We call on Darlington Borough Council to provide single-sex changing rooms for pool users alongside the existing Changing Village’s (mixed-sex) family and disabled facilities in the Dolphin Centre. They must provide 3 changing rooms: 1 for females, 1 for males, and 1 mixed-sex.

The council know mixed-sex facilities are dangerous for some users. How do we know this? Because the gym's changing rooms are either female or male; the toilets are either female or male or fully enclosed rooms for a single user.

Just google ‘man filming in leisure centre’, and you’ll see an increasing number of incidents and victims being filmed by perverts who take advantage of the gaps around the cubicle walls. Often victims don’t know until later that they’ve been photographed & filmed while they’re naked. It is deeply traumatic.

If you live in Darlington and believe that women and girls deserve the right to change away from unwanted male attention and without fearing they could be subjected to voyeurism, sexual harassment and assault, please sign.

Darlington Council is spending over £2m to increase the use of the Dolphin Centre. We believe these great improvements should also include prioritising the privacy and safety of users, especially women and girls, who currently have no choice but to use the mixed-sex Changing Village. Mixed-sex changing facilities are known to be dangerous for females, with greatly increased incidents of voyeurism, sexual harassment and assault.

Almost 90% of incidents of voyeurism, sexual harassment and sexual assault in leisure centre changing rooms take place in mixed-sex facilities. Only 10% take place in single-sex changing rooms, even though more leisure centres have this type. This means criminals are taking advantage of mixed-sex facilities. The majority of the victims are women and girls changing on their own - they’re just not safe in mixed-sex rooms.

Rory Robertson was found guilty of filming girls as young as 12 changing in the Dolphin Centre. He avoided imprisonment. Others have been caught using their phones in the Changing Village.

The police and Swim England have told councils that mixed-sex changing rooms are putting girls & women in danger. We can't rely on the courts to protect women and girls, so the council must make sure that the changing facilities prioritise their privacy and safety.

If you live in Darlington, join us and tell the council they must provide single-sex and mixed-sex changing rooms for pool users. Sign this petition.

Thank you for your support, Leigh Taylor, DL5, and Rob Smith, DL2.

This petition will be presented to Darlington Borough Council to instruct the council to act in the interests of all those living in the Darlington Borough Council area.