Rail network’s new ‘Bins for boys’ aims to help in fight against incontinence

One of the busiest rail networks covering South London is supporting a campaign by Prostate Cancer UK by placing sanitary bins in all male staff and customer toilets across its vast 11-county network.

Bins can now be found in 495 male toilet cubicles at 228 stations, offices and depots across the Govia Thameslink Railway network (GTR), which operates Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink services.

More than one in three men over 65 in the UK are said face the challenge of urinary incontinence, possibly because of prostate issues – and for them a simple trip to the loo can be a stressful experience due to the lack of proper disposal facilities for incontinence products.

Carl Martin, GTR Accessibility Lead, said: “We’re keen to reduce the anxiety experienced by male colleagues and customers with urinary incontinence, and this small but significant step aims to enhance the comfort and dignity of both colleagues and customers who may need these facilities.

“This is another initiative enabling more customers to travel with confidence. What might be deemed as a minor improvement will make a real difference to many male customers and remove a significant barrier to travel.”

Prostate Cancer UK has introduced the ‘Boys Need Bins’ initiative, which calls for the installation of incontinence bins in every public toilet and business across the country.

Nick Ridgman, head of health information and clinical support at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “A man living with incontinence should be able to travel away from home without having to worry about whether he’ll be able to get rid of his used pads.

“Despite the fact that 1 in 3 men over 65 in the UK experience urinary incontinence, there’s a dire lack of sanitary bins in gents’ toilets and a paralysing taboo stopping people from speaking up about it.

“That’s why we launched our Boys Need Bins campaign to get the country talking and ensure all men have access to a sanitary bin.

“We’ve had backing from politicians, businesses, and members of the public across the UK, and we’re excited that Govia Thameslink have now got on board by providing men with sanitary bins for their male customers and staff.”

New waste bins will not be installed in trains, as they already exist in unisex onboard toilets.

Picture top: GTR