Nearly two thirds of parents have left a venue due to lack of baby changing room

Recent research revealed that 64 percent of Irish parents have left a public venue due to a lack of changing room facilities and over 30% have changed their baby on a bathroom floor.
Sudocrem, the iconic Irish brand that cares for the skin of the nation’s babies, is 85 this year. To celebrate, Sudocrem is launching the Baby Changing Room Awards to commend venues for providing warm, clean, safe facilities for parents and their little ones.
Currently, parents rate Irish baby changing facilities at 5.5 out of 10. The Sudocrem Baby Changing Room Awards wants to improve this by showing the standard of facilities parents want when out with their family. The research also revealed a lack of support for fathers with over 80% having difficulty finding baby changing facilities in a male bathroom
Furthermore, 85% of parents surveyed said a poor standard will influence whether they return to a venue so becoming more family-friendly, through improving changing facilities, will be of benefit to businesses.
Actor Simon Delaney, Sudocrem Baby Changing Room Award Ambassador, said: “As a parent I know firsthand how important good baby changing facilities really are. I soon realised that when we were planning a trip out that one of the first things to consider was whether the venue had good baby changing facilities. If they didn’t, we’d choose somewhere that did. I’d urge anyone who has used baby changing facilities to vote for the venues that they think provide a great service for parents and spread the word to other parents. Visit www.sudocrem.ie to cast your vote today.”
Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, child-minders and anyone who is using baby changing facilities in public venues, are invited to vote for the best baby changing facilities that they have used at www.sudocrem.ie.

There will be seven categories for entry including:

·         Best Hotel

·         Best Restaurant

·         Best Coffee Shop

·         Best Big Shop (supermarkets, toy stores, clothes shops etc.)

·         Best Shopping Centre

·         Best Changing Facilities in a Male Bathroom

·         Best Service Station

Once venues receive a minimum number of votes they will be in contention to receive an award. Voters will be asked a series of nine yes/no questions about the baby changing facilities provided by the venue they nominate. The number of facilities a venue provides will decide on the number of stars it is awarded. Venues that receive enough votes will receive one, two or three stars with three stars being the top award.
Speaking at the launch, Helen Murphy, Brand Manager, Sudocrem, said: “We are so proud to be celebrating 85 years of Sudocrem. Sudocrem was developed by an Irish pharmacist Thomas Smith in Cabra back in 1931 and has gone on to become a staple in many Irish home. Every year, more than 34.5 million Sudocrem pots are sold worldwide and they are all made here in Baldoyle. The Sudocrem Baby Changing Awards is being launched to help support parents by highlighting the very best public venues that will accommodate all their baby changing needs when out and about.”
Visit www.sudocrem.ie to register your vote today. Each vote received will be automatically entered into a prize draw. The closing date for entries is Friday, September 30. The prize winner will be announced after the voting closes.