In 1993, two friends from Oxfordshire with a passion for technology and mechanics were asked to make a height-adjustable kitchen table by Muscular Dystrophy UK. This challenge developed into a vision of producing solutions which would help support disabled people and their carers. And so, Astor Bannerman was born.
The team were then approached by Muscular Dystrophy UK to develop a height-adjustable basin, suitable for people with the genetic muscle-wasting condition. The ABW Wash Basin soon became key to the growth of the company and has evolved with Astor Bannerman over the years.
More than 27 years later we are still designing, manufacturing and installing equipment with the same mission – to improve the lives of disabled people and their families.
MADE IN BRITAIN
Astor Bannerman is proud to be a UK manufacturer.
Our head office and manufacturing hub is situated in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and that is where our dedicated teams design and manufacture the majority of our equipment.
As well as supporting the UK economy and workforce, being a UK manufacturer has lots of benefits for our customers.
It means we keep control of all aspects of the design and manufacturing process, helping us to make sure every piece of equipment that leaves the factory is of the highest quality.
It also means we have fewer supply chain issues, enabling us to provide a more flexible and consistent service to our customers.
As well as our manufacturing hub in the UK, we also have a presence in Germany through Beka Hospitec, which is part of the Astor Bannerman group. Having a manufacturing site on the European continent helps support our supply chain logistics.
INNOVATION
Our 27 years of experience designing, manufacturing and installing equipment, combined with on-going customer feedback and consultation, has taught us a lot and continues to challenge us to expand our product range with ever improving and innovative products.
The Astor Aquba washbasin was launched in 2019, and offers boutique design quality while maximising functionality. The design was developed in conjunction with customers, and every tiny detail was thought about and designed to make access and life just a little easier without compromising style.
Historically, changing tables have been developed primarily for use in private homes, usually in a single-user situation, not high-use, public settings such as a Changing Places Toilet. With our commitment to Changing Places, and through learned experience of extensive installations over the years, we began to question the suitability of the equipment for the job. We decided it was time to develop a Changing Table specifically for use in a multi-user public environment like a Changing Places Toilet, addressing the very specific needs to overcome the challenges thrown up by public Changing Places toilets.
The result:Â The Astor Invincible Changing Table.
