Turning barriers into action: Ray's Opportunities' story

Many of us can leave the house without much thought or planning. But for some people, deciding whether to go into town can come down to a basic question: will there be somewhere suitable, safe and dignified to use the toilet?

For people with accessibility and care needs, access to a suitable restroom can make the difference between being able to work, meet a friend, visit a shop or leave home at all. In 2018, the closure of a public accessible toilet block in Forres brought these barriers into sharp focus and local group, Ray’s Opportunities, decided it was time to take action.

Ray’s Opportunities is a small, volunteer-led charity based in Forres. The organisation supports local people with disabilities and additional support needs, along with their families and carers, to live more independent and fulfilling lives.

While supporting a local woman who was a wheelchair user to return to work, the group discovered that she was having to stop eating and drinking before her working day because there was nowhere suitable for her to use the toilet in the town centre.

This is a painful and familiar story for local people with additional access needs. Since the closure of the Leys Road toilet block, Forres House Community Centre has been the only accessible toilet facility in the town centre. When it is closed, wheelchair users and others with access needs are left relying on commercial premises, planning their day around toilet access, or simply staying at home.

Ray’s Opportunities recognised how the lack of suitable toilet facilities was actively restricting local people’s ability to take part in community life, so they decided to take matters into their own hands.

Leading with lived experience

In 2025, Ray’s Opportunities purchased the closed Leys Road toilets from Moray Council, with a vision to transform the site into ‘Ray’s Restrooms’: a Changing Places toilet and an inclusive, welcoming space for anyone in Forres who needs it.

From the beginning, the plans were shaped and led by the people who understood the need most clearly. Local volunteers with lived experience joined the user group, sharing what would make the space practical, accessible and dignified.

Among them was 72-year-old Alan Beevers, who has progressive MS and has been a wheelchair user for ten years. Having experienced changing support needs as his condition progressed, Alan was passionate about advocating for a space that was inclusive and responsive to the needs of everyone.

Alan shared:

“The Changing Places toilet not just provides a toilet but a space to comfort and deal with things like a failed urostomy or catheter bag, somewhere quiet, clean and bright - not degrading. A place for everyone, nursing mothers, baby changing facilities for families, facilities for all sorts of abilities and disabilities. I really like the name ‘restrooms’, it’s a nice notion. It’s not just somewhere to pee, but somewhere where you just want to deal with yourself – whatever that might be. If you have a disability that quite often just needs a bit of private space to be able to sort out, whether its clothing or adjusting equipment.”

Alan Beevers, member of the Ray's Opportunities user group

In the journey towards Ray’s Restrooms, the user group has been a source of positivity for local people with lived experience of disability and access needs, ensuring they have a meaningful role in shaping change within their community. Meanwhile, it’s provided another opportunity for people to connect and relate to one another.

For Alan, that sense of connection with others in the group has been powerful:

“We tend to think that people haven’t got a clue about disability, but then you scratch the surface and realise that somebody’s father has a colostomy, or my best friend’s daughter has a disability. Everyone has a story. I think that we live in an area where people talk to each other, so it doesn’t take long before you make a connection.”

Bringing the vision to life

Bringing Ray’s Restrooms to life required funding not only to build the space, but also to maintain it. The group planned to apply to the Changing Places Toilet Fund, but recognised they needed the right expertise alongside them.

Pat Ellison, Trustee at Ray’s Opportunities, said:

“I had some idea how to write a grant application from my working life a long time ago, but the context was childcare and this was different. I felt I needed somebody to hold my hand when applying for funding until the blindfold came off.”

Through Accelerate, Community Enterprise worked alongside Ray’s Opportunities to make the funding process feel achievable, helping the charity identify suitable funding opportunities, focus its efforts and strengthen its application.

Community Enterprise also provided expertise and practical support around messaging, marketing and events. This helped the group launch a crowdfunder, inviting local people to become part of the solution.

As a result of their campaign, the group has so far secured £117,361 from the Changing Places Toilet Fund, as well as over £4,200 through its crowdfunder. The campaign also attracted support from the local newspaper, while the group has continued to engage the community through a series of events. Together, these activities have raised awareness not only of the project and its ambitions, but also of disability, dignity and what it means for a town centre to be genuinely accessible.

For Ray’s Opportunities, working with Community Enterprise has provided benefits beyond the success of the campaign. The charity is now in a strong position with more confidence in the funding process and a full working knowledge of crowdfunding.

Pat shared:

“Speaking to the team, it was useful having someone to say to me – ‘It’s these funding programmes you want to apply to, these ones you should cross off and save yourself the effort… put effort into this’.

Our advisor, Judith, was so kind and interested and completely practical and professional. She then connected me with Dan, who was like somebody from heaven and it was just a colossal breakthrough. Margot from the team then helped us set up the crowd funder.

Being able to send stuff over we’ve done, hearing another take on it – that’s absolutely worth its weight in gold.

There’s so much expertise in the Community Enterprise that we have been the beneficiary of.”

Driven by community spirit

Ray’s Restrooms is a powerful example of how a community can respond to a practical barrier. It is also a reminder of what can happen when local people are trusted as experts in their own lives.

Through Accelerate, Community Enterprise brought knowledge, guidance and practical support at the moment it was needed. But Ray’s Opportunities and the local people of Forres have always been the passion and driving force behind the project.

Pat commented:

“There’s no lack of spirit and determination, but the help that we’ve had from Community Enterprise has been such a boost because occasionally you think, ‘What can we really do about this?’ and the help we got let me know that our goals really can be possible.”

Ray’s Opportunities: ‘Rays the roof’ crowdfunder is still open, and you can find out more about their campaign on their website.

Find out more about Accelerate