How is this even allowed (no toilets)

[girlfriend44]

A charity have a sporting session every week in a park but there are no toilets?
How's that even allowed ?
Anyone else think it's awful?
I've heard people say go behind a Bush, that's not nice or practical.

Shouldn't have too anyway, they should find a venue, where they have toilets and changing facilities?
Would you attend?

I’m so confused about why this is an issue. It’s a park, why would you even expect there to be toilets?!

I understand not wanting to go to events without toilets, I get anxious when there is no toilet close by because for several years I had bowel problems so that I couldn't go long without needing the loo (seems to have calmed down now thankfully) but also understand its not always possible to arrange events where there are toilets. The bigger issue is the lack of public toilets, there needs to be more. Its not so bad in my country, doesn't seem to have the same issue with toilets needing to be closed due to vandalism (but toilets are often pay ones, so perhaps that cuts down on vandalism)

DD's last scout camp didn't have toilets, wasn't expecting that (figured there would be an outhouse style toilet at the campsite but the site was just a lean-to and a fireplace, nothing else) - over 24 hours with no toilet access! Just makes me glad I'm not a scout leader as I would not have coped with that.

YANBU. I used to run with a women's group, and we were only out for an hour or so. We always started from somewhere with a toilet.

I go to park yoga every week and there are no toilets. It's a charity run activity. It hadn't even crossed my mind to find a problem with this.

Well, think on. The older you get the more likely it is to become a problem. Not being able to participate in exercise sessions for lack of toilet facilities is a public health problem and especially a women's health problem. Keep doing your pelvic floor exercises and hope for the best.

People attend lots of activities in.parks that either don't have loos or they have been closed. For example, boot camps, yoga, Thai chi.

And a lot of women, especially older women, wont be able to access those activities, for that reason. Yoga stretches all kinds of internal muscles. Quite a short session and you might need the loo!

I'm not blaming the charity, they do what they can. But it's worth raising with them. As a pp pointed out "inclusion" is a good word to use.

Some cafes don’t even have toilets!

Don't they? A takeaway doesn't need toilets but I thought anywhere you sit down to eat does at least in the same building, like a mall or service station. Maybe there's an exception for park cafes?

I think it is unrealistic to expect all parks to have public toilets these days. Unfortunately, there have been problems with vandalism, assaults, drug dealers etc, and councils don't have the spare cash to pay attendants.

You are probably right. But make no mistake about who is losing out. And in the long run it costs the NHS too.

This thread has nothing to do with disability.
I have IBS so I don't do early morning park runs, I do other exercise instead. It is completely unrealistic to expect to find a public toilet within walking distance wherever you are in the UK.

I live in a village. The nearest public loo is 5 miles away in town. The loo in the pub is only available when it is open, and so is the loo in the church hall. town

The OP has been really unhelpful in not providing context here.

Lots of activities won't have a toilet. Running, football pitches etc etc.

Go before you play

@girlfriend44
If the charity moved the sessions to a venue with toilets but had to charge more, would you still go?
If the charity moved the sporting event to another park with facilities but this was further away, would you still attend?
Have you discussed your issues with them and made it clear you're not happy with the lack of facilities? Do other attendees feel the same?
I agree with pp that this particular thread is not about disability (OP has not mentioned a disability), it's about why OP insists on going to sessions that are obviously not suitable for them. It's a charity run event which I presume involves voluntary participation. If it doesn't suit, just find something that does.

This thread is depressing. Someone (a charity!) has taken the time to set up an activity, probably charges minimal fees to cover costs, which should be applauded in a country where more people could do with access to exercise and sport, and all people can do is tear them down as they can’t invent toilets in public parks.

Indeed.

I imagine it would cost quite a bit more to move this event to a leisure centre or similar, where there are toilets provided. This would mean that some/many people wouldn't then be able to afford this mysterious sport, which isn't terribly inclusive, is it? Basically you're saying that only well-off people should be able to participate. I'm not sure what kind of 'ism' that is, but it definitely is one.

Even when I ran in my early 20s, long before I had kids I always needed a wee before a run/exercise and I've always needed to get up for a wee in the night. It doesn't mean I'd immediately pee myself if I didn't but it wouldn't feel particularly comfortable to exercise while feeling like that. Plus if you are exercising you need to take on water and it can be hard to get the hydration/bladder balance right. Most parks do have a toilet somewhere, in my experience! And if they don't they bloody well ought to. I was diagnosed with endometriosis aged 39 - it's well managed, including any bladder issues, but it's very common and many sufferers are not so lucky.

That’s insane.

this is an island and you think there should be bogs right round the coast line? All 7700 miles of it?

how many metres apart do you want them?

and what about hill walking? Does the countryside need loos everywhere too? Should all buses have loos on them?

Don’t be ridiculous, it’s an outdoor event. Most outdoor spaces don’t come with toilets. Go before and/or leave when you need to head home for the loo.

This thread is depressing. Someone (a charity!) has taken the time to set up an activity, probably charges minimal fees to cover costs, which should be applauded in a country where more people could do with access to exercise and sport, and all people can do is tear them down as they can’t invent toilets in public parks.

It's not depressing. Just because a charity or volunteers are doing something it doesn't mean it can't be thought through and inclusive. You'd think a charity would be more on the ball with this TBH.

What is depressing is that people will just accept such rubbish and ever diminishing public services in their area.

Presumably it would cost the charity more money to rent somewhere that had toilets to hold the session. I live near a common which is full of children doing sports on Saturday and Sunday mornings with not a toilet in sight. If all activities had to be toilet accessible then lots of grass roots sport for children would be shut down which would be terrible.

public toilets need people to clean them.
regularly.
and to restock bog roll, empty the bins
and that costs money.

and in your scenario, they still need people to monitor the cameras, to respond if there is an incident etc.

you don’t

I do a lot of exercise outdoors and agree with @BogRollBOGOF - it isn't that simple, and the word "reasonable" is crucial. Some of the stuff I do serves communities that are often excluded from more formal, organised, paying events (which have toilets). Sport in parks attracts all sorts of people and allows charities or small informal groups to run stuff that they couldn't otherwise. It is on top of existing provision.

I think the real issue is poor public toilet provision. The pandemic exposed that - some people were less able to socialise and exercise outdoors because of it, which was deeply unfair.

What would be great is if every park over a certain size HAD to have public toilets!

It's a shame there is so much ignorance about the need for toilets, on this thread.

A huge number of people need a toilet often.

Saying 'go before you go out' is nonsense.
Some people have medical conditions and need a toilet often and fast.

Saying 'go before you go out' is like a teacher not allowing a child to use the toilet in a lesson saying 'you should have gone before'.

Bodies don't always work like that.

This is why there are such things as pit toilets. There are composting toilets in the middle of nowhere in Finland. The UK just doesn't prioritise hygienic places to relieve oneself for whatever reason.

In a place where there are hardly any visitors a discreetly dug cat home is fine. But in places where there are more visitors there should be toilets of some kind.

Grow up, you sound like a toddler stamping their feet 'I neeeeeed a weeeeee'. If you cant manage to go to probably an hour long sport that a charity is running for probably minimal cost without needing to go to the loo then find something more suitable or just don't go.

Honestly this entitled attitude from people is getting worse, no wonder clubs and charities are ceasing doing stuff with the public.

And if you really cant hold your bladder you should probably visit your gp or wear a pad.

*cat hole FFS

@TrashyPanda Some councils charge to use the public loo which is fine IMO.

I recently went to visit somewhere in another part of the UK where there used to be a free public loo (and very clean, nicely looked after.)

They now have a turnstile and it's 20p to use them. I'd far rather cough up 20p for a clean loo than have them close down.

Councils waste so much money on all sorts of things, that public loos ought to be high on the agenda of basic human needs.

How do you think people have managed at beaches for millennia?

Oh god it was awful in the pandemic. Not long after shops were allowed to re-open, I went to a sports event with DD, she was there all day and the loos in the park were closed. She didn't need the loo but I bloody did. There was a gap between her events so we went into the local town I didn't know very well. McDonalds had closed their toilets, as had ASDA (though some desperate person had broken the barriers), no public toilets to be found anywhere. Eventually I found a Costa but it was just bloody ridiculous. I can well imagine some areas have no loos but I would not even consider planning or holding a sports event, or any public event without having some loos nearby.

Pit toilets are a lifesaver when out hiking, they make it so much more accessible for women and anyone with bladder or bowel issues. Often don't have toilet roll but you just need to remember to take your own.

We've used a beach before where there no facilities. It's amazing how resourceful you can be when needed.

As you know this event does not have toilets, I suggest finding any of the numerous portable solutions available to campers and hikers.

If you happen to need a number 2, a bucket with pool noodle makes a sturdy toilet and is easy to clean afterwards. Alternatively you can purchase folding 'squat potties'.