LISKEARD Town Council is backing a campaign designed to make public facilities in the town more accessible, inclusive and welcoming for men living with incontinence and other medical conditions.

The council has signed up to the Bins for Boys initiative, which encourages public venues to provide sanitary bins in male toilets so men can discreetly and hygienically dispose of items including incontinence pads, pouches and stoma products.

The initiative is being introduced at Liskeard Public Hall, with the council describing the move as a small, but important step, towards improving dignity and accessibility for people using the town centre venue.

The campaign has been championed locally by Deputy Mayor Councillor Sylvia Berry, who originally came up with the idea of bringing Bins for Boys to Liskeard.

The issue can be particularly important for men affected by cancer or cancer treatment. Prostate cancer and its treatment, for example, can result in bladder and bowel problems, while other medical conditions can also lead to incontinence.

Figures cited by the campaign suggest around one in three men over the age of 65 experience urinary incontinence issues, while one in 20 men aged over 60 experience bowel incontinence.

For men who use pads, pouches, stomas, catheters or colostomy and ileostomy bags, finding somewhere appropriate to dispose of sanitary waste when away from home can be a significant concern.

Campaign organisers say the lack of suitable bins in male toilets can leave men feeling anxious, embarrassed or humiliated. For some, the problem can become serious enough to discourage them from leaving home and taking part in everyday activities.

That could mean avoiding a coffee in a café, meeting friends for lunch or visiting a pub because of uncertainty about whether suitable toilet facilities will be available.

Bins for Boys aims to address the problem by encouraging pubs, restaurants, cafés, leisure centres, workplaces and other community venues to install sanitary bins in male customer toilets.

The campaign says women are generally accustomed to finding sanitary disposal bins in public facilities, but men with similar needs can struggle to find somewhere safe and discreet to dispose of their waste.

For Liskeard, the town council’s support could help raise awareness among local businesses and encourage more venues to consider joining the scheme.

Becoming a Bins for Boys venue is described as a straightforward step. Venues simply commit to providing a sanitary bin in their male toilets, helping customers who need the facilities to use them with greater confidence and dignity.

The initiative can also be adopted across an entire town or village, creating a network of participating venues that men can identify when planning trips or days out. Those behind the scheme say it’s about removing a practical barrier that can have a major effect on people's confidence and quality of life.

The council hopes its decision will encourage other Liskeard venues to follow its lead and help make the town a more inclusive place for residents and visitors.

Information on joining the Bins for Boys initiative is available at www.lingendavies.co.uk