Help us campaign for single-sex changing in Darlington's Dolphin Centre

Rob Smith

Petition is addressed to

The people of Darkington

1 Signatures

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1 Signatures

Collection finished

Launched November 2025
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Petition addressed to: The people of Darkington

We call on Darlington Borough Council to provide single-sex changing rooms for pool users alongside other changing facilities.

Darlington Council is spending in excess of £1.4m to increase the use of the Dolphin Centre, which is a major asset to the town.

We believe that these improvements should prioritise the safety of women and girls, who are currently forced to change in a mixed-sex changing village. Mixed-sex changing facilities are known to be dangerous for women and girls, with greatly increased incidents of sexual assault, sexual harassment and voyeurism.

Please sign if you believe that women and girls deserve the right to change away from the gaze of men and without the fear that they will be subject to routine sexual assault, sexual harassment and voyeurism.

Reason

Almost 90% of incidents of sexual assault, sexual harassment and voyeurism in leisure centre changing rooms take place in mixed-sex facilities. The overwhelming majority of these complaints are from women and girls, who are 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.

We can't rely on the courts to protect women and girls, we must make sure that changing facilities prioritise their safety.

90% of attacks on women and girls are in mixed-sex changing facilities. It is very clear that we need single-sex changing rooms in order for women and girls to be safe.

Thank you so much for your support, Rob Smith, Dl2 1ux

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