the building and its visitors," the club said.

"An important part of this process is consultation with fans, relevant organisations and experts in this field to ensure works undertaken improve the matchday and non-matchday experience for the widest range of fans and visitors, including those with accessibility needs."

A spokesman said it had offered an "alternative solution" of a separate changing room with raised changing area to Mrs Brisdion and her son and would continue to do so until the new facilities were completed in October.