Loo of the Year Award

The Loo of the Year Award is an award given by an independent association to public facilities in the United Kingdom that meet a number of requirements.

The Award's objective is to promote the highest possible standards in public toilets.

The Award is run independently and is promoted by the British Toilet Association. It also receives corporate sponsorship from a number of companies working in the field—Armitage Shanks, Canon Hygiene, SCA Hygiene Products, Technical Concepts and the British Cleaning Council—along with the national tourism boards of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

History

First introduced in 1987, the Loo of the Year Awards competition has run annually, except for 1993.

Eligibility criteria

Any type of public facility (what the British Toilet Association calls an 'away from home' toilet) can be nominated for consideration. There are thirty-six different award categories in all. Eligible facilities can be located in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Anyone can submit a nomination—staff, customers, visitors, managers, owners or contractors—but owners or managers must authorize entries.

Judging criteria

After an unannounced inspection from an authorized "Loo of the Year Awards Inspector", nominees are graded on a scale from one to five stars. Grades are awarded based on a number of criteria, and are judged on both male and female facilities, as well as any baby changing and accessible facilities provided. The criteria include:

*Signage and communication:
**Directional signage (if applicable)
**External building signage (if applicable)
*Internal customer communication signage
*Decor and maintenance:
**State of repair, both inside and outside (if applicable)
*Fixtures and fittings provision:
**Sanitary fittings, taps, locks, hooks, etc.
*Cleanliness:
**Walls and ceilings
**Floor areas
**Fixtures and fittings (basins, bowls, seats, taps, etc.)
*Hygiene equipment:
**Hand washing
**Hand drying
**Toilet tissue
**Sanitary product disposal
*Air quality:
**Ventilation, drainage smells, etc.
*Extras:
**Added-value enhancement
**Vending, flowers etc.
*Security:
**Lighting, entrances, external areas (if applicable)
*Accessible facilities:
**Proper provision for both sexes or a unisex facility
*Changing facilities:
**Proper provision for both sexes or a unisex facility
*Overall management and customer care

Awards

Awards are given in a number of categories, including the following.

National Awards

A nominee receiving a five- or possibly a four-star grading will be considered for one of the following major National Awards in each of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland:

*National Category Winners (up to thirty-six categories in each country)
*National Accessible Toilet Winner
*National (Baby) Changing Facilities Winner
*Public Toilet Entries - National Winner
*Individual Category Entries - National Winner

Individual UK Loo of the Year Trophy

The winner of this award is selected from one of the eight national winners in the Public Toilet Entries and the Individual Category Entries categories above.

UK Corporate Provider Trophy

The winner of this award is selected from organizations or authorities entering ten or more different locations and winning five or more five-star awards.

Champions' League – Standards of Excellence Awards

This award is presented to organizations or local authorities winning five or more five-star awards and who, in the inspectors' opinion, are maintaining a consistently high standard of management in all their Loo of the Year Awards entries.

Local Authority Premier League

Membership in the League is granted to the top twenty local authority public toilet providers.

Attendant of the Year Awards

These "people awards" are open to all full-time attendants, as well as employed cleaning staff and retained cleaning contractors. Separate Attendant of the Year Award Certificates are awarded in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with Commended and National Winners for each country.

In addition, the overall UK winner (either an individual, in-house cleaning team or external contractor) is awarded the Cannon Hygiene UK Attendant Of The Year Trophy.

ee also

*"The Good Loo Guide"

External links

* [http://www.loo.co.uk Loo of the Year Award]