We're getting a new loo!

Sometimes it seems that every second house in our neighbourhood has a builder’s sign on the front fence. Tradies vie for space on narrow streets and down laneways as the cottages of Kensington are steadily renovated and extended to meet the changing needs of their occupants.

In May 2025, Kensington Neighbourhood House joined the renovation bandwagon, starting much needed work on our downstairs bathroom and back deck.

Kensington Neighbourhood House was extended upwards in 1992 and outwards in 2010, but the bathroom was not touched. Tackling this long awaited renovation is one of the largest tasks in our Disability Action Plan and it will be great to see it completed.

Not to put too fine a point on it, toilets are a big deal! Many people plan their outings around whether or not they can access a toilet easily. Knowing there is a suitable facility can be the difference between participating in community activities or not. Here in Kensington, there are 3 accessible bathrooms. 2 are within JJ Holland Park, leaving just one within the residential/commercial area of Kensington (at the Town Hall). We’re glad to be adding another one into the mix.

Many, many months of planning took place leading up to this project. A big part of the planning was thinking about our neighbourhood house “family” and their different needs.

Level floors, an accessible toilet cubicle and handrails were high on the list for our older participants and those using mobility aids. Playgroup families wanted baby change facilities and back steps that are safe for toddlers to navigate. Creative art kids wanted an outside sink to wash up their paintbrushes. Everyone wanted fresh clean tiles and easy-to-use taps.

Working with local architects, Visionary Design Development, we’ve come up with a design that will be universally accessible and meet the needs of all our participants.

We’re hoping work will be completed by the end of Term 2. The art kids are already coming up with creative toilet-themed ways to celebrate!

This renovation is being funded by Kensington Neigbourhood House, with assistance from a City of Melbourne Community Inclusion Grant.