A purpose-built play and leisure centre for disabled children is set to open near Bristol, after more than a decade of fundraising, research and trial sessions.
Gympanzees has raised more than £10m to transform a former service station by the Severn Bridge. The 4,000 square metre site is due to open in spring, although the charity still needs to find £400,000 to complete the project.
A place designed around children’s needs
The centre will include 10 activity spaces, including a gym, trampoline and climbing area, music room, sensory rooms and an accessible outdoor play park. Its two-storey soft play area will have two hoist systems for wheelchair users.
There will also be a party room with eye-gaze-controlled DJ equipment, a café, a shop selling specialist essentials and a lending library where families can try equipment at home.
Sessions will be tailored to different needs, including complex medical conditions, sensory needs and difficulties with socialising. The charity says its earlier pop-up sessions attracted 1,000 visitors in their first four weeks, with some families travelling for up to eight hours.
Founder Stephanie Wheen, a former children’s physiotherapist, hopes the centre will welcome up to 200,000 visitors a year. She plans to open 12 more sites across the UK so every child can reach one within an hour.
Why it matters for Britain
Scope research found that half of UK playgrounds are not accessible for disabled children. Gympanzees will give families a dedicated place for exercise, play and socialising, while the Bristol site could provide a model for similar centres elsewhere.
