Accessible facilities allow people with severe disabilities to spend more time exploring the wetlands

The arrival of Firs Farm Community Hub has “opened the doors” to one of Enfield’s best green spaces for those with accessibility needs, according to the charity running it.

The hub finally opened last month after eight years of campaigning and fundraising led by the Friends of Firs Farm group, which now bases itself at the modular building where there is a café, toilets and community space for hire.

Giving a tour of the new building to the Dispatch, chair of trustees Toni Guiver explained that the building allows those with accessibility needs to make the most of the space, while local schools can also visit for class trips.

As well as ordinary toilets, the hub boasts an official Changing Places toilet, which means it ticks all the necessary boxes for accessibility – providing a changing bench, hoist and curtain to allow people with severe mobility limitation to use them with help from a carer.

The Changing Places toilet at Firs Farm is only the third to open for the public in Enfield borough and is the first located in a park.

“It is opening doors to a beautiful place,” said Toni. “ We have done it here – the first Changing Places toilet in an Enfield green/blue space. There were only 34 in the whole country nine years ago.

“It is opening up a whole new level of accessibility for Firs Farm.”

As well as allowing disabled people and their families to spend more time in the park without worrying about where they’ll go if they need the toilet, the hub also helps school groups do the same.

It means more and larger school trips can take place this year at the wetlands nature reserve within the park.

“The children can stay now because we have the facilities. They have got somewhere to wash their hands and it is accessible.

“What is really encouraging is Windmill School is so excited that it will open up more access for them. They have an SEN [special educational needs] class that want to come here.

“They also helped raise some of the funds to fit the room out so they are very keen to see where their money has gone – and the school will fly the flag for the wetlands.”

The other big beneficiaries of the hub will be sports teams using the recreation ground, which can not only use the toilets to change but have a bite to eat from the café. Edmonton Running Club is already using it as a meeting point.

The next step will be to open the hub’s large community space for hire to local groups. Helen Osman, a trustee of the Friends of Firs Farm, said: “There is lots we want to do – kids’ activities, events. That is the next step.”

While the hub is now open four hours every day, from 11am to 3pm, work is continuing on other projects such as a bike storage area and landscaping to help the hub fit in with its surroundings.

The hub is also now acting as a pick-up point for the Dispatch print edition.

Helen said it had taken “not just hundreds of hours, but thousands of hours” by the volunteers to establish the hub, with help from local sponsors, residents making donations, and Enfield Council as the landowner.

Toni said: “The council was very keen to help us as we are one of the most active friends groups.

“We need to look at how other groups can do something similar.”

Helen added: “It has taken an enormous amount of time. I want to do a bit less now and enjoy it.”

It’s also hoped that the hub will help bridge the divide between Winchmore Hill and Edmonton, as it sits in-between the two areas that will soon become part of the same Westminster constituency.

“Firs Farm brings Edmonton and Winchmore Hill together,” adds Toni, “everyone is welcome”.

For more information about Firs Farm Community Hub:
Visit firsfarmn21.org

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